Town of Canandaigua, New York Building Permit Guide

In the Town of Canandaigua, the Code Enforcement Office at 5440 Route 5 & 20 West (585-394-1120) issues building permits, inspects the work and signs certificates of occupancy and compliance; the City of Canandaigua is a separate municipality with its own office. Applications go through the town’s Cloudpermit portal, and a new one- or two-family home costs $500 plus $0.35 per square foot under the 2026 fee schedule.

What requires a building permit in the Town of Canandaigua?

The office’s own list covers any new building, addition or alteration that touches structure, heating and cooling, ventilation, wiring, plumbing or the use of a building. Since 2026 the town also tells homeowners that window and siding replacement need a permit, which overrides an older line on its FAQ page calling those jobs repairs.

The shed limit is the one most people miss: the state default exemption runs to 144 square feet, but the town’s Chapter 92, rewritten by Local Law 6 of 2025 on December 22, 2025, exempts only sheds of 50 square feet or less.

What the town decides and what the state sets

The Uniform Code and Energy Code set the construction standards. The town adds its own zoning in Chapter 220. Residential fences may be 4 feet high in a front yard and 6 feet at the side and rear, but only 4 feet in a rear yard facing Canandaigua Lake, and on lakefront lots no fence may stand within 15 feet of the mean high water mark or impair a neighbor’s view. Outside the Residential Lake District, lots of 20,000 square feet or less may carry one detached garage and one other accessory building, 1,300 square feet combined; bigger lots may have up to five, within the lesser of 1,300 square feet plus 1% of the lot or 3,000 square feet. Accessory buildings may not be lived in, are capped at 16 feet tall (22 feet at 1,000 square feet or more), and sheds and garages must sit behind the front line of the house.

Town of Canandaigua building department: who handles permitting

The Code Enforcement Office, part of the town’s Development Office, reviews plans, issues permits, inspects construction, runs the stormwater program and enforces property maintenance; a Fire Marshal handles fire inspections. Mike Murphy, CFM, is the Lead Code Enforcement Officer and the town’s Floodplain Manager. Its 2025 annual report shows the scale: 633 applications reviewed, 585 permits issued, nearly 4,000 inspections and $73.7 million of construction.

The town has no incorporated village, so this office covers all town land. The City of Canandaigua is a separate municipality whose Code Enforcement Office at City Hall, 2 North Main Street (585-337-2180), permits work inside the city line; check the tax map number before you file.

Town of Canandaigua permit types and filing rules

Residential permits

Every application starts in the Cloudpermit portal: create a free account, pick a category (residential building, accessory structure and so on), a work type (new, addition, remodel, demolition, repair or renewal) and the property, then upload PDFs. Both the applicant and each property owner must sign off before the file reaches staff. The application guides page, updated September 9, 2026, adds project sheets for decks, roofs, fences, accessory buildings, finished basements, generators, pools, fireplaces, solar, exterior wall coverings, interior renovations and plumbing tests, plus a residential plan review checklist and an energy code certificate.

Proof of workers’ compensation and disability coverage goes in with the application, not later: forms C-105.2 or U-26.3 with DB-120.1, or an original, site-specific CE-200 for an owner or a contractor with no employees. ACORD certificates are refused, and an updated form is needed if coverage lapses while the permit is open.

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

Commercial permits

Commercial and mixed-use buildings are charged $0.55 per square foot plus $1,000 per tenant space for new space and $0.50 per square foot plus $1,000 per tenant space for level 2 and 3 alterations; a new tenant moving in without changes pays $100. Plans must carry an architect’s or engineer’s seal where state law requires one, and the Fire Marshal issues operating permits for assembly spaces, hazardous materials, tents over 400 square feet and similar uses.

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

• Zoning and boards: the Planning Board hears special use permits ($300) and site plans ($300 for a single house); the Zoning Board of Appeals charges $200 per variance or interpretation; a zoning compliance letter is $150.
• Stormwater: a soil erosion and sediment permit is $250 and site development under one acre $100; larger disturbances need a SWPPP under Chapter 170.
• Flood plain: the town takes part in the National Flood Insurance Program, and a floodplain development permit (no fee) is required before building, filling or fencing in a mapped flood hazard area.
• Septic: Chapter 202 requires a town building permit for any new, altered or replaced on-site system; see the trades section for the inspection rules.
• Lake shore: docks, boat lifts and moorings on Canandaigua Lake are permitted under the Uniform Docking and Mooring Law (Chapter 96); a tier one dock or boat structure is $0.30 per square foot with a $200 minimum, and a mooring $75.

Rental and vacant property permits

Owners who rent a dwelling for short stays need a $300 short-term rental permit per unit under Chapter 201, and the Planning Board’s special use review for a short-term rental is $150. A vacant building must be registered under Chapter 88 for $100, with a $250 renewal and a $200 charge for every 30 days the registration goes unpaid.

Town of Canandaigua permit fees

The Town Board adopted the 2026 fee schedule on December 22, 2025 and amended it on May 18, 2026 (Resolution 2026-129). Permit fees are non-refundable and are paid at the Town Clerk’s Office.

For example, a 2,000 sq ft new house costs $500 + (2,000 × $0.35) = $1,200, above the $750 minimum. A 240 sq ft deck is $72 at $0.30 per square foot, so the $100 minimum applies. Outside reviewers’ costs are passed on under Chapter 111, and a new water service in the Canandaigua Consolidated or Bristol water district costs $1,150 for a 3/4-inch tap and meter.

Trade permits and who may pull them

Electrical, plumbing and mechanical. The same office permits trade work: wiring, plumbing, heating and gas work that is not part of a larger project goes in as a $250 building equipment and systems permit, and the Code Enforcement Officer inspects those systems under Chapter 92. The Town Code contains no chapter licensing electricians, plumbers or home-improvement contractors, and staff will not recommend contractors; the homeowner remains responsible for making sure a permit is issued before work starts.

Septic. Chapter 202 makes the town the permit office for on-site systems. Replacing a tank or distribution box needs a permit but no designer; any change to the absorption field needs a design professional, and state health or environmental approval or the Canandaigua Lake Watershed Inspector may also have to sign off. A certified inspector must check the existing system before a property is sold (10 days to six months before transfer), before bedrooms are added, and before a house grows by more than 25% or is altered over more than half its area. Systems within 200 feet of the lake are designed at 150 gallons a day per bedroom, inspected every five years, and must be brought up to standard within 12 months of a sale if found substandard.

How to apply for a Town of Canandaigua building permit

Review, corrections and what causes delay

The town says general review does not begin for roughly two to three weeks after submission, files are taken in the order received, and there is no expedited track. Staff cannot see an application that has not been signed off by every owner, red-flagged items in the portal must be fixed before review, and plans changed after the first review cost $100 to re-review. A permit lapses if work has not started within six months and expires 12 months after issue; a six-month extension costs half the original fee.

Town of Canandaigua inspections and certificates

Request inspections from the Inspections tab of your Cloudpermit application, or call 585-394-1120; the office asks for 24 hours’ notice and tries to fit in short-notice requests, while fire inspections are booked with the Fire Marshal. Chapter 92 lists the stages: the site before the permit issues, footings and foundations, slab preparation, framing, building systems including electrical, fire-resistant construction, solid-fuel heaters and chimneys, Energy Code items and a final. The officer may accept a remote inspection where it gives the same assurance. Work covered before inspection, or a no-show, costs $250 per visit. The final inspection, requested in the portal, closes the permit with a certificate of compliance or certificate of occupancy.

Building without a permit can bring a stop-work order, a fine of $500 to $1,000 a day, up to 15 days in jail, and a compliance permit at twice the normal fee.

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

Town of Canandaigua permit FAQ

How much is a building permit for a new house in the Town of Canandaigua?

$500 plus $0.35 per square foot, with a $750 minimum, under the 2026 schedule; new dwellings also pay a $2,000 park and recreation fee.

Do I need a permit to replace windows or siding?

Yes. The town’s 2026 notice says new and replacement windows and siding now need a permit.

Do I need a permit for a shed?

Yes, unless it is 50 square feet or smaller. Larger sheds are accessory structures at $0.30 per square foot, $100 minimum.

How tall can my fence be?

Four feet in a front yard or in a rear yard on Canandaigua Lake, and 6 feet at the side and rear elsewhere; residential fences cost $50.

How long does review take?

Review usually starts two to three weeks after a complete, signed-off submission, and the town offers no expedited review.

Is a septic inspection required when I sell?

Yes. Chapter 202 requires a certified inspector to check the system between six months and 10 days before the property is conveyed.

Can I pay the permit fee online?

Yes, by phone or online with a 3% convenience fee, or in person at the Town Clerk’s Office by cash, check or card at no extra charge.

Does the town permit work in the City of Canandaigua?

No. The city runs its own Code Enforcement Office at City Hall; the town office covers only town land.

Permit search and official resources

Applicants follow their own permits on the Cloudpermit dashboard. For permits on another property, ask the Code Enforcement Office or file a Freedom of Information Law request with the Town Clerk.

• Town Code Enforcement Office
• Cloudpermit portal
• How to submit a building permit application
• Application guides and resources
• 2026 fee schedule, Resolution 2026-129
• Fence regulations guide
• Accessory buildings guide
• Insurance requirements
• 2025 Code Enforcement annual report
• Town Code Chapter 92, Uniform Construction Codes
• Town Code Chapter 202, On-Site Wastewater
• FEMA Community Status Book, New York
• NYS code adoption notice

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