Montpelier, VT
Montpelier building permit fees
A Montpelier building permit prices from project cost on the City Council's fee schedule:
$3.50 per $1,000 for single-family, single-unit work ($30.00 minimum) or $8.00 per $1,000 for commercial or multi-family work ($50.00 minimum) — each partial $1,000 rounding up — plus a $30.00 recording fee per permit.
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, commercial or multi-family ($8.00 per $1,000, $50 minimum)Permit fee | $8.00 per $1,000 of project valuation, or fraction thereof | Occupancy is not residential | min $50.00 |
| Building permit, single family ($3.50 per $1,000, $30 minimum)Permit fee | $3.50 per $1,000 of project valuation, or fraction thereof | Occupancy is residential | min $30.00 |
| Permit recording fee ($30.00)Surcharge | $30.00 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 $50,000 single-family addition in Montpelier on the residential building row.
| Input | Value |
|---|---|
| Project valuation | $50,000 |
| Occupancy class | Residential |
Example total
$205.00
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 3
| Component | How it is calculated | Amount |
|---|---|---|
Building permit, single family ($3.50 per $1,000, $30 minimum)Permit feeZoning and Building Fee Schedule, BUILDING PERMIT FEES: 'Single Family, single unit — $3.50 per $1000 (round up) ($30 min.)'. Each partial $1,000 rounds up.Show the working
| $3.50 per $1,000 of project valuation, or fraction thereof, in $1,000 steps | $175.00 |
Permit recording fee ($30.00)SurchargeZoning and Building Fee Schedule, RECORDING block: 'Permit Recording Fee — per permit: building, river, zoning — $30.' Charged on every permit the schedule covers.Show the working
| $30.00 flat fee | $30.00 |
| Total | $205.00 |
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.
- Building permit, commercial or multi-family ($8.00 per $1,000, $50 minimum) — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
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.
Residential row: 50 x $3.50 = $175.00. Recording fee: $30.00. Total: $205.00.
The same project valued as commercial or multi-family would price 50 x $8.00 = $400.00 + $30.00 = $430.00 on the commercial row.
What is different in Montpelier
Montpelier's fee instrument is a worksheet, and the City says so on it: 'check off all fees that apply and add up column totals.' The building rows are the first two lines: single-family, single-unit work at $3.50 per $1,000, rounded up, minimum $30.00; commercial or multi-family at $8.00 per $1,000, rounded up, minimum $50.00. The RECORDING block closes the worksheet with $30.00 per permit — building, river hazard or zoning alike.
The arithmetic is a one-line worksheet entry. A $50,000 single-family addition: 50 × $3.50 = $175.00, plus $30.00 recording, totals $205.00. A $50,000 commercial fit-out: 50 × $8.00 = $400.00, plus recording, totals $430.00. Small jobs meet the minimums — a $5,000 shed prices $30.00 (the minimum) + $30.00 recording on the residential row.
The same worksheet carries the zoning block (new principal dwellings $200/unit, additions $0.10/sq ft, commercial improved area $150 up to 1,000 sq ft), development review, and river hazard fees — separate lines for separate approvals. Applications go to Planning & Community Development at 1 Blanchard Court or by email, with one Development Application covering every permit a project needs.
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 Council-set schedule's building permit fee. It excludes:
- Zoning permit fees on the same worksheet — new dwellings $200.00/unit, principal additions $0.10/sq ft, accessory buildings, commercial improved area.
- Development review — DRB base $250.00, conditional use $275.00, variances $275.00, site plans.
- Fire & Life Safety Inspection at $125.00.
- Public Works permits (driveways, utilities, right-of-way), which have their own schedule.
Common questions
How much is a building permit in Montpelier?
$3.50 per $1,000 of project cost for single-family work ($30 minimum) or $8.00 per $1,000 for commercial or multi-family ($50 minimum), each partial $1,000 rounded up, plus a $30.00 recording fee per permit.
Who sets the fees?
The City Council — the City's own application page states the Building, Zoning and River Hazard fee schedule is Council-set.
Does the fee differ for commercial work?
Yes — commercial or multi-family work prices at $8.00 per $1,000 with a $50.00 minimum, versus $3.50/$30.00 for single-family, single-unit work.
How is a partial $1,000 charged?
Up — the schedule's rows say '(round up)', and the engine rounds each partial thousand to the next full $1,000.
What is the recording fee?
$30.00 per permit — building, river hazard or zoning — under the schedule's RECORDING block.
Is a zoning permit separate?
Yes — zoning fees are their own worksheet lines ($200 for a new principal dwelling, $0.10/sq ft for additions, $0.15/sq ft above 1,000 sq ft commercially).
Do electrical and plumbing permits exist separately?
The schedule publishes no trade rows; electrical and plumbing work files through the building permit attachments at the same building rates applied to the scope.
How do I apply?
Email scans to permits@montpelier-vt.org, or deliver to Planning & Community Development, 1 Blanchard Court Suite 205 — one Development Application covers the whole project.
What is the Fire & Life Safety Inspection fee?
$125.00, a separate line on the same worksheet.
Are the fees refundable?
The schedule's own note: all fees are non-refundable except when an application is withdrawn in writing before any review.
Source and verification
The documents behind every figure on this page, with the dates that make them checkable.
- City websiteCityPrimary source
Zoning and Building Fee Schedule (set by City Council)
Read 2026-09-26 as an Excel workbook (HTTP 200), transcribed in full. BUILDING PERMIT FEES: Single Family, single unit — $3.50 per $1000 (round up), $30 min.; Commercial or Multi-Family — $8.00 per $1000 (round up), $50 min.; Fire & Life Safety Inspection $125. RECORDING: Permit Recording Fee per permit (building, river, zoning) $30; Decision Recording Fee $15/page.
Verification
Last verified against the official source in Sep 2026.