Is it typical to include these as an item in your bid?

Permitting fees always have to be a part of your total charges, the quesiton I guess is do you give it a line item. I don't usually give itemized bills, so I just add it in most of the time. But if you break down your items, then I would think a line item for permits would be fine.

Take it one step farther. How about lost time getting the permit? Do you add the time spent getting, filling out etc for the permits?

I charge for the permit fee. i do not charge for time spent filling out and filing permits.

If I get the permit during a t&m job the time is billed to the job. If I get it for a bid job I add an hours labor to the cost. My time is money!

T&M jobs, the "time" is billable as "service charges". The fee is billed at cost, with a copy of the documents attached to the invoice. Contract/Bid jobs, I add a guesstamate "time" amount, along with the fees, at cost.

Hey Harold, you know how long it takes to get a permit here, don't you!!!!

John

I always include permit costs and the time to get them. They are part of the job.
Some of the cities are a lot more costly than others.
Permits, taxes and other costs should be included in your bid or shown as a line item in T&M billing. You have to pay them for you to do the job you contracted for, so you should be paid for your time and costs.

BTW
How many of you have to charge sales tax?
Recently (1 OCT ) nebraska raised it sales tax rate and now wants certan contractors to charge sales tax on materials AND Labor.

sales tax?, i think it's done @ my 1/4ly's..

No sales tax on services here in Massachusetts. If the dems get the governors office today we go back to "Taxachusetts".

6% Sales tax on materials and non-capital-improvement labor.

I don't charge for anything except actual on-site working labor. Everthing else is overhead. If I did, I'd price myself right out of the biz!

Had over $1000 worth of "non-productive labor" on the "big job" which is the main reason why my "partnership" with Joe is now a "pseudo-partnership".

I can't afford to pay someone $30 an hour an 20% MU on materials to stand there and argue with me!

I pull all my permits online. Type in my HMEL #, a password, and start typing. Pay for it with a credit card. I know what the fee is before I push the "finish" button, and the city faxes me the permit. You have to include it in the bid. The way you invoice it is up to you. If the customer asks for a "break down", just be prepared to show them the price of the permit along with proof of that price.

Permit me to say goodbye, please,
Doc