How Much Does a Building Permit Cost in New York City? (2026 Guide)

Reviewed August 12, 2026. A New York City building-permit cost is not one flat number. The Department of Buildings (DOB) fee depends on the work type, filing, building, and details entered in DOB NOW. This guide summarizes the official fee rules a contractor should use to frame a budget—not a substitute for DOB NOW’s calculation or professional filing advice.

Quick answer: what drives a NYC permit fee?

New York City’s permit-fee rules include a $130 minimum in several filing and payment situations. The governing statute also sets different payment timing for work that changes a certificate of occupancy, other non-electrical work, and electrical work. Read the current Local Law 128 of 2024 fee provisions together with the applicable DOB NOW filing screen before quoting a customer.

• Other than electrical work that creates or changes a certificate of occupancy: 50% of the total permit fee is due at filing, with a $130 minimum (or the full fee if it is lower); the balance is due before the permit is issued.
• Other non-electrical work: 100% of the total permit fee is due at filing, with a $130 minimum (or the full fee if it is lower).
• Electrical work: 50% of the total permit fee is due at filing, with a $130 minimum (or the full fee if it is lower); the balance is due before a DOB inspection.

The fee schedule contains work-type-specific rules. For example, the schedule has a $0.26-per-square-foot calculation for certain new buildings under seven stories and under 100,000 square feet, with a $280 minimum. Do not apply that example to every job: the statutory table and DOB NOW determine whether it fits the filing.

2026 DOB NOW fee changes to check

DOB’s January 8, 2026 service notice says that beginning February 2, 2026, DOB NOW: Build updated calculations for subsequent Alt-CO filings involving existing building elements, new full-demolition filings, and certain AHV permits. The notice includes the affected work types and examples; use the official 2026 DOB NOW fee-update notice rather than copying an old flat-fee estimate into a proposal.

How to confirm the fee before you quote a job

1. Identify the work type and whether the filing creates or changes a certificate of occupancy.
2. Collect the project information required for the filing, including the scope and construction-cost details DOB NOW requests.
3. Use DOB NOW to calculate the filing. If the project changes, recheck the fee before telling the owner the budget is final.
4. Keep separate non-DOB costs out of the permit-fee quote unless you have priced them independently.

DOB’s DOB NOW: Build FAQ explains that the system calculates fees under the Construction Codes, and that an unpaid balance must be paid before a work permit is requested. The exact filing path and paperwork can change by work type, so use the City’s current instructions for the job at hand.

Plan examination and timing

There is no reliable citywide turnaround promise for every project. DOB says plan examiners begin review after complete drawings are received, and the required material varies by project. Contractors should build their schedule around the actual filing, any objections, and the project’s applicable approvals—not a generic number of weeks from a blog post. See DOB’s Plan Examination guidance for the current process.

Track the work after the filing

PermitGrab is not the City of New York and does not calculate DOB fees. It organizes source-published New York City permit activity so contractors can research work already in the public record. Source dates and available contractor, owner, and contact fields are shown market by market.

NYC permit-fee questions contractors ask

Does the $130 minimum mean every permit costs $130? No. It is a minimum in the statutory payment rules described above. The total depends on the filing and fee schedule.

Is the fee calculator on this page? No. Confirm the live amount in DOB NOW and with the applicable City guidance before submitting or quoting a job.

Does a permit-record database replace DOB NOW? No. Public permit records are useful for project research; DOB NOW and the City’s rules control the filing and fee.