Increases proposed for city’s building, gas and plumbing fees 

Waltham city officials are considering a proposal to raise fees for its building, gas and plumbing permit fees. 

The City Council’s Ordinances and Rules Committee at its Monday night meeting reviewed the proposal, ultimately voting to send various amendments on building, gas and plumbing permit fees to the Law Department for review. 

Annual inspection and plumbing permit fees have not been raised in Waltham for more than 40 years, according to the city’s chief building inspector, Brian J. Bower.

The first proposed amendment would change how building permit fees are calculated.

Building permit fees are charged to landowners and developers by municipalities to pay for the Building Department’s operations, such as inspections and code enforcement of construction sites. 

Under the proposed amendment, building fees would be based on the actual construction cost of the site. 

Currently, permit fees are based on projected construction costs calculated using RSMeans Data, an online database used in the construction industry. 

In a March 17 request to appear in front of the committee, Bower wrote that he surveyed nearby municipalities that adopted a similar building fee calculation model and explained that the final valuation of construction costs typically increases up to 30% more than projections. 

Buildings with up to four families would be exempt from the amendment.

Proposals were drafted for certain gas and plumbing permit fees as well. 

Under the proposed amendment, permit fees to install the first five gas and plumbing appliances in a residential building would increase from $25 per appliance to $30, with additional appliances costing $15. Permit fees for gas furnaces and hot water tanks would increase from $25 to $50. 

Annual building inspection fees would also change under the amendment.

Annual inspection fees will increase from $40 to $80 for buildings licensed by the Department of Developmental Services, group homes, daycares, adult daycares, rehab facilities and summer camp buildings. 

Hotels, motels and boarding houses currently have to pay $40 plus $2 for every two rooms. Under the amendment, this would increase to $100 plus $2 for every two rooms. 

Multifamily homes currently have to pay a flat rate of $75 for annual inspections. If they have more than three units, they pay a fee of $2 per additional unit. This would increase to a flat fee of $100 plus $5 per unit after 25 units.

The amendment also proposes setting annual inspection fees for dormitory buildings at $150 plus $5 for each unit.

Fees for reinspection of commercial buildings would be $50, and all replacement annual inspection permits would cost $80.