§ 26-1-6. Building Permit Fees.

(a)

No permit as required by the Building Code shall be issued until the fees listed in Schedule I of Chapter 1 have been paid. Nor shall an amendment to the permit be approved until the additional fee, if any, due to an increase in the estimated cost of the building or structure or as otherwise required by this Chapter has been paid. The fees for permits shall be payable at the Code Administration office at the time of application.

(b)

In case of abandonment or discontinuance, the cost of work performed under a permit may be estimated, an adjustment of the fee made, and the portion of the fee for uncompleted work returned to the permit holder, provided that no refund of the prescribed application fee listed in Schedule I of Chapter 1 shall be made. If such discontinuance is due to revocation of the permit, a similar adjustment and return may be made, provided that no refund shall be made until all penalties and legal fees incurred or imposed by due authority have been collected.

Any request for a refund shall be made in writing. In no case shall a refund be made for a request submitted later than one year after the date of issuance of the permit, nor shall the amount exceed eighty (80) percent of the original fee paid as calculated under Schedule I of Chapter 1. After such a refund has been paid, no work shall be resumed until a new application has been made and a new permit has been issued.

(c)

The term "estimated cost," as used in this Section, is subject to the approval of the Code Administrator and means the reasonable value of all services, labor, materials, and equipment necessary for the prosecution and completion of the structure ready for occupancy. It shall include the value of all structural, electrical, mechanical, plumbing, life safety and fire protection work and equipment, all interior finishes, all normal site preparation, excavation and backfill directly related to the building, and all overhead and profit.

(d)

If work requiring a building permit under this Section is undertaken prior to the issuance of a permit, the fee shall be increased by twenty-five (25) percent for a company's or individual's first such occurrence, by fifty (50) percent for a second occurrence, and by one hundred (100) percent for any subsequent occurrence.

(Ord. No. 1434, 5-12-81; 2-14-83; Ord. No. 1792, § 1, 1-9-89; Ord. No. 1909, § 1, 3-11-91; Ord. No. 1968, § 1, 2-10-92; Ord. No. 2039, § 1, 3-8-93; Ord. No. 2088, § 1, 1-10-94; Ord. No. 2148, §§ 1, 2, 1-9-95; Ord. No. 2446, §§ I, II, 2-13-03; Ord. No. 2502, § I, 8-11-03; Ord. No. 2543, § I, 3-8-04; Ord. No. 2577, § XXI, 11-15-04; Ord. No. 2605, § I, 4-29-05)