Town of Evans, New York Building Permit Guide

For land in the Town of Evans outside the Village of Angola, building permits come from the Code Enforcement Office at Evans Town Hall, 8787 Erie Road, Angola (716-549-5753), where appointments are encouraged so an inspector is in. Paid plumbing work needs a town-licensed master plumber, fences and roofs need permits, and lakeshore and creekside lots can need a waterfront or coastal erosion review first.

What requires a building permit in Evans?

Evans publishes a plain list in its Code Enforcement questions, and Chapter 70 of the Town Code (rewritten by Local Law 6 of 2022, December 7, 2022) requires a permit for all work governed by the Uniform Code and Energy Code. The office also reminds residents that interior demolition and renovation and new or upgraded heating and HVAC units need permits.

For commercial property the town lists new construction, most improvements and tenant changes, changes of occupancy, roofing, interior or exterior demolition, fencing, accessory storage structures and all signs, including temporary ones, and asks owners to check with the office about everything else. A temporary sign permit runs 90 days at most, with no more than 180 days in a calendar year. Renting out a house also needs a rental permit and a safety inspection before anyone moves in.

What the town decides and what the state holds

Evans applies the Uniform Code and Energy Code without stricter local construction standards, which would need state Code Council approval. The town’s own rules cover zoning (Chapter 200), flood damage prevention (Chapter 113), plumber licensing (Chapter 147), electrical inspection agencies (Chapter 92), rental permits and the fee resolutions in Chapter 106. The Code Enforcement page also sends lakeshore and creekside projects to the state DEC for coastal erosion and floodplain questions.

Evans building department: who handles permitting

The Code Enforcement Office, staffed by New York State certified code enforcement officers, reviews plans, issues permits, inspects and enforces the building codes, town ordinances and land use rules for the town outside the village. It works with the Planning Division, the Director of Community Development and the Police Department; when Town Hall is closed, the Evans Police Department can reach the code officials for urgent problems.

Village of Angola. Angola is an incorporated village inside Evans, and the “Angola” mailing address on Town Hall itself shows why the postal name is no guide. The village runs its own Building Department with its own permit application, homeowner insurance waiver, ZBA and sign applications, zoning and pool chapters, and fee list; a single-family house there is $100 plus $0.25 per square foot and an alteration $100 plus $5 per $1,000 of value. The village home page is advertising for a Code Enforcement Officer, so call the village office at 41 Commercial Street before planning a village job.

Evans permit types and filing

Applications are filed with the Code Enforcement Office, with one copy each of the site plan or survey, building plans and specifications. Every application states the owner and contractor, their phone numbers and the estimated total project cost; owners who bought recently must show the recorded deed.

Residential permits

Plans must be drawn to scale and show the footer, foundation, floor, wall and roof construction, insulation, plumbing, and window and door locations, with energy code compliance and a window and door schedule giving sizes, makes, U-factors and egress openings. Where the Education Law requires it, plans carry a New York architect’s or engineer’s stamp, and changes to stamped plans are accepted only after that professional reviews them. New construction needs either an Erie County sewer connection permit or the Erie County Health Department’s septic specifications; demolition needs an asbestos survey; and tearing down a house to rebuild needs a sewer disconnect permit filed with the new plans.

Pools, hot tubs and spas have their own application. It asks for the property survey marking the pool, decking and equipment (all at least 5 feet from every lot line, clear of easements and rights-of-way, and 10 feet from other structures), the electric utility’s verification of clearance from overhead lines, a drainage plan for an in-ground pool, a barrier for any pool whose wall is under 48 inches above grade, energy-code specifications for heated pool equipment, the owner’s authorization letter and insurance certificates. A temporary barrier at least 48 inches high must surround the pool during construction and be replaced by the permanent barrier within 90 days, and an approved audible pool alarm must be in place at the final inspection.

Commercial permits

Some new commercial buildings, additions and changes of occupancy are referred to the Planning Board for site plan approval before a permit can issue, and the office reviews commercial work item by item rather than publishing exemptions. Contractors on any job submit general liability (an ACORD certificate), workers’ compensation (C-105.2 or the State Insurance Fund’s U-26.3) and disability certificates for their employees and subcontractors; an ACORD form alone is not accepted for workers’ compensation or disability.

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

Evans and Angola both participate in the National Flood Insurance Program, and their current FEMA flood maps date from June 16, 2021. In a flood plain, an elevation survey and an approved flood plain development permit under Chapter 113 come first. Waterfront lots and lots beside large creeks may need a Waterfront Assessment Form and a Coastal Erosion Hazard Area form approved by the town planning department and/or the state DEC (716-851-7000). Wetland questions can start with the town’s jurisdictional determination request, with federal wetlands handled by the Army Corps of Engineers (716-879-4330). Work that changes access to a road needs a work permit from the road owner: the Town Highway Department (716-549-3533), Erie County Highway (716-858-7966) or the State DOT (716-847-3238).

Evans building permit fees

Evans sets its fees by Town Board resolution under Chapter 106 and keeps the amounts on file at Town Hall; the Code Enforcement page asks applicants to contact the office for the fee schedule. The resolutions that govern building work are listed in the code:

Plumber license and renewal fees, the late-renewal charge and the fee for an electrical agency’s application to inspect in Evans are also set by resolution. The office quotes the amount for a project when you call or book an appointment. Inside Angola the village’s own fee list applies instead, for example $50 for an above-ground pool or an electrical service and $200 for a detached garage.

Trade permits and who may pull them

Plumbing. Under the Plumbing Licensing Law in Chapter 147, nobody may do plumbing for pay in Evans, or advertise as a master plumber, without a Town of Evans master plumber’s license. Licenses run from January 1 to December 31, renew before January 1 (late renewals pay accumulated fees), and lapse for good after three years without renewal. New applicants take an exam set by the Code Enforcement Office; someone holding at least two current licenses from other Erie County municipalities with equivalent standards can ask for a waiver of the exam. Each master plumber must report the journeymen and apprentices working under the license. The office posts its 2026 list of licensed master plumbers. Oil burner and heating appliance installers are outside the law except for gas piping.

Electrical. Chapter 92, rewritten in 2019, lets the Town Board approve individual inspectors and agencies to inspect electrical work for the Code Enforcement Office; each files an application and fee with the Town Clerk and keeps insurance on file, and the town never pays for their inspections. The town’s pool application names three for pool wiring: Commonwealth Electrical Inspection Services, Dean Electrical Inspections of WNY and LCR Electrical Inspections; the Town Board’s full list of approved inspectors is kept by the Code Enforcement Office.

Insurance and homeowners. Self-employed contractors with no employees file the CE-200 exemption. A homeowner acting as the contractor, or letting someone work at the house, signs the BP-1 waiver; if the helper is paid, the homeowner’s policy must cover them and total hours on site may not exceed 40 a week. Septic questions go to the Erie County Health Department (716-961-6800) and sewer connections to Erie County Sewer District No. 2 (716-549-3161).

How to apply for an Evans building permit

Review, corrections and what causes delay

Commercial jobs that need Planning Board site plan approval wait for the board, and waterfront jobs can wait for the DEC. Revisions to stamped plans must go back through the design professional before the office will accept them. A permit lapses if work does not start within six months of issue and expires after 12 months, so long projects should plan for a renewal.

Evans inspections and certificates

Book inspections with the Code Enforcement Office at 716-549-5753, ideally by appointment so an inspector is available. Electrical work is inspected and certified by a Town Board approved electrical inspector, who reports any violation to the office, and paid plumbing must be done by a town-licensed master plumber. Rental properties get a full building and safety inspection, with the tenant or landlord present, before the rental permit issues.

Construction and repair work is barred between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m., with some exceptions the office can explain. Under Chapter 70, a certificate of occupancy or certificate of compliance is issued once the work has passed the code office’s final 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

Evans permit FAQ

Does the town issue permits in the Village of Angola?

No. Angola has its own Building Department and fee list; contact the village office at 41 Commercial Street (716-549-1126).

Do I need a permit for a shed in Evans?

Only if it is larger than 35 square feet. Sheds of 35 square feet or less are exempt; anything bigger, including prefabricated buildings delivered to the site, needs a permit.

Do I need a permit to replace a fence or roof?

Yes. Evans requires permits for all yard fences, including replacements, and for repairing or replacing a roof’s structure or covering.

Can any plumber work in Evans?

No. Paid plumbing must be done by a master plumber licensed by the Town of Evans; plumbers licensed in two other Erie County municipalities may qualify without the exam.

What extra steps apply on the lakeshore?

Waterfront and large-creek lots may need a Waterfront Assessment Form and a Coastal Erosion Hazard Area review, and flood plain lots need an elevation survey and a flood plain development permit before the building permit.

What does a pool permit in Evans require?

A survey showing the pool at least 5 feet from lot lines and 10 feet from other structures, utility clearance from overhead lines, the barrier details, an alarm and an approved electrical inspection of the wiring.

Do I need a permit to rent out my house?

Yes. A rental permit and an inspection are required before anyone moves in.

How long is a permit good for?

Work must start within six months, and the permit expires 12 months after issue.

Evans permit search and official resources

Permit, rental and certificate records for the town are held by the Code Enforcement Office; requests for copies go to the Town Clerk under the Freedom of Information Law and the town’s records chapter. Village of Angola permits are kept by the village.

• Town of Evans Code Enforcement
• Code Enforcement documents and forms
• 2026 licensed master plumbers
• Code of the Town of Evans (eCode360)
• Village of Angola Building Department
• Code of the Village of Angola (eCode360)
• Erie County Department of Health septic systems
• NYS Uniform Code adoption notice

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