Orange County, CA — Beta 2025

KNOW YOUR
PERMIT COSTS Before You Submit

The only free tool that calculates exact OC permit fees directly from official published municipal fee schedules — no guesswork, no estimates.

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43
Pages of SJC fee data
10+
Fee categories covered
$0
Free to use
2025
Official fee schedule
BUILDING PERMIT FEES PLAN REVIEW FEES GRADING PERMITS NPDES STORMWATER PLUMBING REVIEW ELECTRICAL REVIEW MECHANICAL REVIEW SMIP STATE FEES GREEN BUILDING SB 1473 PERMIT ISSUANCE BUILDING PERMIT FEES PLAN REVIEW FEES GRADING PERMITS NPDES STORMWATER PLUMBING REVIEW ELECTRICAL REVIEW MECHANICAL REVIEW SMIP STATE FEES GREEN BUILDING SB 1473 PERMIT ISSUANCE
Why OC Build Cost
REAL DATA.
NOT ESTIMATES.

Every number comes directly from the official published fee schedule — not guesswork, not averages.

01
Official fee schedules
Fees pulled directly from the City of San Juan Capistrano's published Schedule of User and Regulatory Fees, effective July 1, 2025. More cities being added.
02
All project types
Single family remodels, new construction, and commercial build-outs across all occupancy classifications — residential through industrial.
03
Every line item
Building permit, plan review (90%), plumbing, electrical, mechanical add-ons, NPDES stormwater fee, SMIP, Green Building SB 1473, permit issuance, and automation fee — all calculated.
04
Instant results
No sign-up. No waiting. Enter your project details and get a complete permit fee breakdown in seconds — ready to factor into your bid.
05
OC-specific data
Built specifically for Orange County contractors and homeowners. Each municipality has its own fee structure — we track them all so you don't have to hunt through 40-page PDFs.
06
Violation warnings
Built-in alerts for common gotchas — unpermitted work fees (3× the permit fee), design review requirements, engineering stamps, and Title 24 add-ons.
What's calculated
EVERY FEE.
ONE PLACE.

We pull all applicable fees so nothing gets missed when you're estimating a project.

Section B
Building permit fee
Tiered by occupancy classification and square footage. Single family through commercial, new construction through tenant improvements.
Section D
Plan review fee
90% of the building permit fee, paid at time of submittal. Includes up to 3 plan reviews — 4th and beyond billed hourly at $190/review.
Section B footnote
MEP add-ons
Plumbing, electrical, and mechanical review each add 10% to the base permit fee when the scope includes that trade.
Section E
State & admin fees
NPDES stormwater (10%), permit issuance ($79), automation ($40), SMIP Strong Motion, and Green Building Standards SB 1473 — all included.
Pages 8–9
Grading permit fees
Separate grading plan check and permit fees calculated by cubic yards of material moved, from under 500 CY to over 100,000 CY.
Section C
Valuation-based fees
For projects not in Sections A or B. Calculated from total project valuation using the ICC Building Valuation Data Table methodology.
Section A
Common permit types
HVAC change-out, re-roof, windows, solar, pools, fences, retaining walls, patio covers, and more — flat-fee permits with exact amounts.
Violation fees
Unpermitted work
Work done without a permit triggers an investigation fee equal to 3× the normal permit fee. We flag this prominently so contractors never miss it.
Coverage
STARTING WITH SJC.
EXPANDING FAST.

San Juan Capistrano is live with verified July 2025 data. Every other OC city is being added from their official published fee schedules.

San Juan Capistrano
● Live — July 2025
Newport Beach
Coming soon
Irvine
Coming soon
Laguna Beach
Coming soon
Huntington Beach
Coming soon
Costa Mesa
Coming soon
Anaheim
Coming soon
Santa Ana
Coming soon
Fullerton
Coming soon
Mission Viejo
Coming soon
Get started
STOP
GUESSING

Calculate your exact San Juan Capistrano permit fees in under 60 seconds — free, no sign-up required.

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Important disclaimer

OC Build Cost calculates permit fees from the official City of San Juan Capistrano Schedule of User and Regulatory Fees, effective July 1, 2025. Fees are subject to annual CPI adjustment. Additional fees may apply for planning review, engineering review, and third-party agency fees not included in this calculator. This tool is for estimation purposes only — actual fees are determined by the Building Department at time of permit submittal. Always verify with the City before submitting. Prepared by Oscar Calvo, Finance CSULB '25.