Delaware County, New York Building Permit Guide

Delaware County has no city, and building permits come from its 19 towns and 9 villages; several villages run code offices separate from the towns around them. What makes this county different is water. Parts of it lie in New York City’s water-supply watershed, and in watershed towns such as Middletown no building permit for a house is issued until the city’s Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has approved the septic plan. Driveways onto county roads need approval from the Delaware County Department of Public Works (607-746-2128).

What requires a building permit in Delaware County?

The town pages describe the same broad scope. Davenport requires a permit, with few exceptions, for building, enlarging, altering, improving, removing, relocating, demolishing or extending structures, and for roofing, electrical, plumbing and HVAC systems. Middletown exempts accessory buildings under 144 square feet but charges for anything larger. The Village of Stamford requires a permit for any new building and for additions larger than 10 percent of the floor plan, and lists separate permits for fences, pools, solid-fuel devices and septic systems.

What the towns and villages decide and what the state holds

The construction standards are the state’s Uniform Code and Energy Code. The towns and villages decide their zoning, subdivision and flood rules, their fees and their office arrangements. The NYC watershed rules sit above both: DEP’s approval of a septic plan is a condition the local office enforces, not one it can waive.

Delaware County building department: who handles permitting

The table lists every town and village the Census Bureau counts in the county, plus the Delaware County part of the Village of Deposit. A town officer covers land outside its villages. For the places marked without a page, start with the town or village clerk.

The villages are where people go wrong. Delhi, Sidney, Walton and Stamford each have their own code office separate from the town around them, and the Town of Delhi’s page sends village owners to the Village of Delhi’s code enforcement page. Margaretville and Fleischmanns, both inside the Town of Middletown, post their own building and zoning forms. Some officers serve more than one place: Bovina’s code enforcement officer works from the county office building at 280 Phoebe Lane, Suite 4, Delhi, and the Town of Stamford and Davenport list the same building inspector.

What Delaware County itself does

• Department of Public Works: approves driveways that enter a county road (607-746-2128, as the Town of Davenport’s permit instructions give it).
• Real Property Tax Services and the county map viewer: maps that show which town a parcel is in, as the Town of Roxbury’s page points out.
• Code enforcement support: the county office building in Delhi houses at least one town’s code enforcement officer (Bovina).

For drinking water and other state health matters, the state Department of Health’s Oneonta District Office covers Delaware County (28 Hill Street, Suite 201, Oneonta; 607-432-3911).

Delaware County permit types and applications

Residential permits

Middletown takes applications through an online Building Permit Portal, where you upload documents; the town then contacts you to arrange payment. It also posts a residential plan review sheet, and separate demolition, pool, solar and sign applications. The Village of Sidney uses an iWorQ online portal and allows its code office 14 days to review drawings for any permit. Most other towns use paper forms filed with the town clerk; in Davenport the filing fee is paid to the clerk when the application is submitted.

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

Commercial permits

Commercial buildings cost $1 per square foot in Middletown, and Village of Stamford work is priced on construction cost with a $150 site plan review fee where site plan review applies. Operating permits are on the Stamford village schedule at $150 per building plus $150 for the inspection.

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

What comes before the building permit

• Septic in the watershed: Middletown will not issue a building permit without DEP septic approval, a new house application must include the DEP-approved septic plan, and an addition with bedrooms needs DEP’s written approval of the existing system. Middletown gives DEP’s number as 607-363-7000; Roxbury lists 845-771-1119 for new septic projects.
• Septic outside the watershed: follow the town or village rule; the Village of Stamford, for example, issues its own septic permit for $100 and requires engineered plans for new and replacement systems.
• Zoning: Middletown charges $100 for a ZBA variance or special permit, and site plan review there is free.
• Flood zones: Middletown requires a development permit ($150) for work in flood hazard areas under its Local Law 2 of 2012; the Town of Delhi’s officer also issues floodplain permits.

Building permit fees in Delaware County

There is no county building fee; each town and village sets its own. Two posted schedules show the range, one flat by size and one based on cost:

Worked example: a new 2,400 square foot site-built house in the Town of Middletown falls in the 2,000–3,000 square foot band, so the permit is $400, plus $25 for the certificate of occupancy. Middletown’s schedule was adopted by the Town Board on September 12, 2018 and took effect the next day; it is the one the town still posts. In the Village of Stamford, a $65 application fee applies to zoning applications, and renewing a permit costs half the original fee.

Trade permits and who may pull them

The town and village pages show no contractor or trade license in Delaware County. Electrical work is inspected by an approved third-party electrical inspection agency, and the local office wants that agency’s report at the end: Davenport will not issue a certificate of occupancy without an approved electrical inspection report where one applies. Davenport’s permit rule covers plumbing and HVAC systems as well as wiring. Every office requires proof of workers’ compensation and disability coverage or the state exemption form before issuing.

How to get a building permit in Delaware County

Review, corrections and what causes delay

The most common delay is the septic approval, from DEP in the watershed or from the engineer’s design elsewhere. Part-time office hours add time: Franklin’s officer keeps Tuesday evening hours and the Town of Delhi’s office is open three middays a week. Starting early costs more than waiting: Middletown and the Village of Stamford both double fees for work begun without a permit, and Davenport adds a violation fee equal to the permit fee.

Inspections and certificates

Inspections are scheduled with the local officer. In Davenport a permit is valid for one year with up to two years of renewals; to get a certificate of occupancy you file an application with the fee, an approved septic report from NYC DEP and the electrical inspection report where required, and work that needs a certificate of compliance closes with an application, a fee and a final inspection. Roxbury’s officer works in the field and asks owners to book phone or office appointments by email.

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

Delaware County permit FAQ

Does Delaware County issue building permits?

No. The towns and villages issue them. The county approves driveways onto county roads, and its office building in Delhi houses Bovina’s code officer.

Do I need DEP approval for a septic system?

In the New York City watershed, yes. Middletown, for example, will not issue a building permit for a new house without DEP septic approval, and Davenport requires an approved DEP septic report for the certificate of occupancy.

Who issues permits in Margaretville or Fleischmanns?

Each village posts its own code enforcement and building/zoning forms; the Town of Middletown office covers the rest of the town.

How much is a building permit for a new house?

It depends on the town. In Middletown a site-built house under 2,000 sq ft is $300 and 2,000–3,000 sq ft is $400; in the Village of Stamford it is $150 for the first $1,000 of cost plus $8 per $1,000.

Do I need a permit for a shed?

In Middletown, not for an accessory building under 144 sq ft; larger ones cost $100. Other towns set their own rules.

Who approves a driveway?

The Delaware County Department of Public Works for a county road (607-746-2128), the town highway superintendent for a town road, and the state Department of Transportation for a state road.

Is my community in the flood insurance program?

Yes. Every Delaware County town and village FEMA lists is in its participating section, and towns such as Middletown require a floodplain development permit in mapped flood areas.

Delaware County permit search and official resources

Permit files are kept by the town or village that issued them; ask the code officer, or file a Freedom of Information Law request with the town or village clerk. In the watershed, NYC DEP handles new septic approvals and the Catskill Watershed Corporation (845-586-1400) handles septic replacement programs.

• Town of Middletown Building & Zoning
• Town of Middletown zoning and building fee schedule (2018)
• Town of Davenport building code enforcement
• Town of Roxbury building inspector
• Town of Bovina code enforcement
• Village of Stamford permit fees (2026)
• Village of Sidney code enforcement
• NYS Department of Health district offices
• FEMA Community Status Book, New York
• NYS code adoption and enforcement updates

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