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410-548-4994 410-860-2032 Fax |
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Department of Public Works |
MEMO
To: All Contractors, Architects, Engineers and
other interested parties
From: Edward L. Torbert, Chief Fire
Protection Specialist
CC: file
Date: June 29, 2005
Re: Plan review and inspection fees notice
The
purpose of this memo is to advise you the Wicomico County Council has adopted
an updated plan review and inspection fee schedule for this office effective
July 1, 2005. This update brings our fee
schedule in close comparison with fee schedules now in use by the State and
other neighboring local fire authorities having jurisdiction.
Please review the schedule for those fees of interest to you and your company. The new fees will be applicable to all new plans received and inspections performed after June 30, 2005.
It
is not the intent of this office to cause a burden on anyone during the
initiation of the new fees and we recognize many of you have quoted prices to
your clients based on the current fee schedule, therefore, this office will not
apply the new fees to any project plans received after June 30 if the project
is “preserved” in the old fee schedule.
In order to “preserve” a project for use with the old fees, you must
request the project be “preserved” in writing by sending a memo requesting the
use of the old fee schedule specifying the project under consideration and
approximate date the plans will be submitted to this office along with a copy
of the signed contract with your client dated prior to July 1, 2005. This request must be postmarked or received
by this office no later than July 7, 2005.
This does not mean the plans must be submitted by July 7, it simply
means that we will preserve the specific project for use with the old fee
schedule when the plans are actually submitted at a reasonable later date.
All
plans submitted must include the plans, the proper fee made payable to “
If
you have any questions, please do not hesitate to send email to me at etorbert@wicomicocounty.org
FIRE SAFETY FEES
Department
of Public Works
Fire Protection
Division
Effective July 1, 2005
(1) Fire
Review Fees:
(A) Plan review and use
& occupancy inspection: For all
multi-family (three family or larger) residential, commercial, industrial, and
institutional construction, whether new or renovation, a fee of 55% of the
building permit fee charged by the issuing building department, but no less
than $75, shall be levied. Not included in this fee is the plan review and
related inspections of specialized fire protection equipment. The fee is payable
upon submittal of the initial plans for review to the Public Works
department. Reinspection fees apply as
per section 1-B-11.
(B) Fire
Protection System Plan Review & Inspection:
(1) Fire Alarm &
Detection Systems: A minimum fee of
$100 per fire alarm system; $75 per fire alarm control panel plus $1.50 per
fire alarm initiating device (i.e. a device which activates any alarm signal
connected to the fire alarm control panel such as a smoke or heat detector,
fire alarm pull station, water flow alarm, valve closure alarm, pump running
alarm, trouble alarm, etc.) plus $1.50 per notification device (including alarm
bells, horns, flashing lights, and other warning or alarm devices which are
activated by the above initiating devices). This fee includes plan review and
inspection of wiring, controls, alarm and detection equipment and related
appurtenances needed to provide a complete system and the witnessing of one
final acceptance test per system of the completed installation. Fee applies
only to systems equipped with a fire alarm control panel. Reinspection fees apply as per section
1-B-11.
(2) Sprinkler, Water
Spray And Combined Sprinkler & Standpipe Systems: Minimum
fee of $100 per system; $1.50 per sprinkler head per NFPA 13 and 13r systems;
$75 per dwelling unit for one and two family dwellings including townhouses and
manufactured homes per NFPA 13d systems. This includes review of shop drawings,
system inspection and witnessing of one hydrostatic test, and one final
acceptance test per floor or system. Flush test of underground fire sprinkler
supply pipe is $75. Hydrostatic test of
underground sprinkler piping is an additional $75. Reinspection fees apply as per section 1-B-11.
(3) Standpipe Systems:
Minimum fee of $75 per system, $50 per 100 lineal
feet of piping or portion thereof. Fee applies to separate standpipe and hose
systems installed in accordance with NFPA 14 standard for the installation of
standpipe and hose systems as incorporated by reference in the state fire
prevention code (combined sprinkler systems and standpipe systems are included
in the fee schedule prescribed for sprinkler systems) and applies to all piping
associated with the standpipe system including connection to a water supply,
piping risers, laterals, fire department connection(s), dry or draft fire
hydrants or suction connections, hose connections, piping joints and
connections, and other related piping and appurtenances; includes plan review
and inspection of all piping, control valves, connections and other related
equipment and appurtenances needed to provide a complete system and the
witnessing of one hydrostatic test, and one final acceptance test of the
completed system. Flush tests and
hydrostatic tests of underground sprinkler system pipe or supply pipe apply as
specified in section B2. Reinspection
fees apply as per section 1-B-11.
(4) Fire Pumps: Minimum
fee of $100 per pump; $0.50 per gpm of rated pump capacity. Fee includes plan
review and inspection of pump and all associated valves, piping, controllers,
driver and other related equipment and appurtenances needed to provide a
complete system and the witnessing of one pump acceptance test of the completed
installation. Limited service pumps for residential sprinkler systems as
permitted for NFPA 13d systems are exempt.
Reinspection fees apply as per section 1-B-11.
(5) Gaseous And Chemical Extinguishing Systems: Minimum fee of $100 per system; $1 per pound of
extinguishing agent (reserve supplies of agent are exempt). Fee applies to
halon, carbon dioxide, dry chemical, wet chemical and other types of fixed
automatic fire suppression systems which use a gas or chemical compound as the
primary extinguishing agent. Fee includes plan review and inspection of all
piping, controls, equipment and other appurtenances needed to provide a
complete system in accordance with referenced NFPA standards and the witnessing
of one performance or acceptance test per system of the completed
installation. Reinspection fees apply as
per section 1-B-11.
(6) Foam Systems: Minimum
fee of $100. per system; $75. per
nozzle or local applicator device and $1.50 per sprinkler head for combined
sprinkler/foam system. Fee applies to fixed extinguishing systems which use a
foaming agent to control or extinguish a fire in a flammable liquid
installation, aircraft hangar and other recognized applications. Fee includes
plan review and inspection of piping, controls, nozzles, equipment and other
related appurtenances needed to provide a complete system and the witnessing of
one hydrostatic test and one final acceptance test of the completed
installation. Flush tests and
hydrostatic tests of underground fire sprinkler piping as per section 1-B-11.
(7) Smoke Control
Systems: Minimum fee of $200 per system of protected or
controlled space; $100 per 30,000 cubic feet of volume or portion thereof of
protected or controlled space. Fee applies to smoke exhaust systems, stair
pressurization systems, smoke control systems and other recognized air handling
systems which are specifically designed to exhaust or control smoke or create
pressure zones to minimize the hazard of smoke spread due to fire. Fee includes
plan review and inspection of system components and the witnessing of one
performance acceptance test of the complete installation. Reinspection fees apply as per section
1-B-11.
(8)
Emergency Generators: Emergency
generators that are part of the fire/life safety system of a building or
structure shall be subject to a fee of $100.
This will include the review of the proposed use of the generator, fuel
supply and witness of one performance evaluation test. Reinspection
fees apply as per section 1-B-11.
(9)
(10)
Flammable & Combustible Liquid Storage Tanks:
$0.005 per gallon of maximum capacity per tank subject to a minimum fee
of $75. This includes review and one inspection
of the tank and associated hardware including dispensing equipment. Exception: tanks used to provide fuel
to heat or other utility service to a building.
Reinspection fees apply as per section 1-B-11.
(11) Reinspection And Retest Fees: If the maximum number of inspections or tests allowed by
this fee schedule are exceeded, a fee of $100 will be charged for the first
re-inspection, $250 for the second re-inspection and $500 for the third and
subsequent re-inspections. The re-inspection fee must be paid before the
re-inspection will be scheduled.
(12) Consultation Fees:
Fees for consultation and technical assistance
shall be charged at the following rates, fire safety inspector - $50 per hour,
fire protection specialist - $65 per hour.
(2) FIRE SAFETY
INSPECTIONS: The following fees are not intended to be applied to
inspections conducted in response to a specific complaint of an alleged fire
code violation by an individual, governmental agency or Wicomico County Public
Works Department. These fees are payable upon receipt of an invoice from the
Public Works department in accordance with established county administrative
procedures. Failure to make payment within the established time shall result in
appropriate action and no further inspection will be conducted. This may result
in denial of the issuance or renewal of a permit or license. All inspections are subject to reinspection
fees in section 2-N
(A) Assembly Occupancies:
[1] Class
A (more than 1,000 persons) $300
[2] Class B (301 to 1,000 persons) $200
[3] Class C (51 to 300 persons) $100
[4] Fairgrounds A: Nine Bldgs or
less $200
B: Ten Bldgs or more $300
[5] Recalculation of Occupant Load $75
[6] Replacement or duplicate Certificate of Occ. $10
(B) Education
Occupancies:
[1] Elementary
school (includes kindergarten & pre-k facilities): $100
[2] Middle, junior, & senior high schools: $150
[3] Family and group day care homes: $ 45
(family day care inspected every 2 yrs)
[4] Nursery or day care centers: $ 65
(C) Health Care Occupancies:
[1] Ambulatory
health care centers: (per 3,000 square feet or portion thereof) $150
[2] Hospitals, nursing homes, limited care facilities, domiciliary care
homes: $100 per bldg plus $2 per patient
bed
(D) Detention & Correctional
Occupancies: $100 per bldg plus $2 per bed.
(E) Residential:
[1] Hotels
and motels: $50 per building plus $2 per guest room
[2] Dormitories: $20 per building
plus $2 per bed.
[3] Apartments: $20 per bldg. plus
$2 per apt.
[4] Lodging or rooming house: $75
[5] One & two family dwellings (including "alternate living
units"): $25
[6] Board & care home: $100 per building plus $2.00 per bed .
(F) Mercantile Occupancies:
[1] Class
A (over 30,000 square feet): $150
[2] Class B (3,000 - 30,000 square feet): $100
[3] Class C (under 3,000 square feet): $50
(G) Business Occupancies: $50 per 3,000
square feet or portion thereof.
(H) Industrial Or
Storage Occupancies: per 5,000 square feet or portion thereof
[1] Low or ordinary hazard: $50
[2] High hazard:
$100
(I) Common Areas Of
Multi-Tenant Occupancies (I.E. Shopping Centers, Highrises, Etc.): $45 per 10,000
square feet or portion thereof.
(J) Manufactured Home Communities &
Campgrounds:
[1] Manufactured
Home Communities: $50.00 per
facility plus $1.00 per site.
[2] Campgrounds:
Vehicular Campgrounds: $50 per facility plus $1per campsite
Non-vehicular Campgrounds:
with sleeping
accommodations $150
without sleeping
accommodations $50
(K) Outside Storage Of Combustible
Materials (Scrap Tires, Tree Stumps, Lumber, Etc.): $100 per acre
(L) Outside Storage Of
Flammable Or Combustible Liquids (Drums, Tanks, Etc.): $100 per 5,000
square feet or portion thereof.
(M) Unclassified Inspections: Inspections not listed herein, $50 per hour.
(N) Reinspection: If more
than one inspection is required to assure that a previously identified fire
code violation is corrected, a $100 fee will be charged for the first
reinspection, $250 for the second reinspection and $500 for the third and
subsequent reinspections will be assessed until the violation is corrected.
(O) Consultation Fees: Fees for
consultation and technical assistance shall be charged at the following rates,
fire safety inspector - $65 per hour, fire protection specialist - $50 per
hour.
(3) METHOD OF PAYMENTS: Cash, Check, or Money Order (credit cards not accepted).
(4) REFUNDS: Projects canceled with no permits issued are eligible for a 50% refund when requested in writing explaining the details relating to the request for refund.
DISCLAIMER: Fees
shown are for Informational purposes only!
For determining the exact fees required, check with the
Wicomico