Town of Grand Island, New York Building Permit Guide

On Grand Island, building permits come from the town’s Building / Code Enforcement / Zoning department, first floor of Town Hall at 2255 Baseline Road (716-773-9600 ext. 646). Under the 2026 fee schedule (adopted January 5, amended October 19, 2026) a new single-family house up to 3,000 square feet costs $800, electricians and plumbers must hold Grand Island licenses, and fences outside pool enclosures need no building permit.

What requires a building permit on Grand Island?

Chapter 125 of the Town Code requires a permit for work covered by the Uniform Code, including any solid-fuel heater, chimney or flue, and Section 125-5 A(2) lists what is exempt. The department posts handouts for each common project: houses, additions, decks, sheds, pools, solar, generators, demolition, grading, electrical and plumbing work.

Fences that do not enclose a pool need no building permit, but they must follow the zoning limits: no more than 7 feet high in a residential district (12 feet around a tennis court), no more than 3 feet within the required front yard, the finished side facing out, and built for a 115 mph wind load. Fencing may be limited further in the Town Center District.

What the town decides and what the state holds

Grand Island enforces the Uniform Code and Energy Code; any stricter local building standard would need state Code Council approval. The town decides zoning under Chapter 407 (district setbacks in Schedules 1 to 4, and special riverside and county-road setbacks in Section 407-18), design review by the Architectural Review Board, waterfront consistency review under Chapter 403, flood damage prevention under Chapter 155, trade licensing, and the fee schedule.

Who handles building permits on Grand Island?

The Building / Code Enforcement / Zoning department, led by Department Head Ron Milks, reviews plans, issues building permits, inspects construction, performs required fire safety inspections of existing buildings and answers zoning questions. Its advice for any project is to bring a project description and a survey to the counter first.

The Town of Grand Island contains no incorporated village, so there is no second building office on the island: every parcel in the town is permitted by this department. Licenses issued by neighboring municipalities, such as the City or Town of Tonawanda, do not let an electrician or plumber work on Grand Island; the trade needs the town’s own license or a recognized equivalent.

Grand Island permit types and filing

Each handout lists what the department needs for that project, and most residential files need one copy of each document rather than duplicate sets. Contractors prove coverage with a liability certificate and a workers’ compensation certificate (C-105.2, the self-insurance SI-12, or the CE-200 exemption for businesses with no employees), plus disability coverage.

Residential permits

A new single-family house needs a survey showing property lines, rights-of-way, easements, existing buildings and impervious areas, and any surface water, wetland, jurisdictional wetland line or high-water line; a plot plan with the new house, driveway and setbacks; and a drainage plan giving the existing and proposed finish-floor elevation of an attached garage and finished grades across the site and at the property lines, along with construction drawings that include a window and door schedule, wall and roof sheathing nailing schedules and the roof underlayment and ice-and-water shield. Sheds and other accessory buildings over 140 sq ft need one set of drawings showing the foundation, walls, headers, beams and roof framing, a survey with easements and wetland lines, and a lot grading plan. Docks and any other construction in the water also need permits from the state DEC and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and boathouses need variances from the Zoning Board of Appeals.

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

Commercial permits

Commercial projects require site plan approval from both the Planning Board and the Town Board before a building permit, and may face Architectural Review Board review. New non-residential buildings are priced at $300 for the first 1,000 sq ft plus $0.26 per added square foot up to 10,000 and $0.05 beyond; non-residential alterations at $0.20 per square foot for the first 1,500 and $0.05 after, with a $200 minimum. Operating permits for activities regulated by Chapter 125 cost $150.

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

Zoning and setback questions are settled against Chapter 407 before plan review; variances go to the Zoning Board of Appeals ($150 application, $60 for an interpretation). Grading needs its own $150 permit. Grand Island participates in the National Flood Insurance Program, with its current FEMA map dated June 16, 2021; construction in a FEMA special flood hazard area needs a Flood Plain Development Permit from the Town Engineering Department, and a lot with wetlands needs a delineation by a consultant acceptable to the Code Enforcement Officer, shown on the plot plan. On riverside lots, setbacks and coverage are measured only to the top of the river bank, and certain roads carry extra setbacks measured from the center of the right-of-way, such as 100 feet on Baseline Road and Alt Boulevard, 90 feet on East River Road and 80 feet on Bedell and Bush Roads. New subdivision lots pay a recreation fee of $750 per lot in lieu of parkland.

Grand Island building permit fees

The town’s 2026 fee schedule, adopted January 5, 2026 and amended October 19, 2026, sets these building fees. House fees are based on habitable floor area measured to the outside walls, including an attached garage but not a cellar, unfinished basement, attic or carport.

A 2,500 sq ft house therefore costs $800 for the building permit and $75 for its certificate of occupancy, before plumbing fees ($195 to $245 for a new home depending on the number of baths) and the $500 sewer tap. The department’s single-family handout still prints older figures ($750 and $900 for a house, plus $400 for a 1-inch water tap and $300 for a 3/4-inch meter); the adopted 2026 schedule governs the building fee. A 400 sq ft addition works out to $100 at $0.25 per square foot, so the $390 minimum applies; a 2,000 sq ft addition is $500.

Trade permits and who may pull them

Electrical. Chapter 141 bars anyone from installing, altering or repairing wiring on Grand Island unless they hold an electrician’s license issued each year by the town (license $100, exam $150) and have filed for inspection with an approved electrical inspection agency. The licensed electrician’s name goes on the building permit application, the electrician files directly with the agency, and the agency’s certificate of compliance must be furnished before the town issues a certificate of occupancy. For houses, the department names Atlantic-Inland, Inc. as the agency that performs electrical permits and inspections for the town. Licensees carry $1,000,000 in liability insurance naming the town. The department posts its 2026 list of licensed electricians.

Plumbing. Plumbing permits are issued only to a Grand Island licensed master plumber, a qualified homeowner or another person the code exempts. A homeowner may plumb the single-family house they live in after passing the town’s Homeowner’s Plumbing exam, getting a Homeowner’s Plumbing Certificate and a permit, and submitting to rough and final inspections. Plumbers licensed by a government the Town Board recognizes as equivalent can skip the exam. Master plumbers ($100 license) need $1,000,000 bodily injury and $250,000 property damage coverage; journeyman licenses are $50. Owners may make emergency repairs that restore a system, taking out a permit as soon as possible. Plumbing fees are $10 per fixture with a $95 minimum, and a re-inspection after two failures costs $75.

Sewer and septic. When a property with a municipal sewer connection is sold, the town requires a time-of-sale infiltration inspection ($100 for a residence); homes on a private disposal system pay no fee. New private septic systems are designed by a licensed professional and permitted by the Erie County Department of Health ($300 application).

How to apply for a Grand Island building permit

Review, corrections and what causes delay

Drainage and grading plans carry required elevations, and missing elevations or wetland lines on the survey are a common reason files come back. The applicant must tell the department about any change to the application while the permit is open. A permit expires one year after issue or when the certificate of occupancy is granted, whichever comes first, and can be renewed in writing for further one-year periods while the work proceeds lawfully.

Grand Island inspections and certificates

The homeowner or contractor schedules each inspection with the department (716-773-9600 ext. 646). For a new house the sequence is: footing rebar before concrete (footings at least 12 inches wide and 42 inches deep, in the surveyed location); foundation wall rebar, with the basement egress window checked; damproofing and foundation drainage before backfill; rough framing before insulation or finishes hide it, with rough mechanical (including a duct leakage test for ducts outside the thermal envelope); underground water and sewer lines before the trench is backfilled; rough plumbing; rough electrical; insulation with fire caulking at plates; and a final once all finishes are done.

The licensed plumber and electrician each pull their own separate permit. The department’s house handout says electrical permits and inspections are performed for the town by Atlantic-Inland, Inc., and the certificate of occupancy ($75 for a house) issues only after the final is passed and Atlantic-Inland’s electrical certificate is received. The permit must be displayed on the property throughout the work. Residential fire safety inspections cost $75.

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

Grand Island permit FAQ

Do I need a permit for a fence on Grand Island?

No building permit, unless the fence is part of a pool enclosure (Section 125-5). It must still meet zoning: 7 feet maximum, 3 feet in the front yard.

Do I need a permit for a shed?

Only for sheds over 140 square feet; the fee is $125 up to 200 sq ft, $250 up to 750 sq ft and $400 above that.

How much is a permit for a new house?

$800 for a single-family house up to 3,000 square feet and $1,000 above that, plus $75 for the certificate of occupancy.

Can I do my own plumbing?

Yes, in a single-family house you occupy, after passing the town’s homeowner plumbing exam and getting a permit and inspections.

Does my electrician need a Grand Island license?

Yes. Electrical work requires an annual town electrician’s license and an inspection filed with an approved agency.

What does a dock or boathouse need?

A town permit for structures over 140 sq ft, plus DEC and Army Corps permits for work in the water; boathouses also need ZBA variances.

Is there an inspection when I sell my house?

Yes, for sewered homes: a time-of-sale infiltration inspection costs $100 for a residence.

Grand Island permit search and official resources

Permit files and certificates are kept by the Building / Code Enforcement / Zoning department; ask the counter about an address or request copies from the Town Clerk under the Freedom of Information Law. Licensed trade lists are posted on the department page.

• Building / Code Enforcement / Zoning
• I Need a Building Permit (handouts)
• 2026 fee schedule (amended October 19, 2026)
• Single-family dwelling permit information
• Shed and accessory building handout
• Residential fences and walls
• Licensed electricians, 2026
• Licensed master plumbers, 2026
• Time of sale sanitary sewer inspections
• Code of the Town of Grand Island (eCode360)
• Erie County Department of Health septic systems
• NYS Uniform Code adoption notice

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