Section 109 of the IBC is amended as follows:

109.1 Payment of fees. A permit shall not be valid until the fees adopted by the City in a resolution for this purpose have been paid. Nor shall an amendment to a permit be released until the additional fee, if any, has been paid.

109.2 Schedule of permit fees. On buildings, structures, gas, mechanical, and plumbing systems or alterations requiring a permit, a fee for each permit shall be paid as required in accordance with the resolution adopted by the City for this purpose under Chapter 3.40 GHMC.

109.3 Building permit valuations. The applicant for a permit shall provide an estimated permit value at the time of application. Permit valuations shall include the total value of work, including materials, labor, normal site preparation, architectural and design fees, overhead and profit, for which the permit is being issued, including such work as gas, mechanical, plumbing, equipment and permanent systems. If, in the opinion of the director of building and fire safety the valuation is underestimated on the application, the valuation shall be recalculated based on the valuation as determined using the square foot construction costs adopted by the City as Table 1-2 in the fee resolution, unless the applicant can show detailed estimates to meet the approval of the director. Final building permit valuation shall be set by the director.

109.4 Work commencing before permit issuance. Any person who commences work on a building, structure, gas, mechanical, or plumbing system before obtaining the necessary permits shall be subject to an investigation fee established by City resolution that shall be in addition to the required permit fees.

109.5 Related fees. The payment of a fee for the construction, alteration, removal or demolition of work done in connection to or concurrently with the work authorized by a building permit shall not relieve the applicant or holder of the permit from the payment of other fees that are prescribed by law.

109.6 Refunds. The director may authorize refunding of any fee paid hereunder which was erroneously paid or collected. The director may also authorize refunding of not more than 80 percent of the permit fee paid when no work has been done under a permit issued in accordance with this code.

The director may authorize refunding of not more than 80 percent of the plan review fee paid when an application for a permit for which a plan review fee has been paid is withdrawn or cancelled before any plan reviewing is done.

The director shall not authorize refunding of any fee paid except on written application filed by the original permittee not later than 180 days after the date of fee payment.

109.7 Incident management and investigation fee. A fee as prescribed under the City’s fee schedule shall be charged for management and investigation of emergency incidents involving structural damage, fires, or other pubic health and safety threats. The fee shall be payable by the property owner upon receipt of an invoice from the City for such services.