MOORPARK : Council OKs Higher Building Permit Fees

Developers and homeowners will have to pay higher fees for building or remodeling in Moorpark, the City Council decided in a 5 to 0 vote Wednesday.

Fees for building permits and related services will rise by as much as 570%.

The city has not increased fees for permits issued by the Building and Safety Department since 1988, Director of Community Development Patrick J. Richards said.

The fee increase will have a greater effect on developers than on homeowners who build room additions or make other improvements, he said.

Fees will remain the same for construction projects valued at $5,000 and under and will increase by 6% for projects with a value between $5,000 and $100,000, which would include most room additions.

But the cost of building permits for projects valued between $100,000 and $500,000 will increase by 57%. The permit for a project valued at more than $100,000, for instance, will rise from $503.60 to $792.45. The price of permits for buildings valued at more than $500,000 will increase by 36%.

The biggest cost increase will be for people who request a hearing to appeal a building department decision. The price of an appeals hearing will rise from $120 to $805.

Permit prices will also increase for installing plumbing or mechanical devices. The permit for putting in a new boiler, for example, will increase from $36 to $70.