Departments  »  Building Safety  »  Permits

Commercial Building

Four(4) fees are collected for a commercial building permit in Rochester.  The fees are:  building permit, plan review, zoning, and Minnesota state surcharge.  Note:  A Water Reclamation Plant Investment Fee (PIF) may also be charged.

• Commercial Building Fee Schedule
• Multi-Family (3 or more units) Building Fee Schedule

Residential Building

Four(4) fees are collected for a residential building permit in Rochester.  The fees are:  building permit, plan review, zoning, and Minnesota state surcharge.  Note:  A Water Reclamation Plant Investment Fee (PIF) may also be charged.  The new home permits will have a PIF fee of $2,700 in 2012.  On new home permits a $5.00 curb cut fee may also be charged.

• Residential Building Fee Schedule

Trade Permit Fee Schedule

There are three(3) fees collected for a trade permit in Rochester.  The fees are:  application, permit, and Minnesota state surcharge.  The permit valuation shall include total value of all construction work, including materials and labor, for which the permit is being issued.

• Trade Permit Fee Schedule

Grading

There are three (3) fees collected for a grading permit in Rochester.  The fees included are a grading permit, plan review, and zoning. Fees are based on total number of cubic yards of excavation or fill, whichever is greater.

• Grading Fee Schedule

Signs

Three (3) fees are collected for a sign permit in Rochester.  The fees are sign permit, plan review and zoning.  All signs are classified by the Planning Zoning Department as either a business or advertising sign.  The zoning fee due will be either a Business or Advertising sign zoning fee.   NOTES for sign permits:
1)   City Sign Contractor's License:  If you engage in the business of sign or outdoor advertising by erecting or maintaining signs within the city, you need to obtain a Sign Contractor's License from the City Clerk's Office, (507) 328-2900.
2)   Information Required:  Plans and data required for a sign permit are listed on the bottom of the first page of the Sign Permit Application form.  You may put all wall signage for the same building on one (1) application.  Separate sign permits are required for each ground/pylon sign.
3)   A sign permit is not required if you are only replacing the sign faces.

• Sign Fee Schedule

Demolition

A demolition permit has building and zoning fees.  Note:  There may be a separate charge for a well/septic inspection.  Please call Olmsted County Planning Department at (507) 328-7111 if you have questions.

• Demolition Fee Schedule

Refund of Permit Fees

Rochester City Ordinance 50.6 states the Building Official must authorize refunding of any fee that was erroneously paid or collected, or if none of the work authorized by the permit has been performed.  The Building Official may not authorize refunding of any permit fee except upon written application filed by the original permittee not later than 180 days after the date of permit issuance.  Plan review fees, IRC footing permit fees and application fees will not be refunded.

Please complete, sign and return the Request for Refund of Permit Fees form.  (Please note that the $25.00 application fee is nonrefundable.)