City of Cohoes, New York Building Permit Guide

Inside the City of Cohoes, building permits come from the Building Department, the code enforcement office that also takes in engineering and stormwater work, at its counter in room 23 on the second floor of City Hall, 97 Mohawk Street. You file a paper application by email, by mail or in person, and most permits cost 1.3% of the project cost with a $50 minimum under Chapter A290 of the City Code, as amended on July 28, 2026. The city’s FAQ puts a typical approval at 5 to 10 business days.

What requires a building permit in Cohoes?

Section 152-6 of the City Code, rewritten by Local Law No. 1 of 2022, requires a permit for any work governed by the state Uniform Code or Energy Code: building, enlarging, altering, improving, moving or demolishing a structure, and installing a wood or other solid-fuel heater, chimney or flue in a home. Cohoes kept only four exemptions, so there is no shed, playhouse or awning exemption here. The city’s own pages add that replacing a fence, pool, siding, deck or roof needs a permit while repairing one does not, and that installing or replacing a driveway or placing a dumpster on a lot or street also takes a permit.

What the city decides and what the state holds

Construction standards are the state’s: the Uniform Code and the Energy Code, which Cohoes administers through Article II of Chapter 152. The Common Council sets permit fees by ordinance in Chapter A290 and decides the city’s own procedure, such as the short exemption list, the six-month permit term and the $300 charge for applying after a stop-work order. Land use belongs to the city as well, through Chapter 285 (Zoning and Land Use), its freshwater wetlands law in Chapter 159 and the historic overlay districts reviewed by the Historic Preservation and Architectural Review Board.

Cohoes building department: who handles permitting

The Building Department is part of the Office of Building and Planning and is led by Joseph Fahd, who serves as Fire Chief and Director of Code. Code enforcement staff review applications, issue building, plumbing and electrical permits, and run construction, rental and vacant-building inspections; under § 202-1 the department alone may issue plumbing permits in the city. Zoning interpretation and board work sit with the Office of Planning, and street, sidewalk and utility work in the public way involves the City Engineer.

The city posts its permitting hours with a note that they can change, and recommends calling ahead to book a slot for over-the-counter plan review rather than walking in.

Cohoes permit types and filing requirements

Residential permits

Most house projects use the General Building Permit Application. The city also posts separate forms for fences, demolition, grading, signs, barricades, temporary storage containers and dumpsters, street and sidewalk openings, and the state’s Unified Solar Permit for small rooftop systems. Either the owner or the contractor may apply; depending on the job you may need a property survey and construction drawings. Eight site plan templates (corner lots, half and full blocks, alleys, small projects without sidewalk) help you draw the required plot plan.

Section 152-6D asks for two sets of construction documents showing the work, the exits, the thermal envelope and the structure, a written Energy Code compliance statement, and a site plan drawn from an accurate boundary survey. Where state education law requires it, the drawings must carry a New York architect’s or engineer’s seal and signature.

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

Commercial permits

Commercial and multifamily work uses the same building application and fee rate. A new business or new tenant moving into a space files the Change of Use and New Tenant Application, which goes to the Planning Board to check the city’s performance standards, and any change in the number of rental units also has to be reported to the office. Storage tanks for hazardous liquids carry their own fee, and most new multi-family, commercial, institutional and industrial projects need Planning Board site plan approval first.

For tenant improvements and new commercial builds, Alliance handles commercial permit expediting through issuance. More on this: commercial building permits explained.

What comes before the building permit

• Zoning Board of Appeals: area and use variances, appeals and interpretations. It meets on the fourth Wednesday at 6:30 pm, with material due three weeks ahead; the posted holiday dates are November 18 and December 9, 2026.
• Planning Board: site plan review, special use permits, subdivisions and lot-line changes, and change-of-use reviews; it meets on Mondays on the posted schedule.
• Historic Preservation and Architectural Review Board: in a Historic Overlay Zoning District, any exterior change visible from a street, from paint and signs to fences, steps and lighting, needs a Certificate of Appropriateness. The board meets on the third Tuesday at 8:00 am, with material due two weeks before (November 17 and December 8, 2026).
• County referral: the City Planner decides whether an application must also go to the Albany County Planning Board under General Municipal Law 239.
• Stormwater and grading: Cohoes holds a state MS4 stormwater permit and oversees any change in land contours, so regrading uses the Grading Permit Application.
• Septic or private well: rare in the city, but a private system or well goes through the Albany County Department of Health’s water supply and wastewater program.

Cohoes building permit fees

Fees come from § A290-1, last amended by the Common Council on July 28, 2026 (Ordinance No. 15-2026); § 152-6K requires payment when you submit the application, by cash, check or card; payments can also be made by phone through the City Treasurer. Plumbing permits cost the same as building permits under § 202-3, and a water main tap or connection is a separate permit.

Worked examples from the 1.3% rule: a $20,000 kitchen remodel pays $260; a $40,000 garage pays $520; a $3,000 fence works out to $39, so the $50 minimum applies. Rental owners should note that the Building & Code page shows a $40 per-unit inspection charge in one paragraph and $50 in another; the July 2026 schedule sets $50 for the initial residential occupancy permit inspection.

Trade permits and who may pull them

Electrical. Every electrical job needs a city electrical permit and an application for inspection with an electrical inspection agency the city has approved, both filed by the electrician before work starts. The owner-occupant of a single-family house may do the wiring there without hiring a licensed electrician, but still has to get the permit and the third-party inspection. The FAQ speaks of licensed electricians, but the City Code index lists no local licensing chapter for electricians or plumbers.

Plumbing. A plumbing permit is needed to install or replace any fixture, including a bathtub, shower or water heater; to install, repair or replace a water supply, storm or sanitary drain, or vent line; and for mechanical de-rooting of a sewer line to clear a blockage. The fee follows the building permit rate, and a separate permit covers a water main tap.

Heating and gas. Heating, gas and other mechanical work governed by the Uniform Code falls under the general permit rule in § 152-6A, which names solid-fuel heaters, chimneys and flues, and the Office of Building and Planning lists energy work among the jobs that generally need a permit.

How to apply for a Cohoes building permit

Review, corrections and what causes delay

The department checks each application against the building, housing, plumbing, zoning and preservation rules the city enforces, and the FAQ expects an approved permit within 5 to 10 business days. Over-the-counter review can be quicker for simple work if you book it by phone. Board approvals add their own calendar: ZBA material is due three weeks before the meeting and historic review material two weeks before. Starting first is costly, because an application filed after a stop-work order carries the $300 charge on top of the permit fee.

Cohoes inspections and certificates

Under § 152-7 work must stay exposed until the Code Enforcement Officer or an authorized inspector accepts it, and the permit holder must call when each stage is ready. Depending on the project, inspections cover the site before the permit issues, footings and foundations, slab preparation, framing, building systems, fire-resistant construction and penetrations, solid-fuel appliances and chimneys, Energy Code items such as insulation and air sealing, and manufactured buildings, followed by a final inspection. The code officer may accept a remote inspection where it shows the work as well as a site visit would. Any inspection fee is due at or before the visit.

Under § 152-9 every permitted job ends with a certificate of occupancy or a certificate of compliance, which may require structural or special inspection reports, flood certifications and Energy Code test results. A permit must be started within six months and lapses six months after issue; one renewal adds six months for half the original fee. Rental units separately need a residential occupancy permit, renewed every three years or at each change of tenant.

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

Cohoes administers the code through Article II of Chapter 152, adopted in full on December 13, 2022, with the stop-work section amended on July 28, 2026.

City of Cohoes permit FAQ

How much is a building permit in Cohoes?

1.3% of the project cost, with a $50 minimum, under the schedule the Common Council amended on July 28, 2026. A $20,000 project pays $260.

Do I need a permit to replace my roof, siding or fence?

Yes. The city requires a permit to replace a roof, siding, fence, deck or pool, but not to repair one.

Is a small shed exempt in Cohoes?

No. Cohoes’ exemption list has no shed allowance, and the office says out-buildings need a permit.

How long does it take to get a permit?

The city’s FAQ says applicants can expect the approved permit within 5 to 10 business days of submitting a complete application.

Can I do my own electrical work?

Only as the owner-occupant of a single-family house, and only with a city electrical permit and an inspection by a city-approved electrical inspection agency.

How long is a Cohoes permit valid?

Six months from issue. It can be renewed for another six months by paying 50% of the original fee.

Do I need a permit for a new driveway?

Yes. Installing or replacing a driveway needs a permit, charged at 1.3% of the cost with a $50 minimum.

Is Cohoes in the National Flood Insurance Program?

Yes. FEMA lists the City of Cohoes as a participating community, with its current flood map dated March 16, 2015, and flood hazard certifications can be required before a certificate of occupancy.

Cohoes permit search and official resources

Under Chapter 152 the Code Enforcement Officer keeps permanent records of permits, inspections and certificates, and they are public records open for inspection during business hours. Ask the Building Department to see a past permit, or file a Freedom of Information Law request with the city; copies cost $0.25 a page.

• Cohoes Building & Code (permitting hours and contacts)
• Building permit applications and site plan templates
• Permits and applications: filing and payment instructions
• Building & Code frequently asked questions
• City Code § A290-1 fee schedule (amended July 28, 2026)
• City Code Chapter 152, building code administration
• City Code Chapter 202, plumbing permits
• Zoning Board of Appeals schedule
• Planning Board schedule
• Historic Preservation and Architectural Review Board
• Albany County environmental health forms
• NYS code adoption and enforcement updates

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