With the Highest Building Permit Fees in the Metro, Waukee Considers Big Cut

Waukee city officials are considering lowering the city’s residential building permit fees from $5,000 – one of the highest rates among metro communities – to a more competitive $2,800 to attract more development in the fast-growing suburb.

Officials think they’re losing development to the portions of West Des Moines and Urbandale located in the Waukee school district, the fastest growing district in the state, because of the high permit fees, Kent Darr of the Business Record reported. The Waukee permit fee is nearly double the amount charged by its neighbors.

Home builder Ted Grob said the fee reduction, which will be considered at the Waukee City Council’s Sept. 16 meeting, is “a step in the right direction.” He said the cost of doing business made it difficult for his company, Savannah Homes, to build in Waukee.

A recent Business Record analysis showed Waukee had the highest permits in the metro.

Even with the higher fees, Waukee’s rate of growth is the highest in the metro. However, the number of permits issued for residential construction dropped 15 percent from the beginning of the recession in 2007 to 2012.

According to the report, builders think developers avoided the city during that time because of its high fees, though there is still plenty of land available for residential and commercial development. More than 600 residential lots have been platted for development.