Building a home or starting renovations may become more expensive in Bow as the town considers a hike in fees for building permits.
The existing fees for various permits, including plumbing, electrical work, construction permits and solar installation, are insufficient to meet the town’s costs to administer, inspect and process the permits, said Scott Tenney, the town’s building inspector.
“I’ve been seeing plumbing and electrical permits come through that don’t even pay for my time to go out and perform a singular inspection let alone the processing and in-house staff it takes to procure and process these permits,” Tenney said at last week’s select board meeting.
The proposed modifications include a $100 flat cost increase for plumbing, electrical, and mechanical permits. Currently, the permit fee is determined by the specific changes or additions the homeowner is seeking to make to their homes.
For example, it’s $5 to install a water heater and 50 cents to add lighting fixtures.
Additionally, the permit charge is in addition to the non-refundable application fee of $25 for plumbing, electrical, and mechanical permits.
“It pains me to say this, but the majority of contractors and homeowners don’t pull a permit anyway,” said Tenney.
This could be because homeowners are unsure whether they require a permit for specific additions such as a new kitchen sink or a washing machine, or because the permit is expensive.
Another change involves introducing a $100 flat fee for AC/Ductwork system permits, which do not currently have a fee structure. Furthermore, the demolition permit fee would change from $0.10 per square foot to a flat fee of $125.
The town has not revised its permit fee structure in at least seven years, and increasing the rates is necessary to recuperate costs over time.
Select Board member Angela Brennan suggested raising the cost of electrical, plumbing, and mechanical permits to $75 rather than $100.
“I think going down to $75 shows a little bit of give, but helps recoup the cost that he’s trying to do, which I think is a reasonable thing to do,” said Brennan. “I’m just trying to see if there’s a way to come in to satisfy everyone and kind of meet in the middle.”
The select board also suggested the penalty for not obtaining a permit should be raised from $100 to $500.
While these adjustments are being considered, they are not final and will be presented to residents at a public hearing.
