Planning Fees Are Termed ‘Outrageous’

Re “Planning Fees Will Switch to Hourly,” March 5:

This is an outrageous example of how Orange County is skinning the homebuilding industry. The proposed hourly fees of $78 to $132 per hour (based on the surcharge of 212%) would mean that plan checkers would bring home from $73,580 per year at a minimum to $124,528 per year at a maximum. In all the ads for plan checkers around the country, the yearly pay scale has never come close to this amount in my recollection. This for people who have no liability for “flaws” in the plans and who use standard forms for noting plan corrections, most of which are already noted on the plans, wasting time and money.

Donald C. Axon

Laguna Niguel