Town of Haverstraw, New York Building Permit Guide

For land in the Town of Haverstraw outside its three incorporated villages, building permits come from the town Building Department at Town Hall, One Rosman Road, Garnerville (845-942-3710). You file the town’s paper application with two sets of plans, an owner’s affidavit and each contractor’s Rockland County license and insurance. Under the fee chapter of the Town Code, a single-family house starts at $250 plus $150 for the certificate of occupancy, and a permit lasts 12 months.

What requires a building permit in Haverstraw?

Section 84-4 of the Town Code requires a permit for any work that must meet the Uniform Code or the Energy Code: building, enlarging, altering, improving, moving or demolishing a building or structure, and installing a wood stove, other solid-fuel heater, chimney or flue in a home.

One point to raise at the counter: the fee chapter still lists a “fences and solid wall” fee ($100 or $125) and a certificate of compliance for fences, although Section 84-4 exempts fences that do not enclose a pool. Both are adopted law, so ask first. Zoning still governs every fence: a solid fence or wall up to 4½ feet, or an open fence up to 6 feet, is allowed on a lot line; a taller solid fence or wall must be set back two-thirds of its height, and front-yard fences over 4 feet are not allowed on residential lots.

What the town decides and what the state sets

Chapter 84, adopted by Local Law 1 of 2007, puts the state Uniform Code and Energy Code into effect, lists the exemptions above, sets the 12-month permit term and leaves fees to the Town Board. Zoning (Chapter 167), flood damage prevention (Chapter 87), freshwater wetlands (Chapter 90) and pools (Chapter 150) are local rules.

Town of Haverstraw building department: who handles permitting

The Building Department issues building permits, certificates of occupancy and operating permits and carries out construction and fire-safety inspections; George T. Behn Jr. is the Building Inspector. Fire, burning and sprinkler questions go to the same office through the Town Hall line, 845-429-2200.

Each village enforces the Uniform Code and its own zoning. The Village of Haverstraw handles its Planning, Zoning and Architectural Review Board paperwork at the building counter, permits pools over 18 inches and all sheds, and issues permits good for six months with up to three renewals. West Haverstraw requires permits for fences, sheds over 144 sq ft and window replacements, asks for county-licensed contractors, charges $115 for a certificate of occupancy and approves complete applications within seven business days. Pomona, which lies partly in the Town of Ramapo, books inspections through its building clerk.

Haverstraw permit types and filing rules

Residential permits

Every project uses the same Application for Building Permit, which covers use, erection, alteration, repair, extension, removal, demolition, occupancy and conversion. The top section asks for the tax section, block and lot, the hamlet and the zoning district (staff will help with the tax lot and zone). You then describe the project, give the present use, state the entire cost of labor and materials and name the architect or engineer (with New York license number), the builder, the plumber and the electrician (each with a Rockland County license number). If the Town Board, Planning Board or Zoning Board granted a special permit or variance, its date and decision number go on the form.

The owner or the owner’s agent signs an affidavit on the back, which must be notarized or signed in front of Building Department staff; an incomplete affidavit means the application is refused. A homeowner acting as contractor attaches the coverage page of the homeowner’s insurance policy. Each contractor, electrician, plumber or HVAC installer supplies a copy of the Rockland County license and certificates for disability, liability and workers’ compensation insurance naming the Town of Haverstraw, 1 Rosman Road, Garnerville, as certificate holder. Chapter 84 asks for two sets of construction documents, sealed by a New York architect or engineer where the Education Law requires it, and a site plan showing buildings, any well or septic system and distances to lot lines.

A permanently installed pool deeper than 24 inches needs a plot plan, and Chapter 150 requires a barrier at least 4 feet high with no more than 2 inches of clearance at the ground, picket gaps of 4 inches or less and self-closing, self-latching gates.

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

Commercial permits

Commercial, industrial and multi-family work uses the same form. Within three business days of finding a commercial, industrial or multiple-dwelling application otherwise compliant, the Building Inspector sends it to the Architectural Review Board, which has 30 days to act before the application counts as approved. Assembly spaces for 100 or more people also need a town operating permit.

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

What comes before the building permit

• Zoning Board of Appeals for variances, special permits and interpretations: $250 for a home, $300 for vacant land, $400 for commercial property, plus a $50 land-use fee.
• Planning Board site plan review: $50 informal presentation, $50 sketch, then $100 plus $50 per 1,000 sq ft of floor area at the preliminary and final stages.
• Architectural Review Board for commercial, industrial and multi-family buildings and subdivisions of three or more lots ($50 per house; commercial fees by floor area).
• Land disturbance under Chapter 140: from $350 for residential disturbance up to half an acre.
• Town roads: a driveway opening permit is free.
• Septic: the Rockland County Department of Health must approve new and repaired septic systems.
• Flood zones: the town is in the National Flood Insurance Program (current map dated March 3, 2014), and a certificate of occupancy can require flood hazard certifications.

Haverstraw building permit fees

Chapter 84 says fees are set by Town Board resolution; the amounts in force are the rows of Chapter 79 of the Town Code, last amended for building permits by Local Law 2 of 2013, with the re-roof and electric-service rows added by Local Law 4 of 2016. The Town Board’s 2026 minutes through September show no new fee schedule.

Read as written, the house row charges $250 for a project costing $1,000 to $15,000 and adds $10 for each further $1,000 or fraction above $15,000, but the code gives no example, so ask the department to price a new home before you budget.

Trade permits and who may pull them

Electrical. Chapter 76, the town’s Electrical Code, makes it a violation to install or alter wiring before an application for inspection has been filed with the New York Board of Fire Underwriters or another inspection agency the town approves, and a system may not be connected to power until that agency issues a temporary certificate or certificate of compliance. The agency reports to the Building Inspector, and its fees are paid by the owner or contractor.

Licenses. Rockland County, not the town, licenses the trades. Its Consumer Protection office issues master electrician licenses (Chapter 250), plumbing, heating, air-conditioning, sheet metal, refrigeration and fire-protection contractor licenses (Chapter 319) and home improvement licenses under a new Chapter 286, adopted by the County Legislature on April 14, 2026 and in force since May 14, 2026. The home improvement law covers repair and remodeling work on homes of up to three units and does not reach plumbing, electrical or architectural work, which have their own licenses. The town form asks for each contractor’s county license number, and the county office (50 Sanatorium Road, Building A, Pomona; 845-364-3901) keeps a public license lookup.

Insurance. Every contractor’s workers’ compensation, disability and liability certificates must name the town as holder; an owner doing the work files the declarations page of the homeowner’s policy.

Septic and sewers. The Rockland County Department of Health reviews and approves septic plans drawn by a licensed engineer or architect, inspects the installation and must approve every repair (845-364-2656). Sewer service and connections follow Chapter 137 of the Town Code.

How to apply for a Haverstraw building permit

Review, corrections and what causes delay

The town does not publish a review time. Common holdups are an incomplete affidavit, which stops an application at the counter, missing Rockland County licenses or insurance certificates that do not name the town, and projects that need a Zoning Board, Planning Board or Architectural Review Board decision first. A permit expires 12 months after it is issued; an extension costs $200 for one more year, and after two years a new permit is required.

Haverstraw inspections and certificates

Call the Building Department at 845-942-3710 when each stage is ready. Work must stay exposed until it is inspected and accepted. Section 84-5 lists the stages the town inspects where they apply: the site before the permit is issued, footings and foundation, slab preparation, framing, building systems including underground and rough-in work, fire-resistant construction and penetrations, solid-fuel appliances and chimneys, Energy Code compliance and a final inspection. A failed or missed inspection costs $100 to repeat.

Every job done under a building permit ends with a certificate of occupancy or certificate of compliance, and a change of use also needs one. Before issuing it, the Building Inspector can require a special-inspection report and flood hazard certifications. A temporary certificate is possible only where the occupied part is safe.

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

Town of Haverstraw permit FAQ

I live in Garnerville or Thiells. Does the town issue my permit?

Yes, unless the parcel is inside the Village of Haverstraw, West Haverstraw or Pomona; Garnerville and Thiells are unincorporated hamlets served by the town Building Department.

Do I need a permit for a shed in the Town of Haverstraw?

Not for a one-story shed or playhouse under 144 square feet at a one- or two-family home. Larger sheds need a permit and must meet zoning setbacks.

Do I need a permit for a fence?

Section 84-4 exempts fences that are not part of a pool enclosure, but the fee chapter still lists a fence fee, so ask the department about your fence. Solid fences over 4½ feet must be set back from the lot line.

Can I do the work myself as a homeowner?

The town accepts an owner acting as contractor with a copy of the homeowner’s insurance coverage page. Electrical, plumbing and heating contractors you hire need Rockland County licenses.

Who inspects electrical work?

The New York Board of Fire Underwriters or another inspection agency the town approves, filed before wiring starts; the new wiring may not be connected to power until that agency issues its certificate.

How long is a Haverstraw building permit valid?

Twelve months from issue. A one-year extension costs $200, and after two years you need a new permit.

Do I need a permit for an above-ground pool?

Yes, unless it is under 24 inches deep and sits entirely above ground. The fee is $100 plus $150 for the certificate, and the pool needs a 4-foot barrier or guard rails at least 2½ feet high on its walls.

Permit search and official resources

The town has no online permit search. Under Section 84-13 the department’s permits, certificates and inspection records are public records: file the Town Clerk’s FOIL application to see them, or pay $150 for a copy of a certificate of occupancy or a violation search.

• Town of Haverstraw Building Department
• Building permit application and instructions
• Town Code Chapter 84, Fire Prevention and Building Construction
• Town Code Chapter 79, Fees
• Chapter 76, Electrical Standards
• Chapter 150, Swimming Pools and Ponds
• Chapter 167, Zoning
• Town Clerk FOIL application
• Town Board agendas and minutes
• Village of Haverstraw Building Department
• Village of West Haverstraw Building Department
• Village of Pomona Building Department
• Rockland County contractor and trade licenses
• Rockland County Health wastewater and septic
• NYS code adoption notice

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