FAQs

Orange County Environmental Protection Division is proposing updates to certain non-wetland natural resource permitting fees. The affected permit types include:

• Lakeshore Protection
• Boat Dock Construction
• Boat Ramp Construction
• Shoreline Alteration, including hardening
• Shoreline Alteration, including dredging

Wetland impact permit application fees were reviewed and updated separately in 2024 as part of the County’s Wetland Code update.

The affected fees have not been reviewed or updated since 2007. Current fees no longer reflect the County’s cost to provide permit review, inspections, coordination, public hearings and compliance services.

The proposed fee update is intended to better align fees with the actual cost of providing these services.

The proposed fees are based on a cost-of-service analysis. The study used real permit case studies and staff input across all review levels. Staff hours for each permit type were quantified to determine the estimated cost of processing each permit.

The analysis considered the staff time and services required to process each permit type, including:

• Application review
• Site inspections
• Staff coordination
• Public hearings, when applicable
• Compliance monitoring

Current fees for the affected permit types range from $119 to $182, depending on the permit type. If approved, fees would range from $1,308 to $4,910, depending on permit type

Because the fees have not been updated since 2007, the current amounts no longer reflect the staff time and resources needed to provide these services.

If approved, the updated fees would go into effect October 1.

Natural resource permitting helps protect Orange County’s lakes, shorelines and other environmental resources. Adequate staffing and cost recovery support timely permit review, compliance monitoring and enforcement.

The proposed fee update is intended to strengthen the County’s ability to provide permitting and compliance services that support environmental protection.

Peer counties charge a wide range of fees, from nominal amounts to several thousand dollars depending on project scope. Orange County’s proposed fees fall within this range and reflect the County’s more rigorous environmental review process.