Official Industry Benchmark Report (Q3 2026 Edition)
2026 National Commercial Permitting & Municipal Fee Index
An empirical data study analyzing municipal building code surcharges, plan check SLAs, and prerequisite contractor bond rules across top U.S. metropolitan markets.
$13,368
Avg License Bond Threshold
14.8 Days
Avg Plan Check Turnaround
55% - 85%
Plan Review Add-on Rate
Jurisdictional Permit Benchmark Data Matrix
| Jurisdiction | Review SLA | Surety Bond Required | Plan Check % | City Tech Surcharge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harris County, TX | 10 - 15 Business Days | $10,000 | 65% | 4% |
| Dallas County, TX | 12 - 18 Business Days | $15,000 | 65% | 4% |
| Bexar County, TX | 10 - 15 Business Days | $10,000 | 60% | 4% |
| Los Angeles County, CA | 20 - 30 Business Days | $25,000 | 85% | 6% |
| Orange County, CA | 16 - 24 Business Days | $25,000 | 80% | 5.5% |
| Jefferson County, AL | 10 - 15 Business Days | $10,000 | 50% | 3% |
| Anchorage Municipality, AK | 14 - 20 Business Days | $10,000 | 60% | 4% |
| Maricopa County, AZ | 8 - 12 Business Days | $15,000 | 60% | 3.5% |
| Pulaski County, AR | 10 - 15 Business Days | $10,000 | 45% | 3% |
| Denver County, CO | 12 - 18 Business Days | $10,000 | 65% | 4% |
| Fairfield County, CT | 12 - 20 Business Days | $10,000 | 60% | 3.5% |
| New Castle County, DE | 10 - 15 Business Days | $10,000 | 55% | 3.5% |
| Miami-Dade County, FL | 15 - 25 Business Days | $10,000 | 70% | 5% |
| Broward County, FL | 14 - 22 Business Days | $10,000 | 68% | 4.5% |
| Fulton County, GA | 12 - 18 Business Days | $10,000 | 65% | 4% |
| Honolulu County, HI | 20 - 35 Business Days | $15,000 | 80% | 5% |
| Ada County, ID | 10 - 14 Business Days | $10,000 | 55% | 3.5% |
| Cook County, IL | 15 - 22 Business Days | $20,000 | 75% | 5% |
| Marion County, IN | 10 - 16 Business Days | $10,000 | 50% | 3.5% |
| Polk County, IA | 10 - 15 Business Days | $10,000 | 50% | 3% |
| Johnson County, KS | 10 - 14 Business Days | $10,000 | 55% | 3.5% |
| Jefferson County (Louisville), KY | 12 - 16 Business Days | $10,000 | 50% | 3.5% |
| Orleans Parish (New Orleans), LA | 15 - 22 Business Days | $15,000 | 65% | 4% |
| Cumberland County, ME | 10 - 15 Business Days | $10,000 | 50% | 3% |
| Montgomery County, MD | 14 - 20 Business Days | $15,000 | 70% | 4.5% |
| Suffolk County (Boston), MA | 16 - 24 Business Days | $20,000 | 75% | 5% |
| Wayne County, MI | 12 - 18 Business Days | $15,000 | 60% | 4% |
| Hennepin County, MN | 12 - 18 Business Days | $25,000 | 65% | 4% |
| Hinds County, MS | 10 - 15 Business Days | $10,000 | 45% | 3% |
| St. Louis County, MO | 10 - 16 Business Days | $10,000 | 55% | 3.5% |
| Yellowstone County, MT | 8 - 14 Business Days | $10,000 | 50% | 3% |
| Douglas County (Omaha), NE | 10 - 15 Business Days | $10,000 | 50% | 3.5% |
| Clark County, NV | 12 - 18 Business Days | $20,000 | 65% | 4% |
| Hillsborough County, NH | 10 - 14 Business Days | $10,000 | 50% | 3.5% |
| Bergen County, NJ | 14 - 20 Business Days | $15,000 | 70% | 4.5% |
| Bernalillo County, NM | 10 - 15 Business Days | $10,000 | 55% | 3.5% |
| New York County (Manhattan), NY | 18 - 28 Business Days | $25,000 | 80% | 5% |
| Mecklenburg County, NC | 10 - 16 Business Days | $10,000 | 60% | 4% |
| Wake County, NC | 10 - 15 Business Days | $10,000 | 58% | 3.8% |
| Cass County (Fargo), ND | 8 - 12 Business Days | $10,000 | 45% | 3% |
| Cuyahoga County (Cleveland), OH | 12 - 18 Business Days | $25,000 | 65% | 4% |
| Franklin County (Columbus), OH | 10 - 16 Business Days | $25,000 | 62% | 4% |
| Oklahoma County, OK | 10 - 15 Business Days | $10,000 | 50% | 3.5% |
| Multnomah County (Portland), OR | 14 - 22 Business Days | $20,000 | 75% | 4.5% |
| Philadelphia County, PA | 15 - 22 Business Days | $15,000 | 70% | 4.5% |
| Allegheny County (Pittsburgh), PA | 12 - 18 Business Days | $15,000 | 65% | 4% |
| Providence County, RI | 10 - 15 Business Days | $10,000 | 55% | 3.5% |
| Richland County, SC | 10 - 16 Business Days | $10,000 | 55% | 3.5% |
| Minnehaha County (Sioux Falls), SD | 8 - 12 Business Days | $10,000 | 45% | 3% |
| Davidson County (Nashville), TN | 12 - 18 Business Days | $10,000 | 60% | 4% |
| Salt Lake County, UT | 10 - 15 Business Days | $15,000 | 60% | 4% |
| Chittenden County, VT | 10 - 14 Business Days | $10,000 | 50% | 3.5% |
| Fairfax County, VA | 12 - 18 Business Days | $15,000 | 70% | 4.5% |
| King County, WA | 16 - 26 Business Days | $12,000 | 80% | 5% |
| Kanawha County (Charleston), WV | 8 - 12 Business Days | $10,000 | 45% | 3% |
| Milwaukee County, WI | 12 - 18 Business Days | $15,000 | 65% | 4% |
| Laramie County (Cheyenne), WY | 8 - 12 Business Days | $10,000 | 50% | 3% |
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Source: <a href="https://uspermitrules.com/research/commercial-permit-fee-index">2026 Commercial Permitting & Municipal Fee Index (USPermitRules.com)</a>
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