Wasco County adopts amended building-code fee schedule, raising residential permit fees and adding tech surcharge

Wasco County commissioners adopted Ordinance 25-003 on Aug. 6, updating the Building Codes Department fee schedule to address operating shortfalls and align county fees with regional peers.

Mark Banvos, the county building official, told the board the department operates as an enterprise fund that receives no general-fund revenue and has relied on permit-fee income and interest from reserves. Banvos said the proposed schedule increases fees for electrical, plumbing and residential mechanical permits by 5%, raises many commercial mechanical and structural permit fees (smaller projects seeing higher percentage increases than very large projects), adjusts the hourly rate slightly and establishes a 3% technology fee to offset payment processing charges.

Using the state valuation table, Mark provided an example: a typical 2,000-square-foot home with a two-car garage and deck is valued under state methodology at about $375,000. Under the proposed changes, a building permit for that project would move from roughly $3,900 to $5,400, an increase of about $1,500. Mark noted the county’s high operating expenses, that interest income from reserves had subsidized operations in recent years (he cited roughly $270,000 in reserve interest in the last period), and that without fee adjustments the department would face recurring shortfalls in an average year.

Staff also proposed a higher manufactured-home placement permit fee (from $240 to about $525), and an increase for prescriptive residential solar permits. Mark said the standalone residential sprinkler system fee looks large because the county rarely issues those permits and the inspection process is intensive; most residential sprinkler work is part of the plumbing system and remains at minor increases.

The hearing drew no public testimony. Commissioner questions focused on whether higher fees would depress building and whether the proposed five-year automatic 5% annual increases are appropriate. Mark said permit fees generally are a modest portion of construction costs and are rarely the deciding factor; he defended a 5% annual adjustment as a hedge against rising operating costs.

Action: The board voted unanimously to adopt Ordinance 25-003 amending the Building Codes Department service fee schedule.

Why it matters: The change shifts more of the department’s operating costs onto fee payers and reduces reliance on interest income from reserves; it may raise costs for homeowners and builders in the county in order to sustain inspection and permitting services.

What’s next: Staff will implement the new schedule and return to the board with reports on actual revenue impacts and reserve levels.