Enfield, Connecticut Building Permit Guide

Building, mechanical and other construction permits in Enfield come from the Town’s Division of Building Inspection, which asks for applications through OpenGov at viewmypermitct.org. The fee is $16.50 for each $1,000 of work or fraction of $1,000, with a $50 minimum, and the building official has up to 30 days to issue the permit or give a reason for denial.

What requires a building permit in Enfield?

The Division of Building Inspection tells applicants that most projects need a permit, and it publishes the exceptions instead: one sheet for one- and two-family houses and one for three-family and commercial buildings, both taken from the 2022 state code. For a house, the work that needs no building permit includes:

Both exemption sheets warn that they cover Building Inspection only: Planning and Zoning, the wetlands agency, the health district and Engineering may still require their own permits for work the building code exempts.

What the town decides and what the state holds

The permit list itself is the state’s, so Enfield cannot add or remove exemptions. The Town Council sets the fee, in Section 14-32 of the Town Code, and the Town has made OpenGov its filing channel for building applications. Land use is local too: Enfield’s Planning and Zoning Commission, Inland Wetlands and Watercourses Agency, Aquifer Protection Agency, Zoning Board of Appeals and Historic District Commission each have their own applications, which Planning and Zoning takes at its office rather than online. Septic systems are approved by the North Central District Health Department, and trade licenses and contractor registrations by the state Department of Consumer Protection.

Enfield building department: who handles permitting

The Division of Building Inspection reviews plans, issues building, demolition and mechanical permits, inspects the work and issues certificates of occupancy. Raymond Steadward is the Chief Building Official. In June 2025 the division and the Planning and Zoning Department moved out of Town Hall into 810 Enfield Street, the building next door; Town Hall itself stays at 820 Enfield Street, which is still the mailing address on many forms.

The division does not recommend contractors or designers, and it does not carry out private inspections such as pre-purchase checks or electric-company rate certifications.

Enfield permit types and application documents

In OpenGov, choose Enfield, open Building Inspection and scroll to the permit type. Fields marked with an asterisk are required; contractors are added by searching the name on the license or the license number. At the end you upload the documents, and at a minimum the system will not let you submit without proof of workers’ compensation cover (an ACORD certificate) or the right state waiver, form 7A, 7B or 7C. State law, section 31-286b, requires that proof with every permit application, and the division cannot advise on which waiver applies; the Workers’ Compensation Commission answers that on (800) 223-9675.

Residential permits

A one- or two-family house project needs two sets of plans, or three when the health district must approve it. The division posts sample house plans and a sample plot plan to show the expected level of detail. A deck goes in with the Town’s 2021 IRC deck checklist answered on the drawing: ledger size and attachment, the lateral load connection, flashing, beam, joist and post sizes and spans, footing size and depth, stair rise and tread, guards and handrails. A shed over 200 sq ft needs a plot plan, structural drawings or the maker’s cut-sheets, and health district review if the lot has a well or septic system; it cannot sit on a well, a septic system, a delineated wetland or a recorded easement.

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Commercial permits

Anything beyond a one- or two-family house needs three sets of plans, or four with health district review. The Town’s commercial plan outline sends two sets to Building Inspection and one to the district fire marshal, plus a set to the health district for restaurants and other food service. Sheets may be no larger than 30 by 42 inches, every sheet must be signed and sealed by a Connecticut registered design professional, and the set should open with a code analysis: use group, construction type, height and area, occupancy and egress calculations, fire protection and accessibility. A signed and sealed statement of special inspections is required, threshold buildings need third-party review, and staged reviews with the building official, fire marshal and health inspector can be requested while the design develops.

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

What comes before the building permit

• Zoning: setbacks depend on the project and the zoning district, and Planning and Zoning answers those questions on 860-253-6355. Special use permits, site plans, variances and sign applications are filed on paper at 810 Enfield Street after calling the office.
• Wetlands: the Inland Wetlands and Watercourses Agency applies regulations adopted on April 21, 2020; a determination of whether a permit is needed costs $75.
• Flood zones: work in a special flood hazard area takes a separate development permit from Planning and Zoning, on a form revised June 22, 2026.
• Health: lots on a well or septic system go to the North Central District Health Department, which regulates septic installation for Enfield and seven other towns.

Enfield permit costs and fees

Fees are set by Section 14-32 of the Town Code, as amended by Ordinance 17-5. The Town Council adopted it on December 18, 2017 and it took effect on January 2, 2018. The Council’s minutes from July to October 2026 record no change to it.

Value means all labor and materials at fair market rates, and fees are not refundable. The Town’s fee table works the rule out in $1,000 steps: $50 for work up to $3,000, $66 at $3,001 to $4,000, $825 at $49,001 to $50,000 and $6,600 at $399,001 to $400,000. Paying by credit card, debit card or PayPal adds a processing charge; cash and checks do not. Work on buildings owned by the Town, the Enfield Housing Authority or a fire district is exempt, and so is the repair or replacement of a house foundation made with defective concrete while the owner holds the state-approved reassessment for it.

Neither the ordinance nor the fee table mentions the state education fee, 26 cents per $1,000 of value, which section 29-263 of the General Statutes requires the building official to assess on every building permit application. Land use fees are separate: a flood hazard area permit is $70, a homeowner’s wetlands application starts at $135, a residential variance is $120 and a site plan for new construction starts at $160 plus $60 for the state, with area charges on top.

Trade permits and who may pull them

Enfield’s fee ordinance names mechanical permits separately, at the same $16.50 per $1,000 as building work, and has no separate electrical or plumbing line. The house exemption sheet lists the small trade jobs that need no permit: on the electrical side, replacing lamps, fuses and breakers of the same capacity in the same place, reinstalling plug receptacles and low-voltage work under 25 volts and 50 watts; for plumbing, stopping leaks and clearing stoppages without replacing pipe, valves or fixtures; and portable heating, cooling and cooking appliances. Replacing a concealed trap or pipe counts as new work and needs a permit.

Who may pull trade permits

Contractors are linked to an application through their state license record, so the name or number entered must match the Department of Consumer Protection’s file. The division points owners to the state’s eLicense lookup to check a contractor’s license or registration before hiring, and it will not suggest contractors itself. Workers’ compensation proof or a waiver is required for every application, including one filed by an owner. Demolition has its own licensing: the demolition contractor must hold a license from the State Fire Marshal and sign the application with the owner of record. The Town’s pages do not publish a separate rule on homeowners doing their own electrical or plumbing work.

How to apply for an Enfield building permit

Review, corrections and what causes delay

The building official has 30 days from the application to issue the permit or a reason for denial, and the division says many applications take less. The clock only matters once the file is in the queue: an application without workers’ compensation proof cannot be submitted, a permit technician first checks that the documents are there, and review starts only after the fee is paid. Comments arrive by email but must be answered inside the portal, because replies to the automated OpenGov messages do not reach staff.

Enfield inspections and closeout

Book inspections by phone on 860-253-6370, Monday to Friday between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., with the permit number or numbers and a contact name ready. Where the division allows it, an inspection can be done by live video: the person on site must be at least 18, have a charged phone or tablet on a strong cellular or Wi-Fi signal, and have the plans and any tools the inspector needs to see measured or tested.

Demolition has its own sequence: call before the footing and foundation are removed, and again once the site is backfilled, graded and seeded, and keep the disposal manifests for the debris.

Building code and flood zones in Enfield

Enfield applies the 2022 Connecticut State Building Code, in force for applications from October 1, 2022. The delayed 2026 edition will replace it, and the date of the application fixes which edition governs. Enfield is a participating community in the National Flood Insurance Program, with FEMA flood maps effective September 26, 2008, and the Planning and Zoning Department administers the Town’s flood ordinances and the special flood hazard area permit.

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

Enfield building permit FAQ

Who issues building permits in Enfield?

The Town’s Division of Building Inspection at 810 Enfield Street, 860-253-6370, open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays.

Can I apply on paper?

The Division takes building applications through OpenGov at viewmypermitct.org and asks applicants to use it. State law lets an applicant file in person, by mail or by email in the manner the building official sets, so call 860-253-6370 if you cannot file online. Zoning and other land use applications are delivered in person.

How much does a building permit cost in Enfield?

$16.50 for each $1,000 of value or fraction of $1,000, with a $50 minimum. A $50,000 project is $825 on the Town’s table.

How long does Enfield take to review a permit?

Up to 30 days from the application, and the division says many applications take less. Review begins once a technician accepts the file and the fee is paid.

Do I need a permit for a shed or fence?

Not for a one-story shed of 200 sq ft or less, or a fence of 7 ft or less that is not a pool barrier. Zoning setbacks still apply, and larger sheds need a permit.

How many sets of plans do I need?

Two for a one- or two-family house and three for anything larger, plus one more set in either case when the health district must approve the project.

Can I get a copy of old plans for my house?

Usually not: the division does not keep single-family construction drawings after the certificate of occupancy. Applications, permits and certificates of occupancy are kept for the life of the building.

Enfield permit search and official resources

Enfield’s building records are public and can be examined at the office during business hours, with copies made for a fee. The permit file for a street address is also the first place to look for a property survey. Keep in mind what the Town keeps: permit applications, permits and certificates of occupancy are held for the life of the structure, but construction drawings for single-family homes are not kept once the certificate of occupancy is issued.

• Enfield Building Inspection
• Enfield building regulations, applications and documents
• How to apply for a permit in OpenGov (Enfield instructions)
• Enfield OpenGov permit portal
• Ordinance 17-5: Enfield building permit fee schedule (Section 14-32)
• Enfield permit fee table (effective January 2, 2018)
• Enfield: when a permit is not required for one- and two-family homes
• Enfield commercial building plan instructions
• Enfield demolition checklist
• Enfield Planning and Zoning
• Enfield land use regulations, forms and fees
• North Central District Health Department: subsurface sewage disposal
• Office of the State Building Inspector
• Connecticut eLicense lookup for contractor licenses and registrations

Simplify Enfield 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 Enfield permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.