On Thursday, June 29, Mayor Paige G. Cognetti signed new legislation passed through Scranton City Council reducing building permit fees for all new permits. This achievement builds on a host of improvements that the Cognetti administration has made to cut red tape for residents, business owners, and developers while maintaining our high standards and oversight of construction.
Just within the past few years, the City has:
- Reduced permit fees up to 70% to encourage projects from home repairs to larger housing and commercial developments and to encourage compliance;
- Moved all applications for contractor licenses and building permits online, allowing citizens to apply conveniently from their own homes at any hour of the day;
- Simplified and streamlined the contractor license process, lowering the barrier to entry for contractors to work in Scranton without compromising our licensing standards;
- Reduced building inspection fees, further incentivizing additional development;
- Created an option to pay license and permit fees instantly online;
- Removed antiquated requirements from City Code, such as detailed provisions governing wood-burning stoves and mechanical standards that the International Mechanical Code had replaced;
- Adjusted the structure of the Housing Appeals Board to ensure timely processing of appeals; and
- Reduced the average processing timeline for permits that do not require a formal plan review to just 8 days, with many permits approved much sooner.
“As interest in Scranton continues to rise, and our neighborhoods develop more and more, our job is to ensure that improvements are made safely. We have a parallel goal of making it easier to do business in Scranton,” said Mayor Cognetti.
“These reforms allow us to deliver on maintaining safety standards and encouraging compliance while also making it even more attractive to invest in Scranton.”
The new building permit fee schedule, as compared to the prior fee schedule, is as follows:
| COST | PRIOR FEE | NEW FEE |
|---|---|---|
| Under $300.00 | $30.00 | $25.00 |
| $300.00 to $599.99 | $40.00 | $35.00 |
| $600.00 to $999.99 | $50.00 | $40.00 |
| $1,000.00 to $1,999.99 | $50.00 for the first $1,000.00 plus $15.00 for each additional thousand | $45.00 |
| $2,000 to $19,999.99 | $50.00 for the first $1,000.00 plus $15.00 for each additional thousand | $60.00 plus $15.00 for each additional $1,000.00 of cost above $2,000.00 |
| $20,000.00 to 74,999.99 | $50.00 for the first $1,000.00 plus $15.00 for each additional thousand | $330.00 plus $12.00 for each additional $1,000.00 of cost above $20,000.00 |
| $75,000.00 to $499,999.99 | $1,185.00 for the first $76,000.00 plus $14.00 for each additional thousand | $990.00 plus $10.00 for each additional $1,000.00 of cost above $75,000.00 |
| $500,000.00 to $999,999.99 | $7,148.00 for the first $501,000 plus $13.00 for each additional thousand | $5,240.00 plus $8.00 for each additional $1,000.00 of cost above $500,000.00 |
| $1,000,000.00 and Over | $7,148.00 for the first $501,000 plus $13.00 for each additional thousand | $9,240.00 plus $4.00 for each additional $1,000.00 of cost above $1,000,000.00 |
Accounting for all reductions in permit and inspection fees between July 2022 and July 2023, for example:
- A homeowner installing a new porch will see savings of approximately $35;
- A contractor renovating a residential property (including sheetrock, roof repair, porch repair, and railing installation) will see savings of approximately $650; and
- A general contractor doing a complete fit-out of a building will see savings of approximately $15,000.
Homeowners and contractors can apply for a building permit at the newly reduced rates at https://scrantonpa.viewpointcloud.com/ and can contact the Department of Code Enforcement at 570-348-4193 with any questions.
City of Scranton Reduces Building Permit Fees – Press Release
Last modified: July 11, 2023
