South Burlington
City of South Burlington Fire and EMS Department, Fire Prevention Division
In short
City of South Burlington Fire and EMS Department, Fire Prevention Division issues 3 permits we publish for South Burlington, last verified 2026-09-14. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Building Permit (issued by the Fire Marshal, not Planning and Zoning) | City of South Burlington Fire and EMS Department, Fire Prevention Division | Construction permit plan review is $8.50 per $1,000 of project valuation, with a $75.00 minimum and a $300,000.00 maximum. A Fire Department Capital Construction Assessment is charged on top at one-half of one percent of the total estimated project cost of any project receiving a construction permit, capped at $20,000.00. Electrical permits under Resolution 2025-14 carry a $75.00 base fee plus components: temporary service $30.00; permanent service $35.00 up to 400 amps single or two phase, $50.00 from 401 to 800 amps and $100.00 above 801; sub panels and feeders $35.00; lights, outlets, switches and thermostats $20.00 per fifty; fire alarm devices $30.00 per fifty; fire alarm main or annunciator panels $50.00 each; fire pumps $50.00; elevators $75.00; fuel oil, kerosene, LP, natural gas and gasoline pumps $25.00 each; and boilers, furnaces and stationary appliances $10.00. A re-inspection for code violations is $125.00. A further five percent surcharge applies to electrical, change of use, tent, fire alarm, fire pump, kitchen hood, specialty system and water-based system permits. | not stated in the published resolutions | 2026-09-14 |
| Fire Protection System Permitonly if it applies to you | City of South Burlington Fire and EMS Department, Fire Prevention Division | Each system type is priced per $1,000 of project valuation with a $75.00 minimum: a kitchen hood or suppression system at $40.00 per $1,000, a standalone standpipe system at $33.00, a fire alarm system at $31.00, sprinkler and standpipe plan review at $18.00, a specialty suppression system at $11.00 and a fire pump at $7.00. A tent permit is $50.00 for 200 to 1,199 square feet and $165.00 above 1,200 square feet. A time-of-sale inspection is $125.00 for two units or fewer, $125.00 plus $50.00 per unit above two for larger buildings, and re-inspections beyond two visits are $75.00 per visit. A further five percent Capital Construction Assessment applies to tent, fire alarm, fire pump, kitchen hood, specialty system and water-based system permits. | per permit | 2026-09-14 |
| Contractor Licensing — City of South Burlington position (permits per project)only if it applies to you | City of South Burlington Fire and EMS Department, Fire Prevention Division | No fee | not applicable at city level | 2026-09-14 |
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
Building Permit (issued by the Fire Marshal, not Planning and Zoning)
This record is filed against the Fire and EMS Department because that is genuinely where the permit comes from, which is unusual enough to be worth stating plainly. The City's FAQ says so: 'the Planning and Zoning office offers and issues Zoning permits. The City's Fire Marshal has oversight over Building permits. A Building Permit is required-by State Statute- any time any type of construction is being performed on a building that is not a single family, wholly owner-occupied home.' A commercial project therefore needs a zoning permit from one department and a building permit from another, each with its own fee. The Capital Construction Assessment is the charge most likely to be underestimated: at one-half of one percent of total estimated project cost rather than of the permit fee, a $1,000,000 fit-out attracts $5,000 on top of a plan review fee of $8,500, and only projects above $4,000,000 hit the $20,000 cap.
Fire Protection System Permit
The kitchen hood rate is the one that matters most to a restaurant, and it is the highest on the schedule at $40.00 per $1,000 — nearly five times the general construction plan review rate of $8.50. A restaurant installing a $30,000 hood suppression system pays $1,200 plus the five percent assessment. Two further provisions reach food and drink businesses specifically: Code §16-30(d)(2) requires fire marshal plan approval for 'Changes to places of assembly, including bars and restaurants,' and §16-29(e) provides that 'any public building in which alcohol is offered to the public for consumption or sale shall have a valid fire safety inspection completed prior to the issuance of the state license,' with occupancy load certificates required where fifty or more patrons are served. So in South Burlington the fire inspection is a precondition of the state liquor license rather than a parallel obligation.
Contractor Licensing — City of South Burlington position (permits per project)
There is no city license fee: under 24 V.S.A. § 2291, which lists the licensing powers of Vermont municipalities, there is no power to license contractors, the City's City Permits, Licenses, and Registrations page names no contractor license, and electrical and plumbing trades are licensed by the State of Vermont. What a contractor needs instead is the per-project permit set, and in this city that means dealing with the Fire Marshal rather than a building department: the building permit at $8.50 per $1,000 of valuation with a $75.00 minimum, the electrical permit at a $75.00 base plus components, and any fire protection system permit the work triggers. The Capital Construction Assessment of one-half of one percent of total estimated project cost applies to construction permits, and a further five percent to electrical and system permits. A re-inspection prompted by code violations is $125.00.
Contact
- Jurisdiction
- South Burlington
- Phone
- (802) 846-4134
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.
- City Permits, Licenses and Registrations — the City's own complete enumeration of what it issues, establishing that South Burlington has no general business licenseCity of South Burlington · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-14
- Permit Applications — the Fire and EMS Department's own current page for building, electrical and fire protection system permits, giving effect to City Council Resolutions 2025-13 (fire fees) and 2025-14 (electrical fees) adopted July 7, 2025 and to the Fire Department Capital Construction AssessmentCity of South Burlington Fire and EMS Department · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-14
- Planning and Zoning — the department's own current page, and the source of the FAQ confirming that the Fire Marshal rather than Planning and Zoning has oversight over building permitsCity of South Burlington Department of Planning and Zoning · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-14
Other offices serving South Burlington
The full permit list for this jurisdiction
Industry permit lists that include this agency
- Restaurants in South Burlington
- Coffee shops in South Burlington
- Retail stores in South Burlington
- Salons and barbers in South Burlington
- Fitness studios in South Burlington
- Childcare centres in South Burlington
- Contractors and trades in South Burlington
- Auto repair shops in South Burlington
- Veterinary clinics in South Burlington
Vermont jurisdictions
Commercial Compliance Hub publishes information, not legal advice. Requirements change — confirm anything you rely on with the issuing agency before you file.