Some of the town’s inspection fees will increase on Oct. 1, following a vote by the Select Board on Aug. 9. 

The new fee schedule, released Aug. 11, is attached to this story.

Head of Inspectional Services Paul Turner conducted a review of the town’s fees, consulted with the workers who conduct inspections and reviewed the rates in surrounding towns. 

“I’m not sure when the fees were last adjusted or reviewed here in Wareham,” he said. 

Turner noted that some of the town’s existing fees were higher than other towns, while others were lower. 

The new rates are “reasonable and fair and in the best interest of the town,” he said.

One change is an increase in the fee for determining whether or not a lot is buildable.

Turner said that such a determination — which costs $53 under the current schedule — can take him up to seven hours of work, with an average time of about three hours. 

At first, he considered charging $300 to ensure only those who are truly serious put in a request. He then decided to charge a $150 verification fee for the review of determinations made by an attorney. 

Select Board member Tricia Wurts said she was concerned about the effect of the increased fees on the town’s middle and lower income residents, and that the fees might discourage them from undertaking necessary work on their homes, especially as the fees are higher than in surrounding towns.

Turner pointed out that fees for smaller projects, like adding a shed, are lower. Many fees are pegged to the estimated cost of the project. 

Town Administrator Derek Sullivan seconded Turner’s point and added that towns with larger tax bases can afford to set lower fees.

“The comparison is sometimes not just apples to apples, it’s apples to oranges,” Sullivan said. “Other communities have the ability to just keep their fees the same for 20 years because ‘we just got an override’ or something.”