Erie County, New York Building Permit Guide

Erie County has no county building department. Permits come from the City of Buffalo, Lackawanna and the City of Tonawanda, from the 25 towns, and from those villages that keep their own office; the towns of Aurora, Hamburg and Lancaster issue permits inside their villages too. The county’s Department of Health issues construction permits for septic systems, the Department of Public Works permits driveways and other work on county highways through its online Permit Portal, and the Department of Environment and Planning reviews referred zoning actions within 30 days.

What requires a building permit in Erie County?

Every local office enforces the same state code, so new buildings, additions, structural alterations, garages, decks, pools, fireplaces and heating equipment, and demolitions need a permit everywhere. Beyond that, each office sets its own list. The Town of Holland states simply that building permits are required in the town. The Village of Sloan requires a permit for all work except cosmetic work. Evans requires permits for fences and roofs, and its lakeshore and creekside lots can need waterfront or coastal erosion review first.

What the municipalities decide and what the state holds

The construction standards are the state Uniform Code and Energy Code, the same in Buffalo and in Sardinia. Fees, forms, office hours, zoning and contractor licensing are local, and Buffalo adds its own form-based zoning, the Green Code. Erie County is not among the twelve counties the Department of State lists as having opted out of the enforcement of the Uniform and Energy codes, but it runs no permit office of its own: the cities, towns and villages do, with three towns also serving their villages.

Erie County building department: who handles permitting

The table covers every city, town and village the Census Bureau counts in the county. A town office covers land outside its villages unless the town says it serves them; the three cities are independent of the towns around them. Where this site has a full guide, it is linked.

Village coverage follows no single pattern. Aurora’s office permits East Aurora, Hamburg’s permits the villages of Hamburg and Blasdell, and Lancaster’s permits the Village of Lancaster. Williamsville, Kenmore, Depew, Sloan, Angola, Alden, Orchard Park, Springville, Akron and Farnham keep their own offices. Depew straddles Cheektowaga and Lancaster, but every Depew parcel goes to the village. Clarence, Elma, Grand Island and West Seneca have no villages at all. North Collins posts no building page for either the town or the village, so start with the clerk.

What Erie County itself does

• Department of Health, Environmental Health (716-961-6800): construction permits for onsite wastewater systems, well records and water testing, Completed Works Approvals, and septic location records.
• Department of Public Works, Division of Highways (95 Franklin Street, 14th Floor, Buffalo; permits@erie.gov): highway work permits for driveways, roads, drainage and other work on county highways, applied for through the Erie County Permit Portal.
• Department of Environment and Planning: General Municipal Law 239 reviews of zoning actions referred by municipalities, answered within 30 days, and an online referral map showing the 500-foot buffers that trigger review.

Erie County permit types and applications

Residential permits

Filing methods vary widely. Buffalo uses its ePermits system and Room 301 at City Hall; Amherst recommends its online portal, Aurora and Holland use Cloudpermit, and Lancaster lets you start an application online by parcel. Clarence takes applications in person and collects fees at the Town Clerk’s office after approval. In the Village of Akron a permit application is prepared for the next Village Board meeting, so file well ahead. Williamsville asks for 24 to 48 hours to review and process permits.

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

Commercial permits

Commercial projects need sealed plans, local site plan approval and, where the property lies within 500 feet of a municipal boundary, a county or state road or park, county or state land or a farm in an agricultural district, a county referral before the local board can act. Near a farm, the applicant also completes an Agricultural Data Statement.

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: the local zoning board of appeals and planning board.
• County referral: only municipal staff may file it, through the county’s online system; applicants and developers work through the municipality.
• Septic: for a new house on its own system, a licensed professional engineer, registered architect or exempt land surveyor designs it, and the Department of Health issues the construction permit after reviewing the plans and report.
• County highway: a DPW permit before any driveway or roadside work on a county road.

Building permit fees in Erie County

There is no county building fee. The schedules in this site’s finished guides show the spread for a new house:

Worked comparison for a 2,000 square foot house, all conditioned space: $500 in West Seneca, $650 in Clarence, $775 in Orchard Park, $860 in Lackawanna and $1,600 in Alden; Grand Island charges $800 and the City of Tonawanda $600 flat, while Lancaster’s $200 permit carries $1,500 more in recreation and tree fees. County charges are separate: a septic construction permit application costs $300, whether for a new system or a repair or replacement on an existing residential lot, and county highway work permits are priced on the DPW application (revised June 2022):

Trade permits and who may pull them

Erie County licenses no trades; licensing is municipal and common here. Buffalo licenses its contractors. Amherst requires town-licensed plumbers and keeps lists of licensed electricians and its own Board of Electrician Examiners. Grand Island and Orchard Park require town-licensed electricians and plumbers, West Seneca requires licensed plumbing and electrical contractors, Evans requires a town-licensed master plumber for paid work, the City of Tonawanda requires a city contractor’s license, and Elma registers contractors for $75. Elsewhere, electrical work goes to an approved third-party inspection agency; Aurora lists six. Every office asks for workers’ compensation and disability proof or the state exemption form.

How to get a building permit in Erie County

Review, corrections and what causes delay

Local review times differ: Williamsville asks for 24 to 48 hours on permits, West Seneca keeps plans at least 14 days, and Akron’s depend on the Village Board’s meeting. A county referral adds up to 30 days. For county road work, notify the DPW permit office a week before starting and begin within 30 days of the permit date.

Inspections and certificates

Inspections are booked with the local office. Kenmore asks for 24 to 48 hours’ notice, Orchard Park and Elma need 24 hours, and Collins and Holland keep short weekly hours. On a new septic system, your design professional inspects the installation and files a construction compliance form, and the Department of Health then issues a Completed Works Approval; with a new well, the well log, a bacteria sample result and any disinfection system record go to the county too. The local certificate of occupancy follows the final building inspection.

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

Erie County permit FAQ

Does Erie County issue building permits?

No. Each city, town and village, or the town on a village’s behalf, issues them. The county permits septic systems and work on county highways.

Who issues permits in East Aurora, Hamburg village, Blasdell or Lancaster village?

The surrounding town: Aurora for East Aurora, the Town of Hamburg for both Hamburg and Blasdell, and the Town of Lancaster for the Village of Lancaster.

Who issues permits in Depew?

The Village of Depew’s own building inspection department, for parcels on both the Cheektowaga and the Lancaster side.

Do I need a county permit for a driveway?

Yes, if it meets a county highway: $50 for a residential driveway, applied for on the Erie County Permit Portal. Notify the permit office a week before work begins.

Who approves a septic system?

The Erie County Department of Health. A licensed design professional prepares the plans; the county issues the construction permit and later a Completed Works Approval.

Do electricians need a local license?

In several towns, yes: Grand Island, Orchard Park, West Seneca and Buffalo license trades, and Amherst examines master electricians. Other towns rely on approved inspection agencies.

Is my community in the flood insurance program?

FEMA lists 42 Erie County communities as participating. The Town and Village of North Collins do not appear on its list, so ask there about flood rules.

Erie County permit search and official resources

Permit records stay with the city, town or village that issued them; use its portal where one exists or file a Freedom of Information Law request with its clerk. For the location of an existing septic system, the Department of Health checks its records on request.

• Erie County septic and onsite wastewater systems
• Erie County Environmental Health permits and forms
• Erie County DPW highway permits
• Erie County highway work permit application (non-utility)
• Erie County municipal referrals (GML 239)
• Village of Kenmore Building Department
• Village of Williamsville Building Department
• FEMA Community Status Book, New York
• NYS code adoption and enforcement updates

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