Town of Harrison, New York Building Permit Guide

Every building permit in Harrison comes from the Town/Village of Harrison Building Department at 1 Heineman Place (914-670-3050), because the town and the village have the same boundaries and one set of offices. Applications are filed on paper at the counter or by mail; the eTRAKiT portal is used only for payments, review comments, parcel look-ups and inspection requests. Under the March 2026 fee sheet a residential permit costs a $150 application fee plus $15 per $1,000 of construction cost, and the certificate of occupancy or completion is another $200.

What requires a building permit in Harrison?

Chapter 105 of the Town Code requires a permit for any work governed by the Uniform Code or the Energy Code, including building, enlarging, altering, moving or demolishing a structure and installing a wood stove, chimney or flue in a home. The department’s own list goes further: fences, driveways, tree removal, signs and awnings, plumbing and electrical work, blasting, temporary structures and special outdoor events, excavation and regrading, fill and trucking, demolition and ADA work all need a Harrison permit.

Section 105-4B is the adopted rule for small sheds, but the building page says shed applications are reviewed by the Building Inspector and an as-built survey may be required for new accessory structures, so ask before setting one. New construction that disturbs land needs the Town Engineer’s approval first, and the land development application is required once 500 sq ft or more of ground is disturbed.

What Harrison decides and what the state sets

Chapter 103 makes the New York Uniform Code the only construction code in Harrison, and Chapter 105 (Local Law 5 of 2008) sets the local administration: four sets of documents, permit terms, inspections and certificates. Harrison adds its own rules in other chapters: zoning (Chapter 235), steep slopes (Chapter 199), freshwater wetlands (Chapter 149), flood damage prevention (Chapter 146), stormwater and erosion control (Chapter 130) and trees (Chapter 220). Any technical standard stricter than the Uniform Code would need state Code Council approval.

Harrison building department: who handles permitting

The Town of Harrison and the Village of Harrison cover exactly the same land. There is no separate village building office: the Building Department, led by Building Inspector Rocco Germani, issues permits and certificates of occupancy for the whole community.

Harrison permit types and filing rules

Residential permits

The full Application for Building Permit covers five categories, one per application: A (new construction, new accessory structures, additions and exterior alterations), B (decks, pools, walls, driveways, sports courts), C (interior alterations, generators, fences and pool barriers, HVAC), D (rooftop antennas) and E (signs and awnings). Category A and B filings need a survey and three sets of drawings; residential plans must be 24 by 36 inches and sealed by a New York design professional. Windows, exterior doors, insulation, chimney lining, roofs and residential HVAC use the one-page short form instead.

The package includes a notarized affidavit of ownership, a compliance affidavit and a hold-harmless agreement signed by the contractor. The estimated cost must include plumbing, electrical, labor, materials, scaffolding, fixed equipment, professional fees, donated labor and materials, hardscape and site work. A homeowner acting as general contractor signs the owner’s affidavit and files the state BP-1 exemption affidavit with proof of insurance; a hired general contractor must hold a Westchester County license.

The compliance affidavit adds Harrison rules: tell the department about any planned driveway, patio, pool, cabana, court or other structure, since each needs its own permit; and erosion and sediment controls must be installed and inspected before work starts.

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

Commercial permits

Commercial and multi-family work uses the same form with the commercial box ticked. New commercial construction and lot divisions need site plan approval from the Planning Board and review by the Architectural Review Board. For work on an existing building that, within two years, exceeds 50% of its gross floor ratio, the owner signs the sprinkler affidavit under Local Law 2 of 2006 and Section 143-29 and installs a sprinkler system where the Bureau of Fire Prevention requires one.

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

• Architectural Review Board: Category A and E filings are referred to the board, which meets on the second Tuesday at 7 pm in the Municipal Building. Email a digital plan set, bring two 11 by 17 sets and photos, and file by the Monday of the week before; board approval is not a permit.
• Planning Board: site plan review costs $350 plus $50 per parking space, a steep-slope site plan $350 and a single-lot wetland permit $300.
• Zoning Board of Appeals: variances when the Building Inspector denies an application on zoning grounds.
• Engineering: a land development application for 500 sq ft or more of disturbance, and a floodplain disturbance permit in mapped flood zones.
• Sewers: since Local Law 2 of 2024, every new structure needs a new sanitary lateral to the town/village sewer, with the old line removed and capped.
• Septic: lots marked “septic system” on the zoning page of the form also need Westchester County Department of Health approval for any new system.

Harrison building permit fees

Chapter 106 leaves fees to Town Board resolution. The department links its March 2026 fee schedule, and both the application fee and any certificate fee are due when you file.

Worked example: a $40,000 kitchen and bath renovation in a house costs $150 to apply, $600 in permit fees (40 × $15) and $200 for the certificate, or $950 before any separate plumbing or electrical permit.

Trade permits and who may pull them

Electrical. Electrical work needs its own Harrison permit ($150 residential, $300 commercial), signed by the electrician who will do the job and listing the building permit number; fire alarm devices need a separate permit from the Bureau of Fire Prevention. Chapter 122 forbids installing or altering wiring until the job permit is issued and an inspection has been filed with an authorized agency, and new work may not be energized until that agency certifies it. Inspectors must themselves be licensed by Westchester County unless they work for a government; the county posts its list of approved inspection agencies.

Plumbing and sewer. Plumbing and sewer connections use the combined plumbing and sewer permit, with fees by fixture count. A backflow test report on state form DOH-1013 goes to the department where a device is required.

Licenses. Harrison relies on the county. The Westchester County Department of Consumer Protection (148 Martine Avenue, Room 407, White Plains; 914-995-2155) licenses master electricians and plumbers, whose card shows the expiry date, and home improvement contractors, whose application fee rose to $750 on January 1, 2026 (licensing line 914-995-2211). The Harrison form asks for the general contractor’s county license number.

Insurance. The department’s sample certificate lists the Town/Village of Harrison, 1 Heineman Place, as certificate holder and additional insured, with general liability of $1,000,000 per occurrence, workers’ compensation on form C-105.2, U-26.3 or CE-200 and disability on DB-120.1, DB-155 or CE-200.

How to apply for a Harrison building permit

Review, corrections and what causes delay

Incomplete applications are mailed back rather than held, so missing notarization, insurance certificates or a fee are the usual causes of delay. Projects that need the Architectural Review Board wait for its monthly meeting, and Planning Board items must be filed 21 days ahead of the fourth-Tuesday meeting. A permit becomes invalid if work has not started within six months and expires one year after issue; renewal costs $50, and a design change needs an amended plan ($75 residential) before the work is built.

Harrison inspections and certificates of occupancy

The permit lists the inspections it needs, and the permit holder books each one through eTRAKiT 24 to 48 hours ahead; inspections usually take place between 10 am and 1 pm. An adult must be home for indoor visits, animals must be secured, the approved plans must be on site, and a not-ready or no-show result costs $50. Section 105-5 lists the stages: footings and foundation, slab preparation, framing, building systems and rough-ins, fire-resistant construction, solid-fuel appliances and chimneys, energy code compliance and a final.

To close a permit, file the Application for CO after the final inspection, with an updated survey if the footprint changed and sign-offs from the Fire Marshal and the electrical inspector where they apply. Harrison does not issue temporary certificates of occupancy, so a project done in phases needs a separate application for each phase. A new building also has to finish its sewer lateral and any Engineering and Public Works items, including ADA-compliant curb and sidewalk, before the certificate issues.

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

Harrison permit FAQ

Does Purchase or West Harrison have its own building department?

No. Harrison is a single town and village with one Building Department at 1 Heineman Place, which permits every part of the community.

Can I apply for a Harrison permit online?

No. Since September 3, 2024 applications are accepted only on paper at the counter or by mail; eTRAKiT is used afterwards for payments, review comments and inspection requests.

Do I need a permit to take down a tree?

Yes, for any tree 4 inches or more in diameter on private property, even a dead or storm-damaged one. File a survey with the trees marked and tag the trees on site; the fee is $25 for up to three trees and $5 for each extra tree.

Do I need a permit for a fence or a shed?

Fences need a Harrison permit. Under Section 105-4B, the adopted code, a one-story shed under 144 sq ft at a one- or two-family home needs no building permit; the department’s page still speaks of shed applications and as-built surveys, so confirm with the Building Inspector first.

How much is a permit for a $40,000 renovation?

For a house, $150 to apply, $600 in permit fees and $200 for the certificate of occupancy or completion, so $950 before separate trade permits.

Can a homeowner act as the contractor?

Yes. Sign the owner’s affidavit in the application package and file the notarized BP-1 affidavit with a copy of your homeowner’s insurance. Electricians and plumbers you hire still need Westchester County licenses.

When can construction crews work?

Outdoor construction is allowed from 7:30 am to 8 pm on weekdays and from 10 am to 8 pm on weekends and holidays, unless the Building Inspector finds an emergency.

Is Harrison in the federal flood insurance program?

Yes. FEMA lists Harrison as participating, on the Westchester County flood map effective September 28, 2007, and in the Community Rating System since October 1, 2014; work in a flood zone needs a floodplain disturbance permit.

Permit search and official resources

eTRAKiT shows parcel data, flood zone status and the status of open applications. For a property’s full permit and certificate history, use the online permit/CO history request: the department emails a copy of the block and lot card within 24 hours.

• Harrison Building Department
• Applications and documents
• Building Department fee schedule, March 2026
• Inspection rules and scheduling
• eTRAKiT portal
• Permit/CO history online request
• Town Code Chapter 105, Building Enforcement
• Town Code Chapter 122, Electrical Standards
• Engineering Department and land development forms
• Architectural Review Board
• Planning Board
• Westchester County plumber and electrician licenses
• Westchester County home improvement license fees
• Westchester County Health septic and well permits
• FEMA Community Status Book, New York
• NYS code adoption notice

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