Omaha, NE
Omaha electrical permit cost
Omaha does not price electrical permits off the value of the building.
Sec. 44-130 sets a fee for each item of work: six cents per square foot for new residential wiring, $2.00 per branch circuit or feeder on commercial work, a service fee that rises with amperage, and flat rows for temporary poles and other items. The minimum fee on all electrical work is $25.00.
How this fee is calculated
These are the components the schedule defines for this permit, as they applied on 2026-09-28. A component only applies to your project if its conditions match — read that column before assuming a figure. Want a figure for your own project? Estimate this fee with the permit fee calculator.
| Component | Formula | Applies when | Range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical permit — branch circuits and feedersPermit fee | $2.00 per circuit | electrical scope is commercial | — |
| Electrical permit, new residential — per square footPermit fee | $0.06 per sq ft | electrical scope is new residential | — |
| Electrical permit — new service 801 to 1,000 amperesPermit fee | $185.00 flat fee | service type is new and amperage over 800 and amperage up to 1000 | — |
| Electrical permit — new service up to 200 amperesPermit fee | $25.00 flat fee | service type is new and amperage up to 200 | — |
| Electrical permit — new service 201 to 400 amperesPermit fee | $65.00 flat fee | service type is new and amperage over 200 and amperage up to 400 | — |
| Electrical permit — new service 401 to 600 amperesPermit fee | $105.00 flat fee | service type is new and amperage over 400 and amperage up to 600 | — |
| Electrical permit — new service 601 to 800 amperesPermit fee | $145.00 flat fee | service type is new and amperage over 600 and amperage up to 800 | — |
| Electrical permit — existing servicePermit fee | $20.00 flat fee | service type is existing | — |
| Electrical permit — new service larger than 1,000 amperesPermit fee | $0.2 per ampere above the first 1,000 A (per 100 A or fraction thereof) + $185.00 | service type is new and amperage over 1000 | — |
| Electrical permit — temporary pole or servicePermit fee | $25.00 flat fee | temporary pole is true | — |
| Minimum electrical permit feePermit fee | the shortfall up to the $25.00 minimum on calculated permit fee | Every permit of this type | — |
A real permit fee is these components added together. The department’s final calculation is the one that applies — this is the schedule it will be based on.
A worked example
Follow the arithmetic by hand. Every line is produced by the engine from the rules above, so the total cannot drift away from the schedule behind it.
Worked example
A commercial electrical permit covering a new 200-ampere service, thirty branch circuits and one temporary pole.
| Input | Value |
|---|---|
| Service amperage | 200 A |
| Active circuits | 30 |
| Service type | new |
| Temporary pole | Yes |
| Electrical scope | commercial |
Example total
$110.00
An estimate, not an official fee. It is calculated from the published fee schedule as it applied on 2026-09-28. The permit office’s own calculation is the one that applies, and your project may fall under rules this schedule does not describe.
Fee schedule as of 2026-09-28Rules applied 4Rules considered 11
| Component | How it is calculated | Amount |
|---|---|---|
Electrical permit — branch circuits and feedersPermit feeSec. 44-130(b)(1) — $2.00 each for branch circuits and feeders, new or extended, on commercial work, apartments, existing residential and all other permits.Show the working
| $2.00 per circuit | $60.00 |
Electrical permit — new service up to 200 amperesPermit feeSec. 44-130(b)(3) — $25.00 for a new service of 1 to 100 amperes and, at the same published figure, 101 to 200 amperes.Show the working
| $25.00 flat fee | $25.00 |
Electrical permit — temporary pole or servicePermit feeSec. 44-130(b)(7) — $25.00 for each temporary pole or temporary service.Show the working
| $25.00 flat fee | $25.00 |
Minimum electrical permit feePermit feeSec. 44-130 — the minimum fee on all electrical work is $25.00, charged as the shortfall against the permit subtotal.Show the working
| $25.00 minimum on calculated permit fee, less the $110.00 calculated | $0.00 |
| Total | $110.00 |
Fees that do not apply here
Listed so you can see what was considered and left out, rather than wondering whether something is missing. A rule can also be left out because it is not published for this permit at all, and that is stated where it matters.
- Electrical permit, new residential — per square foot — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
- Electrical permit — new service 801 to 1,000 amperes — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
- Electrical permit — new service 201 to 400 amperes — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
- Electrical permit — new service 401 to 600 amperes — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
- Electrical permit — new service 601 to 800 amperes — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
- Electrical permit — existing service — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
- Electrical permit — new service larger than 1,000 amperes — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
Assumptions
- Calculated from 4 fee rules in effect on 2026-09-28.
- Amounts are rounded to the nearest cent, once, at the end of each component.
Three base rows apply: the new 200-ampere service at $25.00, thirty branch circuits at $2.00 each ($60.00), and the temporary pole at $25.00, for $110.00. The $25.00 minimum does not bite, because the subtotal is already above it. The counts are the example's, not the City's.
What is different in Omaha
The schedule has two shapes and the job picks which one applies. New single-family, two-family and town home wiring is priced by area at six cents per square foot, which the code says covers all wiring, the electrical service, major appliances and electric heat. Everything else — commercial work, apartments and existing residential — is priced per item: $2.00 for each branch circuit and feeder, $20.00 for work on an existing service, and a new-service fee that runs from $25.00 up to $185.00 and then $20.00 for every additional 100 amperes.
The service fees are the part that surprises people, because a new service is charged by its amperage and not by the size of the job. A 200-ampere service is $25.00; a 400-ampere service is $65.00; a 1,200-ampere service is $185.00 for the first 1,000 amperes plus $20.00 for each additional 100.
What this figure does not include
Impact fees, utility connections and other departments’ permits are the usual omissions, and in some jurisdictions they are larger than the permit fee itself.
Not included in these figures
This covers the electrical rows transcribed: the $25.00 minimum, residential square-foot pricing, branch circuits and feeders, existing services, new services by amperage and temporary poles. It excludes:
- Sec. 44-130's pre-connect ($25.00 each), re-connect ($25.00 each), low-voltage ($25.00 each) and outage ($25.00 each) rows, and multiple pre-connects at one building (1 to 10 at $25.00 each, then $10.00 each).
- The second and subsequent re-inspection trips, charged at $50.00 each with the first additional trip free.
- Electrical contractor, master electrician and apprentice registration and examination fees, which are licences rather than permits.
- The Planning Department's Technology and Training fee, which the City adds to the fees it collects; the building page shows it, and this page does not charge it.
- Any utility connection or service-installation charge, which is made by the utility rather than by the City.
What you need before applying
- A registered electrical contractor draws the permitRequired
Sec. 44-130 prices electrical work "for registered electrical contractors", and the chapter's registration fee rows sit in the same article. The permit is not an owner-builder instrument the way a single-family building permit can be.
Common questions
How much is an electrical permit in Omaha?
It depends on the work. New residential wiring is six cents per square foot. Commercial work is $2.00 per branch circuit or feeder. A new service is $25.00 up to 200 amperes, rising to $185.00 at 801 to 1,000 amperes and $20.00 per additional 100 amperes above that.
Is there a minimum electrical permit fee?
Yes. Sec. 44-130 states that "the minimum fee on all electrical work shall be $25.00", and Omaha charges it as the shortfall against the calculated subtotal rather than as a separate line.
How is new residential electrical work priced?
By area, at six cents per square foot, and the code says the fee "covers installation of all electrical wiring, electrical service, all major appliances, and electric heat". Square footage is the total area including each level, hallways, stairways and attached garages, excluding unattached garages.
Do branch circuits count during a service panel replacement?
No. The code adds an exception: the $2.00 branch circuit and feeder fee "does not apply to existing circuits on a service panel replacement".
Can I pull the electrical permit myself?
Sec. 44-130's schedule is written for registered electrical contractors, and the chapter registers contractors and master electricians. Unlike a single-family building permit, an electrical permit is not framed as an owner-builder instrument.
Source and verification
The documents behind every figure on this page, with the dates that make them checkable.
- Municipal codeCityPrimary source
Omaha Municipal Code — Chapter 44 (Electricity), Sec. 44-130 Fee schedule
Read 2026-09-25. Sec. 44-130 prices electrical work as a list of items — a minimum of $25.00, six cents per square foot for new residential, $2.00 per branch circuit or feeder, service fees by amperage, and flat rows for temporary poles, pre-connects and low voltage.
Verification
Last verified against the official source in Sep 2026.