Cleveland, OH
Cleveland building permit cost
A Cleveland building permit is priced on one of four valuation rows, chosen by two facts:
whether the job is on a one-, two- or three-family dwelling, and whether the estimated cost is below or above $1,000,000. Residential new work is $10.00 for each $1,000 of cost (floor $150), residential alterations $5.00 (floor $30); OBC buildings are $12.00 per $1,000 under $1,000,000 (floor $300) and $12,000 plus $7.00 per $1,000 above it, alterations $15.00 with a $150 floor rising to $15,000 plus $11.00 per $1,000. Plan examination rides alongside at $20.00 per 1,000 square feet, and a residential permit carries a separately itemised 1% state surcharge that OBC fees already include.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Demolition, OBC buildings — $15.00 per 1,000 sq ft or fraction of floor area, $300 minimumPermit fee | $15.00 per 1,000 sq ft of project area, or fraction thereof | one two family is not true and Work type is demolition | min $300.00 |
| Demolition, 1–3 family or accessories — $10.00 per 1,000 sq ft or fraction of floor area, $50 minimumPermit fee | $10.00 per 1,000 sq ft of project area, or fraction thereof | one two family is true and Work type is demolition | min $50.00 |
| Festival/carnival plan examination — $20.00Plan review | $20.00 flat fee | festival is true | — |
| Marquees, awnings and canopies — $12.00 per $1,000 or fraction of estimated cost, $50 minimumPermit fee | $12.00 per $1,000 of project valuation, or fraction thereof | marquee is true | min $50.00 |
| Private garages, tool sheds, residential antennas and other accessory structures — $50.00Permit fee | $50.00 flat fee | accessory structure is true | — |
| Effective boarding pending repairs of rehabilitation — $50.00Permit fee | $50.00 flat fee | boarding is true | — |
| Fences, guardrails or barriers, commercial — $15.00 per $1,000 or fraction, $150 minimumPermit fee | $15.00 per $1,000 of project valuation, or fraction thereof | one two family is not true and fence is true | min $150.00 |
| Fences, guardrails or barriers for 1, 2 or 3 family — $50.00Permit fee | $50.00 flat fee | one two family is true and fence is true | — |
| Swimming pool (private/residential) — $50.00Permit fee | $50.00 flat fee | pool is true | — |
| Moving any other building or structure — $600.00Permit fee | $600.00 flat fee | one two family is not true and moving is true | — |
| Moving a 1, 2 or 3-family dwelling — $300.00Permit fee | $300.00 flat fee | one two family is true and moving is true | — |
| OBC alterations/repairs from $1,000,001 — $15,000 + $11.00 per $1,000 above $1,000,000Permit fee | $15,000.00 + $11.00 per $1,000 of project valuation above $1,000,000, or fraction thereof | one two family is not true and Work type is one of alteration, remodel, repair, replacement and Project valuation over $1,000,000 | — |
| OBC alterations/repairs under $1,000,000 — $15.00 per $1,000 or fraction, $150 minimumPermit fee | $15.00 per $1,000 of project valuation, or fraction thereof | one two family is not true and Work type is one of alteration, remodel, repair, replacement and Project valuation up to $1,000,000 | min $150.00 |
| OBC new/first tenant build-out from $1,000,001 — $12,000 + $7.00 per $1,000 above $1,000,000Permit fee | $12,000.00 + $7.00 per $1,000 of project valuation above $1,000,000, or fraction thereof | one two family is not true and Work type is one of new construction, addition and Project valuation over $1,000,000 | — |
| OBC new/first tenant build-out under $1,000,000 — $12.00 per $1,000 or fraction, $300 minimumPermit fee | $12.00 per $1,000 of project valuation, or fraction thereof | one two family is not true and Work type is one of new construction, addition and Project valuation up to $1,000,000 | min $300.00 |
| Plan examination — $20.00 per 1,000 sq ft or fraction, $20 minimumPlan review | $20.00 per 1,000 sq ft of project area, or fraction thereof | plan review is true and Project area is provided | min $20.00 |
| Plan examination, no floor area — $20.00Plan review | $20.00 flat fee | plan review is true and not (Project area is provided) | — |
| 1–3 family: alterations and repairs — $5.00 per $1,000 or fraction, $30 minimumPermit fee | $5.00 per $1,000 of project valuation, or fraction thereof | one two family is true and Work type is one of alteration, remodel, repair, replacement | min $30.00 |
| 1–3 family: new buildings and additions — $10.00 per $1,000 or fraction, $150 minimumPermit fee | $10.00 per $1,000 of project valuation, or fraction thereof | one two family is true and Work type is one of new construction, addition | min $150.00 |
| Outdoor signs and display structures — $12.00 per $1,000 or fraction of estimated cost, $50 minimumPermit fee | $12.00 per $1,000 of project valuation, or fraction thereof | sign is true | min $50.00 |
| State of Ohio surcharge, 1–3 family — 1% of permit and plan examination feesState surcharge | 1% of fees charged | one two family is true | — |
| Temporary tent over 120 sq ft — $75.00Permit fee | $75.00 flat fee | tent is true and Project area over 120 | — |
| Certificate of Occupancy — $60.00Other fee | $60.00 flat fee | certificate of occupancy is true | — |
| Festival/carnival temporary tent — $25.00Other fee | $25.00 flat fee | festival is true | — |
| Festival/carnival use permit — $20.00Other fee | $20.00 flat fee | festival is true | — |
| Work started before permit, notified within 72 hours — $100.00 + 25% of the required permit feeSurcharge | 25% of calculated permit fee + $100.00 | work started is within 72h and permit fee is provided | — |
| Work started before permit, notified after 72 hours — $200.00 + 25% of the required permit feeSurcharge | 25% of calculated permit fee + $200.00 | work started is after 72h and permit fee is provided | — |
| Site development review — $200.00Other fee | $200.00 flat fee | site development is true | — |
| SWPPP review — $500.00Other fee | $500.00 flat fee | swppp review is true | — |
| Zoning fee, commercial/multifamily/parking lots — $150.00Other fee | $150.00 flat fee | zoning commercial is true | — |
| Zoning fee, residential — $20.00 (page only; the ordinance's list omits it)Other fee | $20.00 flat fee | one two family is true and zoning residential is true | — |
| Zoning fee, signs/fences and appurtenant structures — $20.00Other fee | $20.00 flat fee | zoning sign fence is true | — |
| Zoning fee, temporary uses — $30.00Other fee | $30.00 flat fee | zoning temporary is true | — |
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 alteration to an existing building: estimated cost $500,000, 8,000 sq ft under review, plans submitted, commercial zoning fee attached.
| Input | Value |
|---|---|
| Project valuation | $500,000 |
| Project area | 8,000 sq ft |
| Occupancy class | Commercial |
| Type of work | Alteration |
| Plan review | Yes |
| One two family | No |
| Zoning commercial | Yes |
Example total
$7,810.00
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 3Rules considered 33
| Component | How it is calculated | Amount |
|---|---|---|
OBC alterations/repairs under $1,000,000 — $15.00 per $1,000 or fraction, $150 minimumPermit fee"(2) Alterations or repairs to existing buildings or structures: $15.00 for each $1,000.00 or fraction thereof of estimated cost less than $1,000,000.00 — $150.00 [minimum]".Show the working
| $15.00 per $1,000 of project valuation, or fraction thereof, in $1,000 steps | $7,500.00 |
Plan examination — $20.00 per 1,000 sq ft or fraction, $20 minimumPlan review"Standard Plan Examination Fee: $20.00 per 1,000 sq ft or fraction thereof (Per area examined)" with "Minimum Plan Examination Fee: $20.00". The page calls the fee "an upfront, non-refundable charge paid upon submission of plans". Charged only when the application says plans are under review; the sibling flat row answers when there is no floor area to divide (parking lots, signs, roofs, fences).Show the working
| $20.00 per 1,000 sq ft of project area, or fraction thereof, in 1,000 sq ft steps | $160.00 |
Zoning fee, commercial/multifamily/parking lots — $150.00Other fee"(i) Zoning Fees (Shall Be Added to Applicable Building Permits as Follows): Commercial and Multi-Family and Parking Lots — $150.00". Added to the permit rather than folded into it, exactly as the ordinance instructs.Show the working
| $150.00 flat fee | $150.00 |
| Total | $7,810.00 |
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.
- Demolition, OBC buildings — $15.00 per 1,000 sq ft or fraction of floor area, $300 minimum — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
- Demolition, 1–3 family or accessories — $10.00 per 1,000 sq ft or fraction of floor area, $50 minimum — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
- Marquees, awnings and canopies — $12.00 per $1,000 or fraction of estimated cost, $50 minimum — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
- Private garages, tool sheds, residential antennas and other accessory structures — $50.00 — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
- Effective boarding pending repairs of rehabilitation — $50.00 — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
- Fences, guardrails or barriers, commercial — $15.00 per $1,000 or fraction, $150 minimum — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
- Fences, guardrails or barriers for 1, 2 or 3 family — $50.00 — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
- Swimming pool (private/residential) — $50.00 — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
- Moving any other building or structure — $600.00 — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
- Moving a 1, 2 or 3-family dwelling — $300.00 — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
- OBC alterations/repairs from $1,000,001 — $15,000 + $11.00 per $1,000 above $1,000,000 — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
- OBC new/first tenant build-out from $1,000,001 — $12,000 + $7.00 per $1,000 above $1,000,000 — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
- OBC new/first tenant build-out under $1,000,000 — $12.00 per $1,000 or fraction, $300 minimum — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
- 1–3 family: alterations and repairs — $5.00 per $1,000 or fraction, $30 minimum — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
- 1–3 family: new buildings and additions — $10.00 per $1,000 or fraction, $150 minimum — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
- Outdoor signs and display structures — $12.00 per $1,000 or fraction of estimated cost, $50 minimum — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
- Temporary tent over 120 sq ft — $75.00 — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
- Festival/carnival plan examination — $20.00 — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
- Plan examination, no floor area — $20.00 — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
- State of Ohio surcharge, 1–3 family — 1% of permit and plan examination fees — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
- Work started before permit, notified within 72 hours — $100.00 + 25% of the required permit fee — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
- Work started before permit, notified after 72 hours — $200.00 + 25% of the required permit fee — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
- Certificate of Occupancy — $60.00 — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
- Festival/carnival temporary tent — $25.00 — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
- Festival/carnival use permit — $20.00 — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
- Site development review — $200.00 — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
- SWPPP review — $500.00 — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
- Zoning fee, residential — $20.00 (page only; the ordinance's list omits it) — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
- Zoning fee, signs/fences and appurtenant structures — $20.00 — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
- Zoning fee, temporary uses — $30.00 — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
Assumptions
- Calculated from 3 fee rules in effect on 2026-09-28.
- Amounts are rounded to the nearest cent, once, at the end of each component.
Four lines, and the fifth one a reader expects is absent by design.
The ladder: § 3105.25(b)(2) prices OBC alterations under $1,000,000 at $15.00 per $1,000 "or fraction thereof", so $500,000 is 500 whole thousands — $7,500.00, above the $150 floor.
Plan examination: $20.00 per 1,000 sq ft or fraction of the 8,000 sq ft examined — 8 × $20.00 = $160.00, above the $20 floor.
Zoning: $150.00 for commercial and multi-family work, added to the permit by the ordinance's (i) instruction rather than folded into it.
State surcharge: none. The ordinance's first surcharge paragraph says "the permit fees herein include the required surcharge" for everything outside the 1–3 family class, so a commercial permit carries no itemised line — and the zoning fee sits outside the residential 1% base anyway, because that paragraph names "permit and plan examination fees".
Total: $7,500.00 + $160.00 + $150.00 = $7,810.00. What moves it: the same job at $1,000,000 is $12,000 of ladder plus the same two extras; at $1,000,001 the upper tier takes over at $12,007.00; a residential version of this job would add 1% of the permit and plan-examination lines; and a $2,000 residential repair would floor at $30.00 instead of the $10.00 its own arithmetic gives.
What is different in Cleveland
The ladder rounds the cost up to a whole $1,000 before multiplying — every row prints "or fraction" — and both sides of the $1,000,000 seam are explicit rules that meet at the same figure: exactly $1,000,000 pays $12,000 (or $15,000 on an alteration) from the lower rule, and $1,000,001 pays $12,007 from the upper one. Floors bind where the arithmetic falls short: a $2,000 residential alteration computes $10.00 and pays $30.00.
Demolition is the one row measured in area rather than cost — $10.00 per 1,000 square feet of floor area residential (floor $50), $15.00 OBC (floor $300), with basements and cellars excluded by the schedule's own words. Plan examination is $20 per 1,000 square feet or fraction of what is examined, floored at $20, and projects without floor area (parking lots, signs, roofs, fences) pay the $20 as the fee itself.
The state surcharge is the reading that surprises people: § 3105.25 says OBC-class fees "include the required surcharge" under RC 3781.10(E), while 1–3 family permit and plan-examination fees do not — that 1% "shall be calculated on the final cost of each permit issued and shall be separately itemized". So this page shows one surcharge line on residential work and none on commercial, and quotes the department page's contrary "3% added" boilerplate as the recorded conflict it is.
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 is Cleveland's building permit fee — the ladder row that answers the job, plan examination when plans are under review, and the zoning or site lines the job triggers. It excludes:
- HVAC, elevator and trade permits. § 3105.25(j) and (m) price them in full; no HVAC or elevator page is published in this set, and electrical and plumbing are separate permits on their own pages — the ordinance's own NOTE says those fees "are separate".
- Ride counts and SWPPP months. Amusement rides are $30 each and the SWPPP inspection $150 per month of construction duration — published prices with no per-ride or per-month basis in this engine, recorded rather than flattened.
- The post-issuance P.E. fee. The department page charges "an additional P.E. fee" for plans revised after permit issuance and publishes no amount.
- The RC 3781.10(E) miscellaneous-items list. The statute could not be fetched from this environment, so the itemised 1% is gated on the ordinance's explicit residential class only.
- Contractor registration and state licences. Licensing, not permitting — the state Industry Licensing Board issues those before the department's packet.
- The exemption list itself. Zoning, fire and other department approvals may attach; this total is the Building & Housing schedule's own lines.
What you need before applying
- The estimated cost is everything but land and professional feesRequired
§ 3105.25's preamble: "the value of work shall include all structural, electrical, plumbing and HVAC, interior finish, normal site preparation including excavation and backfill, overhead and profit. Architectural/Engineering fees, costs of land and off-site costs need not be included." The Department may determine the estimate "in accordance with generally accepted methods of estimating as prescribed by BOCA or the R.S. Means Cost Data Service that is effective on the date application is made" — so the number the ladder reads is the Department's estimate as much as the applicant's.
- Plan examination is paid on submission and is not refundableMay be required
The department page: "The plan examination fee is an upfront, non-refundable charge paid upon submission of plans… It is payable at the time the plans are submitted and is generally based on the floor area in square feet (sf). If plans are revised after the permit is issued, an additional P.E. fee will be charged" — the amount of that later P.E. fee is published nowhere, and is recorded as an open question rather than guessed.
- Zoning fees are added to the building permit, by the ordinance's own instructionMay be required
"(i) Zoning Fees (Shall Be Added to Applicable Building Permits as Follows)" — commercial/multifamily/parking lots $150, temporary uses $30, signs/fences/appurtenant structures $20, and the department page's fourth row (residential $20) that the ordinance's list does not print. Added, not folded: the surcharge paragraph names "permit and plan examination fees" as the state-surcharged base, so the zoning line sits outside it.
- The state surcharge is inside OBC rates and itemised on residential permitsRequired
§ 3105.25, two consecutive paragraphs: except for 1–3 family dwellings, their accessories and the miscellaneous items RC 3781.10(E) lists, "the permit fees herein include the required surcharge pursuant to division (E) of RC 3781.10"; for 1–3 family permit and plan-examination fees the 1% "shall be calculated on the final cost of each permit issued and shall be separately itemized". This site therefore shows one state-surcharge line on residential work and none on OBC work — where the department page's boilerplate "3% OBC surcharge added" says otherwise, the ordinance text wins and the disagreement is on the page.
Common questions
How much is a building permit in Cleveland?
It depends on two facts. A one-, two- or three-family dwelling pays $10.00 per $1,000 of estimated cost for new work (minimum $150) or $5.00 for alterations and repairs (minimum $30). An Ohio Building Code building pays $12.00 per $1,000 up to $1,000,000 (minimum $300) then $12,000 plus $7.00 per $1,000 above that, or $15.00 per $1,000 for alterations (minimum $150) then $15,000 plus $11.00 per $1,000. Every row rounds the cost up to a whole $1,000 first.
Does the permit include plan review?
No — plan examination is its own upfront line: $20.00 per 1,000 square feet or fraction of the area examined, with a $20.00 minimum, "an upfront, non-refundable charge paid upon submission of plans". Projects without floor area (parking lots, signs, roofs, fences) pay the $20.00 as the fee. The ordinance's NOTE also keeps trade plan processing separate.
Is there a state surcharge on the permit?
For one-, two- and three-family dwellings: yes, 1%, and the ordinance requires it to be "calculated on the final cost of each permit issued and shall be separately itemized" — it is the 1% line on this site's residential totals, applied to the permit and plan-examination fees. For OBC work: no separate line, because § 3105.25 says its fees "include the required surcharge pursuant to division (E) of RC 3781.10". The department page's "3% OBC surcharge added" boilerplate contradicts that and is recorded as a conflict.
Why does the cost jump at $1,000,000?
Because the ordinance splits both OBC rows there: under a million it is a single rate ($12 or $15 per $1,000), and from $1,000,001 it becomes a fixed first tier ($12,000 or $15,000) plus a lower marginal rate ($7 or $11 per $1,000) on only what sits above the million. Exactly $1,000,000 pays the lower tier in full — $12,000 — and one dollar more pays $12,007.
What does a demolition permit cost?
It is the one building row measured in area instead of cost: $10.00 for each 1,000 square feet or fraction of floor area for a 1–3 family house or its accessories (minimum $50), or $15.00 per 1,000 square feet for an OBC building (minimum $300) — and the schedule excludes basement and cellar floor areas from the square footage you count.
What is added to the permit besides the ladder?
Whatever the job triggers, all as separate lines: zoning ($150 commercial/multifamily/parking, $30 temporary uses, $20 signs and fences, and the page's $20 residential row), site development review $200, SWPPP review $500, the $60 certificate of occupancy, late fees of $100 or $200 plus 25% of the permit when work started without it, and — on residential work only — the itemised 1% state surcharge.
Source and verification
The documents behind every figure on this page, with the dates that make them checkable.
- City websiteCityPrimary source
City of Cleveland — Permit Fee Schedule (Plan Examination and Permit Fee Schedule)
Read 2026-09-25. The page describes itself as "a user-friendly recreation of the City of Cleveland Department of Building and Housing Plan Examination and Permit Fee Schedule, effective January 2, 2014" — a later publication than the ordinance's 2010 date, and the source of every fee the codified section does not carry: the $20-per-1,000 plan examination with its $20 floor, site development review $200, SWPPP review $500 and its $150/month inspection, the certificate of occupancy at $60, the two late-fee tiers ($100 or $200 plus 25%), the $40/$100 special inspection fees, the charitable festival trio, and a fourth residential zoning row the ordinance's list omits. Two figures disagree with the ordinance — its $13 potable-connection copy against § 3105.25(k)(2)F's $50, and its boilerplate "3% OBC surcharge added to the permit fee" against the ordinance's "the permit fees herein include the required surcharge". The ordinance governs both; the disagreements are recorded in the research record and quoted on the pages.
- Municipal codeCityPrimary source
Cleveland Code of Ordinances § 3105.25 — Schedule of Permit Fees (Land Use Code, Ch. 3105)
Read 2026-09-25 in full through the codifier (which 403s plain fetchers): the valuation preamble, the NOTE that electrical, plumbing, HVAC, elevators and plan processing are separate, the two RC 3781.10(E) surcharge paragraphs, and divisions (a) through (m) with every rate and minimum — the four-row ladder with its $1,000,000 tier split, the misc and demolition rows, moving, signs, marquees, tents with the funeral/religious exemption, zoning fees, HVAC, plumbing, electrical and elevators. Ord. No. 708-10, passed 8-18-10, eff. 8-20-10. The referenced state statute (RC 3781.10) could not be fetched by any path tried — codes.ohio.gov, legislature.ohio.gov, Justia, FindLaw, public.law and the Wayback Machine all failed from this environment — so the surcharge reading rests on the ordinance's own words, which state it twice.
Verification
Last verified against the official source in Sep 2026.