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Commercial Building Permit (Building, Electrical, Plumbing & Mechanical Permit) in Wells, Nevada

The City of Wells has no application dedicated to commercial work — commercial construction, additions, remodels, and tenant build-outs are filed on the same universal Building, Electrical, Plumbing & Mechanical Permit application used for every occupancy (see building-permit), which itself lists 'Commercial' as one of three project-type checkboxes alongside Residential and Manufactured Home. What is genuinely commercial-specific: the City's adopted technical code is the 2012 International Building Code (City Code of Wells, Title 4, Chapter 1, Section 4-1-1(A)(1)), the same section that adopts the 2012 International Existing Building Code governing alterations and changes of occupancy in existing buildings; and City Council Resolution No. 19-04 prices Mechanical, Plumbing, and Electrical work done under a 'Commercial occupancy and construction type' classification by a per-square-foot valuation that varies by 2009 IBC occupancy group (Table 7), rather than the flat per-fixture or per-unit charges used for one- and two-family residential work in those same fee tables. The Building Permit Fee itself and its Plan Review Fee (65% of the Building Permit Fee) are billed off one citywide valuation table with no separate, higher commercial rate — unlike some Nevada cities, Wells does not publish a commercial-specific plan-review percentage.

Verified 2026-08-26 · Source

When you need this permit

  • Completed universal Building, Electrical, Plumbing & Mechanical Permit application with 'Commercial' selected as the Permit Type, and Building and/or Electrical/Mechanical/Plumbing selected as applicable to the scope
  • Assessor's Parcel Number, job site address, and Value of Project Work
  • Contractor (with Nevada contractor license number) and, where applicable, Electrical/Mechanical/Plumbing sub-contractor license numbers Contractor
  • Engineer of Record and/or Architect of Record license numbers, where applicable to the project
  • Construction Type, Occupancy Type, Number of Stories, Occupant Load, and Elevator Flag (office-use fields the Building Department completes to classify the project against the adopted 2012 IBC and against Resolution No. 19-04's occupancy-group valuation tables)
  • Applicable special approvals identified: Nevada State Fire Marshal, Nevada State Health, Fire Sprinklers, Engineering, Addressing, and/or Contract Plan Review, as determined by the Building Department
  • Work must conform to the adopted 2012 International Building Code and, for alterations or a change of occupancy in an existing structure, the adopted 2012 International Existing Building Code
  • A Certificate of Occupancy — the City's own Zoning Code (Title 10, Section 10-2-2) defines this as the Building Department's confirmation that a newly constructed or altered building is complete and safe for occupancy — is the step that actually clears a commercial tenant to open; see occupancy-permit for how it attaches to this same permit

Required documents

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Fee schedule

Building Permit Fee (valuation-based, citywide table)City of Wells Resolution No. 19-04, Table 1 'Fees Valuation Table' — the same valuation table applies to commercial, residential, and manufactured-home work; no separate, higher commercial tier is published
Minimum charge $43.50 ($20.00 Processing Fee + $23.50 Permit Fee) for valuations of $1-$500, rising per the Table 1 schedule (e.g. $391.25 at $25,000 valuation, $993.75 at $100,000 valuation) to $5,608.75 for the first $1,000,000 plus $3.65 per additional $1,000 above that
Plan Review FeeCity of Wells Resolution No. 19-04, Table 1 footnote ('Fee (Plan Review Fee = 65% of this fee)') and the resolution's expanded Building Permit Fees and Plan Review Fees table — applies uniformly, not at a distinct commercial percentage
65% of the Building Permit Fee (e.g. $15.28 on the $23.50 minimum permit fee, $254.31 at a $25,000 valuation), per Resolution 19-04's own expanded 'Building Permit Fees and Plan Review Fees' schedule
Commercial construction valuation (Square Foot Construction Cost)City of Wells Resolution No. 19-04, Table 6 'Square Foot Construction Cost'
A per-square-foot base valuation set by 2009 IBC occupancy group and construction type — for example $147.57/sq ft for Group B Business, Type 2A construction, or $115.80/sq ft for Group M Mercantile, Type 1A — which is then run through the Building Permit Fee table above to set the fee
Mechanical Permit Processing Fee — Commercial occupancy and construction typeCity of Wells Resolution No. 19-04, Table 3 'Mechanical Permit Fees', item 3 ('Commercial occupancy and construction type, per square foot' — 'Table 7'), rate schedule in Table 7 'MPE Square Foot Valuation'
$20.00 processing fee, plus a per-square-foot mechanical charge that varies by 2009 IBC occupancy group (e.g. 0.02 for Group B Business, 0.01 for Group M Mercantile)
Plumbing Permit Processing Fee — Commercial occupancy and construction typeCity of Wells Resolution No. 19-04, Table 4 'Plumbing Permit Fees', item 3 ('Commercial occupancy and construction type, per square foot' — 'Table 7'), rate schedule in Table 7 'MPE Square Foot Valuation'
$20.00 processing fee, plus a per-square-foot plumbing charge that varies by 2009 IBC occupancy group (e.g. 0.02 for Group B Business, 0.01 for Group M Mercantile)
Electrical Permit Processing Fee — Commercial occupancy and construction typeCity of Wells Resolution No. 19-04, Table 5 'Electrical Permit Fees', item 3 ('Commercial occupancy and construction type, per square foot' — 'See Table 7'), rate schedule in Table 7 'MPE Square Foot Valuation'
$20.00 processing fee, plus a per-square-foot electrical charge that varies by 2009 IBC occupancy group (e.g. 0.04 for Group B Business, 0.02 for Group M Mercantile)

Review timeline

Plan review
Not published — contact the department

How long did your Commercial Building Permit (Building, Electrical, Plumbing & Mechanical Permit) permit actually take in Wells?

Anonymous — one question, no email. Answers are combined and only shown once at least 5 people have reported.

Inspection process

    Tips

    • There is no separate commercial application at the City of Wells — file the same universal Building, Electrical, Plumbing & Mechanical Permit application used for every project type, selecting 'Commercial' as the Permit Type.
    • Wells charges the same Building Permit Fee valuation table and the same 65% Plan Review Fee to commercial, residential, and manufactured-home work — it does not publish a higher commercial plan-review percentage the way some other cities do.
    • Commercial mechanical, plumbing, and electrical work is priced differently from residential work within Resolution No. 19-04: a 'Commercial occupancy and construction type' line in each of Tables 3, 4, and 5 bills per square foot at a rate set by 2009 IBC occupancy group (Table 7), rather than the flat per-fixture or per-unit charges used for one- and two-family homes.
    • The permit application lists 'Contract Plan Review' as one of several possible 'Special Approvals Required' checkboxes, meaning the Building Department can refer a project's plan review to an outside reviewer at its discretion — but no contracted reviewer, firm, or fee is named anywhere the City publishes, and nothing indicates Elko County's Building and Safety Department performs this role for Wells; confirm directly with the Building Department whether a given commercial project will be referred out.
    • Fire review for a commercial project runs through the same channels documented under fire-sprinkler-alarm-permit — the Nevada State Fire Marshal checkbox and/or the City's own Bureau of Fire Prevention under Title 5, Chapter 3 — rather than through a distinct commercial fire-plan-review product or fee.
    • A commercial building permit is not the same thing as clearance to open: see occupancy-permit for the Certificate of Occupancy step that the City's Zoning Code (10-2-2) defines as proof a building is complete and safe for use.

    Frequently asked questions

    Wells requires a commercial building permit (building, electrical, plumbing & mechanical permit) for: Completed universal Building, Electrical, Plumbing & Mechanical Permit application with 'Commercial' selected as the Permit Type, and Building and/or Electrical/Mechanical/Plumbing selected as applicable to the scope; Assessor's Parcel Number, job site address, and Value of Project Work; Contractor (with Nevada contractor license number) and, where applicable, Electrical/Mechanical/Plumbing sub-contractor license numbers; Engineer of Record and/or Architect of Record license numbers, where applicable to the project; Construction Type, Occupancy Type, Number of Stories, Occupant Load, and Elevator Flag (office-use fields the Building Department completes to classify the project against the adopted 2012 IBC and against Resolution No. 19-04's occupancy-group valuation tables); Applicable special approvals identified: Nevada State Fire Marshal, Nevada State Health, Fire Sprinklers, Engineering, Addressing, and/or Contract Plan Review, as determined by the Building Department; Work must conform to the adopted 2012 International Building Code and, for alterations or a change of occupancy in an existing structure, the adopted 2012 International Existing Building Code; A Certificate of Occupancy — the City's own Zoning Code (Title 10, Section 10-2-2) defines this as the Building Department's confirmation that a newly constructed or altered building is complete and safe for occupancy — is the step that actually clears a commercial tenant to open; see occupancy-permit for how it attaches to this same permit. If your project isn't listed, confirm with City of Wells Building Department at (775) 752-3355 before starting work.

    Commercial work is billed on the same citywide valuation table as residential work (Resolution No. 19-04, Table 1): a $43.50 minimum permit charge, rising with valuation, plus a Plan Review Fee of 65% of the Building Permit Fee. Commercial mechanical, plumbing, and electrical work is additionally billed per square foot at a rate that varies by 2009 IBC occupancy group (Table 7), unlike the flat fees used for one- and two-family residential work in those same tables.

    Wells does not publish a plan-review timeline for this permit. Contact City of Wells Building Department at (775) 752-3355 for current turnaround.

    You'll need: Building, Electrical, Plumbing & Mechanical Permit Application. See the required-documents checklist on this page for details on each.

    Apply through City of Wells Building Department at 525 Sixth Street, P.O. Box 366, Wells, NV 89835. Phone: (775) 752-3355, email: building@cityofwellsnv.com. Office hours: Not published online. Building Department fax: (775) 752-3419. City Manager's office (general city contact) also reachable at (775) 752-3355. Source: City of Wells Building, Electrical, Plumbing & Mechanical Permit application form (PDF).. Official information: https://cityofwellsnv.com/.

    The City has adopted the 2012 International Building Code, per City Code of Wells, Title 4, Chapter 1, Section 4-1-1(A)(1). The same section adopts the 2012 International Existing Building Code, which governs alterations, repairs, and changes of occupancy in existing commercial buildings.

    No. Commercial construction, additions, remodels, and tenant build-outs are filed on the same universal Building, Electrical, Plumbing & Mechanical Permit application used for residential and manufactured-home work, selecting 'Commercial' as the Permit Type. The application form itself lists Commercial as one of three project-type options.

    Not as far as the City publishes. The permit application flags 'Contract Plan Review' as a possible special approval, meaning the Building Department can refer a project out at its discretion, but no contracted firm or fee is named anywhere on the City's website, in Resolution No. 19-04, or on the application. Nothing found indicates Elko County's Building and Safety Department performs this role for Wells; confirm directly with the Building Department, (775) 752-3355, for a specific project.

    Sources & verification

    Verified against official sources. Last reviewed 2026-08-26.

    Fee schedules

    Applications & forms

    Codes & ordinances

    Department & other records

    Fees, timelines, and adopted codes are researched from each jurisdiction's published records — see how we verify. Requirements change and vary by project, so always confirm the current details with the Wells building department before you submit. PermitBase is an independent reference and is not affiliated with any government agency.

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