St. Cloud Approves First Building Permit Fee Increase Since 2007

(KNSI) – The St. Cloud City Council has approved a package of increased building permit fees that will generate an estimated additional $800,000 a year.

The council voted 4-2 Monday night following a fourth public hearing. Council members Scott Brodeen and Mark Johnson voted no. Karen Larson was absent.

The fees take effect January 1st, 2027, and are the first adjustment to St. Cloud’s building permit fees since 2007.

Mayor Jake Anderson was asked Tuesday morning on KNSI whether the higher fees would discourage people from building, and he said it was unlikely. “Let’s not forget, obviously, the fees are a small part of any, let’s say, new construction. Right, you’ve got cost of labor, cost of material, cost to land, cost of money. Quite frankly, that all go up.”

Permit fees currently cover 33% of what it costs to run the city’s Building Safety Department. Anderson even with the increases, property taxes are still being used to help cover the cost for builders. “Even with this proposal, and if we collect an extra additional $800,000 in 2027, we still subsidize it at about a 50% clip.”

A basic electrical inspection minimum goes from $35 to $55. Plumbing fixtures move from $10.50 to $15 each. Re-siding permits jump from $60 to $100, and a combined reroofing and re-siding permit goes from $75 to $200.

The city estimates the increase adds between $250 and $1,150 to a new home, depending on size. Anderson said the fee process is finished for the year.

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