Building fees face change in North
BY AMY DeMELIA SUN CHRONICLE STAFF
Monday, October 12, 2009 2:19 AM EDT
NORTH ATTLEBORO - Homeowners and contractors preparing to start construction projects will now encounter a new schedule of building fees.
Selectmen voted unanimously Thursday to change the way building fees are assessed.
The board approved a recommendation by Building Commissioner Rod Palmer to base the fees on the square footage of building projects, rather than the estimated cost. As a result, some fees have increased and some have decreased.
"We revised the schedule to make it fair and easy to understand," he said. "You don't need to be an electrician, builder, plumber or contractor to understand them."
Previously, residents who got a better price for a home addition ended up paying a lower building fee than a resident who got a higher estimate, even if the two projects were the same size.
Now, both projects would pay the same building fee: 40 cents per square foot of new habitable space.
Some of the fees have been changed to a flat rate, such as roofing, which is now a flat $100 fee.
Previously, that fee was based on the estimated cost of the project.
Palmer said the fees are in line with those charged in other communities, and in many cases are lower.
