---
title: Houston building permit fees
question: "How much does a building permit cost in Houston?"
place: Houston, British Columbia, Canada
place_path: ca/bc/houston
category: Building, renovating and your property
owner: municipal
owner_body: District of Houston
sources_read: 2026-11-08
review: machine_checked
canonical: "https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/houston/building-permit-fees/"
json: "https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/houston/building-permit-fees.json"
---

# Houston building permit fees

**Question:** How much does a building permit cost in Houston?

**Short answer:** In Houston a building permit costs $7 per $1,000 of estimated value, plus plan review of $1 per $1,000 and an application fee of $50 for work under $25,000 ($100 if $25,000 or more). The schedule states no minimum permit fee. Work done without a permit is charged double.

**Who handles it:** Municipal (District of Houston, https://houston.ca)  
**Cost:** Application fee $50 (under $25,000) or $100 ($25,000 or more); permit fee $7 per $1,000 of estimated value; plan review $1 per $1,000.  
**How long:** Fees are due before the permit is issued; see the building-permit answer for processing time.  
**Where:**
- Phone: Community Development Department, 250-845-2238
- Email: Community Development email, ecdev@houston.ca
- In person: Municipal Office, 3367 12th Street, Houston, BC V0J 1Z0 (Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.)

## Key facts

- **Lowest fee:** $50 application fee (estimated value under $25,000), plus the permit fee of $7 per $1,000 of estimated value and plan review of $1 per $1,000. The schedule states no minimum permit fee.
  - Source: [Bylaw No. 1182, 2023, Comprehensive Fees & Charges Bylaw, Schedule B-2 Building Permit Fees, Schedule B-2, item 1](https://houston.civicweb.net/document/145026/)
  - Official wording: "Application Fee - Estimated Value under $25,000 50.00 50.00" … "Permit Fee $7 per $1,000 of estimated value"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **How the fee is worked out:** Permit fee $7 per $1,000 of estimated value, plus plan review $1 per $1,000. For houses and their accessory buildings, value is set per sq ft (main floor $112.50, garage $34, basement $45); other buildings use an engineer's estimate. Work done without a permit is charged double.
  - Source: [Bylaw No. 1182, 2023, Comprehensive Fees & Charges Bylaw, Schedule B-2 Building Permit Fees, Schedule B-2, items 1 and 3](https://houston.civicweb.net/document/145026/)
  - Official wording: "Permit Fee $7 per $1,000 of estimated value" … "Plan Review Fee $1 per $1,000 of estimated value" … "Main Floor per square foot 112.50" … "Garage per square foot 34.00" … "Basement per square foot 45.00" … "Any project undertaken without a permit Double normal rate"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **Application or plan review fee:** $50 if the estimated value is under $25,000; $100 if $25,000 or more. Non-refundable; no text says it counts toward the permit fee. The $450 administration fee on projects over $50,000 is refundable on completion (s. 11.7). (Sources differ: Conflict: the building bylaw's own Schedule A (2005 text) still shows older amounts (application fee $30 under $10,000 and $50 at $10,000 and over; administration fee $350 over $10,000). The later Fees & Charges Bylaw sets the amounts used here. Neither says whether the application fee counts toward the permit fee.)
  - Source: [Bylaw No. 1182, 2023, Comprehensive Fees & Charges Bylaw, Schedule B-2 Building Permit Fees, Schedule B-2, item 1](https://houston.civicweb.net/document/145026/)
  - Official wording: "Application Fee - Estimated Value under $25,000 50.00 50.00" … "Application Fee - Estimated Value $25,000 and over 100.00 100.00" … "Administration Fee for all projects over $50,000 450.00 450.00" … "*Refundable in accordance with section 11.7 of Building Regulations Bylaw No. 906, 2005" … "Administration Fee for all projects over $50,000"
  - Source: [Building Regulations Bylaw No. 906, 2005, s. 11.1 and s. 11.7](https://houston.civicweb.net/document/145127/)
  - Official wording: "shall accompany an application for a building permit made under this Bylaw." … "will be returned if the work is completed for which the permit has been issued"
  - Source: [Building Regulations Bylaw No. 906, 2005, Schedule A (2005 text), item 3 and application fee](https://houston.civicweb.net/document/145127/)
  - Official wording: "$30.00 for any project with a value under $10,000.00;" … "$350.00 for all projects where the construction value exceeds $10,000.00."
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **Other fees:** Plumbing $6.75 per fixture; sprinklers $6.75 for the first 25 heads, $2.25 each additional; demolition $56.25; moving a building $112.50; re-inspection of rejected work $85; paving deposit $2 per sq ft; landscaping deposit equal to an acceptable contractor quote.
  - Source: [Bylaw No. 1182, 2023, Comprehensive Fees & Charges Bylaw, Schedule B-2 Building Permit Fees, Schedule B-2, item 2](https://houston.civicweb.net/document/145026/)
  - Official wording: "Plumbing per fixture 6.75" … "Sprinklers - additional heads per head 2.25" … "Demolition per structure 56.25" … "Move building or structure per structure 112.50" … "Re-Inspection of Rejected Work per plan 85.00" … "Paving Deposits per square foot 2.00" … "Landscaping Deposits An amount equal to an acceptable quote for the required works"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **How to pay:** The permit fee is paid in full before the permit is issued; the non-refundable application fee is paid with the application. All fees must be paid before inspections are requested.
  - Source: [Building Regulations Bylaw No. 906, 2005, s. 11.0 and s. 11.1](https://houston.civicweb.net/document/145127/)
  - Official wording: "shall be paid in full prior to the issuance of a permit under this Bylaw" … "shall accompany an application for a building permit made under this Bylaw."
  - Source: [Building Permit Application Guide, "Building Inspections", note 2](https://houston.civicweb.net/document/149531/)
  - Official wording: "All fees must be paid prior to any inspections being requested."
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **Bylaw:** Comprehensive Fees & Charges Bylaw No. 1094, 2017, Schedule B-2 (Building Permit Fees), substituted by Amending Bylaw No. 1182, 2023 for 2024 to 2028. Permit rules are in Building Regulations Bylaw No. 906, 2005.
  - Source: [Bylaw No. 1182, 2023, Comprehensive Fees & Charges Bylaw, Schedule B-2 Building Permit Fees, s. 1 and Schedule B-2](https://houston.civicweb.net/document/145026/)
  - Official wording: "A bylaw to amend the Comprehensive Fees & Charges Bylaw No. 1094, 2017" … "BUILDING PERMITS BUILDING BYLAW NO. 906, 2005" … "Schedule B-2 – Building Permit Fees"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08

## How it works

The District of Houston sets building permit fees in [Schedule B-2 of the Comprehensive Fees & Charges Bylaw](https://houston.civicweb.net/document/145026/) (amended by Bylaw No. 1182, 2023, for 2024 to 2028). The permit fee is $7 per $1,000 of estimated value, and plan review is $1 per $1,000. For houses and their accessory buildings, value is set per square foot: main floor $112.50, garage $34, basement $45, additional floors $56.50, carport $22.50, sundeck $22.50. Other buildings use an engineer's estimate.

## Steps

1. Pay the application fee with your application: $50 if the estimated value is under $25,000, or $100 if $25,000 or more. It is non-refundable.
2. Pay the permit fee in full before the permit is issued.
3. Pay all fees before you request inspections.

## Good to know

- Other fees: plumbing $6.75 per fixture; sprinklers $6.75 for the first 25 heads and $2.25 for each additional head; demolition $56.25; moving a building $112.50; re-inspection of rejected work $85.
- Deposits: paving $2 per sq ft; landscaping equal to an acceptable contractor quote.
- Work done without a permit is charged at double the normal rate.
- Projects over $50,000 pay a $450 administration fee, refundable on completion (s. 11.7 of the [Building Regulations Bylaw No. 906, 2005](https://houston.civicweb.net/document/145127/)).
- The plan review fee is halved when the permit is issued in reliance on registered professionals' certification (s. 10.2). If a stop-work notice stays outstanding 30 days, 25% of the permit fee is added (s. 18.8).
- Inspections requested outside office hours are charged for time spent including travel (s. 11.6); the schedule lists no amount.
- The bylaw's own Schedule A (2005 text) still shows older amounts. The later fee schedule is the one that applies, but confirm with the District.
- No text we read says whether the application fee counts toward the permit fee. Ask the office.

## Official forms and pages

- [Bylaw No. 1182, 2023 (PDF), Comprehensive Fees & Charges Bylaw, Schedule B-2 Building Permit Fees](https://houston.civicweb.net/document/145026/)
- [Building Regulations Bylaw No. 906, 2005 (PDF), District of Houston](https://houston.civicweb.net/document/145127/)
- [Building Permits and Inspections, District of Houston](https://houston.ca/community/planning-and-development/permits-and-inspections/)

## Related questions

- [Houston building permits: when you need one and how to apply](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/houston/building-permit.md)
- [Houston permits for decks, sheds, carports and garages](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/houston/deck-shed-garage-permit.md)
- [Houston secondary suite and carriage house rules](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/houston/secondary-suite.md)
- [Houston zoning: find your zone and what it allows](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/houston/zoning-lookup.md)

## The same question elsewhere

- [Building permit fees in British Columbia, by municipality](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/building-permit-fees.md)
- [Telkwa](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/telkwa/building-permit-fees.md)
- [Smithers](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/smithers/building-permit-fees.md)
- [Granisle](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/granisle/building-permit-fees.md)
- [New Hazelton](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/new-hazelton/building-permit-fees.md)
- [Hazelton](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/hazelton/building-permit-fees.md)
- [Terrace](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/terrace/building-permit-fees.md)

## Sources

- [Bylaw No. 1182, 2023 (PDF), Comprehensive Fees & Charges Bylaw, Schedule B-2 Building Permit Fees](https://houston.civicweb.net/document/145026/) (read 2026-11-08)
- [Building Regulations Bylaw No. 906, 2005 (PDF), District of Houston](https://houston.civicweb.net/document/145127/) (read 2026-11-08)
- [Building Permit Application Guide (PDF), District of Houston](https://houston.civicweb.net/document/149531/) (read 2026-11-08)
- [Bylaws & Policies, District of Houston](https://houston.ca/our-government/bylaws/) (read 2026-11-08)

_Checked by script, not yet by a person: the official wording behind 6 of 6 facts was matched to the official text. Gov Handbook is an independent guide, not affiliated with District of Houston. How answers are checked: https://govhandbook.com/methods/ · Canonical page: https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/houston/building-permit-fees/_