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Holmen plans to pay its building inspector more and will give a hard look at building inspection fees for next year.

Inspector Bud Raymer told members of the village finance and personnel committee Tuesday that his fees have not been changed since he got the contract in 2002, and that, in all likelihood, the fees have not been changed in more than 16 years.

Raymer provides building inspection services for Holmen and six other area units of government. He said all of the others charge higher fees for inspections and pay him more.

Holmen charges $500 for a home inspection and $650 for a duplex construction inspection. Raymer is paid $300 for a single family home and $425 for duplexes. “The inspection fee is $225 for each unit in a multi-unit building yet I have to spend as much time on each unit as a house,” Raymer said.

Raymer said he is paid $60 to inspect the construction of a garage, yet it costs him almost that much just in gasoline to get from his West Salem office to Holmen the usual three times he must make a site visit. He recalled that gasoline cost $1.32 per gallon when he got the job in 2002.

It is expected Raymer will get a greater cut of the village building permit fee for the remainder of the year and have an entirely new fee structure set for 2009. Village Administrator/Clerk Catherine Schmit will make a recommendation to the village board at its August meeting.

Raymer said he has averaged about 200 Holmen construction projects a year in the past six years. He gets paid only when there are inspections.