Pool permit cost: a 2026 ledger of official fees in 18 US cities and counties

The ledger in brief

• Across 18 US cities and counties, the middle illustrative pool permit fee for a $68,000 in-ground pool was $500 in October 2026 (PC&S calculation from official schedules; scenario value from the PC&S permit-value analysis).
• San Diego charged the most for the same pool, $3,940.31, because its fixed plan check fee alone is $2,649.60 (City of San Diego IB-501).
• Chandler, Arizona charged the least, a flat $110 residential pool permit fee (City of Chandler fee schedule).
• Nine of the 18 jurisdictions came in under $500 for the same pool in 2026, and 3 came in at $1,000 or more (PC&S calculation).
• 11 of the 18 jurisdictions charge a flat fee per pool in 2026, 6 scale the fee with declared construction value and 1 (Scottsdale) charges by pool area (PC&S classification of the schedules).
• In Phoenix, the fee for a pool declared at $150,000 is $2,915.40, up 83.7% from $1,587.00 at $68,000 (City of Phoenix PDD fee schedule).
• Miami-Dade County’s residential pool installation fee rose from $135.96 (October 2024) to $656.64 (October 2026), after the county called its 2025 increase the first in more than 17 years (IO 4-63; Miami-Dade RER).
• Raleigh’s most common recorded fee on residential pool permits rose 21.1%, from $331 in FY2024 to $401 in FY2027 (City of Raleigh open data).

Pool permit cost by city: the 2026 fee ledger

The same $68,000 pool costs between $110 and $3,940.31 to permit across 18 US cities and counties, a 35.8-fold spread. Ten of the 18 fall between $391.59 (Orlando) and $789.00 (Miami-Dade County). San Diego is the outlier because of fixed plan check and planning fees.

San Diego had the highest illustrative fee at $3,940.31 in 2026 (City of San Diego). Phoenix followed at $1,587.00 (City of Phoenix) and Fort Worth at $1,169.83 (City of Fort Worth).

Scottsdale came to $804.32 at 412 sq ft (City of Scottsdale). Miami-Dade County (unincorporated) came to $789.00 (Miami-Dade County). Tampa came to $733.90 (City of Tampa).

Chandler had the lowest fee at $110.00 (City of Chandler). Orange County, Florida came to $314.38 (Orange County) and Cape Coral to $314.68 (City of Cape Coral).

How cities calculate a pool permit fee: valuation, pool area or a flat fee

Most of the 18 jurisdictions charge a flat fee per pool, so the price of the pool does not change the permit fee. In the 6 valuation-based jurisdictions, a more expensive pool pays more, and the fee roughly doubles between a $68,000 and a $150,000 pool in 4 of them.

11 of the 18 jurisdictions charge a flat fee per residential pool in 2026 (PC&S classification). 6 jurisdictions scale the fee with declared construction value: Phoenix, Fort Worth, Nashville-Davidson, New Orleans, Orlando and Orange County, Florida. Scottsdale charges $0.61 per sq ft of pool plus fixed fees (City of Scottsdale).

The median illustrative fee in the 6 valuation-based jurisdictions was $433.50 at $68,000 in 2026. The median in the 11 flat-fee jurisdictions was $525. A flat fee is not automatically the cheaper system (PC&S calculation).

In Nashville-Davidson, the fee rises from $399.00 at $68,000 to $850 at $150,000, a 113% increase (Metro Nashville Codes). In New Orleans it rises from $468.00 to $960 (City of New Orleans). In Fort Worth it rises 61.6%, from $1,169.83 to $1,890.95 (City of Fort Worth).

Valuation rules differ. Phoenix uses the higher of its own calculated value and the applicant’s value, and sets a $234 minimum permit fee for pools (City of Phoenix). Orlando uses the greater of the ICC Building Valuation Data figure and the contract price (City of Orlando). Orange County, Florida sets a minimum pool value of $42.00 per sq ft, $17,304 for a 412 sq ft pool (Orange County).

Plan review, surcharges and the other lines inside a pool permit fee

The headline permit fee is often only part of the bill. Plan review, technology fees, state surcharges and planning fees add from a few dollars to several thousand dollars, and San Diego shows the extreme case.

San Diego charges a $2,649.60 plan check fee and a $529.71 inspection fee for a private custom pool or spa, plus a $737.00 General Plan Maintenance Fee and a $12.16 mapping fee (City of San Diego IB-501). A pool built to an approved master plan for a single dwelling has a $971.73 plan check fee instead.

Phoenix adds plan review at 80% of the permit fee for residential projects valued over $50,000 and 100% at $50,000 or less (City of Phoenix). New Orleans adds $1 per $1,000 of value, with a $60 minimum (City of New Orleans). Austin charges $146.15 for small-project plan review that names pools (City of Austin).

Percentage surcharges are common. Orlando adds 10.5% to the permit fee across four surcharges (City of Orlando). San Antonio adds 8% (City of San Antonio). Nashville adds a 10% codes tech fee (Metro Nashville). Mesa adds a 4% technology fee (City of Mesa).

Do you need separate electrical and plumbing permits for a pool?

In most of the ledger, yes: electrical and plumbing work for a pool is permitted separately and priced on its own schedule. Two jurisdictions, Hillsborough County and Mesa, fold trades into one pool fee.

Miami-Dade County charges $148.68 for a residential pool or spa electrical permit, which covers the motor and pool lights, and $99.13 for residential pool piping in 2026 (Miami-Dade IO 4-63). Together that is $247.81 on top of the $789.00 building permit.

Orange County, Florida lists $61.00 for pool wiring and $66.00 for a swimming pool plumbing permit (Orange County). Baton Rouge charges $125.00 for each residential electrical, plumbing, mechanical or gas trade permit (City of Baton Rouge).

Hillsborough County’s $475 residential pool permit is a miscellaneous permit that covers one or more trades with plan review (Hillsborough County). Mesa describes its $330 residential pool fee as all inclusive (City of Mesa). Montgomery County, Maryland says electrical, mechanical, right-of-way, well and septic or fire permits are often needed in addition (Montgomery County DPS).

Recorded pool permit fees in open data compared with the schedules

Two cities publish the fee charged on each permit. In New Orleans the recorded fee matches the published formula exactly on two thirds of 2025 pool permits. In Raleigh the recorded fee is flat, even though the published guide lists no residential pool fee.

New Orleans recorded a median total fee of $546 on 154 new residential pool permits issued in 2025, with a middle half of $457.50 to $687 (City of New Orleans open data). The schedule formula at the 2025 median declared value of $76,000 gives $516, so the recorded median sits 5.8% higher.

103 of those 154 New Orleans permits (66.9%) recorded a fee exactly equal to $60 plus $6 per $1,000 of declared value, and all 154 were at or above it (City of New Orleans open data). Exact matches rose from 17.8% of 2021 permits to 52.8% of 2022 permits, which suggests the current rates took effect around 2022.

Raleigh’s recorded pool permit fee does not move with value. 34 of 36 permits issued from July to September 2026 (94.4%) show $401, while the 2025 median declared value in Raleigh was $150,000 (City of Raleigh open data; PC&S permit-value analysis). $401 is 0.27% of $150,000. The FY27 guide lists only a commercial pool fee, $534 (City of Raleigh).

Pool permit fee changes since 2024

Fee schedules move every fiscal year in many places, and the largest change in the ledger is in Miami-Dade County. Other jurisdictions have not changed their pool line in years.

Miami-Dade County’s residential pool installation fee was $135.96 under the order effective October 1, 2024 (archived IO 4-63) and is $656.64 under the order effective October 1, 2026 (IO 4-63), a 383% increase. With surcharges and the up-front fee, the illustrative core fee rose from $174.56 to $789.00, up 352%.

Miami-Dade’s up-front permit support fee rose from $25.00 to $66.69 over the same period, and the residential pool electrical fee from $85.88 to $148.68 (IO 4-63). When its new schedule took effect on October 1, 2025, the county said it was the first increase in more than 17 years (Miami-Dade RER).

San Diego’s General Plan Maintenance Fee rose from $528.00 in the IB-501 version in effect through June 30, 2024 (archived IB-501) to $737.00 in 2026, up 39.6% (City of San Diego). The city lists 12 archived versions of IB-501, the oldest ending June 30, 2024.

Some pool lines have not moved. Tampa’s schedule dates from October 1, 2018 with a May 31, 2020 update (City of Tampa), Orlando’s from January 2023 (City of Orlando) and Hillsborough County’s from October 5, 2024 (Hillsborough County).

How much is a pool permit in Florida?

Six Florida jurisdictions are in the ledger, and their illustrative fees run from about $314 to $789 for a $68,000 pool. Every Florida building permit also carries state surcharges set by statute.

Miami-Dade County (unincorporated) was highest among the Florida jurisdictions at $789.00 in 2026, followed by Tampa at $733.90, Hillsborough County at $475.00 and Orlando at $391.59 (Miami-Dade; Tampa; Hillsborough; Orlando).

Cape Coral came to $314.68 and Orange County to $314.38 (Cape Coral; Orange County). Cape Coral recorded a 2025 median declared pool value of $60,000 (PC&S permit-value analysis), and its flat fee is the same at any value.

Florida law sets a 1% surcharge under the Building Construction Standards law, administered by the Department of Business and Professional Regulation, and a 1.5% surcharge under the Building Code Administrators and Inspectors law, a combined 2.5% of permit fees with a $2 minimum each (quoted in Miami-Dade IO 4-63).

Jurisdictions reviewed but left out of the pool permit ledger

Twelve more jurisdictions were reviewed. They were left out where the fee could not be computed from an official schedule without guessing, including Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Dallas and Houston.

Los Angeles is shown only as a partial floor: its 2018 permit table gives $569 at $68,000 and plan check at 90% adds $512.10, a $1,081.10 floor before LADBS surcharges that could not be opened (City of Los Angeles Housing Element Appendix 2.4).

Houston was excluded because only the Health Department’s $94.00 residential pool plan review fee was located (City of Houston fee schedule). Dallas was excluded because the multiplier printed for $60,001 to $200,000 does not join the adjacent tiers (City of Dallas).

Pool permits also take time to issue. Processing times by city are in the pool permit processing time report, and the permit process itself is explained on the pool permits page.

City results

1. Phoenix: the illustrative fee for a $68,000 pool is $1,587.00 in 2026: a $865 valuation-based permit fee, $692 plan review at 80% of the permit fee and a $30 aquatics surcharge (City of Phoenix, effective January 20, 2026).
2. Fort Worth: a $68,000 pool costs $1,169.83 to permit under Ordinance 26-28781, effective October 1, 2026 (City of Fort Worth).
3. San Diego: plan check ($2,649.60), inspection ($529.71) and the General Plan Maintenance Fee ($737.00) make the 2026 pool permit $3,940.31 (City of San Diego IB-501).
4. Nashville-Davidson: $5.00 per $1,000 of valuation plus a 10% codes tech fee and a $25 zoning fee gives $399.00 at $68,000 and $602.50 at the 2025 city median of $105,000 (Metro Nashville Codes).
5. New Orleans: $60 plus $5 per $1,000 and $1 per $1,000 for plan review gives $468.00 at $68,000 in 2026 (City of New Orleans).
6. Orlando: a $68,000 pool permit costs $391.59, including 10.5% in surcharges on the permit fee, under the schedule effective January 2023 (City of Orlando).
7. Tampa charges $716 for a residential in-ground pool plus the 2.5% Florida surcharge, $733.90, on a schedule effective October 1, 2018 and updated May 31, 2020 (City of Tampa).
8. Hillsborough County (unincorporated) charges a flat $475.00 for a residential pool or spa permit, including plan review, trades and a $50 application fee, effective October 5, 2024 (Hillsborough County).
9. San Antonio charges a $414 flat residential swimming pool fee plus two 4% surcharges, $447.12, in its FY 2027 schedule (City of San Antonio).
10. Mesa charges $330 for a residential pool, described as all inclusive, plus a 4% technology fee, $343.20, in its July 2026 schedule (City of Mesa).
11. Montgomery County, Maryland: the in-ground pool fee is $360.68 plus a filing fee of at least $329.59, $690.27, effective July 1, 2026 (Montgomery County DPS).
12. New Orleans: 103 of 154 new residential pool permits issued in 2025 recorded a total fee exactly equal to the published formula (City of New Orleans open data).
13. Raleigh: 34 of 36 residential pool permits issued from July to September 2026 recorded the same $401 fee, whatever the declared value (City of Raleigh open data).
14. Miami-Dade County’s separate electrical ($148.68) and plumbing piping ($99.13) permits for a residential pool add $247.81 in 2026 (IO 4-63).

Calculations behind the ledger

Download the calculation sheet (CSV)

Questions and answers

Quick answers

Rate schedules in effect

• 2026-10Austin’s FY 2026-27 residential fee schedule took effect October 1, 2026 (City of Austin); Fort Worth’s Ordinance 26-28781 also took effect October 1, 2026 (City of Fort Worth).
• 2026-10Miami-Dade County’s Implementing Order 4-63, effective October 1, 2026, sets the residential pool installation fee at $656.64 (Miami-Dade County).
• 2026-10Orange County, Florida’s FY 2026-2027 Fee Directory took effect in October 2026 (Orange County).
• 2026-09San Antonio published its FY 2027 Development Fee Schedule, revised September 2026, with a $414 residential swimming pool fee (City of San Antonio).
• 2026-08San Diego issued a new version of IB-501; the previous version was in effect through August 6, 2026 (City of San Diego).
• 2026-07Montgomery County, Maryland (FY27), Scottsdale (Resolution No. 13661) and Mesa updated pool permit fees in July 2026 (Montgomery County; Scottsdale; Mesa).
• 2026-07Raleigh’s FY2027 permits show a $401 recorded pool permit fee, up from $392 in FY2026 (City of Raleigh open data).
• 2026-01Phoenix’s PDD fee schedule took effect January 20, 2026, and Cape Coral’s took effect January 1, 2026 (Phoenix; Cape Coral).

Source quality

Tier 1: primary and government sources (31)

• City of Phoenix: City of Phoenix PDD Fee Schedule (Ordinance G-7465)
• City of Fort Worth: Ordinance 26-28781, development fee schedule
• Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County: Codes Fee Schedule
• City of New Orleans Department of Safety & Permits: Building Permit Fee Schedule
• City of New Orleans: Swimming Pool Permit service page
• City of Orlando: Fees: Residential Development (1 or 2 units)
• Orange County Government, Florida: Fee Directory FY 2026-2027
• City of Scottsdale: Planning and Development fees page with FY26-27 permit and plan review fee schedules (Miscellaneous)
• City of San Diego: Information Bulletin 501: Fee Schedule for Construction Permits, Structures
• City of San Diego: IB-501, version in effect through June 30, 2024
• City of San Antonio: FY 2027 Development Fee Schedule
• City of Austin: Residential Building Plan Review & Inspection Permit Fees
• Miami-Dade County: Implementing Order 4-63 (effective October 1, 2026)
• Miami-Dade County via Internet Archive: Implementing Order 4-63 (effective October 1, 2024), archived
• Miami-Dade County RER: Building permit fees to increase Oct. 1 (news release)
• Miami-Dade County RER: Swimming Pool Permits
• Hillsborough County: Building Permit Fee Schedule
• City of Tampa: Miscellaneous Projects Permit Fee Schedule
• City of Cape Coral: Miscellaneous Permit Fee Schedule
• City of Mesa: Schedule of Fees and Charges: Development Services
• City of Baton Rouge / Parish of East Baton Rouge: Permit & Inspection Fees
• Montgomery County Department of Permitting Services: Residential Building Fees FY27
• Montgomery County Department of Permitting Services: Residential Swimming Pool permit page
• City of Chandler: City of Chandler Fee Schedule, Building Safety
• City of New Orleans: Permits (rcm3-fn58), open data
• City of Raleigh: Building Permits, open data
• City of Raleigh: Development Fee Guide FY27
• City of Los Angeles: Housing Element Appendix 2.4: Summary of Case Filing and Building Permitting Fees
• City of Houston: City-Wide Fee Schedule
• City of Dallas: Permit Fee Schedule
• City of Mesa: Building Permits (dzpk-hxfb), open data

Tier 2: trade bodies, public companies, market research (1)

• Pool Construction & Service (PC&S Research Desk): Average cost to build a pool: 2025 permit values

Rate schedules and sources

1. City of Phoenix. City of Phoenix PDD Fee Schedule (Ordinance G-7465). Accessed 2026-10-07.
2. City of Fort Worth. Ordinance 26-28781, development fee schedule. Accessed 2026-10-07.
3. Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County. Codes Fee Schedule. Accessed 2026-10-07.
4. City of New Orleans Department of Safety & Permits. Building Permit Fee Schedule. Accessed 2026-10-07.
5. City of New Orleans. Swimming Pool Permit service page. Accessed 2026-10-07.
6. City of Orlando. Fees: Residential Development (1 or 2 units). Accessed 2026-10-07.
7. Orange County Government, Florida. Fee Directory FY 2026-2027. Accessed 2026-10-07.
8. City of Scottsdale. Planning and Development fees page with FY26-27 permit and plan review fee schedules (Miscellaneous). Accessed 2026-10-07.
9. City of San Diego. Information Bulletin 501: Fee Schedule for Construction Permits, Structures. Accessed 2026-10-07.
10. City of San Diego. IB-501, version in effect through June 30, 2024. Accessed 2026-10-07.
11. City of San Antonio. FY 2027 Development Fee Schedule. Accessed 2026-10-07.
12. City of Austin. Residential Building Plan Review & Inspection Permit Fees. Accessed 2026-10-07.
13. Miami-Dade County. Implementing Order 4-63 (effective October 1, 2026). Accessed 2026-10-07.
14. Miami-Dade County via Internet Archive. Implementing Order 4-63 (effective October 1, 2024), archived. Accessed 2026-10-07.
15. Miami-Dade County RER. Building permit fees to increase Oct. 1 (news release). Accessed 2026-10-07.
16. Miami-Dade County RER. Swimming Pool Permits. Accessed 2026-10-07.
17. Hillsborough County. Building Permit Fee Schedule. Accessed 2026-10-07.
18. City of Tampa. Miscellaneous Projects Permit Fee Schedule. Accessed 2026-10-07.
19. City of Cape Coral. Miscellaneous Permit Fee Schedule. Accessed 2026-10-07.
20. City of Mesa. Schedule of Fees and Charges: Development Services. Accessed 2026-10-07.
21. City of Baton Rouge / Parish of East Baton Rouge. Permit & Inspection Fees. Accessed 2026-10-07.
22. Montgomery County Department of Permitting Services. Residential Building Fees FY27. Accessed 2026-10-07.
23. Montgomery County Department of Permitting Services. Residential Swimming Pool permit page. Accessed 2026-10-07.
24. City of Chandler. City of Chandler Fee Schedule, Building Safety. Accessed 2026-10-07.
25. City of New Orleans. Permits (rcm3-fn58), open data. Accessed 2026-10-07.
26. City of Raleigh. Building Permits, open data. Accessed 2026-10-07.
27. City of Raleigh. Development Fee Guide FY27. Accessed 2026-10-07.
28. City of Los Angeles. Housing Element Appendix 2.4: Summary of Case Filing and Building Permitting Fees. Accessed 2026-10-07.
29. City of Houston. City-Wide Fee Schedule. Accessed 2026-10-07.
30. City of Dallas. Permit Fee Schedule. Accessed 2026-10-07.
31. City of Mesa. Building Permits (dzpk-hxfb), open data. Accessed 2026-10-07.
32. Pool Construction & Service (PC&S Research Desk). Average cost to build a pool: 2025 permit values. Accessed 2026-10-07.