Providence, RI
Providence electrical permit fees
An electrical permit in Providence reads the same statewide valuation ladder as the building permit:
$23.00 per $1,000 to $10,000 of valuation, $230 + $21.00 per $1,000 to $50,000, $1,070 + $19.00 per $1,000 above, with the $125.00 minimum. Declare the value of the electrical scope and the ladder prices it.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| ELEC 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 | — |
| ELEC 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 | — |
| ELEC 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 | — |
| ELEC 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 stand-alone electrical fit-out in Providence with a declared scope value of $12,000.
| Input | Value |
|---|---|
| Project valuation | $12,000 |
| Occupancy class | Commercial |
Example total
$272.00
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 |
|---|---|---|
ELEC permit, $10,001-$50,000 ($230 + $21.00 per $1,000)Permit feeCity of Providence schedule, middle band: $230 for the first $10,000 plus $21.00 per $1,000 exceeding $10,000, to $50,000. The printed base chains leg 1 exactly ($23.00 x 10 = $230).Show the working
| $230.00 + $21.00 per $1,000 of project valuation above $10,000, or fraction thereof, in $1,000 steps | $272.00 |
| Total | $272.00 |
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.
- ELEC permit, valuation to $10,000 ($23.00 per $1,000) — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
- ELEC permit, above $50,000 ($1,070 + $19.00 per $1,000) — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
- ELEC 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.
Middle band: $230.00 for the first $10,000 plus $21.00 for each of the 2 thousands above: $230.00 + 2 x $21.00 = $272.00.
A smaller $5,000 job would price $115.00 on the first leg, and the printed $125.00 minimum would carry the fee instead.
What is different in Providence
Rhode Island's statewide regulation prices municipal permit fees by valuation, and the City's inspection FAQ names the Building, Plumbing and Mechanical fee schedules together — the same instrument. For an electrical permit that means the fee scales with the declared value of the electrical work, not with circuits or fixtures: a $5,000 scope prices $115.00 (binding against the $125.00 minimum), a $10,000 scope prices $230.00, a $25,000 scope prices $545.00.
The band seams are the useful checkpoints. Below $10,000 the first leg runs at $23.00 per $1,000; between $10,001 and $50,000 the middle band's $21.00 rate applies on top of the $230.00 chained base; above $50,000 — rare for a stand-alone electrical scope but common for a whole project's electrical package — the top band's $19.00 rate rides on $1,070.00.
Applications are filed through e-Permitting alongside the other trades. The regulation's statutory exclusion (§ 23-27.3-108.2(c)(1) levy outside the schedule) applies to every trade equally.
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 electrical permit fee. It excludes:
- The building permit for the project the electrical work belongs to.
- The § 23-27.3-108.2(c)(1) statutory levy, excluded from the schedule by the regulation's own terms.
- Fire alarm and suppression permits, which ride the mechanical/fire side of the schedule rather than the electrical ladder.
- Plan review — none is published.
Common questions
How much is an electrical permit in Providence?
The statewide valuation ladder: $23.00 per $1,000 to $10,000, $21.00 per $1,000 from $10,001 to $50,000, $19.00 above — $125.00 minimum.
Does the electrical permit scale with the job's value?
Yes — the statewide schedule prices permit fees by project valuation, so the declared value of the electrical scope drives the fee.
Is there a minimum?
Yes — $125.00, the schedule's printed note, binding on small scopes.
Who fixes the rate?
The Rhode Island Building Code Commission's regulation 510-RICR-00-00-21 — the same schedule every municipality in the state charges.
When did the current rate take effect?
The active amendment is effective December 10, 2023.
How does a $25,000 electrical scope price?
$230.00 + 15 x $21.00 = $545.00, in the middle band.
Do I file with the city or the state?
With the City — through Providence e-Permitting or at Inspection & Standards, 780 Allens Avenue — under the state-set fee.
Is the fee different for residential work?
No — the ladder makes no residential or commercial distinction.
What about a panel upgrade?
It is an electrical permit priced from its own scope value on the same ladder.
Is plan review charged separately?
The schedule publishes no plan-review percentage; none is charged here.
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.