Pelham, New Hampshire Building Permit Guide

In Pelham, the Planning Department at Town Hall, 6 Village Green (603-635-7811), issues building and trade permits, and the Town’s building, plumbing and electrical inspectors work through that office. Applications and plans are taken in person, by mail or in the drop box outside Town Hall, not by email. Since March 1, 2026, new homes and additions have cost $0.35 per square foot of finished space.

What requires a permit in Pelham?

The Planning Department’s “Do I Need a Permit” chart sets out what needs a permit, and notes that every permit requires inspections:

A hot tub needs no building permit but does need an electrical permit. Commercial new buildings, additions, alterations, changes of occupancy and excavation all need permits.

Who issues building permits in Pelham?

The Planning Department handles building permits, code enforcement, zoning and environmental health, and supports the Planning Board and Zoning Board of Adjustment. Jenn Beauregard is the Planning Director and Zoning Administrator, and Roland Soucy is the Building and Plumbing Inspector. Information on past permits for a property comes from the Planning Department as a Right-to-Know request.

Pelham permit applications

All applications are on the Town’s Forms, Applications & Guidelines page. Since a June 2024 change, the Planning Department takes them, with drawings and plans, only in person, by mail or in the drop box outside the Town Hall front door. Forms include:

• Building Permit Application, plus separate versions for a new dwelling, commercial work, solar arrays and accessory dwelling units
• Electrical, Plumbing and Gas Piping Permit Applications
• Demolition, Driveway, Septic System, Sign and Well Permit Applications
• An Acting as Agent Form, for someone applying on the owner’s behalf
• New home and commercial occupancy checklists

Development within 1,000 ft of a natural gas transmission pipeline must be reported to the pipeline operator under state law. The new dwelling application explains how to check a lot on the regional planning commission’s map and asks for the operator’s reply with the application.

Pelham building permit fees

The Board of Selectmen adopted the current Permit Fee Schedule on February 10, 2026, effective March 1, 2026. Every building permit carries a minimum total fee of $50 for residential work or $150 for commercial, which is not refundable.

For example, a new house with 2,000 sq ft of finished floor space has a $700 building permit fee. Commercial, industrial and multi-family construction is $0.45 per sq ft, plus $0.15 per sq ft for single-floor areas over 10 ft high and for the third floor and up, and each commercial inspection adds $50.

Permits issued after work has begun cost twice the normal fee, and a reinspection costs $50 ($100 for septic work). The Town’s older RSA 673:16 fee notice still shows the earlier rates, such as $0.25 per sq ft for homes; the February 2026 schedule replaced them on March 1, 2026. Refunds are possible only if the permit is withdrawn before issue or no work has begun, with a refund request form, and never after 90 days.

Electrical, plumbing and gas permits in Pelham

Electrical, plumbing and gas piping permits are issued by the Planning Department on their own applications, each with a sub-permit administrative fee. The electrical inspector has ruled out homeowner electrical permits for pools, hot tubs and spas, service entrance replacements or upgrades, whole-house generators, solar PV systems, duplexes and ADUs; those permits go only to New Hampshire licensed master electricians. A service change also needs a work request number from Liberty Utilities.

Oil and gas burning appliances need a permit from the Fire Department (603-635-2703), and a copy of it is part of the occupancy checklist for a new home.

Documents for a new home in Pelham

• Fire Department review first: four sets of 11 x 17 plans go to the Fire Department for its approval stamp; two stamped sets go in with the building application, and one comes back to stay on site.
• Septic: a full-size (22 x 34) septic design with its Construction Approval from NHDES’s Subsurface Systems Bureau.
• Well: a Sustained Yield Report and Well Data Report from the driller before the foundation permit is issued.
• Address: a house number from the Assessing Office for an unaddressed lot.
• Pipeline check for lots near the natural gas transmission line.

Permits for a new home are issued in two phases. The foundation permit comes first; after the foundation inspections, a certified plot plan stamped by a New Hampshire licensed land surveyor must show the foundation’s setbacks, and once all permit and impact fees are paid the building permit is issued for the rest of the work.

How to get a building permit in Pelham

Inspections in Pelham

Building, plumbing and electrical inspections take place Monday to Thursday and are booked through the Planning Office at 603-635-7811. For a new home, the grounding electrode, footing rebar and wall rebar must be inspected before concrete is placed.

Inspectors need safe access: an entrance more than 12 in off the ground needs a stairway, and debris, snow and ice must be cleared. The laminated permit must be posted where inspectors can sign it. If either is missing the inspection may be failed, and the $50 reinspection fee must be paid before the next request.

The new home occupancy checklist asks for final building, electrical, plumbing and driveway inspections, and these documents:

• An 11 x 17 certified plot plan showing the monuments set
• A 22 x 34 septic as-built plan and the Subsurface Systems Bureau’s Approval for Operation
• The Fire Department’s oil or gas burning permit
• A well test from a New Hampshire certified laboratory, with a point-of-entry treatment system, installer’s letter and passing retest if any primary element fails, and the driller’s Well Data Report
• A blower door test showing 7 air changes per hour or less at 50 Pa
• The building permit card with every inspection signed off, and 4 in house numbers on the house and both sides of the mailbox

Local Pelham details that matter

Payment scams: the Town has posted alerts about fraudulent emails asking for planning and building payments; check any request with the Planning Department before paying.

Code editions: the Building Services page still lists the 2021 IBC (since February 25, 2025) and the 2023 NEC. The State Building Code moved to the 2024 IBC and IRC on July 1, 2026, keeping the 2018 energy code and 2023 NEC, and permit applications received through December 31, 2026 may use either the 2021 or the 2024 set, but not a combination.

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

Pelham building permit FAQ

Who issues building permits in Pelham?

The Planning Department at Town Hall, 6 Village Green, 603-635-7811.

How much is a building permit for a new house in Pelham?

$0.35 per sq ft of finished floor space, so a 2,000 sq ft house pays $700 for the building permit, plus separate electrical, plumbing and septic fees. Garages and unfinished areas are $0.20 per sq ft.

Do I need a permit for a shed, deck or fence in Pelham?

Any shed or other outbuilding needs a permit, and so does any porch or deck. Fences need one only when they are over 7 ft tall.

Do I need a permit to replace my roof or windows?

Not to replace shingles or swap windows and doors in kind. Structural roof changes, and windows or doors that change size or location, need a permit.

Can I email my application?

No. Since June 2024 the Planning Department takes applications in person, by mail or in the drop box outside Town Hall.

Can a homeowner pull an electrical permit?

Not for pools, hot tubs, service changes, whole-house generators, solar PV, duplexes or ADUs. Those permits go only to licensed master electricians.

When are inspections done?

Monday to Thursday. Call the Planning Office at 603-635-7811 to book.

Official Pelham 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
• Pelham Building Services
• Pelham Planning Department
• Pelham Forms, Applications & Guidelines
• Pelham Permit Fee Schedule (effective March 1, 2026)
• Pelham Do I Need a Permit chart
• Pelham Building Permit Application for New Dwelling (Word file)
• Pelham New Home Occupancy Checklist
• Pelham inspectors

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