Ordinance 2021-24 proposes the adoption of an adjusted square foot construction cost for building valuation based upon the area of habitable space, as provided for in Chapter 14, Article III, Section 14-72(a) of the Municipal Code.
The current permit valuation factor for habitable space as provided by Code is $130.00 per square foot of building area. The Building Valuation Data as published by the International Codes Council (ICC) for August 2021 increased the construction costs per square foot for residential occupancies to $148.33. Ordinance 2021-16 requires that the fee be rounded to the nearest five dollar increment or $150.00. The construction cost for non-habitable space remains unchanged at $25.00 per square foot of area. Non-Habitable space applies to unfinished space such as basements, attics, attached and detached garages, etc.
A copy of the ICC Building Valuation Data for August 2021 is attached below for your review. Group "R-3", Type V-B are typically single-family homes and garages.
Ordinance 2021-24 proposes modifications to the original language in Sections 14-72(a) and 14-72(d) to read as follows.
(a) New Single-family Residential Building permit fees. Building permit fees shall be based on the total construction valuation of the structure as established in Table One below. The fees will be determined using the total square footage and square footage costs in accordance with the – Building Valuation Data, developed by the International Code Council (ICC). For verification purposes, the construction valuation for new single-family residential structures shall be based on $150.00 per square foot of habitable building area. Areas that are proposed to remain unfinished such as basements, detached garages, accessory structures, etc. shall be assessed at a rate of $25.00 per square foot for all unfinished areas within new single-family residences in lieu of the finished floor space charge.
(d) The schedule of building valuation data is developed by the International Code Council (ICC) and updated in February and August of each year. Revisions to the building valuation data adopted pursuant to Ordinance 2021-16 shall be adjusted annually to account for building valuation cost inflation. The adjusted valuation schedule, with fee amounts rounded to the nearest $5.00 increment, will be adopted by the board of commissioners via ordinance to become effective on January 1st of the following year.
A redline/strike through version of the sections is attached below.
Finally, the fee schedule for imposition of the revised building permit fees was approved by the Board of Commissioners on September 1, 2021, as part of Ordinance 2021-16. The revised ICC Building Valuation Data for August 2021 was not available at the time of the adoption.
This ordinance is before the Commission on second and final reading. The effective date of the revisions will be January 1, 2022, and will apply to any permit applications received after that date.
Should you have any questions or require additional information please contact the Planning and Codes Director. |