What does a building permit cost in Tamarack County, and what does the receipt mean?

What are the published fees?

The FY2026 schedule is short, and these are the lines residents ask about:

• Residential fence permit, over the counter: $85
• Deck permit: $140
• Re-roof permit: $120
• Plan-check work, where that review is required: $110 per hour

Section 1 of the schedule says the applicable category must be stated before payment is taken. If your sketch shows a fence and a deck, you are charged for each item under its own category, not for one at the other's rate.

What does the desk record when I pay?

Section 2 of the schedule lists it: the case reference, the fee category, the amount, the payment date and the receipt identifier, all in the permit record. If plan check may apply, the desk explains that estimate separately and explains the basis for the additional review. The desk does not promise an hourly total before the review hours have been determined. Asking me for one is fair; the honest answer is that the procedure does not let me guess.

Why does the receipt not mean I can start?

Section 3 of the schedule says it plainly: a receipt confirms payment, not approval or permission to start construction. Ordinance 2026-07 says the same thing in section 6 for fence permits specifically. Staff must explain that paying a fee does not authorise work until the permit is issued.

The reason is sequence. Payment happens at intake. Review happens after intake. The permit is issued when intake and review requirements are satisfied. A receipt sits at the first step. Starting construction on the strength of it means building before anyone has checked the sketch against the ordinance.

What if I only want to know whether I need a permit?

Ask. That question costs nothing, and the answer comes with the source: section 4.2 of Ordinance 2026-07 for height, section 4.5 for a corner lot. You pay a fee when you apply, not when you ask.

How does the fee connect to the ordinance?

The ordinance and the fee schedule are separate documents that point at each other. Section 6 of Ordinance 2026-07 names the $85 over-the-counter fence fee under the FY2026 schedule. The schedule carries the figure and the payment rules. When you ask the desk what a fence permit costs, the answer should name both: the fee from the schedule and the permit requirement from the ordinance, each with its section and date.

What if I withdraw after paying?

Section 4 of the schedule refers you to the Permit Desk Return and Refund of Fees Procedure. In short: a refund request made within 30 days of withdrawal qualifies for review, and before plan check starts the refundable share is 80 percent of the permit fee. The desk explains which condition applies to your case and keeps the original receipt with the refund decision. Once plan check has started, the case goes to a documented review of work already performed rather than a fixed percentage. The refund procedure has its own article on this site.

Why so much emphasis on what a receipt is not?

Because the misunderstanding is common and expensive. A resident who reads a receipt as approval can have posts in the ground before a corner-lot review has happened. The desk's job is to make the sequence clear before money changes hands: category, amount, receipt, then review, then permit.

What should I check on my receipt?

Five things, matching what the desk records: the case reference, the fee category, the amount, the payment date and the receipt identifier. If the category says deck and you applied for a fence, say so before you leave the counter. The receipt and the permit record should agree, because the receipt is the document that follows the file for 10 years after the final permit action under the Records Retention Schedule, and it is the document a refund decision is built on if you later withdraw.

Can I pay before my sketch is complete?

The desk will not take a fee for an application it is returning. An incomplete sketch comes back with a written list of the missing details, and no payment is recorded until the intake requirements are met. That sequence keeps the receipt honest: it only ever confirms a payment on an application the desk has accepted.

Q&A

The questions people ask about permit fees and receipts are answered below.

Last updated 1 October 2026.