Bloomington, Minn., Code of Ordinances § 15 § 15.183
BUILDING PERMIT AND PLAN-CHECKING FEES (Bloomington Buildings and Structures Code)
Operative Text
(a) Building permit fees. A fee for each building permit shall be paid to the Building Official as set forth in City Code Appendix A : Building valuation for the purpose of establishing building permit fees shall be as set forth by the current Building Valuation Data published by the State Department of Labor and Industry Building Codes and Standards. Where work for which a permit is required by this chapter is started or proceeded with prior to obtaining said permit, the fees as set forth in City Code Appendix A shall be doubled, but the payment of such double fee shall not relieve any person from fully complying with the requirements of this code in the execution of the work nor from any other penalties prescribed herein. (b) Plan-checking fees. When the valuation of the proposed construction exceeds $10,000,000 and a plan is required to be submitted by this Chapter 15, Article I , a plan-checking fee shall be paid to the issuing authority at the time of submitting plans and specifications for checking. Said plan-checking fee shall be equal to 65% of the building permit fee as set forth in City Code Appendix A . A per hour fee as set forth in City Code Appendix A shall be paid to the issuing authority for any amounts of additional plan review required by changes, additions or revisions to approved plans. (c) In the event that a building permit is issued and fees are paid in accordance with this chapter and if such building permit is not used and expires in accordance with the provisions of § 3.03 d of the Uniform Building Code, concerning commencement of work within 180 days from the date of such permit, and if a new permit is applied for on the same property within one year from the date of issuance of the original permit, the building permit fees, certificate of occupancy fees and plan-check fees paid for the original building permit shall be applied as a credit on the new building permit provided that a reasonable amount shall be deducted from the fees paid from the original permit to constitute payment for services provided to process and approve the original building permit. (1958 Code, § 60.03) (Ord. 99, passed 1-8-1963; Ord. 68-41, passed 6-3-1968; Ord. 69-86, passed 11-3-1969; Ord. 72-62, passed 11-20-1972, renumbered to § 60.015; Ord. 73-72, passed 10-15-1973; Ord. 74-62, passed 7-15-1974; Ord. 75-66, passed 12-22-1975; Ord. 76-56, passed 12-6-1976; Ord. 81-8, passed 3-9-1981; Ord. 82-41, passed 10-18-1982; Ord. 87-20, passed 3-16-1987; Ord. 90-53, passed 12-10-1990; Ord. 97-14, passed 4-21-1997; Ord. 2007-22, passed 6-25-2007; Ord. 2009-2, passed 2-2-2009; Ord. 2015-40 , passed 12-7-2015; Ord. 2016-25 , passed 11-7-2016; Ord. 2022-40 , passed 8-29-2022)
Bloomington, Minn., Code of Ordinances § 15.183 establishes the fee structure for building permits and plan-checking in the city. Permit fees are calculated based on building valuation data published by the State Department of Labor and Industry, and anyone who begins work before obtaining the required permit faces a doubled fee — though paying that doubled fee does not excuse compliance with other code requirements. For large projects exceeding $10,000,000 in construction value, a plan-checking fee equal to 65% of the building permit fee is also required, and unused permits that expire may have their fees credited toward a new permit on the same property within one year.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Property owners and managers operating under § 15.183 generally secure all required building permits before commencing any construction or renovation work, since starting work without a permit triggers a fee doubling in addition to any other penalties. For larger projects valued above $10,000,000, compliant operators submit plan-checking fees — set at 65% of the base permit fee — at the time plans and specifications are delivered to the issuing authority. When a permit expires unused, operators typically track the one-year window during which previously paid fees may be applied as a credit toward a new permit on the same property, accounting for any administrative deduction.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
As a tenant, § 15.183 is most relevant if you are undertaking permitted work in a unit or if you have concerns about whether a landlord's construction or renovation project was properly permitted before work began. Unpermitted work — where a landlord or contractor started construction without the required permit — is a code violation under this provision, and tenants who suspect such violations can raise the issue with Bloomington's Building Official or the city's code enforcement office. Tenant-rights organizations familiar with Bloomington's municipal code can help explain how unpermitted construction may relate to habitability concerns or other tenant protections.
General guidance for tenants — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult a tenant-rights organization or attorney for advice on your case.
Generated September 15, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.
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