City of Auburn, New York Building Permit Guide

Inside Auburn city limits, the Code Enforcement Office in Memorial City Hall, 24 South Street, issues building, plumbing/HVAC, driveway and sign permits and the city’s certificates of occupancy. Applications are sent by email, mail or the City Hall drop box with no payment; the office notifies you when the permit is approved and the fee is due. A new house costs $200 plus $0.40 per square foot, and its plan review takes about 8 business weeks.

What requires a building permit in Auburn?

The office’s fee page doubles as Auburn’s list of permit work. It also names the common jobs that need no permit at all.

What the city decides and what the state holds

Construction standards are the state Uniform Code and Energy Code, which Auburn enforces with its own Municipal Code: Chapter 125 for building construction (including the electrical inspection article), alongside Chapters 178, 182, 230 and 305, which the office also enforces. The city sets its own fees, setbacks, historic district review and certificate-of-occupancy triggers.

Auburn building department: who handles permitting

The Code Enforcement Office issues permits, answers housing code complaints, takes applications for the Zoning and Planning Boards and makes certificate of occupancy and home occupancy inspections. It covers the city only: the towns that surround Auburn are separate municipalities, so confirm on the Cayuga County tax map that a parcel is inside the city before filing here.

The city has warned of a phishing scam aimed at people with planning, zoning and code applications, so send documents only to the office’s published contacts and pay the city directly.

Auburn permit types and applications

Residential permits

The Application for Building Permit and a Plot Plan cover most house projects; drawings or plot plans are required for fences, pools, new construction, accessory structures, additions and driveways. The forms page adds separate applications for plumbing/HVAC, driveway, curb cut or parking expansion, dwelling unit conversions and reinstatements, short-term rentals, and excavation in the city right-of-way for sewer and water. Placement rules from the city’s construction requirements:

• Sheds and detached garages: no larger than 784 sq ft, no taller than 20 ft at the peak, 6 ft from the house, 3 ft from side and rear lines, never in the front yard.
• Decks: 3 ft from side and rear lines and not in the front yard.
• Fences: may go up to the property line with footers on your own land; front-yard fences are limited to 4 ft.
• Pools: 10 ft from property lines and 6 ft from the house; above-ground pools need 48-inch walls with a lockable ladder or a fence, and fences must be 48 inches high with a self-latching gate.
• Solar and generators: solar arrays use the New York State unified solar permit application; for generators the office asks owners to consult Codes staff on the requirements.

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

Commercial permits

Commercial work covers every property outside the residential group. A job of $20,000 or more needs stamped New York architectural plans: two sets and one digital set on the fee web page, three sets on the July 2026 permit fee sheet. Commercial plan review for new buildings, exterior renovations and interior remodels takes about 8 business weeks. A commercial solar array is $200 plus any consultant review costs in the adopted 2026–2027 schedule; the July 2026 fee sheet adds the commercial building fee on top.

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

• Historic district: exterior work needs a Certificate of Appropriateness from the Historic Resources Review Board first.
• Zoning: area and use variances and special use permits are filed through the same office for the Zoning and Planning Boards.
• Sewer and water: a new building also needs a request to connect to city sewer and water, made through the city’s engineering department.
• Floodplain: FEMA lists Auburn as a participating community in the National Flood Insurance Program (current flood map dated August 2, 2007), so check the flood map before designing on low ground.

Other city setbacks from the construction requirements page:

Auburn building permit fees

Fees come from the city’s Codes and Zoning Fee Schedule 2026 to 2027, which the office repeats on its Permit Fees & Information page and its July 1, 2026 permit fee sheet, and are paid after approval: by check to the City of Auburn, or by card with a $3 processing fee under $100 and 2.65% above $100.

Worked examples: a 1,800-square-foot new house is $200 plus 1,800 × $0.40, or $920; a 400-square-foot addition is $310; a 300-square-foot deck is $125; and 150 feet of residential fence is $62.50. Working without a permit costs double the permit fee for a first offense, $300 plus double for a second and $500 plus double for a third. Certificates of occupancy are billed separately (see below).

Trade permits and who may pull them

Auburn licenses its own trades through city boards. The Electrical License Board examines and licenses Master, Limited and Appliance Installer electricians, and posts the 2026 list of each; for the current round, applications had to be filed in person at the board’s October 14, 2026 meeting, with the exam date to be announced. The Plumbing Board licenses Master Plumbers and Drain Layer Plumbers and accepts applications only in person at an advertised regular meeting. The city also keeps a list of backflow testers, and backflow prevention devices have their own application on the forms page.

Electrical inspections are made by agencies the City Council has designated and deputized under Article V of Chapter 125: Commonwealth Electrical Inspection Service (315-224-3404), CNY Electrical Inspection Service (315-633-0027) and The Inspectors, LLC (800-487-0535). Plumbing and HVAC work uses the city’s own Plumbing/HVAC Permit application.

Every building permit needs the contractor’s certificate of workers’ compensation and disability coverage, a CE-200 if the contractor has no coverage, or the city’s self-liability waiver signed by a homeowner doing the work.

How to apply for an Auburn building permit

Review, corrections and what causes delay

The office publishes review times by project: 14 business days for additions, detached structures, driveways and solar, and 8 business weeks for new houses and for commercial building work. A Historic District project cannot be permitted until the Certificate of Appropriateness is in hand, and a permit can be extended only once, for 12 months from the original issue date.

Auburn inspections and certificates of occupancy

Construction inspections are arranged through the Code Enforcement Office; electrical installations are inspected by one of the city’s designated agencies. The office posts an inspection checklist with its certificate of occupancy information.

A certificate of occupancy is required for every building with two or more dwelling units, and for every mixed commercial-residential building, whenever title transfers, a mortgage is recorded without a valid certificate, units sit vacant or condemned for six months, the use changes, a building permit is issued, or an existing certificate reaches its five-year expiry. A new single-family house, or one vacant for six months or more, also needs one.

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

Auburn’s local administration rules sit in Chapter 125 of the Municipal Code, published on eCode360, which also carries the city’s electrical inspection article.

City of Auburn permit FAQ

Do I need a permit to replace siding in Auburn?

Ask first. The fee web page lists painting, siding, carpeting and floor covering above the sub-floor as work that needs no permit, but the July 2026 permit fee sheet drops siding from that list. Window replacement does need a permit ($50).

How much is a building permit for a new house?

$200 plus $0.40 per square foot, so an 1,800-square-foot house is $920. A certificate of occupancy is a separate $50 per unit.

Can I pay when I submit?

No. Send the application without money; the office notifies you when the permit is approved and then collects the fee.

Do I need a permit for a small shed?

Yes. Detached structures under 144 square feet pay a flat $50, and larger ones $75 plus $0.25 per square foot, up to 784 square feet.

Who inspects electrical work in Auburn?

One of the City Council’s designated agencies: Commonwealth Electrical Inspection Service, CNY Electrical Inspection Service or The Inspectors, LLC.

How do I get an electrician’s or plumber’s license?

Apply in person to the city’s Electrical License Board or Plumbing Board at an advertised meeting; the boards examine applicants and the city publishes the licensed lists each year.

What does a pool need in Auburn?

A $50 permit, a site plan, and a location 10 feet from property lines and 6 feet from the house. Above-ground pools need 48-inch walls with a lockable ladder or a 48-inch fence with a self-latching gate, and in-ground pools must be fenced.

Do I need a permit to pave or widen a driveway?

Yes. A new, expanded or replacement driveway is $50 and resurfacing is $25, with a plot plan; the city’s Driveway / Curb Cut and / or Parking Area Expansion application covers work at the curb.

Does a short-term rental need anything from Code Enforcement?

Yes. The office publishes a separate Application for Short Term Rentals alongside its dwelling unit conversion and reinstatement applications.

How long does review take?

About 14 business days for additions, sheds and garages, driveways and solar, and about 8 business weeks for a new house or commercial building work.

When does a rental building need a certificate of occupancy?

Buildings with two or more units need a current certificate on sale, refinancing without a valid certificate, a six-month vacancy, a change of use, a building permit, or when the existing certificate turns five years old.

Auburn permit search and official resources

Permit and certificate records for Auburn properties are kept by the Code Enforcement Office at Memorial City Hall. Because a multi-unit building needs a valid certificate of occupancy when title transfers or a mortgage is recorded, its certificate status is the first record to check before a sale or refinancing; copies of permit files can also be requested from the city under the Freedom of Information Law.

• City of Auburn Code Enforcement Office
• Code Enforcement applications and forms
• Permit fees and information
• Certificates of occupancy
• General requirements for construction (setbacks)
• Electrician licensing and lists
• Plumber licensing and lists
• Authorized electrical inspection agencies
• City of Auburn Municipal Code on eCode360
• NYS code adoption and enforcement updates

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