Town of Halfmoon, New York Building Permit Guide

All of Halfmoon is served by the town’s Building & Code Enforcement office at Town Hall, 2 Halfmoon Town Plaza (518-371-7410 ext. 2260, weekdays 8 am to 4 pm). A permit needs a plot plan, three sets of plans and the contractors’ insurance forms. Under the 2026 residential fee schedule the minimum permit is $125 and a 2,000 sq ft house works out to about $831, and most permits expire after 12 months.

What requires a building permit in Halfmoon?

Section 71-5 of the Town Code, last amended in January 2026, requires a permit for any work that must meet the Uniform Code or Energy Code, including tents on commercial property and any solid-fuel or other fuel-burning appliance, chimney or flue in a home. Its exemption list has no shed exemption, and the 2026 fee schedule prices sheds of 144 sq ft or less, so expect to need a permit for them.

A building more than 75 years old cannot be torn down for 21 days after the demolition application, while the Halfmoon Historical Society documents it, unless safety requires sooner; the permit can issue earlier once the society gives written authorization.

What Halfmoon decides and what the state sets

The state Uniform Code and Energy Code apply, and Chapter 71 of the Town Code administers them, with the town’s own exemptions, permit terms and demolition rule. Fees are set by Town Board resolution. Zoning (Chapter 165), flood damage prevention (Chapter 83), freshwater wetlands (Chapter 87) and large generators (Chapter 90) are town rules.

Halfmoon building department: who handles permitting

The Building & Code Enforcement office, part of the Building, Planning & Development Department, reviews residential and commercial drawings, issues permits, enforces the Uniform Code and local laws, and makes yearly fire inspections of more than 530 businesses. It also works with the Planning Department on development proposals. Richard Harris is the Coordinator of Building, Planning & Development. Halfmoon has no incorporated villages, so the town office covers all 26,658 residents (Census 2025 estimate).

Halfmoon permit types and filing rules

Residential permits

The town lists building, demolition, fireplace and wood or pellet stove, firework, pool, sewer and septic, and special event permits on its permits page. For a building permit the office asks for:

• a plot plan showing the building, driveway, distances to property lines and, where needed, to the well and septic system;
• a curb cut permit from the town Highway Department, NYS DOT or Saratoga County DPW;
• workers’ compensation, liability and disability insurance forms from the builder and contractors;
• three sets of building plans, which may need an engineer’s or architect’s stamp;
• a Saratoga County sewer permit where the property connects to the county system.

Chapter 71 adds detail: the construction documents must show egress, the building’s thermal envelope, structural members and loads, and the building systems, include an Energy Code compliance statement and a site plan drawn from an accurate boundary survey with any flood hazard areas, and carry a New York architect’s or engineer’s seal where the Education Law requires one. The office may also ask for an electronic plan set.

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

Commercial permits

Commercial permits have a $350 minimum. New buildings, additions and accessory structures use the area formula with a construction factor set by building type, and a tenant fit-up renovating less than half of the building is a flat $350. For projects under site plan review, the Code Enforcement Officer can issue a footing-and-foundation permit for the first phase; a foundation location plan stamped by a licensed land surveyor must come in before the full permit and framing. Other flat commercial fees in the 2026 schedule include $350 for electrical work, a roof, a generator, rooftop solar, a lawn sprinkler, a septic system, a seasonal tent or an operational hazard permit; $50 for a sewer connection; $150 for a special event; $350 for demolition up to 5,000 sq ft and $550 above that; $550 for blasting or a mass gathering over 500 people; $200 for fireworks; and signs at $1.50 per square foot with a $100 minimum. The commercial inspection schedule adds a pre-construction site visit for wetlands and stormwater, a surveyor’s certification of building location and floor elevation before framing, special inspections listed on the permit, and monthly erosion control reports from the engineer. Every business gets a yearly fire inspection, billed at $50 for 5,000 sq ft or less, $100 to 10,000 sq ft, $300 to 25,000 sq ft and $500 above that, and a solar array that needs Planning Board approval pays 1% of construction cost or $15,000 per megawatt, whichever is greater.

For tenant improvements and new commercial builds, Alliance handles commercial building permits through issuance. More on this: commercial building permits explained.

What comes before the building permit

• Planning Board and Zoning Board of Appeals for site plans, subdivisions, special uses and variances under Chapter 165.
• Generators over 50 kW: testing only in daylight, sound no more than 85 decibels at 23 feet, and site plan review at nonresidential properties.
• Floodplain development permit ($125 residential, $350 commercial); Halfmoon takes part in the National Flood Insurance Program with a current flood map dated August 16, 1995.
• Moratoriums: Local Law 5 of 2026, adopted June 3, 2026, put a moratorium on concrete, cement and asphalt plants and pesticide manufacturing; a battery energy storage moratorium (Local Law 2 of 2025) was extended by Local Law 4 of 2026 on March 4, 2026. The draft agenda for the Town Board’s November 4, 2026 meeting lists resolutions to schedule November 18 public hearings on proposals to extend the plant moratorium by 180 days and the battery storage one by 90 days, and on proposed battery storage rules; none of these has been decided.

Halfmoon building permit fees

Chapter 71 leaves fees to Town Board resolution; the department posts separate 2026 residential and commercial schedules. New homes, additions, basements and larger accessory buildings are priced by a formula in which the Building Inspector determines the square footage.

For example, a 2,000 sq ft new house is 2,000 × 75 × 0.67 × 0.0047 × 1.76, or $831.34. Because of the $125 minimum, an addition under about 300 sq ft or a detached garage under about 500 sq ft pays $125. Renewing a permit that needs no new technical review costs half the original fee or the minimum, whichever is more, but the third renewal is charged at the full current rate. Removing an unsafe-building placard costs $375, plus $150 a year after the first year until the inspector removes it, and mobile home parks pay a yearly license and inspection fee of $175 (under 50 homes) or $275 (over 50) plus $12 per lot. Refunds are 50% of the fee, only if no construction or inspection has happened, and must be requested in writing or by email before the permit expires.

Trade permits and who may pull them

Electrical. Electrical work on a home takes a $100 town permit ($350 commercial), and the inspection schedule says electrical inspections are done by third-party electrical inspectors; the final electrical approval must be in before the certificate of occupancy. The Town Code has no electrician or plumber licensing chapter, and the town pages list no license requirement; what the office asks for is each contractor’s workers’ compensation, liability and disability insurance.

Water, sewer and wells. Sewer and water lines are inspected before backfill: waterlines by the town Water Department and county sewer lines by Saratoga County Sewer. A new well must be drilled by a DEC-registered driller, and the well completion report and a water quality test have to reach the department before the certificate of occupancy.

Septic. Saratoga County’s Department of Health sends homeowners outside realty subdivisions to the local building department, so Halfmoon issues the septic permit ($125 residential, $350 commercial). The design engineer or architect is responsible for inspecting the system and must send the department a letter before the certificate of occupancy; the town also inspects before backfill.

How to apply for a Halfmoon building permit

Review, corrections and what causes delay

The department does not publish a review time. Projects under site plan review wait for Planning Board approval, and demolition of a building over 75 years old waits up to 21 days for the Historical Society. Inspections are first come, first served, so 24 hours’ notice does not guarantee a next-day visit. Permits become invalid if work does not begin within 12 months and expire 12 months after issue; pool permits expire after 180 days and lawn sprinkler permits after 30 days.

Halfmoon inspections and certificates

Call 518-371-7410 ext. 2260 at least 24 hours ahead, and let the office know if you cannot keep an appointment. The residential schedule calls for a pre-footing inspection with rebar suspended, a post-footing check before the foundation pour, the foundation before backfill, framing and fireplace before insulation, insulation before drywall, underdrain before the basement floor, sewer and water lines before backfill, septic before backfill, and a final for the certificate of occupancy after the fireplace and electrical finals. After a second failed inspection, each further inspection costs $100.

Before the certificate issues, the town highway office must approve the driveway, a copy of the energy report must be posted by the electrical panel, the well and septic paperwork must be filed, and permanent house numbers at least 4 inches high must be up. Inspectors will not come out if the postal number cannot be seen from the road, and mobile homes must leave four skirting panels off so the tie-downs can be checked.

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

Halfmoon permit FAQ

Do I need a permit for a small shed in Halfmoon?

Yes. The town code has no shed exemption, and the 2026 schedule charges $75 for a detached structure of 144 sq ft or less.

How much is a building permit for a new house?

Area × 75 × 0.67 × 0.0047 × 1.76; for 2,000 sq ft that is about $831, with the Building Inspector setting the square footage.

Do I need a permit to replace my roof or furnace?

Yes, $100 each for a home under the 2026 schedule.

How long does a Halfmoon building permit last?

Twelve months, and work must start within that time; pool permits last 180 days and lawn sprinkler permits 30 days.

Who inspects electrical work?

A third-party electrical inspector. The town issues the $100 electrical permit, and the electrical final is needed before the certificate of occupancy.

Who approves my septic system?

For a house outside a realty subdivision, the town issues the septic permit; the design engineer certifies the work by letter and the town inspects before backfill.

Do I need a permit for a generator or solar panels?

Yes. A home generator is $100 and rooftop solar for on-site use is $125; generators over 50 kW also have to meet the town’s noise and testing-hours limits.

Can I get a refund if I cancel my project?

Half the fee, if no construction or inspection has taken place and you ask in writing or by email before the permit expires.

Permit search and official resources

Halfmoon has no public online permit search. For permits, certificates of occupancy or plans on file, use the Town Clerk’s FOIL application (the Town Clerk administers all FOIL requests, 518-371-7410); Town Board, Planning Board and ZBA agendas and minutes are on the town’s meetings page.

• Building & Code Enforcement
• Permit applications
• 2026 residential building permit fees
• 2026 commercial building permit fees
• Residential inspection schedule
• Commercial inspection schedule
• Town Code Chapter 71, Uniform Construction Codes
• Chapter 90, Generators
• Town Code of Halfmoon
• Agendas and minutes
• Town Clerk and FOIL application
• Saratoga County onsite wastewater program
• NYS code adoption notice

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