Hooksett, New Hampshire Building Permit Guide

Hooksett’s Code Enforcement Officer, who is also the Building Inspector, issues building permits and certificates of occupancy from the Community Development Department at Town Hall, 35 Main Street (603-485-4117). Electrical, gas, plumbing and septic permits are filed online in PermitEyes, and building permits on the Town’s paper forms. A home project costs a $50 administration fee plus $0.15 per square foot.

What requires a permit in Hooksett?

The Town’s building application covers new construction, additions, alterations, repairs and replacements, demolition, relocation and foundation-only work, and the fee notice adds pools, signs, commercial roofs and mobile home replacements. The Building Inspector may also require a permit for site preparation work.

Who issues building permits in Hooksett?

Code Enforcement/Building, a division of the Community Development Department, administers and enforces the Town’s building code and the State Building Code. Building permits and certificates of occupancy are obtained from this office, and its Code Enforcement Officer, Dana Pendergast, also serves as the Building Inspector. Under the Town’s Building Code Ordinance, permit fees are set by the Town Council.

Hooksett permit applications

Electrical, gas, plumbing and septic permits are filed and paid in PermitEyes. Create an applicant account, choose New Application, then follow the status and pay the fee from the eye icon; staff may use the chat feature to ask for more documents. Allow at least 48 hours for review, then print the permit from your account.

Other applications are on the Town’s Forms & Permits page:

• Building Permit – Residential (one- and two-family dwellings) and Building Permit – Commercial (2026 form)
• Demolition Permit
• Electrical Installations by a Homeowner and the homeowner plumbing and gas fitter form (2026), for owners doing their own work in the single-family home they live in
• Electrical Load Calculation, Energy Codes Form 2018, Foundation Requirement, Deck Template and Special Inspection Statement
• Certificate of Occupancy sign-off sheet
• Driveway Permit, submitted and paid at Public Works

Hooksett building permit fees

Fees come from the Community Development Department’s Notice of Building and Permitting Fees. Its building rates match those the Town Council approved on October 28, 2015.

For example, a 2,000 sq ft house costs $50 + $300 = $350 for the building permit. Electrical items are priced individually: outlets, lights and switches at $0.30 each, range and dryer outlets at $0.50, smoke and heat detectors at $1, panels at $0.10 per amp and generators at $30. Plumbing fixtures are priced individually, from $2 for a sink to $7 for a tank and heater, $10 for a catch basin or air admittance valve and $20 for special waste, with piping charged per 100 ft. Re-inspection fees must be paid before the certificate of occupancy or final approval.

Electrical, plumbing, gas and oil permits in Hooksett

The licensed electrician, plumber or gas fitter files a separate permit with the Building Office, online in PermitEyes or on paper. Fire-Rescue confirms that all gas permits go through Building/Code Enforcement at Town Hall. A homeowner who does the electrical or plumbing and gas work in the single-family house they live in signs the Town’s homeowner form for that building permit.

Oil burners and boilers, fuel tanks and oil lines, fire alarms and sprinklers are permitted by Hooksett Fire-Rescue’s fire prevention office (603-623-7272). On a commercial job the building plans must also be sent electronically to the Fire Department and approved before the building permit is issued.

What to submit with a Hooksett building permit

Septic designs are approved by NHDES’s Subsurface Systems Bureau, and the Town’s septic review ($50) and permit ($75) come on top. For a new system, the Town’s septic form asks for 2 copies of the design for pre-approval; repairs and replacements need the plans and documents set out in the state’s Env-Wq 1000 rules.

How to get a building permit in Hooksett

Inspections in Hooksett

The applicant, contractor or owner must tell the Building Inspector when the foundation, frame, chimneys, electrical wiring, plumbing and insulation are ready for inspection, and when the work is complete. From the Code Enforcement Officer’s third visit for the same request, each re-inspection costs $25.

Before a certificate of occupancy is issued, the Town’s sign-off sheet may call for approval from the Fire Department, Police Department, Sewer Department, the water department serving the lot, Public Works (driveway), the state Department of Transportation and the Planning Department (as-built plans), plus proof that the impact fee is paid. Call Code Enforcement at 603-485-4117 to learn which signatures your property needs.

Local Hooksett details that matter

Impact fees: the Town’s residential impact fee summary sheet, revised in January 2008, lists $8,419 for a single-family home: $4,978 for schools, $1,326 for public safety, $695 for recreation and $1,420 for roadways. The roadway fee comes from the traffic matrix the Town Council adopted on August 5, 2009.

Fire access for new homes: Fire-Rescue’s requirements limit residential driveways to a 10% grade. Driveways over 150 ft must be at least 16 ft wide with 13 ft 6 in of clearance and a turnaround, homes over 5,000 sq ft must meet fire flow rules, and hard-wired combination smoke and CO alarms are required on every level.

Floodplain: the Town’s floodplain ordinance requires a permit for any development in a special flood hazard area, and new or substantially improved buildings in Zones A and AE must report the as-built lowest floor elevation.

Code editions: the Code Enforcement page names the 2021 IBC. Since July 1, 2026 the State Building Code has been the 2024 edition (with the 2018 energy code and 2023 NEC), and until December 31, 2026 an applicant may choose the 2021 set instead, but not parts of both.

New Hampshire building code

Every building in New Hampshire must meet the state building and fire codes (the 2024 codes since July 2026). Only towns that have adopted an enforcement mechanism issue local permits, and any local amendment must be administrative and confirmed by the state. New Hampshire rules

Hooksett building permit FAQ

Who issues building permits in Hooksett?

Code Enforcement/Building in the Community Development Department at Town Hall, 35 Main Street, 603-485-4117.

How much does a building permit cost in Hooksett?

Residential permits are $50 plus $0.15 per sq ft and commercial permits $50 plus $0.20 per sq ft, so a 2,000 sq ft house is $350 before trade permits.

Can I apply online?

Electrical, gas, plumbing and septic permits can be filed and paid in PermitEyes. Building permits use the Town’s residential or commercial application forms.

Can a homeowner do their own electrical or plumbing work?

The Town has homeowner forms for electrical, plumbing and gas work in a single-family home that is the owner’s own residence; otherwise the licensed professional files the permit.

Who issues driveway permits?

The Department of Public Works at 210 West River Road, which takes the application and fee and does the inspections.

What are the office hours?

Monday, Tuesday and Thursday 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Wednesday until 6:30 p.m., and Friday 8:00 a.m. to noon.

Official Hooksett permitting resources

These are the primary sources behind this guide. Codes, fee schedules and procedures change — confirm the position for your filing date.

• NH Department of Environmental Services
• New Hampshire State Building Code statute
• Town of Hooksett website
• Hooksett Building Permit Application – Commercial (2026)
• Hooksett Code Enforcement
• Hooksett Code Enforcement Forms & Permits
• Hooksett Notice of Fees
• Hooksett Building Permit Application – Residential
• Hooksett impact fees
• Hooksett Driveway Permit packet
• Hooksett Fire-Rescue permits and fire prevention
• Hooksett PermitEyes permit portal

Simplify Hooksett permitting with Alliance Permitting

Alliance Permitting is a permit documentation and submission company in New Hampshire. 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 Hooksett permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.