Town of Henrietta, New York Building Permit Guide

In the Town of Henrietta, the Department of Building and Fire Prevention at Town Hall, 475 Calkins Road, issues building permits and the separate plumbing and electrical permits, and it also takes applications for the Planning Board, Zoning Board and Conservation Board. A new one- or two-family home is charged $0.30 per square foot under the town’s fee chapter, last amended on June 11, 2026, and permits expire after 6, 12 or 18 months depending on the size of the job.

What requires a building permit in Henrietta?

The department’s application lists and the fee chapter show what Henrietta permits. Each fee line carries a size code (small, medium or large) that also sets how long the permit lasts.

Plumbing and electrical permits are not needed for ordinary repairs. A wheelchair ramp at a home still needs a permit, but the fee is $0. Where a property backs onto a state-regulated wetland, the 100-foot buffer must stay undeveloped and no structure, including a shed, may be built in it; the department refers those questions to the Department of Environmental Conservation (585-226-2466).

What the town decides and what the state sets

Chapter 48 adopts the state Uniform Code as Henrietta’s building standard, so construction rules match the rest of New York and can only be made stricter with state approval. The town sets the administration: permit sizes and expiry, the fee chapter, the licensing and bonding of plumbers and electricians, zoning in Chapter 295, flood damage prevention in Chapter 125 and the West Henrietta Historic District.

Henrietta building department: who handles permitting

Under Chapter 48 the Department of Building and Fire Prevention is headed by the Director of Building and Fire Prevention, who reports to the Town Supervisor. Its building inspectors, all certified by the New York Department of State, review plans and inspect construction; its fire inspectors make annual fire safety inspections of existing businesses; and its code enforcement staff handle property maintenance and zoning complaints. The department also issues disability parking permits and handles zoning compliance letters. Henrietta has no incorporated village, so it covers every Henrietta address.

Permit types and application forms

Residential permits

The residential forms are the Residential Building Permit Application (its last page lists the common residential fees), the One and Two Family Residence Application for new houses, the Fuel Burning Device application for wood stoves, generators, pool heaters and fireplace inserts, the Residential Fire Alarm Application, the Sanitary Sewer Permit Review, the Truss Utilization Form and the Building Extension Form. Engineer-stamped drawings are needed for pre-engineered systems such as panelized sunroom enclosures and for manufactured buildings, and architect’s drawings for alterations costing more than $20,000 or affecting structure or public safety. A home rental also needs a Rental Registry application ($150).

Under section 48-9, a building permit application comes with two sets of plans and specifications and a plot plan drawn to scale, showing the new structures, their distance from lot lines and the materials to be used; the Building Inspector may waive the plans for simple jobs. Someone other than the owner, such as the architect, engineer or builder, may apply with the owner’s affidavit authorizing the work. The town will not issue a permit without proof of workers’ compensation and disability coverage, or an affidavit that the applicant has no employees on the job. Once approved, one stamped set of plans goes back with the permit and must be kept on site for the inspector.

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

Commercial permits

Commercial work uses the Commercial Building Permit, the Use and Occupancy Permit Application for a new occupant, and the Fire Prevention forms: the 2025 Application for Fire Systems Plan Review with the FP104 fire alarm and FP105 sprinkler submittal checklists, FP100 fuel burning device installation, tank installation and removal, LPG, public assembly, tent, kiosk and elevator applications. Fire systems plan review costs at least $125 or 0.010 × project cost, and fire prevention operating permits include public assembly ($100), hot work ($100) and commercial fuel-burning devices ($250). Jobs over $500,000 pay the large-project surcharge, and a project over $5,000,000 may ask the Director before the permit is issued for a longer expiry, which the Town Board decides.

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

• Town Board special permits: $100 residential or $200 commercial, $50 to renew an unmodified expired application within 12 months; a rezoning is $200.
• Zoning Board of Appeals: area variances $100 residential ($25 for each added co-submission) or $250 commercial; use variances $100 or $250.
• Planning Board applications, $150, and Conservation Board review, all filed through this department.
• Wetlands: state wetland buffers stay undeveloped; ask DEC about the 100-foot buffer before designing.
• Flood areas: Henrietta participates in the National Flood Insurance Program, with flood maps dated August 28, 2008, and regulates floodplain work under Chapter 125.
• Historic district: properties in the West Henrietta Historic District fall under Chapter A304.

Henrietta permit fees

Building and Fire Prevention fees are codified in section A301-2 of the Town Code, most recently amended by Local Law 8 of 2026 on June 11, 2026. The department’s page links straight to it as the updated fee schedule.

At $0.30 per square foot, the building fee for a new 2,000 sq ft house is $600; the plan review, certificate of occupancy, plumbing and sewer connection fees are separate lines. Rescinding a residential stop-work order costs up to $100, and a permit first applied for after the work is done also carries a $100 post-construction review for a home. A plumbing license is $125.

Trade permits and who may pull them

Licensing. Henrietta licenses both trades. Under Chapter 198, Article I, nobody may carry on the business of plumbing or electrical work in the town without a license issued by the Building Inspector and a $5,000 bond approved by the Town Board. The inspector may license holders of a City of Rochester plumbing or electrical examining board license, people with at least 10 years in the trade, or those who pass an exam. Licenses expire on December 1 each year.

Permits. Article II requires a separate plumbing or electrical permit from the Building Inspector for each installation, alteration or removal of a system, and the application is made by the plumber or electrician who will do the work. No plumbing or electrical work may be covered or put into use until it has been tested in the inspector’s presence and approved. Since February 5, 2026 (Local Law 3), non-compliant trade work carries a civil penalty of $250 to $1,000, and an owner who took part in or knowingly allowed it can be cited too.

Electrical inspections. The town’s own staff do not inspect wiring: three outside agencies are certified for Henrietta electrical inspections, and the department (585-359-7060) gives their details.

Septic and sewer. Septic tank systems are excluded from the town’s plumbing permit and go to the Monroe County Department of Public Health; sewer connections are town permits ($50 connection permit, $175 lateral connection).

How to apply for a Henrietta building permit

Review, corrections and what causes delay

Henrietta does not publish a review time. Filing late is costly: a permit applied for after work has started adds 50% of the base fee, and one filed after the work is finished adds 100%, plus the post-construction review fee. An expired permit is void, so finishing the work means applying again or, if nothing has changed, paying the renewal fee. Rescinding a stop-work order costs up to $100 at a home or $300 for other buildings (never more than the base permit fee, with a $25 minimum).

Henrietta inspections and certificates

The department’s inspectors carry out the inspections the permit requires; contact the department at 585-359-7060 about scheduling. Plumbing and electrical systems must be tested and approved before they are concealed or put into use. Electrical inspections are booked with one of the outside agencies. The fee chapter lists inspections at $65 residential and $150 commercial, and re-inspections from $75.

A new building may not be used until the Building Inspector issues a certificate of occupancy, an enlarged or altered building may be used for no more than 30 days after the work ends without one, and any change of use needs a new certificate. The inspectors confirm the work matches the approved plans before a certificate of occupancy ($100 for a new one- or two-family home) or certificate of compliance ($55 residential) is issued. Commercial buildings then enter the fire inspectors’ annual inspection cycle.

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

Henrietta permit FAQ

Where is the Henrietta building department?

At Henrietta Town Hall, 475 Calkins Road, Rochester, NY 14623; phone 585-359-7060, e-mail building@henriettany.gov.

How much is a building permit for a new house in Henrietta?

$0.30 per square foot, so $600 for 2,000 sq ft, plus plan review, certificate of occupancy and trade permit fees.

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

Yes. A residential shed is $45 and a fence $50, and both are small projects whose permits expire after six months.

Who inspects electrical work in Henrietta?

One of three outside agencies certified by the town; the town itself does not do electrical inspections.

Can a homeowner do their own plumbing or electrical work?

The town code requires a Henrietta license to carry on plumbing or electrical work, and trade permits are applied for by the plumber or electrician doing the job. Ask the department before planning owner-performed trade work.

Do I need a permit for a wood stove or fireplace insert?

Yes, on the residential Fuel Burning Device application; the fee is $100.

Can I build a shed in a wetland buffer?

No. The 100-foot buffers next to state wetlands must stay undeveloped, and structures are not permitted there.

Permit search and official resources

Chapter 48 makes the department’s applications, permits, certificates and inspection reports public records. Request copies through the Town Clerk’s FOIL Public Portal; the Records Access Officers answer within five business days, electronic copies are free and paper copies cost $0.25 a page. You can also view a record in person at the Town Clerk’s Office during business hours instead of buying copies. Zoning compliance letters come from the Building Department, not through FOIL.

• Henrietta Building & Fire Prevention
• Residential permit applications
• Commercial permit applications
• Building & Fire Prevention FAQs
• Chapter A301, Fee Schedules
• Chapter 48, Building and Development
• Chapter 198, Article I, licensing of plumbers and electricians
• Chapter 198, Article II, plumbing and electrical permits
• Code of the Town of Henrietta (eCode360)
• Freedom of Information Law requests
• Monroe County onsite wastewater (septic) program
• NYS Department of State code adoption notice

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