City of Gloversville, New York Building Permit Guide

Gloversville’s Building Inspector works in the Fire Department’s Division of Buildings at 5 Frontage Road (518-725-3124), where building, equipment, heating and zoning permits are applied for. The city’s Chapter A304 fee list charges $15 for the first $1,000 of construction, $5 per $1,000 up to $15,000 and $2 per $1,000 above that, the city code allows up to 60 days for plan review, and plumbing and sewer work must be done by city-licensed plumbers.

What requires a building permit in Gloversville?

Under Article II of Chapter 102 of the City Code, nobody may build, enlarge, alter, improve, remove or demolish a building or structure, other than an agricultural one, or install heating equipment without a permit; necessary repairs that are not structural and meet the Uniform Code are the only general exemption. The Division of Buildings sorts work into five permit types:

Fences and sheds therefore go through a zoning permit rather than a building permit. Owners of multiple dwellings need an R-2 permit (three or more units in one building) or an R-3 permit (a two-family house that is not owner-occupied), and both require Fire Department inspections before the units are rented.

What the city decides and what the state holds

The Uniform Code and Energy Code set the construction standards; any stricter local building rule would need state Code Council approval. The city’s own levers are its Form Based Zoning Code (adopted in July 2016), historic district review under Chapter 166, flood damage prevention under Chapter 150, the vacant building law (Chapter 220), plumber licensing under Chapter 232, and the fee list in Chapter A304. The Fire Chief is designated to administer the Uniform Code for fire prevention and housing standards, with the Building Inspector providing technical support.

Gloversville building department: who handles permitting

The Division of Buildings, headed by Building Inspector David Fox, sits inside the Gloversville Fire Department. It reviews plans with the fire department, issues permits, inspects, enforces the codes and handles unsafe buildings and vacant building registration; the same Fire Department number reaches the city’s Neighborhood Quality Administrator for blight complaints.

The city’s permits cover land inside the Gloversville city line only; property outside it with a Gloversville mailing address is permitted by the Fulton County town it lies in. Heating permits are approved by the Fire Chief and issued under the City Clerk’s signature, and the City Clerk licenses plumbers.

Gloversville permit types and filing

Applications are filed at the Fire Department; area variance and demolition applications go to the Building Inspector there. The city posts forms for building, demolition, equipment and zoning permits, historic design review, site plan review, special use permits, area and use variances, the master plumbing license, the NYS unified solar permit and vacant building registration, plus a one-page guide to which form you need.

Residential permits

The building permit application must be completed in ink. It asks for the property and owner, a contact reachable during business hours, the occupancy classification, a brief description of the work, the estimated cost including labor and materials, and whether the job includes demolition, plumbing, electrical, ventilating or air conditioning, heating or fire alarm work, each of which may need its own permit. It must come with plans and specifications and a scaled plot plan showing existing structures and the work; the code asks for one set, sealed by an architect or engineer where the Education Law requires, and the applicant can ask for the plan requirement to be waived for minor alterations. The inspector checks whether the lot is in a flood zone, a historic zone or the EDZ.

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Commercial permits

For a new business or a storefront renovation in the historic district, the city asks applicants to book a meeting with the Building Inspector before drawing plans. Commercial work may need site plan review or a special use permit from the Planning Board, and historic properties need historic design review. Under Chapter 166 (Local Law 2 of 2016), no exterior alteration, restoration, demolition, new construction or move of a landmark or of a property in a historic district or its buffer zone, and no visible change to its fences, steps, signs, light fixtures or paving, may be made without a certificate of appropriateness from the Historic Preservation Review Board, which judges only exterior features visible from a street or alley (and interiors open to the public). Submitting two sets of plans lets the Division of Buildings and the Fire Department review at the same time, which the city says speeds approval.

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

Zoning permits, variances and site plan review are tied to the Form Based Zoning Code. A zoning permit costs $10 for the first $1,000 of cost and $3 per added $1,000, and a full environmental assessment form review $100. Gloversville participates in the National Flood Insurance Program (its FEMA map dates from September 30, 1983), and the city has a final Local Waterfront Revitalization Plan, so flood-zone and waterfront lots can face added review. A building left unoccupied for 30 days must be registered under the vacant building law, with fees that escalate each year it stays vacant.

Gloversville building permit fees

Permit fees are listed in Chapter A304 of the City Code (current through April 28, 2026) and are based on the cost of construction.

A $40,000 renovation therefore costs $15 for the first $1,000, $70 for the next $14,000 and $50 for the remaining $25,000, a building permit of $135. A $3,000 shed’s zoning permit is $10 plus $6, or $16. Equipment permits for plumbing or pools and any heating permit are added on top.

Be aware that the code holds two versions of these fees. Rule No. 3 in Section 102-27 C, last amended in 1988, still prints a longer table at lower rates: $10 for the first $1,000 of an alteration, $3 per $1,000 to $15,000 and $2 above; equipment permits from $10; renewals at $10, $25 and $100; private garages at $25 (up to 600 sq ft) or $40; and new one-family houses priced by floor area, from $100 (1,000 sq ft or less) to $250 (over 3,000 sq ft), with two-family houses $150 to $300 and larger buildings by cubic volume. Chapter A304, the city’s consolidated fee list, cites that same section but gives the higher cost-based amounts above, and it also lists fees from chapters adopted decades later, such as the 2016 unified solar permit law, so it is the more recent text and its amounts are the ones to budget on. A304 has no floor-area row for new houses, so ask the Division of Buildings how it prices a new house.

Trade permits and who may pull them

Plumbing. Chapter 232 bars anyone from building, altering or repairing a plumbing system or building sewer, or connecting to the city sewer system, unless licensed by the City Clerk. The city posts its 2026 list of licensed master plumbers; the master plumber license costs $100, a certificate of competency $100 and a temporary license $50. The Division of Buildings’ Plumbing Inspector must hold a master plumber’s certificate of competency. Plumbing work is covered by an equipment permit.

Electrical. Gloversville does not license electricians in its code; electrical work is inspected by a private agency from the city’s listing (posted April 2026): The Inspector, LLC; Commonwealth Electrical Inspection; Ron Royal; New York Atlantic Inland; Middle Department Inspection Agency; Independent Consolidated Inspection Services; and IEC New York.

Heating. Gas, oil and LPG heating units and pellet and wood stoves each need a heating permit ($20 or $40), approved by the Fire Chief and issued by the City Clerk; outdoor fire pits also need a permit through the Fire Department.

How to apply for a Gloversville building permit

Review, corrections and what causes delay

The City Code gives the Division of Buildings up to 60 days to approve or disapprove an application. Expect meetings between your designers, the Building Inspector and the Fire Department to settle unclear details before permits issue. A permit authorizes work for one year and can be renewed for further one-year periods; Chapter A304 prices renewals at $25, $50 and then $100.

Gloversville inspections and certificates

Once permits are issued, inspections are arranged with the Division of Buildings at 518-725-3124. When the work is done and every government body that issued a permit has filed its compliance statement with the Division of Buildings, the city issues a certificate of occupancy and the building may be used.

The permit must be displayed on the job site for the whole job, and code officials may enter the site during reasonable working hours. The Building Inspector can issue a stop order for unsafe or non-conforming work and can revoke a permit for a false statement, a permit issued in error, work that departs from the plans, an ignored stop order, or a change in the property’s ownership. No building, alteration or equipment covered by a permit may be used more than 30 days after the work is finished unless a certificate of compliance has been issued; the application for one is accompanied by an affidavit from the owner or the design professional who filed the plans.

If part of a building is ready before the rest, the city can issue a temporary certificate of occupancy or compliance for up to six months ($15 for the first, $25 for the second and $100 for each one after). Before multiple-dwelling units are rented, the Fire Department inspects them for the R-2 or R-3 permit.

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

Gloversville permit FAQ

Where do I get a building permit in Gloversville?

At the Gloversville Fire Department, 5 Frontage Road, where the Division of Buildings and the Building Inspector work (518-725-3124).

Do I need a permit for a fence or shed?

Yes, a zoning permit: $10 for the first $1,000 of cost plus $3 for each added $1,000.

How much is a building permit?

Under the Chapter A304 fee list, $15 for the first $1,000 of construction cost, $5 per $1,000 up to $15,000 and $2 per $1,000 above that: $135 for a $40,000 job. An older table in Section 102-27 prices new houses by floor area instead, so confirm the fee for new construction.

How long does plan review take?

The City Code allows up to 60 days; filing two sets of plans lets the Division of Buildings and the Fire Department review at once.

Can any plumber work in Gloversville?

No. Plumbing and sewer work must be done by plumbers licensed by the City Clerk under Chapter 232.

Do I need a permit to rent out a two-family house?

Yes, if you do not live there: an R-3 permit and a Fire Department inspection before renting. Buildings with three or more units need an R-2 permit.

Do I need approval for exterior changes in a historic district?

Yes. Exterior alterations, demolition, new construction and visible changes such as fences, steps or signs on a landmark or in a historic district or buffer zone need a certificate of appropriateness from the Historic Preservation Review Board.

What happens if the property is sold during construction?

The Building Inspector may revoke the permit when the property changes ownership, so the new owner should contact the Division of Buildings about the open permit.

Gloversville permit search and official resources

Permit, inspection and certificate records are kept by the Division of Buildings and the Fire Chief. Freedom of Information Law requests for copies go to the City Clerk’s office (518-773-4542), which also issues heating permits.

• Gloversville Building Inspector
• Which permit do I need? (permit guide)
• Building permit application
• Forms, licenses and permits
• Electrical inspector listing
• 2026 licensed master plumbers
• Historic design review application
• Who do I contact? (2026)
• Code of the City of Gloversville (eCode360)
• NYS Uniform Code adoption notice

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