Depending on the type of work being done and whether it’s a commercial or residential structure, permit fees in Sugar Land can range from $80 to into the $1,000s, Communications Director Doug Adolph said in an email.
The details
Sugar Land City Council approved waiving permit fees at a July 16 council meeting. Missouri City also waived its permit fees beginning July 13, according to a July 14 post on the city’s Facebook page.
In addition, Sugar Land City Council voted to authorize city staff to refund up to all of permit fees paid July 10-16 for storm-related repairs.
Quote of note
City officials said they hope this will reduce some financial burden from community members, according to a July 17 news release from the city.
"Sugar Land has a history of providing relief to residents and businesses following severe weather events," said Joshua Doyle, Sugar Land chief building official, in the release. "In the aftermath of Hurricane Beryl, we are taking immediate action to support our community in rebuilding and recovering."
The big picture
Beryl moved through the Houston area July 8, bringing wind- and rain-related damages citywide, officials said. Accuweather, a private media forecasting company, estimated Beryl caused $28 billion-$32 billion in economic losses or damages nationwide, Community Impact reported.
What to know
To get permit fees waived in Sugar Land, individuals should still apply as usual through the city’s Citizen Self Service system, indicating on the application the repairs are due to hurricane damage, according to the city’s website.
“We are using our permitting technology to track any permits where the contractors state that the work was caused by the storm,” Adolph said. “This will allow us to get an idea of the cost of repairs throughout the city and pinpoint the type of damage that was sustained. We could then utilize this information for future code adoptions where maybe a new code standard could prevent potential damage.”
Next steps
Sugar Land is waiving its permit fees through Oct. 1, according to the release. Community Impact reached out to Missouri City officials for information on how long the city will waive its permit fees, but a response wasn't returned as of press time.
Information on Sugar Land and Missouri City’s permit processes can be found on their respective websites.
