For the first time in more than a decade, Hampton officials are weighing increases to a wide range of municipal fees, including those tied to building, health and fire inspections, field and room rentals, and rental property certificates of occupancy.
Select Board members say the fees are intended to recover the town’s labor and equipment costs for inspections that protect public safety. Town Manager Jamie Sullivan noted Hampton has not updated its fee schedule since 2014, even as costs have risen significantly.
At their April 27 meeting, the board approved a draft schedule of updated fees and set the stage for a public hearing expected in May. A full list of proposed changes will be posted on the town’s website ahead of the hearing, Sullivan said.
Under the proposal, most inspection and rental fees would increase, while two outdated charges — inspections for pool tables and other amusement devices — would be eliminated. Sullivan said those inspections may have made sense decades ago but are no longer necessary.
How much could home inspections and rental fees rise?
For new single‑ and two‑family homes, the current building inspection fee of $75 plus $5 per $1,000 of construction value would rise to $100 plus $8 per $1,000. For commercial projects with three or more units, such as condominiums, the fee would increase from $100 plus $5 per $1,000 to $150 plus $10 per $1,000.
Other building‑related inspections — including septic, electrical, plumbing and private well drilling — would increase from $35 to $60. Demolition permits would increase from $50 to $100.
Health inspections for day care centers, assisted‑living facilities, youth homes, foster care, and beauty, barber and nail salons would also rise from $35 to $60.
Rental certificates of occupancy would also cost more under a tiered system: $50 for one to three units, $100 for four to 49 units, and $150 for 50 or more units — all up from the current $35 fee.
More fee increases: From field rentals to fire inspections
Rental fees for town‑owned properties would also increase, particularly for groups based outside Hampton.
Under the proposal, the hourly rate to rent a single town field for non‑Hampton users would rise from $25 to $40, while the daily rate for tournaments or camp and clinic use would increase from $250 to $280.
The permit fee to use town property (other than fields, parks and beach properties) would be $40 per hour or $280 per day.
To use the Tuck Building, Hampton nonprofits would be charged $40 while non-Hampton-based nonprofits, private individuals, companies and organizations would be charged $280.
The surety fee for excavation work — previously called a performance bond — would increase from $600 to $1,000, plus $3.50 per square foot based on the width and length of the excavation.
Fire Department inspection fees would also see adjustments. The fee for inspecting a new fire alarm system would rise to $200 plus 5 cents per square foot, and the annual maintenance fee for alarm boxes and sprinklers would increase to $125 plus the same square‑foot charge.
A complete breakdown of proposed changes will be available at hamptonnh.gov.
This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald. Reporting by Angeljean Chiaramida.
