Cedar Rapids
City of Cedar Rapids Building Services Division
In short
City of Cedar Rapids Building Services Division issues 3 permits we publish for Cedar Rapids, last verified 2026-09-10. Each carries the fee as the agency publishes it, with a link to the schedule it was read from.
What this agency issues
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Contractor Licensing — State of Iowa License Applies (Cedar Rapids)only if it applies to you | City of Cedar Rapids Building Services Division | No fee | not applicable | 2026-09-10 |
| Building Permit (Commercial) | City of Cedar Rapids Building Services Division | Priced by declared construction valuation under the Schedule of Building Permit Fees (Exhibit A), effective January 1, 2025. For a valuation of $100,000 or less, Table B's incremental commercial fee table applies, running from $17 at $500 or under up to $988 at $99,001-$100,000. Above $100,000, Table A's commercial schedule applies instead: $987.00 for the first $100,000 plus $5.36 per additional $1,000 or fraction up to $500,000; $3,147.90 for the first $500,000 plus $4.62 per additional $1,000 up to $1,000,000; and $5,507.25 for the first $1,000,000 plus $3.05 per additional $1,000 above that. A $20.00 non-refundable Administration Fee is added to most permits, and a Plan Checking Fee equal to 40% of the building permit fee applies to commercial buildings once declared valuation exceeds $1,000. Electrical, mechanical and plumbing trade work is priced separately: a flat $75.00 for specifically listed items (appliance replacement, fuel-gas permits, sewer permits, detached-garage electrical, residential service installs and photovoltaic systems), or, for all other trade work, Section B's own valuation table running from $25.00 flat under $1,000 up to $4,715.00 plus 0.2% of the amount over $800,000. | one-time, per project | 2026-09-10 |
| Certificate of Occupancy | City of Cedar Rapids Building Services Division | No fee | one-time, no expiration | 2026-09-10 |
Fees shown as a range or formula are set that way by the issuing agency — we do not average them into a single number.
About each permit
Contractor Licensing — State of Iowa License Applies (Cedar Rapids)
No city fee is listed: the City's Contractor Licensing page states that 'in order for contractors to perform work and be issued a permit in the City of Cedar Rapids, licensing with the State of Iowa is required,' and links only to the state Building, Electrical and Mechanical/Plumbing Contractor licensing programmes listed on this site's Iowa state page; it names no city-issued contractor license. The same page asks homeowners to contact Building Services for the requirements for pulling permits for their primary residence; Building Services can be reached at 319-286-5939.
Building Permit (Commercial)
A separate Building Permit Fire Code Compliance Process Fee, billed by the Fire Department, also applies to most commercial building permits: the first $500,000 of valuation is multiplied by 0.006, plus 0.003 times the next $500,000, or (above $1,000,000) $4,500 for the first $1,000,000 plus $2.00 per additional $1,000 or fraction — capped at $8,000 total. This fire-code fee does not apply to one- and two-family dwellings, roofing/siding-only permits, or Group U occupancies. Applied for through the Building Services permit counter at the City Services Center, 500 15th Avenue SW.
Certificate of Occupancy
No fee applies to a standard Certificate of Occupancy — the Development Services Department's own 2023 Development Guide lists this item at a confirmed $0 in its process-and-fee table, and the Fire Department's own Construction Certificate of Occupancy Trip Fee schedule corroborates it from the inspection side: the first two inspection trips carry no charge at all if the work is incomplete, and only a third or later trip is billed a flat $150. Temporary and partial certificates of occupancy may be issued before full completion; schedule an inspection through Building Services at (319) 286-5831.
Contact
- Jurisdiction
- Cedar Rapids
- Phone
- (319) 286-5831
Contact details are taken from the agency’s own site or its published fee schedule. Where we have not verified a phone number we leave it blank rather than guess.
Sources
Every fee and term above was read from one of these government pages on the date shown.
- Contractor Licensing — stating that licensing with the State of Iowa is required for a contractor to perform work and be issued a City of Cedar Rapids permit, with links to the state building, electrical and mechanical/plumbing contractor licensing programmesCity of Cedar Rapids, Building Services Division · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-08
- Development Guide, 2023 Edition — Table 2-1 (Processes and Timelines), naming the Sign Permit fee as '$50 - $300' and the Certificate of Occupancy fee as '$0'City of Cedar Rapids, Development Services Division · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-10
- Fees Charged by the Cedar Rapids Fire Department, effective January 1, 2025 — fire inspection fees, Operational Permits (including Day Care) at $50 each, Construction Permits (flammable/combustible liquids and LP-gas tanks at $250 each), the Construction Certificate of Occupancy Trip Fee schedule, and the Tier II hazardous-materials reporting fee tableCity of Cedar Rapids Fire Department · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-10
- Schedule of Building Permit Fees, Exhibit A to Resolution No. 1707-12-24, amended effective January 1, 2025 — commercial and residential building-valuation fee tables, $20 non-refundable administration fee, 40% plan-checking fee, and electrical/plumbing/mechanical trade-permit fee tablesCity of Cedar Rapids, Building Services Division · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-10
Other offices serving Cedar Rapids
The full permit list for this jurisdiction
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Iowa jurisdictions
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