Fulton County, New York Building Permit Guide

Fulton County does not issue building permits for homes or businesses. The two cities, Gloversville and Johnstown, run code offices tied to their fire departments; each of the 10 towns appoints a code enforcement officer; and the Village of Northville keeps its own office, with an officer it shares with the Town of Northampton. The county’s Fire Coordinator serves as code enforcement officer only for county buildings and county construction projects.

What requires a building permit in Fulton County?

The Uniform Code sets the baseline: a permit for new buildings, additions, alterations, demolition and fuel-burning heaters, with small accessory buildings exempt. Local schedules show how each place applies it. Johnstown charges no permit fee for additions or renovations under $500 and requires no permit for painting or for blow-up pools without a pump or filter, while every fence in the city needs a $25 permit and every pool an electrical inspection.

The Town of Broadalbin hands applicants a printed list of what is exempt: one-story detached sheds and playhouses under 144 sq ft at a house, playground equipment, above-ground pools less than 24 inches deep, fences that are not part of a pool enclosure, most retaining walls, window awnings, finish work such as painting and carpeting, listed portable appliances, like-for-like equipment replacement, and repairs that do not touch load-bearing walls, exits, building systems or fire protection. Note the difference from Johnstown city, where every fence needs a permit.

What the cities and towns decide and what the state holds

Each municipality sets its own zoning and permit fees and appoints its own officers, while the construction standards are the state’s 2025 Uniform Code and Energy Code; stricter local building rules need state Code Council approval. The county Planning Department helps towns write comprehensive plans, zoning, subdivision and site plan laws, and answers questions about which towns have zoning. Fulton County did not opt out of code enforcement, so it would be next in line if a town gave up its own program.

Fulton County building department: who handles permitting

The table lists both cities, all 10 towns and every village the Census Bureau places in Fulton County, including the small parts of Broadalbin and Dolgeville villages that lie in neighboring towns or counties. The Gloversville guide on this site covers that city in detail.

What Fulton County itself does

• Highways & Facilities, County Office Complex, 2712 State Highway 29, Johnstown (518-736-5700): a right-of-way work permit for water mains, sewer lines, poles and other structures in a county road. Return the application with plans; the department reviews the site, sizes any culvert the applicant must buy, and expects work to start within 30 days of issue.
• Planning Department, Fort Johnstown Building, 1 East Montgomery Street, Johnstown (518-736-5660, weekdays 9 a.m.–5 p.m.): staff for the county Planning Board’s General Municipal Law 239 reviews, flood-zone lookups, wetlands information and custom GIS maps.
• Fire Coordinator: code enforcement for county buildings and county construction projects only.
• Public Health, 2714 State Highway 29 (518-736-5720): points owners of rental property in Gloversville to the state Lead Rental Registry, which applies there.

Fulton County permit types and applications

Residential permits

Ephratah takes applications through an iWorQ portal that also lets the public look up building code complaints; Broadalbin and Caroga post printable building permit applications; Johnstown city lists its permits and request forms on one page. Northampton and Northville share an office at 412 South Main Street in Northville, where inspections and appointments are booked at 518-863-6580. In Johnstown, houses under 1,500 sq ft need good drawings and larger ones need stamped plans.

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

The two cities

The cities work differently from the towns. Gloversville handles fences and sheds through a zoning permit, requires R-2 or R-3 rental permits with Fire Department inspections for apartment buildings and non-owner-occupied two-family houses, and allows up to 60 days for review; its guide covers the Chapter A304 fee list and historic district review. Johnstown’s Code Enforcement Office administers the city zoning ordinance, which includes protection of buildings and sites of historic, cultural or architectural interest, and charges $75 to site a mobile home.

Commercial permits

Johnstown city puts commercial and industrial property through site review, charges SEQR review fees from $50 for lead-agency coordination to $200 for a final environmental impact statement, and inspects places of assembly. In the towns, commercial site plans go to the local planning board and, where the county referral rules apply, to the Fulton County Planning Board.

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

• APA: the APA’s 2024 map places Bleecker, Broadalbin, Caroga, Ephratah, Johnstown, Mayfield, Northampton, Oppenheim and Stratford, and the Villages of Mayfield and Northville, in the Adirondack Park; file a Jurisdictional Inquiry Form for new houses, subdivisions and shoreline work there. Caroga’s APA-approved program means the town acts on Class B regional projects.
• Zoning: local zoning permits, variances and site plans; Northville adopted its Zoning and Subdivision Law on February 11, 2020.
• Water and septic: wells and sewage systems through the NYSDOH Herkimer district office; Caroga also has its own town Sanitary Code.
• County road access: the right-of-way permit above.

Building permit fees in Fulton County

There is no county fee. The City of Johnstown posts a full schedule, summarized below; the posted document carries no adoption date, so confirm it at the Code Enforcement Office.

Worked example: a new 2,000 sq ft house in Johnstown is $200 for the first 1,500 sq ft plus $100 for the remaining 500 sq ft (a fraction of 1,000), or $300. Permits expire one year after issue; a withdrawn application is refunded in full before review starts and by half after review if no work has begun.

Trade permits and who may pull them

Fulton County has no county trade licensing. Johnstown issues plumbing permits itself and charges plumbers from outside the city $100, with a copy of their license and proof of insurance; sewer lines from the house to the street are permitted at the Code Office, and taps into the main at City Hall through the city engineer. Gloversville licenses plumbers under its own city code, as its guide explains. Swimming pools in Johnstown need an electrical inspection, with forms at the Code Office. Proof of workers’ compensation and disability coverage, or the state exemption, is filed with every permit.

How to get a building permit in Fulton County

Review, corrections and what causes delay

Several town officers work by appointment or keep morning-only hours, as in Mayfield and Oppenheim, so call before driving over. Applications stall when stamped plans are missing on houses over 1,500 sq ft in Johnstown, when an APA letter has not arrived, or when county right-of-way work has not been reviewed on site.

Inspections and certificates

Each office schedules its own inspections; in Northville and Northampton call 518-863-6580. Broadalbin lists the stages it inspects: the site before the permit is issued, footings and foundation, slab preparation, framing, rough-in of building systems, fire-resistant construction and penetrations, solid-fuel appliances and chimneys, energy code compliance and a final; work must stay exposed until it is accepted, and the officer may stop any work done without a valid permit. Johnstown charges $45 for a first re-inspection and $150 for later ones on multiple dwellings and miscellaneous inspections, and issues certificates of occupancy for $75, free when the work was done under a building permit. In Johnstown, tanks of 275 gallons or more need the code officer to inspect the hole before installation or after removal.

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

FEMA lists both cities, all 10 towns and the Villages of Broadalbin and Northville as participating in the National Flood Insurance Program; the Village of Mayfield is not on the participating list.

Fulton County permit FAQ

Does Fulton County issue building permits?

No, except for its own buildings. Cities, towns and villages issue permits; the county issues right-of-way permits for county roads.

Who issues permits in Gloversville and Johnstown?

Each city has its own office tied to its fire department; the surrounding Town of Johnstown has a separate code office.

Who permits in the Village of Northville?

The village Code Enforcement Office at 412 South Main Street, whose officer also serves the Town of Northampton.

Which Fulton County towns are in the Adirondack Park?

Bleecker, Broadalbin, Caroga, Ephratah, Johnstown, Mayfield, Northampton, Oppenheim and Stratford, plus the Villages of Mayfield and Northville, according to the APA’s 2024 map.

Who approves a septic system?

The New York State Department of Health’s Herkimer district office, which covers Fulton County; Caroga adds its own Sanitary Code.

Do I need a permit for a fence in Johnstown?

Yes; every fence in the city needs a $25 permit, though temporary barriers to protect new lawns do not count as fences.

How do I find an old permit?

Ask the city, town or village that issued it; Ephratah’s iWorQ portal includes a lookup.

Fulton County permit search and official resources

Permit and certificate files are held by the issuing city, town or village; request copies from its clerk under the Freedom of Information Law. The county Planning Department can confirm flood zones and the municipality for a parcel, and Ephratah’s iWorQ portal offers an online lookup for that town.

• Fulton County Planning Department
• Fulton County Highways & Facilities
• County right-of-way work permit application (updated 7/21/25)
• Fulton County Fire Coordinator and county code enforcement
• Fulton County Public Health
• NYSDOH district offices (Herkimer serves Fulton County)
• Adirondack Park Agency permitting overview
• APA Jurisdictional Inquiry Form
• APA map of local land use controls in the Park (March 2024)
• City of Johnstown Code Enforcement
• City of Johnstown fee schedule
• City of Gloversville Building Inspector
• Town of Ephratah iWorQ permit portal
• Village of Northville Code Enforcement
• FEMA Community Status Book, New York
• NYS code adoption and enforcement updates

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