What do these permits involve in South Burlington?

Question

Accepted Answer

Certificate of Occupancy

LDR 17.03(A) is the operative bar on occupancy and, like the zoning permit, it reaches a change of use rather than only construction. One point of timing catches applicants out and is worth recording: the fee schedule's own note provides that 'Payment of fee for a Permanent Certificate of Occupancy shall be made at the time of zoning permit application,' so the $153.00 is payable at the start of the project rather than on completion. The cheaper certificate of compliance at $40.00 is a different instrument, confirming that completed work conforms to an approval rather than authorising occupancy.

Zoning Permit

Like Burlington's, this permit is triggered by a change of use and not only by construction: LDR 17.02(A)(1) reaches 'any change in the use of any building or other structure, or land.' A business taking over an existing commercial space for a different purpose needs one even with no building work. The City's FAQ gives the residential arithmetic as a worked example — 'Residential zoning permits are calculated at $5 per $1,000 of construction costs, plus a $13 recording fee. There is a minimum permit fee of $43 for work up to $6,000' — and the same $5.00 per $1,000 with a $30.00 minimum applies to non-residential alterations. The $13.00 component is a digitization and recording charge added to almost every line on the schedule. Note the two different expiry periods at LDR 17.05: the zoning permit itself lasts a year, but a site plan, conditional use, variance or design review approval lapses in six months, so an applicant who obtains discretionary approval and then delays can lose it before the permit does.

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.

Conditional Use Permit / Variance / Site Plan Review

The per-square-foot component on site plan review is what makes this expensive for larger commercial projects: at $0.10 per square foot to 10,000 square feet, a 10,000 square foot retail fit-out adds $1,000 to the base $288.00. Whether an application goes to the Development Review Board at $275.00 or is handled administratively at $140.00 is set by the Land Development Regulations rather than chosen by the applicant. The six-month expiry at LDR 17.05 applies to the approval, and is shorter than the one-year life of the zoning permit that follows it. Under the Land Development Regulations adopted August 3, 2026 the relevant use categories are broad rather than trade-specific: a restaurant, coffee shop, retail store, fitness studio and salon all fall within Consumer-Facing Commercial, scaled Small at 5,000 square feet or less, Medium between 5,000 and 12,000, and Large above 12,000.

General Business License — City of South Burlington position

No fee applies. Under 24 V.S.A. § 2291(9) and (11), the licensing powers granted to Vermont municipalities are limited to itinerant vendors and peddlers and to circuses, shows and paid entertainments, and the City's own City Permits, Licenses, and Registrations page — which lists the permits issued by the City Clerk, Fire Department, Planning and Zoning, Police, Public Works and the Rental Registry — names no general business license. The City's Municode chapter list — chapters 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 22, 23, 24, 26, 28, 30, 32, 34, 36 and 38 — names no chapter headed Licenses or Businesses, unlike Burlington's Chapter 19 or Rutland's Title 11. The two things South Burlington does license are exactly the two 24 V.S.A. § 2291 permits: peddlers under Chapter 24, and shows, circuses and carnivals under Chapter 4. What reaches every other business is the zoning permit, the certificate of occupancy, the Fire Marshal's building permit and, for food, a state license — each listed separately.

Permit	Issuing agency	Fee	Renews	Last checked
Certificate of Occupancy	City of South Burlington Department of Planning and Zoning	A certificate of occupancy is $140.00 plus the $13.00 digitization fee, so $153.00 in total. A certificate of compliance is $27.00 plus $13.00, so $40.00. The schedule provides that payment of the fee for a permanent certificate of occupancy is made at the time of the zoning permit application rather than at the end of the project.	one-time	2026-09-14
Zoning Permit	City of South Burlington Department of Planning and Zoning	New non-residential construction is $0.35 per square foot plus a $13.00 digitization and recording fee. Non-residential additions and alterations are $5.00 per $1,000 of project cost with a $30.00 minimum, plus $13.00. A demolition permit is $50.00 plus $13.00. Where work has already begun, an after-the-fact application costs the standard fee plus fifty percent if no notice of violation was issued, or the standard fee plus one hundred percent if one was. New residential construction, for comparison, is $0.45 per square foot plus $13.00.	a zoning permit expires after one year; site plan, conditional use, variance and design review approvals expire after six months under LDR 17.05	2026-09-14
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
Conditional Use Permit / Variance / Site Plan Reviewonly if it applies to you	City of South Burlington Department of Planning and Zoning	A conditional use application is $165.00 plus the $13.00 digitization fee, so $178.00, and a variance is the same $178.00. Site plan review before the Development Review Board is $275.00 plus $13.00, while administrative site plan review is $140.00 plus $13.00, so $153.00. Site plan applications add $100.00 per residential unit, or $0.10 per non-residential square foot up to 10,000 square feet and $0.05 per square foot above that. An interim zoning application is $275.00 plus $13.00. A miscellaneous Development Review Board review is $110.00 plus $13.00. An appeal of the Administrative Officer is $220.00 plus $13.00, so $233.00, and a continuance requested by the applicant is $50.00. Independent technical review and legal review are charged per hour.	site plan, conditional use, variance and design review approvals expire after six months under LDR 17.05	2026-09-14
General Business License — City of South Burlington positiononly if it applies to you	City of South Burlington City Manager's Office	No fee	not applicable	2026-09-14

Business licenses and permits in South Burlington, Vermont

What are you opening in South Burlington?

Permits that apply to every type of business in South Burlington