In the City of New London, the Building Inspection Division issues building permits and the electrical, plumbing, heating, mechanical and sprinkler permits on one paper application form, which the division takes in person or by mail at 111 Union Street. The fee is $19.26 for each $1,000 of estimated construction value, rounded up to the next thousand: $19 for the City and 26 cents for the state education fund.
The division, led by Building Official Kirk Kripas, is the City’s authority for the State Building Code, the demolition ordinance, the housing and property maintenance code, the blight ordinance and the flood plain management ordinance. Zoning permits are filed online with the Planning, Zoning and Wetlands Division at City Hall, 181 State Street. New London is a city of about 28,000 people (Census estimate for 2025), consolidated with the town of the same name, so one building office serves all of it.
Waterford, and Groton across the Thames, are separate municipalities with their own building officials.
In person or by mail. The division’s page says applications “may be submitted in person, or by mail” at 111 Union Street and that “Emailed applications are not permitted”. State law, section 29-263(a), lets an applicant file in person, by mail or by email in the manner the building official sets, so call 860-447-5240 if you need another way to file. Land use applications go to an online portal, in use since March 2024.
What requires a building permit in New London?
The City’s application form lists the work it permits: new construction, additions, alterations, repairs and replacements, relocations and changes of use, on one- and two-family homes, buildings of three or more families and commercial property, with boxes for building, electrical, plumbing, heating, HVAC, mechanical and sprinkler work. It asks whether the structure is a designated historic structure and whether it lies in the 100-year flood plain.
Permit required
- New buildings and relocated buildings
- Additions and alterations (both also need Planning and Zoning approval)
- Changes of use (Planning and Zoning approval too)
- Repairs and replacements regulated by the code
- Electrical, plumbing, heating, HVAC, mechanical and sprinkler work
- Demolition of any building of 250 sq ft or more
- Signs and marquees that project over a street, renewed every October 15
No building permit
- The work the State Building Code lists as exempt, such as small one-story sheds, fences not over 7 feet (pool barriers still need a permit), retaining walls up to 3 feet, and finish work
- Demolition of a building under 250 sq ft is outside the City’s demolition ordinance
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Get a free quote →What the city decides and what the state holds
New London sets the fee in section 6-6.1 of its Code of Ordinances, last amended in October 2024, chooses paper filing for building permits, and adds local rules the state code does not have: a historic review and possible 180-day delay for demolitions, rapid entry key systems on new buildings and on buildings with fire alarm or suppression systems, and annual permits for projecting signs. Everything about the construction itself comes from the state code.
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
New London building department: who handles permitting
The Building Inspection Division provides every inspection for new construction, repairs, alterations and additions, issues demolition permits, inspects existing buildings and enforces the property maintenance code. Section 6-4 of the code also gives the building official the coastal area management and flood insurance programs. The Planning, Zoning and Wetlands Division administers the zoning and subdivision regulations and the coastal management program for the Planning and Zoning Commission, the Zoning Board of Appeals and the Inland Wetland Conservation Commission. The Ledge Light Health District, based on Broad Street, permits septic work and B100a reviews, and the application form marks every use group, one- and two-family houses (R-3) included, as needing Fire Marshal approval.
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Building Inspection Division | 111 Union Street, New London, CT 06320 |
| Phone and fax | 860-447-5240; fax 860-447-5255 |
| Applications | In person or by mail at 111 Union Street |
| Planning, Zoning and Wetlands | City Hall, 2nd floor, 181 State Street; online land use portal |
| City Hall hours | Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.; 860-447-5200 |
| Ledge Light Health District | 216 Broad Street; 860-448-4882 |
Permit types
Residential permits
One form serves every residential job: tick the work types, give the owner, applicant and contractor with the contractor’s registration or license number, describe the work and enter the estimated cost and the building fee. Attach what the job needs from the form’s list: building plans, site plans, elevations and sections, photographs, manufacturer’s literature, zoning approval and any Health Department correspondence. Additions, alterations and changes of use go to Planning and Zoning before the permit, and solar panels have their own zoning permit in the land use portal.
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Commercial and three-or-more-family work uses the same application, with the use group marked for the Fire Marshal’s approval, and a statement of special inspections where the code calls for one. In the C-2 Central Business district, which the code designates Fire District No. 1, construction must meet the fire limits rules. Section 6-11 requires a rapid entry key system on new buildings and complexes and on existing buildings with fire alarm or suppression systems, unless the fire chief or fire marshal grants an exemption, and a sign or marquee hanging over a street needs a building official’s permit and an insurance certificate naming the City.
For tenant improvements and new commercial builds, Alliance handles commercial permit applications through issuance. More on this: commercial building permits explained.
What comes before the building permit
Since March 25, 2024, administrative zoning permits and applications to the Planning and Zoning Commission, the Zoning Board of Appeals and the Inland Wetland Conservation Commission are filed in the City’s online land use portal, where commission applications are due by noon on each deadline day. Coastal site plan review runs through the same division, and properties in historic districts need a referral to the Historic District Commission and Design Review Board through the Office of Development and Planning. On a lot without public sewer, Ledge Light reviews additions, accessory structures and changes of use under the Public Health Code’s B100a rule; New London Public Utilities answers sewer questions.
Ledge Light’s B100a review covers dormers, added levels, finished basements and attics, moved interior walls, bigger footprints, detached garages, pools, open decks, sheds and slabs, but not small portable structures under 200 sq ft without a foundation. The application goes by email with a scaled site plan showing the property lines, buildings, septic system, well and the proposed work, plus existing and proposed floor plans for work inside the house. The review checks that a code-complying septic area would still fit if the present system failed.
New London permit costs and fees
Section 6-6.1 of the Code of Ordinances, amended on October 7, 2024, sets one rate for building, sign, gas piping, heating, air conditioning and electrical permits: $19.26 for work up to $1,000 and $19.26 for each further $1,000 or part of it. The division’s fee sheet splits that into $19 for the City and 26 cents for the state education fund and rounds the value up to the next thousand.
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Call 1-855-478-4290 →| Item | Fee or rule |
|---|---|
| Building, sign, gas, heating, A/C and electrical permits | $19.26 per $1,000 of estimated value, rounded up to the next $1,000 |
| City share; state education fee | $19 per $1,000; 26 cents per $1,000 |
| Work valued up to $1,000 | $19.26 |
| $9,001 to $10,000 | $192.60 |
| $24,001 to $25,000 | $481.50 |
| $49,001 to $50,000 | $963.00 |
| $73,001 to $74,000 | $1,425.24, the last line of the printed table |
| Demolition | $19.26 per $1,000 of demolition cost, plus any water, electrical or other permits |
| Projecting sign or marquee | $10 a year for a sign; $10 or $20 a year for a marquee, by width |
| Ledge Light B100a review | $25 initial fee |
Worked example. A $24,500 porch rebuild is rounded up to $25,000, so the permit costs 25 × $19.26 = $481.50: $475 for the City and $6.50 for the state. Each trade permit on the same job is figured the same way on its own value.
The fee is set on the estimated construction value written on the application, and the payment goes in with the application. Zoning and land use fees are charged separately through the Planning, Zoning and Wetlands Division.
Trade permits and who may pull them
Electrical, plumbing, heating, HVAC, mechanical and sprinkler work is applied for on the same City form, with each trade ticked and its value entered, so the fee follows the $19.26 rate. A contractor doing the work includes a current license and a current workers’ compensation certificate; someone applying on a contractor’s behalf includes the contractor’s authorization letter.
New London rules
- Contractor’s registration or license number written on the application
- Workers’ compensation certificate, or form 7A, 7B or 7C
- Authorization letter when applying for the contractor
- An applicant who is not the owner submits the owner’s authorization
Workers’ compensation forms
- 7A: owner or sole proprietor who will not act as general contractor
- 7B: owner or sole proprietor who will act as general contractor
- 7C: contractor excluded from coverage by form 6B or 6B-1
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How to apply for a New London building permit
For an addition, alteration or change of use, apply for the zoning permit in the City’s land use portal first, with any wetlands or coastal review.
On a septic lot, ask Ledge Light about a B100a review; for a historic property, start the Historic District Commission referral.
Download the Building Permit Application Packet, tick every work type and enter the estimated cost.
Plans and specifications, the contractor’s license, the workers’ compensation certificate or form, and any authorization letters.
Hand it in or mail it to the Building Department at 111 Union Street with the fee from the fee sheet.
Call the division on 860-447-5240 for the inspections the permit requires and the final sign-off.
Review, corrections and what causes delay
An application is not complete without its fee, the contractor’s license and the workers’ compensation paperwork, and an addition, alteration or change of use also needs its Planning and Zoning approval. Demolition is the longest path: a building of 250 sq ft or more needs at least 13 copies of the application with the Historic District Commission and Design Review Board referral form, photographs and the building’s age, a 2 by 3 foot sign posted 15 days before the commission meeting, and certified letters within five days to owners within 150 feet. The building official circulates the application to the City Council, New London Landmarks and the New London County Historical Society, and publishes a legal notice. If the commission finds historic or cultural value, the permit waits 180 days from the complete application; if it does not report within five business days of its meeting, the permit can issue. Before issue the applicant also files an exterminator’s certificate, insurance, the demolition contractor’s state registration, any asbestos certificate and disconnection letters from the electric, gas, telephone, cable, sewer, water and storm drainage providers. The permit lasts six months, with one six-month extension.
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The division carries out the required inspections for new construction, repairs, alterations and additions, from the stages set by the State Building Code through the final. Call 860-447-5240 for inspections. When a demolition is finished, the permit holder asks the division to inspect the cleared site, which must be free of debris, graded for drainage and safe beside the sidewalk.
The same inspectors enforce the City’s housing and property maintenance code, based on the 2003 International Property Maintenance Code with local amendments, and the blight ordinance, so a renovation of a rental building can draw both permit inspections and code compliance orders. Owners who do not live at their rental property must register a residential address with the building department under section 6-12, and ignoring a lawful order of a City code official is a $250 infraction under section 6-13.
New London permit search and official resources
For copies of past permits, certificates of occupancy or plans, ask the Building Inspection Division on 860-447-5240; land use files filed since March 2024 are in the online portal. The application asks whether the building is in the 100-year flood plain (FEMA maps dated August 5, 2013), and section 6-4 gives the building official the flood insurance program.
- New London Building Inspection Division: filing rules and contacts
- New London building permit application packet
- New London building permit fee schedule
- New London Code of Ordinances chapter 6: fees, demolition and signs
- New London Planning, Zoning and Wetlands Division
- New London online land use applications
- Ledge Light Health District: septic and B100a reviews
- Ledge Light Health District contacts
- FEMA Community Status Book for Connecticut
- Office of the State Building Inspector
- Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection: licenses and registrations
Inspections are where schedules slip.
Get a free quote →New London building permit FAQ
Who issues building permits in New London?
The City’s Building Inspection Division at 111 Union Street; call 860-447-5240.
How much is a building permit in New London?
$19.26 per $1,000 of estimated construction value, rounded up to the next $1,000. A $25,000 job pays $481.50.
Can I email my application?
The division’s page says emailed applications are not permitted and asks for them in person or by mail; call 860-447-5240 if you need another way to file. Zoning and other land use applications are filed online.
Does an addition need zoning approval first?
Yes. The application marks additions, alterations and changes of use as needing Planning and Zoning approval.
How long does a demolition permit take?
The Historic District Commission and Design Review Board review it at a monthly meeting; if it finds historic or cultural value, the permit is delayed 180 days from the complete application.
Can a homeowner pull a permit?
Yes. An owner who will not act as general contractor files workers’ compensation form 7A; one who will act as general contractor files form 7B.
Simplify New London 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.
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More Connecticut permitting guides
New London County
Read guide →Colchester
Read guide →East Lyme
Read guide →New Milford Building Permit Guide
Read guide →Newington Building Permit Guide
Read guide →Newtown Building Permit Guide
Read guide →This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about New London permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.