Montpelier, VT
Montpelier plumbing permit fees
Montpelier's fee schedule publishes no stand-alone plumbing row — plumbing work files through the building permit at the schedule's own rates:
$3.50 per $1,000 for single-family scopes ($30.00 minimum) and $8.00 per $1,000 for commercial or multi-family ($50.00 minimum), plus the $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 $12,000 bathroom renovation with new plumbing in a single-family home in Montpelier.
| Input | Value |
|---|---|
| Project valuation | $12,000 |
| Occupancy class | Residential |
Example total
$72.00
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 | $42.00 |
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 | $72.00 |
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: 12 x $3.50 = $42.00. Recording fee: $30.00. Total: $72.00.
A commercial repipe of the same value would price 12 x $8.00 = $96.00 + $30.00 = $126.00.
What is different in Montpelier
Like electrical work, plumbing has no block of its own on the Council-set worksheet. The Building Permit attachments — Minor Project or Renovation for decks, partial renovations and garages; Major Project for large commercial work — carry the plumbing scope, and the building rows price it: $3.50 per $1,000 of the scope's cost for single-family work, $8.00 per $1,000 for commercial or multi-family, rounded up per thousand, with row minimums and the $30.00 recording fee.
A $12,000 bathroom renovation in a single-family home prices 12 × $3.50 = $42.00 + $30.00 recording = $72.00. The same-value commercial repipe prices 12 × $8.00 = $96.00 + $30.00 = $126.00.
The City asks applicants to confirm calculations with staff before paying (802-223-9506), and one Development Application covers the building, zoning and river hazard permits 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 page prices plumbing scope through the building schedule's rows. It excludes:
- A stand-alone plumbing fee table — the City publishes none.
- Water and sewer connection charges, which Public Works handles on its own schedule.
- The zoning permit for the project.
- River Hazard Area fees, which are their own worksheet block.
Common questions
How much is a plumbing permit in Montpelier?
No stand-alone row exists — plumbing prices through the building schedule's rate applied to the scope: $3.50/$1,000 single-family ($30 min) or $8.00/$1,000 commercial ($50 min), plus $30.00 recording.
What does a $12,000 bathroom reno cost?
$42.00 at the residential rate + $30.00 recording = $72.00.
Is plumbing bundled into the building permit?
Yes — the building permit attachments carry the plumbing scope; there is no separate plumbing permit line on the worksheet.
Does the commercial rate have a minimum?
Yes — $50.00, versus $30.00 on the single-family row.
Who sets these numbers?
The Montpelier City Council.
Should I confirm before paying?
Yes — the City asks applicants to confirm fee calculations with staff (802-223-9506).
How do partial thousands charge?
Up — the schedule's rows say '(round up)'.
What about water and sewer connections?
Those are Public Works charges on the City's separate Public Works fee schedule.
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.