Ellington, Connecticut Building Permit Guide

The Town of Ellington’s Building Department administers the State Building Code for all building construction in town and issues building, electrical, plumbing and mechanical permits, filed online through Accela Citizen Access. The fee schedule, in effect since November 1, 2014, is $30 for work up to $1,000 and $15 for each further $1,000, and the Town says those figures already include the state education fee.

The department is at 57 Main Street (P.O. Box 187) under Building Official Raymond Martin. Its hours are split around field work: the Building Official is in the office on Mondays from 8 to 10 a.m. and 3 to 6:30 p.m., and Tuesday to Thursday from 8 to 10 a.m. and 3 to 4:30 p.m.; inspections fill 10 a.m. to noon and 1 to 3 p.m., Monday to Thursday. Town Hall is closed on Fridays. Ellington had about 16,600 residents in the Census estimate for 2025, and the one department covers the whole town.

What requires a building permit in Ellington?

The department’s handout puts the rule simply: a permit is needed to build, enlarge, add to, relocate, demolish or change the use of any building or structure, and for any alteration or repair that affects the strength or integrity of a structure or involves any part of the plumbing, electrical or heating systems. Ellington’s list also names roofing and siding, replacement windows and doors, wood, coal and pellet stoves and fireplace inserts, and signs.

What the town decides and what the state holds

Chapter 70 of the Town Code leaves the permit rate and minimum fee to the Board of Selectmen and lets the Building Official set and update the cost factors used to value work, which is how Ellington’s per-square-foot minimum values came about. The same chapter waives permit fees for churches and other nonprofit organizations. Under section 32-5, building permits and certificates of occupancy are withheld from a property with delinquent taxes, sewer charges, rates or assessments until the Tax Collector certifies payment or a payment agreement. Zoning, wetlands and design review are Town decisions; septic belongs to the regional health district, and trade licenses to the state.

Connecticut has one State Building Code: the code itself sets which work needs a permit and which is exempt, every town’s building official is licensed by the State Building Inspector, and there is no county government. Connecticut rules

Ellington building department: who handles permitting

The Building Department issues the permits, reviews plans and inspects. The Planning Department, also at 57 Main Street, issues zoning permits and staffs the Planning and Zoning Commission, the Inland Wetland Agency, the Zoning Board of Appeals and the Design Review Board. The Fire Marshal’s Office reviews most of the projects the Building Department receives. Septic systems are permitted by the North Central District Health Department, which serves Ellington among eight towns from its main office in Enfield.

Permit types

Every application needs the completed form, proof of workers’ compensation coverage or a completed waiver, the fee, and, where the homeowner is not doing the work, proof of the contractor’s registration or trade license.

Residential permits

Residential work goes in with two copies of plans or details clear enough to show the nature and extent of the job. For new homes and additions the department lists what the plans must carry: the foundation plan and details with reinforcing, floor plans, elevations and building sections, the braced wall lines with bracing method, spacing, length and hold-downs, the egress window size in every bedroom, engineering data for trusses, beams and engineered lumber, the insulation values or an IECC ResCheck, and the garage separation. Separate handouts cover habitable basements, decks, wall bracing, egress windows, insulation, roofing, solar, tank removal, propane tanks and tents.

A demolition permit needs a certificate of insurance that holds the Town harmless (at least $100,000 per person and $300,000 in all for bodily injury, and $50,000 per accident and $100,000 in all for property damage), notice from every utility that its service has been cut, and a current certificate of registration. The registration is not required of an owner who demolishes his or her own single-family house or outbuilding no taller than 30 feet, stays on site during the work and has clearance from other structures and roads at least equal to the building’s height.

Every pool needs a building permit and an electrical permit. Ellington requires a 48-inch barrier, a self-closing, self-latching ladder gate on an above-ground pool with no deck, and, for an in-ground pool, a 48-inch temporary enclosure before the bonding inspection unless the permanent barrier is already up. Doors opening onto the pool area need an approved alarm, a self-closing latch 54 inches above the floor or a listed powered safety cover, and a surface pool alarm is required under Public Act 99-140.

Building or remodeling a home here? Alliance handles residential permit applications, so the crew isn't waiting on the counter.

Commercial permits

Commercial plans are submitted in three copies, with a code sheet giving the use and occupancy, occupant load, construction type and height and area limits, the foundation and floor plans, elevations and sections, all structural data, the location and details of fire-resistive construction, fire protection details, egress with exit counts, travel distances, door sizes and exit lighting, and the door hardware and interior finish schedules. New commercial construction is valued from the International Code Council’s latest building valuation data. The Fire Marshal reviews the building permit plans alongside the department, and sprinklers, fire alarms, kitchen hood suppression, fuel and water tanks and private water lines are deferred submittals sent to the Building Department.

For tenant improvements and new commercial builds, Alliance handles commercial building permits through issuance. More on this: commercial building permits explained.

What comes before the building permit

• Zoning: a zoning permit is also needed for new construction, additions and relocations, changes of use, all accessory buildings, decks and pools, signs, and equipment outside the building footprint such as oil and LP tanks, transformers and gas pumps. It costs $20 for work under $20,000 and $150 above that, and it is filed on Accela too.
• Wetlands: the Inland Wetland Agency’s administrative permits are $50 and agency permits $250.
• Septic: work on a septic lot needs the North Central District Health Department, which permits and oversees every septic installation in its district.
• Sewer: a sewer connection permit from the Water Pollution Control Authority is signed in person in front of staff, with the contractor’s license shown; it lapses if work does not start within six months, and its fees are non-refundable.
• Coordination: for projects needing several departments, Planning can set up a Coordination Committee meeting, usually on a Thursday.

Ellington permit costs and fees

Fees are based on the total value of the work, materials and labor included. For houses the Building Official sets minimum accepted values per square foot; other work is valued on the contract amount, and the department may ask for a copy of the contract. The schedule notes that every fee includes the required 26 cents per $1,000 cost-of-work educational fee under section 29-263 of the General Statutes.

Worked example. A 300 sq ft deck has a minimum value of 300 × $30 = $9,000. The fee is $30 for the first $1,000 plus 8 × $15 for the other $8,000: $150 in all, with the state education fee inside that figure, plus the $20 zoning permit. Churches and other nonprofit organizations pay no permit fee under section 70-5 of the Town Code.

Trade permits and who may pull them

Electrical, plumbing and mechanical permits come from the Building Department through the same Accela site and the same fee schedule. A pool always carries an electrical permit, a gas line needs its pressure test, and the permanent electrical service has its own inspection.

Ellington’s submission list asks for proof of the contractor’s registration or trade license only where the homeowner is not performing the work, together with workers’ compensation proof or a completed waiver. Electricians, plumbers and heating contractors are licensed by the Department of Consumer Protection, which also registers home improvement and new home construction contractors, and a license can be checked in its online lookup before a contract is signed.

How to apply for an Ellington building permit

The Town takes applications through Accela Citizen Access. State law lets an applicant file in person, by mail or by email in the manner the building official sets, so call 860-870-3124 if the online site does not work for you.

Review, corrections and what causes delay

Section 29-263 of the General Statutes gives the building official 30 days from the date of an application to issue or refuse the permit, and the Fire Marshal says its initial review usually takes two weeks. Applications are held up by a missing zoning permit, plans without the bracing, egress or truss information the handout asks for, a contractor without a current registration, unpaid taxes or sewer charges, and late deferred submittals for sprinklers or alarms.

Inspections in Ellington

The Building Official inspects Monday to Thursday from 10 a.m. to noon and 1 to 3 p.m., or by special appointment, and inspections are requested by phone on 860-870-3124; the pool handout asks for 24 hours’ notice. The department’s rule of thumb is to call before any work in question is covered up.

A typical permit runs through footings or piers and foundation reinforcing before the pour, waterproofing and footing drains, rough framing, portal frame nailing before it is covered, rough electrical, mechanical and plumbing with pressure tests, the gas pipe pressure test, the electrical service, the shower pan liner water test, chimney and fireplace throat, insulation and pool bonding. The certificate of occupancy for a new building needs the final inspection plus Fire Marshal, zoning and health approvals. The department warns that lenders have been asking for final inspections on open permits before a sale, and that a permit left inactive for a long time may have to be taken out again.

Ellington permit search and official resources

The Building Department posts monthly permit reports for every month from 2020 on its web page, and Accela Citizen Access lets you follow your own applications. For older records on a property, ask the department on 860-870-3124. Ellington takes part in the National Flood Insurance Program, and its current FEMA flood map dates from February 5, 1997.

• Ellington Building Department: handouts, hours and monthly reports
• Ellington Accela Citizen Access online permitting
• Ellington permit fee schedule, effective November 1, 2014
• What requires a building permit (handout)
• Building permits that also need a zoning permit
• Building permit submission requirements
• Required inspections
• Swimming pool requirements
• Ellington Planning Department
• Fire Marshal plan review
• Town Code Chapter 70: building and land use fees
• North Central District Health Department: septic systems
• FEMA Community Status Book for Connecticut
• Office of the State Building Inspector
• Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection: licenses and registrations

Ellington building permit FAQ

Who issues building permits in Ellington?

The Town’s Building Department at 57 Main Street, through Accela Citizen Access; call 860-870-3124.

How much is a building permit in Ellington?

$30 for work up to $1,000 and $15 for each further $1,000 or part of it, with the state education fee included. A $9,000 job pays $150.

Do I need a permit to replace windows or re-side my house?

Yes. Ellington lists roofing, siding and replacement windows or doors among the work that needs a building permit.

Does a shed need a permit?

A building permit only over 200 sq ft, but every accessory building, deck and pool needs a zoning permit from the Planning Department.

When can I reach the Building Official?

In the office Monday 8 to 10 a.m. and 3 to 6:30 p.m., and Tuesday to Thursday 8 to 10 a.m. and 3 to 4:30 p.m.; the rest of the day is for inspections.

Who approves my septic system?

The North Central District Health Department, which permits and oversees septic installations in Ellington and its other member towns.

Simplify Ellington permitting with Alliance Permitting

Alliance Permitting is a permit documentation and submission company in Connecticut. We prepare your paperwork, file it correctly and coordinate with the permitting authority through issuance. We are not a contractor and we do not perform licensed plan review or inspections; that work stays with your licensed team and the jurisdiction.

This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about Ellington permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.