Burlington, VT
Burlington building permit fees
A Burlington building permit is priced from the estimated cost of construction at $8.50 per $1,000.00
with a $30.00 minimum under BCO Chapter 8-28(a) — plus the $15.00 recording fee the City adds to every construction permit. The City's own example prices a $50,000 deck at exactly $440.00.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Building permit fee ($8.50 per $1,000 of estimated cost, $30 minimum)Permit fee | $8.50 per $1,000 of project valuation, or fraction thereof | Every permit of this type | min $30.00 |
| Recording fee ($15.00)Surcharge | $15.00 flat 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 new $50,000 deck in Burlington — the City's own COA Level II fee example.
| Input | Value |
|---|---|
| Project valuation | $50,000 |
| Occupancy class | Residential |
Example total
$440.00
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 2Rules considered 2
| Component | How it is calculated | Amount |
|---|---|---|
Building permit fee ($8.50 per $1,000 of estimated cost, $30 minimum)Permit feeBCO Chapter 8-28(a): fees based on the Estimated Cost of Construction at $8.50 per $1,000.00, with a minimum permit fee of $30.00. The City's own example prices a $50,000 deck at $8.50 x 50 = $425.00 before the recording fee.Show the working
| $8.50 per $1,000 of project valuation, or fraction thereof, in $1,000 steps | $425.00 |
Recording fee ($15.00)SurchargeThe City's Permit Fees page prices the Construction Permit Fee 'plus $15 recording fee' — a $50,000 deck totals $440.00 ($425.00 at the per-$1,000 rate plus the $15.00 recording fee).Show the working
| $15.00 flat fee | $15.00 |
| Total | $440.00 |
Assumptions
- Calculated from 2 fee rules in effect on 2026-09-28.
- Amounts are rounded to the nearest cent, once, at the end of each component.
Permit fee: $8.50 × 50 = $425.00. Recording fee: $15.00. Total: $440.00 — matching the City's Permit Fees page digit for digit ('$8.50 per $1,000 of construction cost plus $15 recording fee').
The zoning permit for the same deck carries separate fees ($250 at application + $225 at pickup in the City's example), which this calculation does not include.
What is different in Burlington
Burlington's building fee is a single linear rate written into the Code of Ordinances, and the City quotes it on its own application page: fees are based on the estimated cost of construction — design, labor and materials — at $8.50 per $1,000.00, minimum $30.00 (BCO 8-28(a)). There are no valuation bands, no occupancy splits and no plan-review percentage to layer on top.
The arithmetic is one multiplication. A $12,000 shed prices $8.50 × 12 = $102.00 plus the $15.00 recording fee. A $50,000 deck — the City's printed COA Level II example — prices $8.50 × 50 = $425.00 plus $15.00 = $440.00, exactly as the Permit Fees page states. Small projects meet the minimum: the City's Level I example says a $1,500 deck carries a $30.00 construction permit fee.
Two process facts matter. First, zoning approval 'always comes first': the Zoning Division's land-use permit (with its own fee schedule — $122 on the small example, $475 in two halves on the large one) precedes every construction permit. Second, the Building & Trades Division issues the Building, Electrical, Plumbing and Mechanical permits, which can all be applied for together in the City's OpenGov portal. Work without an issued permit triggers the additional fees of BCO 8-28(f).
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 BCO 8-28(a) construction permit fee. It excludes:
- Zoning permit fees — the land-use permit that precedes construction, with its own application, filing and COA fees.
- Electrical, plumbing and mechanical trade permits, which the Trades Division issues separately and prices at application.
- Impact fees and the $10.00 Building Certificate of Occupancy addition.
- The work-without-permit penalty under BCO 8-28(f).
Common questions
How much is a building permit in Burlington, Vermont?
$8.50 per $1,000 of estimated construction cost, with a $30.00 minimum (BCO Chapter 8-28(a)), plus a $15.00 recording fee. A $50,000 project prices $440.00.
Where is the fee set?
In the Burlington Code of Ordinances, Chapter 8-28(a); the City's Permit Applications and Forms page quotes the rate and minimum directly.
What counts as estimated cost of construction?
Design, labor and material costs — the City's application page says to arrive with the project's estimated construction cost dollar figure.
Is there a minimum fee?
Yes — $30.00. The City's example applies it to any project up to $2,858 of construction cost.
What is the $15 recording fee?
A per-permit recording charge the City adds to construction permits — its $50,000-deck example prices $425.00 at the rate 'plus $15 recording fee' for $440.00 total.
Do I need a zoning permit too?
Yes — zoning approval always comes first, and zoning fees are separate: $122 on the City's small-deck example, $475 in two halves on the large one.
Are electrical and plumbing permits extra?
Yes — the Trades Division issues them as separate permits and prices them at application; the City publishes no stand-alone trade fee schedule online.
How do I apply?
Through the City's OpenGov portal or at Permitting & Inspections, 645 Pine Street; the Zoning Division (802-865-7188) and Building & Trades Division (802-863-9094) handle their respective permits.
What happens if I start work without a permit?
Additional work-without-permit fees under BCO 8-28(f) — the City's application page warns work must not begin without an issued permit.
Is plan review charged separately?
No — the ordinance's fee is the whole construction permit charge; no plan-review percentage appears in Chapter 8-28(a) or on the City's fee pages.
Source and verification
The documents behind every figure on this page, with the dates that make them checkable.
- Municipal codeCityPrimary source
Burlington Code of Ordinances Chapter 8-28(a) — building permit fees
Quoted verbatim on the City's Permit Applications and Forms page: 'Building Permit Application Fees are set by Burlington Code of Ordinances (BCO) Chapter 8-28(a) Fees. Fees are based on the Estimated Cost of Construction (design/labor/material costs) at the rate of $8.50 per $1,000.00 with a minimum permit fee of thirty ($30.00) dollars.' Work-without-permit penalty at BCO 8-28(f).
Verification
Last verified against the official source in Sep 2026.