New Milford, Connecticut Building Permit Guide

The Town of New Milford Building Department issues building, electrical, plumbing, HVAC, roofing, sign and demolition permits, and the town takes applications through its OpenGov portal. The town code charges $30 for the first $1,000 of work and $11.25 for each further $1,000, and inspections are booked by calling the office.

The department is in Town Hall at 10 Main Street, open 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., with Jeff Rondini as Building Official, an assistant building official and a building technician. It reviews architectural, structural, mechanical, electrical, plumbing, alarm and sprinkler plans and accessibility, decides when a licensed design professional is needed, collects the final sign-offs from the other town agencies, performs the final inspection and issues the certificate of occupancy. The office takes no cash. New Milford has about 28,900 residents (Census estimate for 2025), and Gaylordsville and the Village Center are both inside the town and its building office’s area.

Sherman, New Fairfield, Brookfield, Bridgewater, Roxbury, Washington, Warren and Kent border New Milford and permit through their own building officials.

What requires a building permit in New Milford?

Section 5-2 of the New Milford Code of Ordinances requires a building permit for all new construction, swimming pools included, and for alterations to existing structures, and it lists the other work charged under the same schedule: alarm systems, demolition, electrical, HVAC, plumbing, roofing, signs, tents and anything else under the building code. Work started without a permit costs a $25 penalty on top of the fee, with a three-day grace period if the owner or contractor calls the department to take out the permit.

Exempt work, such as small sheds, fences up to 7 feet that are not pool barriers, and finish work, is set by the state building code, not the town. Ask the department before assuming a job is exempt, because zoning may still need a permit.

What the town decides and what the state holds

New Milford sets its permit fees by ordinance, chooses the portal, requires the delinquent-tax check and sets the demolition notice rules. The building code, the licensing of trades and contractors and the rule on when an architect must seal plans are state law that the Building Official applies.

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 Milford building department: who handles permitting

The Building Department issues and inspects building and trade permits. Land use sits on the lower level of Town Hall: the Zoning Department issues zoning permits and staffs the Zoning Commission and the Zoning Board of Appeals, the Planning Department handles subdivisions, and the Inland Wetlands Department staffs the Inland Wetlands and Watercourses Commission. The Fire Marshal’s Office reviews plans under the Fire Safety Code, which covers every occupancy except one- and two-family homes. Health permits come from the Housatonic Valley Health District, which New Milford joined on February 1, 2022, and sewer connections from the Sewer Commission acting as the Water Pollution Control Authority.

Permit types

Residential permits

Permit numbers show the type: the department’s monthly lists for 2026 carry building (B), electrical (E), plumbing (P) and gas (G) records, filed by homeowners, builders, solar installers and propane suppliers alike. A residential file in OpenGov needs the answers marked with an asterisk, plans that let the Building Official do a full code review, and either the contractor’s papers or the owner’s. A contractor uploads a copy of the Connecticut trade license, the home improvement or new home construction registration, and a certificate of workers’ compensation; a sole proprietor or homeowner uploads the signed state workers’ compensation waiver instead. A new house also starts with a zoning permit based on a survey or plot plan.

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

Commercial permits

For commercial work the department’s how-to sheet says a Connecticut architect’s stamped plan may be required where the whole building is 5,000 sq ft or more, or where the decision chart on the sheet calls for one. The chart requires sealed drawings for any assembly, educational, institutional or R-1, R-2 and R-4 building, and for new construction, additions, changes of use and level 2 or 3 alterations in business, factory, mercantile, storage and utility buildings of 5,000 sq ft or more; one- and two-family homes and their accessory buildings are outside it. Commercial plans also go to the Fire Marshal, whose code chapter sets plan review fees from $50 for a building under 2,000 sq ft to $750 plus costs for 10,000 to 52,000 sq ft, paid before the review starts and not refunded. Before filing, owners of commercial and larger projects can ask the Mayor’s Office (860-355-6010) for an informal meeting with the Development Services Team, which brings Building, Zoning, Wetlands, Health, Fire Marshal, Public Works, Sewer and Aquifer Protection staff to one table.

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

The Zoning Department asks you to apply online for the zoning permit with a survey or plot plan showing the structure and its distance to every property line, and to check with Building, Inland Wetlands, Health and Sewer first because they may need their own permits or sign-offs. Zoning staff need at least five business days to review a complete zoning permit. Wetlands applications also go through the portal, and the commission meets on the second Thursday of the month; incomplete applications are not scheduled.

New Milford permit costs and fees

Section 5-2 sets one schedule for building and all other permits under the building code, charged on the value of the work, materials and labor at current market value. If the department disputes the declared cost of a house or commercial building, it uses the code’s table, for example $50 per sq ft of living space, $30 for a foundation, $20 for a garage and $15 for a deck. These figures are in the 2003 amendment that took effect on November 1, 2003; the code on eCode360 lists no later change, and its list of adopted but not yet codified ordinances contains none on building fees.

Worked example. A $20,000 kitchen and bath remodel pays $30 for the first $1,000 and 19 × $11.25 ($213.75) for the remaining $19,000: a $243.75 permit, with any electrical or plumbing permit charged on its own value. State law also requires the education fee of 26 cents per $1,000 on every building permit application, which the town’s table does not list. A $20,000 addition would also pay a $90 zoning permit fee (the $5,001 to $25,000 band) plus the $60 state fee.

The Town Council may waive building permit fees for affordable housing built by a non-profit or government body, on the Housing Partnership’s recommendation, and for the town’s own projects.

Trade permits and who may pull them

Electrical, plumbing, gas and HVAC permits are filed in the same portal and charged on the same $30 and $11.25 schedule as building work. A contractor filing must upload the Connecticut license for that trade, so a plumbing permit carries a plumbing license and an electrical permit an electrical license. The Department of Consumer Protection issues those licenses and the home improvement and new home construction registrations.

How to apply for a New Milford building permit

Review, corrections and what causes delay

The Building Official has 30 days under state law to act on a complete application. The usual delays in New Milford are an application missing a license, registration or workers’ compensation document, plans too thin for a full code review, a commercial set that needs an architect’s stamp, a zoning permit still inside its five-day review, and unpaid property taxes. Demolition has a built-in wait: the department mails notice of the application to the Gaylordsville Historical Society and the New Milford Trust for Historic Preservation, and no permit is issued for 21 days, or for 60 days more if one of them objects in writing.

Inspections in New Milford

Inspections are booked by phone on 860-355-6090. The Building Official decides which inspections a project needs and follows the work while it is under construction, ending with a final inspection and the certificate of occupancy, which costs $5. When the same inspection has to be repeated more than twice, each further visit costs $25, paid before the certificate is issued. Before the certificate, the Building Department itself collects the final sign-offs from the other town agencies involved in the job.

New Milford permit search and official resources

The Building Department posts a monthly list of permit applications, with the record number, type, applicant, date and address; recent months are linked from its page. Pending zoning special permit, site plan and variance applications, and wetlands applications, can be looked up by number or address in the town’s online permitting system. For older files, ask the department, or use the town’s FOIA form from the Zoning forms page. New Milford takes part in the National Flood Insurance Program, with a current effective FEMA map date of June 4, 1987.

• New Milford Building Department
• How to apply for a building permit (checklist)
• New Milford OpenGov permit portal
• September 2026 permit list
• New Milford Code of Ordinances: building, demolition, fire marshal and land use fees
• What you need to obtain a zoning permit
• Zoning application hints and the Development Services Team
• New Milford Inland Wetlands Department
• Health: Housatonic Valley Health District
• Sewer Commission (WPCA)
• New Milford Fire Marshal’s Office
• FEMA Community Status Book for Connecticut
• Office of the State Building Inspector
• Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection

New Milford building permit FAQ

Who issues building permits in New Milford?

The town Building Department at Town Hall, 10 Main Street, 860-355-6090, for all of New Milford including Gaylordsville.

How much is a building permit in New Milford?

$30 for the first $1,000 of work and $11.25 for each further $1,000 or part, so a $20,000 job pays $243.75, plus the state education fee.

Can I pay in cash?

No. The Building Department does not accept cash.

How do I book an inspection?

Call the Building Department on 860-355-6090; the department asks for inspection requests by phone.

How long does a zoning permit take?

Zoning staff ask for at least five business days to review a complete online application.

Who handles septic permits?

The Housatonic Valley Health District, which New Milford’s Department of Health joined on February 1, 2022; call (203) 264-9616.

Can I meet town staff before applying for a larger project?

Yes. The Mayor’s Office (860-355-6010) arranges an informal Development Services Team meeting where Building, Zoning, Wetlands, Health, Fire Marshal, Public Works and Sewer staff review the proposal together.

What happens if work started before the permit?

The code adds a $25 penalty to the normal permit fee, but gives a three-day grace period to an owner or contractor who calls the department to take out the permit.

Why is my demolition permit waiting?

The town must give the historical society and the historic preservation trust 21 days’ notice, and a written objection adds 60 days.

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