Town of Arcadia, New York Building Permit Guide

For property in the Town of Arcadia outside the Village of Newark, building and zoning permits come from the town’s Code Enforcement Officer at 201 Frey Street, Newark (315-331-0919), whose office hours are weekday mornings from 9 am to noon. The town asks applicants to file, track permits and book inspections on Cloudpermit, with a printable application for anyone who cannot. Land inside the Village of Newark is covered by the village’s own code enforcement office under Village Code Chapter 62.

What requires a building permit in Arcadia?

The town’s combined building and zoning application lists the project types the office handles: new houses and manufactured homes, additions, alterations and renovations, decks and porches, garages and pole barns, sheds, swimming pools and hot tubs, stoves, fireplaces and chimneys, and roofs, on residential, agricultural, commercial and industrial property, for new work or replacements.

The application asks whether the property is in or near a floodplain or wetland and whether a variance is needed, and it warns that a town permit does not replace any federal, state or other local permit the work requires.

What Arcadia decides and what the state sets

Construction standards are the state Uniform Code and Energy Code, which the town’s Code Enforcement Officer, appointed each year by the Town Board, administers. Land use comes from the Town Zoning Law (posted in two parts with the town zoning map), amended in 2024 by Local Law 2 on solar energy and battery storage systems. The town and the Village of Newark also share a joint comprehensive plan, posted on the town site. Local construction rules stricter than the Uniform Code would need state Code Council approval.

Arcadia building department: who handles permitting

At its January 5, 2026 organizational meeting the Town Board appointed Edward DeWolf, Jr. as the town’s building and zoning code enforcement officer for 2026; a code enforcement assistant and a designated clerk support the office, which also serves the Planning Board and Zoning Board of Appeals. MRB Group is the Town Engineer for 2026. The office is open Monday to Friday from 9 am to noon; the rest of Town Hall keeps longer hours (Monday to Thursday 8:30 am to 4 pm, Friday to 1 pm; 315-331-1222).

The Village of Newark lies inside the town and holds most of its residents (about 8,900 of 13,500). The village has its own Code Enforcement department and building code (Village Code Chapter 62, rewritten by Local Law 2 of 2025), so village property is permitted there, not at Frey Street.

Arcadia permit types and filing rules

Residential permits

Start by creating a Cloudpermit account. Through it you can file at any hour, follow the application as its status changes (with an email at each step), exchange time-stamped messages with the office, schedule or cancel inspections and ask for changes to a permit already issued. The town’s page links Cloudpermit’s how-to videos for submitting an application, sending a message and requesting an inspection.

The printable building and zoning application gathers the owner, applicant and contractor details, whether the contractor carries liability and workers’ compensation insurance, the project type and size, zoning district and front, side and rear setbacks, the estimated cost, and the floodplain, wetland and variance questions. The office fills in the permit number, fee and expiration date on approval and accepts cash, credit card or check. Manufactured and mobile homes use their own application, and the office posts a cross-section specification sheet, swimming pool requirements, a deck guide and a notice form for truss-type, pre-engineered wood and timber construction in homes.

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

Pools and decks

The town’s pool sheet counts anything able to hold more than 24 inches of water at any point as a pool, including hot tubs, spas and wading pools. It requires pool walls 4 feet high or a 4-foot fence with a lockable gate, a ladder removed when the pool is not in use (or stored up and locked, or a locked slide cover), a pool alarm and a third-party electrical inspection of the pool wiring. For decks, the office points builders to the American Wood Council’s prescriptive residential wood deck construction guide.

Solar and battery storage

Local Law 2 of 2024 sorts solar into three tiers. Roof-mounted and building-integrated systems (Tier 1) are allowed with a building permit. Ground-mounted systems up to 25 kW AC, or up to 4,000 sq ft of panels, that make no more than 110% of the site’s own use (Tier 2) need Planning Board site plan approval and a building permit, and are not allowed in a Residential R district. Anything larger (Tier 3) needs a Town Board special use permit after a public hearing, plus site plan approval; the Code Enforcement Officer and Town Attorney check completeness within 20 business days. Batteries under 600 kWh are allowed only with Tier 1 or Tier 2 systems for on-site use and need a building permit; larger battery systems need a Town Board special use permit.

Projects in the Village of Newark

The village rewrote its building chapter in 2025. Under Chapter 62 (Local Law 2 of 2025, adopted March 18, 2025) the Board of Trustees appoints the village Code Enforcement Officer and sets permit fees by resolution. A building permit is needed for any work under the Uniform Code or Energy Code, with these exemptions: one-story playhouses and similar detached structures up to 144 sq ft at homes, swings, above-ground pools under 24 inches deep, retaining walls that support no surcharge and impound no Class I, II or IIIA liquids, awnings, low partitions, finish work, portable appliances, like-for-like equipment and minor repairs. The chapter lists no exemption for fences. A village permit lapses if work has not started within six months and expires 12 months after issue, and inspections run from the site visit before the permit through footings, framing, building systems, energy code items and manufactured home set-up to a final; the village may also inspect remotely. Village Hall’s code enforcement menu lists building permit requirements, swimming pool requirements and its planning and zoning boards.

Commercial permits

Commercial, industrial and agricultural buildings use the same application, with the occupancy box marked. Site plans go to the five-member Planning Board, and the subdivision application covers new lots. Agricultural work is a separate project category on the form, and pole barns and garages share their own box with a size line, so give the footprint in square feet. Commercial ground-mounted solar is Tier 2 or Tier 3 depending on size and output.

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 and uses come from the Town Zoning Law and zoning map; the Zoning Board of Appeals hears variances.
• Flood zones: new FEMA flood maps for Arcadia and Newark take effect on November 13, 2026, so recheck any parcel near a creek or wetland.
• Water service: in town water districts the Wayne County Water Authority’s schedule applies, including a $1,600 service connection charge set for 2026.
• Health: the state Health Department’s district office list places Wayne County with its Geneva District Office (624 Pre Emption Road, Geneva; 315-789-3030).

Arcadia building permit fees

Arcadia’s building fee is assessed by the Code Enforcement Officer: the application leaves the fee line for the office to complete on approval, so ask the office for the amount before you file. The cost items the town does publish are below.

Projects that need Planning Board, Zoning Board or Town Board approval also go through those boards’ own applications and notice steps, separate from the building permit.

Trade permits and who may pull them

Licenses. Arcadia’s posted forms and pages set no local license for electricians, plumbers or general contractors. The application asks only who the contractor is and whether liability and workers’ compensation coverage is in place, and a homeowner doing the work answers the same question; state workers’ compensation and disability proof, or an exemption form, goes with the application.

Heating and fireplaces. Wood stoves, fireplaces and chimneys are permit items on the application, and the office posts a cross-section specification sheet to complete with building plans.

Electrical. Electrical work tied to a permit, such as solar and battery installations, must meet the electrical, fire and building code requirements Local Law 2 of 2024 lists.

How to apply for an Arcadia building permit

Review, corrections and what causes delay

Because the office is open only on weekday mornings, Cloudpermit messages let review questions be answered at any hour. Projects that need a variance, Planning Board site plan approval or a Town Board special use permit wait for those boards first; a Tier 3 solar application alone needs a completeness review of up to 20 business days and a Town Board public hearing advertised in a local newspaper at least five calendar days ahead. The permit carries an expiration date, and work not finished by then needs a renewal.

Arcadia inspections and certificates

Inspections are scheduled or cancelled in Cloudpermit, and you receive an email whenever an inspection’s status changes. Inspections are carried out by the town code enforcement office, and the approved permit carries its expiration date.

Complaints about property conditions or unpermitted work can also be filed online through Cloudpermit’s complaint map for Arcadia. In the Village of Newark, inspections and certificates come from the village’s code enforcement office under Chapter 62.

New York building code

New York builds on one statewide code, the Uniform Code, outside New York City; the 2025 edition and 2025 Energy Code took effect on 31 December 2025 (the all-electric provisions remain suspended by court order). Cities, towns and villages administer it, and local standards stricter than the code need Code Council approval. The Uniform Code in New York

Arcadia permit FAQ

I live in Newark. Who issues my permit?

Inside the Village of Newark, the village code enforcement office at Village Hall, 100 East Miller Street (315-331-4770). Outside the village, the Town of Arcadia Code Enforcement Officer at 201 Frey Street.

Can I apply online?

Yes. The town uses Cloudpermit for applications, messages, permit changes and inspection booking; a printable application is still available.

When is the code office open?

Monday to Friday from 9 am to noon. Call 315-331-0919 or email the code officer outside those hours.

What does a new pool need?

A permit, 4-foot pool sides or a 4-foot fence with a lockable gate, a ladder that is removed or locked when not in use, a pool alarm and a third-party electrical inspection. Hot tubs and spas deeper than 24 inches count as pools.

Can I put ground-mounted solar panels in my yard?

Not in a Residential R district. Elsewhere, a ground-mounted system up to 25 kW AC or 4,000 sq ft of panels that makes no more than 110% of your use needs Planning Board site plan approval and a building permit.

How much will my permit cost?

The Code Enforcement Officer sets the fee when the application is approved; the printable form leaves the amount for the office to fill in, payable by cash, card or check.

Is Arcadia in the federal flood insurance program?

Yes. FEMA lists both the Town of Arcadia and the Village of Newark as participating, with new flood maps effective November 13, 2026.

Permit search and official resources

Applicants follow their own permits in Cloudpermit. For older permit records or another property’s file, file a Freedom of Information request with the Town Clerk, whose office posts a FOIL application form.

• Arcadia Code Enforcement Officer
• Cloudpermit online permits
• Printable building and zoning permit application
• Local Law 2 of 2024, solar and battery storage
• Arcadia Planning Board
• Arcadia Zoning Board of Appeals
• Town Board organizational meeting minutes, January 5, 2026
• Village of Newark
• Village of Newark Code Chapter 62
• FEMA Community Status Book, New York
• NYS code adoption notice

Simplify Town of Arcadia permitting with Alliance Permitting

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