Providence, RI
Providence building permit fees
A Providence building permit is priced from project valuation on the statewide schedule:
$23.00 per $1,000 of valuation to $10,000, $230 plus $21.00 per $1,000 from $10,001 to $50,000, and $1,070 plus $19.00 per $1,000 above $50,000 — with a printed $125.00 minimum fee. A $50,000 project prices exactly $1,070.00.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| BLD permit, valuation to $10,000 ($23.00 per $1,000)Permit fee | $23.00 per $1,000 of project valuation, or fraction thereof | Project valuation up to $10,000 | — |
| BLD permit, $10,001-$50,000 ($230 + $21.00 per $1,000)Permit fee | $230.00 + $21.00 per $1,000 of project valuation above $10,000, or fraction thereof | Project valuation over $10,000 and up to $50,000 | — |
| BLD permit, above $50,000 ($1,070 + $19.00 per $1,000)Permit fee | $1,070.00 + $19.00 per $1,000 of project valuation above $50,000, or fraction thereof | Project valuation over $50,000 | — |
| BLD permit minimum fee ($125.00)Surcharge | the shortfall up to the $125.00 minimum on calculated permit fee | permit fee under 12500 | — |
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 two-storey commercial fit-out in Providence with a project valuation of $150,000.
| Input | Value |
|---|---|
| Project valuation | $150,000 |
| Occupancy class | Commercial |
Example total
$2,970.00
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 1Rules considered 4
| Component | How it is calculated | Amount |
|---|---|---|
BLD permit, above $50,000 ($1,070 + $19.00 per $1,000)Permit feeCity of Providence schedule, top band: $1,070 for the first $50,000 plus $19.00 per $1,000 exceeding $50,000, no upper limit. The printed base chains leg 2 exactly ($230 + $21.00 x 40 = $1,070).Show the working
| $1,070.00 + $19.00 per $1,000 of project valuation above $50,000, or fraction thereof, in $1,000 steps | $2,970.00 |
| Total | $2,970.00 |
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.
- BLD permit, valuation to $10,000 ($23.00 per $1,000) — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
- BLD permit, $10,001-$50,000 ($230 + $21.00 per $1,000) — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
- BLD permit minimum fee ($125.00) — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
Assumptions
- Calculated from 1 fee rule in effect on 2026-09-28.
- Amounts are rounded to the nearest cent, once, at the end of each component.
Top band: $1,070.00 for the first $50,000 plus $19.00 for each of the 100 thousands above: $1,070.00 + 100 x $19.00 = $2,970.00.
The $125.00 minimum never binds at this valuation — it is the fee only for very small jobs (below roughly $5,500 of valuation on the $23.00-per-$1,000 leg).
What is different in Providence
Providence's fee law is written in the state's regulation, not in a City document. 510-RICR-00-00-21 (active amendment effective December 10, 2023) computes municipal permit fees statewide, and Providence's own schedule inside it — §21.12(A)(28) — is the priciest ladder the state publishes. The three legs chain with no gaps: the first leg's $23.00 per $1,000 reaches exactly $230.00 at $10,000, and the middle band's arithmetic reaches exactly $1,070.00 at $50,000, so no valuation can fall between the printed bases.
Reading the fee is one look at the ladder: a $25,000 addition sits in the middle band at $230.00 + 15 x $21.00 = $545.00; a $200,000 new build sits in the top band at $1,070.00 + 150 x $19.00 = $3,920.00. Below roughly $5,500 of valuation the printed $125.00 minimum becomes the fee instead of the ladder.
Applications run through the City's e-Permitting portal at Inspection & Standards (780 Allens Avenue). One statutory footnote matters to large projects: the regulation states its schedules are exclusive of the § 23-27.3-108.2(c)(1) levy, a separate statutory charge outside the schedule.
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 the statewide schedule's building permit fee. It excludes:
- The § 23-27.3-108.2(c)(1) statutory levy, which the regulation expressly excludes from its schedules.
- Mechanical, moving and demolition permits — separate permits on e-Permitting.
- Plan review — the schedule publishes no plan-review percentage.
- Zoning, historic-district and Board of Contracts approvals preceding the permit.
Common questions
How much is a building permit in Providence, Rhode Island?
$23.00 per $1,000 of valuation to $10,000, then $230 + $21.00 per $1,000 to $50,000, then $1,070 + $19.00 per $1,000 above — with a $125 minimum. A $50,000 project is $1,070.00.
Who sets Providence's permit fees?
The state does. Regulation 510-RICR-00-00-21, promulgated by the Rhode Island Building Code Commission, computes municipal permit fees statewide, and §21.6 requires municipalities to charge its schedules.
When did the current fees take effect?
The active amendment of the regulation is effective December 10, 2023; statewide schedules originally took effect July 1, 2018.
Is there a minimum permit fee?
Yes — the schedule's printed note sets a $125.00 minimum, which binds for very small projects (roughly under $5,500 of valuation).
Do electrical and plumbing permits cost the same?
They read the same valuation ladder — the statewide schedule prices permit fees by valuation, and the City's FAQ names the Building, Plumbing and Mechanical schedules together.
How do the band bases chain?
Exactly: $23.00 x 10 thousands = $230.00 at the first seam, and $230 + $21.00 x 40 = $1,070.00 at the second — no valuation falls between the printed bases.
Does the fee include the state levy?
No — the regulation states its schedules are exclusive of the levy mandated by R.I. Gen. Laws § 23-27.3-108.2(c)(1), a separate statutory charge.
How do I apply?
Through Providence e-Permitting (building, mechanical, electrical, plumbing, moving and demolition permits online), backed by Inspection & Standards at 780 Allens Avenue.
What counts as project valuation?
The total value of the work — the schedule reads valuation bands, not square footage or fixture counts.
Is there a plan review fee?
The statewide schedule publishes no plan-review percentage; the valuation ladder and the minimum are the printed charges.
Can Providence change its own schedule?
Only through the regulation's amendment process — the commissioner may propose adjustments, and the commission must authorize them (§21.8), which is why the City's rate matches the state's table row for row.
How is a partial thousand charged?
Each partial thousand rounds up under this site's whole-dollar convention, matching the ladder's whole-dollar band arithmetic.
Source and verification
The documents behind every figure on this page, with the dates that make them checkable.
- Municipal codeStatePrimary source
510-RICR-00-00-21 State Wide Permitting Fee — §21.12(A)(35) City of Warwick schedule
Read 2026-09-26 from the Secretary of State's regulations host (HTTP 200). ACTIVE RULE, amendment effective 2023-12-10. §21.6 requires municipalities to compute permit fees from the §21.12 schedules. Warwick (§21.12(A)(35)): $10.00 per $1,000 to $10,000; $100 + $8.00 per $1,000 exceeding $10k to $50,000; $420 + $6.00 per $1,000 exceeding $50k above; $75 minimum fee. Band bases chain exactly ($10 x 10 = $100; $100 + $8 x 40 = $420).
Verification
Last verified against the official source in Sep 2026.