City of Long Beach, New York Building Permit Guide

In the City of Long Beach, the Building Department on the third floor of City Hall, 1 West Chester Street, issues building permits and certificates of occupancy and inspects construction and trade work across the city. A permit can be taken out only by a city-licensed contractor or the homeowner, all electrical and plumbing work must be done by city-licensed trades, and the City Code charges $175 for the first $1,000 of estimated cost plus $18 for each further $1,000.

What requires a building permit in Long Beach?

The department’s own “you must apply for a permit” list covers routine exterior jobs as well as structural work.

What the city decides and what the state sets

Construction standards come from the state Uniform Code and Energy Code, which Chapter 7 of the City Code enforces through the Commissioner of Buildings; stricter technical standards would need state Code Council approval. Long Beach sets its own zoning, site plan rules, flood damage prevention standards with extra freeboard, contractor, electrician and plumber licensing, apprenticeship rules for very large buildings and its permit fees, which sit in the City Code itself; the current supplement includes ordinances enacted through April 7, 2026.

New in 2026: home batteries. Ordinance 3106 of April 7, 2026 requires a city building permit and electrical permit for every behind-the-meter battery energy storage system. Single battery units are capped at 20 kWh, and the total may not exceed 40 kWh in a utility closet or storage space, or 80 kWh in a garage or accessory building, on an exterior wall or outdoors on a poured concrete pad. Systems over 80 kWh are banned in the city.

Long Beach building department: who handles permitting

The Building Department, headed by Commissioner Scott Kemins, issues building permits and certificates of occupancy, handles complaints about properties, buildings and sanitation, and inspects and enforces the zoning, electrical, plumbing and sanitation codes. Long Beach is a city, separate from the Town of Hempstead, so this department permits all work inside the city limits.

Permit types and submission requirements

Residential permits

Only a contractor licensed by the City of Long Beach or the homeowner can take out a building permit, and a licensed contractor signs an affidavit that it alone is doing the work. The adopted City Code is narrower: section 7-38 says “No construction or alteration permit shall be issued pursuant to this division except to a licensed builder or mechanic,” while the department’s page adds homeowners, so confirm with the department before filing as an owner. New construction and substantial alterations also need a $200 cash deposit or surety undertaking, returned once debris is removed and any broken curb or sidewalk is replaced within 72 hours of notice; a builder taking out several permits a year can instead file one $2,000 bond each January. The application is a detailed statement in duplicate on department forms with plans, a notarized statement naming every owner and a lot diagram showing new and existing structures. Replacing a fence, curb or sidewalk also needs a street-light markout from the Department of Public Works, and demolition needs written notice at least 48 hours before work starts. Plumbing work needs duplicate drawings on department forms and an affidavit from the licensed plumber. Every new oil or gas burner, central heating unit or central air unit needs its own permit and must be a listed unit; a new heating system must sit in a one-hour fire-rated room with an emergency shut-off switch within 5 feet outside it.

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Commercial permits

Commercial jobs follow the same fee rules, and a new commercial or mixed-use building or a commercial change of use goes to the Planning Board for site plan approval after the Commissioner has reviewed the building permit and issued a referral letter. Buildings of 100,000 square feet or more cannot get a permit until every contractor shows registered state apprenticeship agreements for its trade. A certificate of occupancy for a new building other than a one- or two-family house costs $20 for the first $1,000 of construction cost plus $4 per further $1,000 (between $200 and $1,000), and for an existing commercial building $300 for the first 2,000 sq ft plus $50 per further 400 sq ft. Developers granted a waiver from the county’s on-site stormwater retention rule pay $3 per square foot of lot before the permit issues. Multiple dwellings must file a yearly certificate, by the end of October, that the heating plant has been checked.

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 problems start with the Building Department: a Zoning Board of Appeals application needs a denial letter from the department first, and the board meets at 7 p.m. on the dates and deadlines posted on its page, with agendas in Room 304 the Friday before. Projects needing both a variance and a site plan get a preliminary Planning Board review before the ZBA acts. FEMA’s 2009 maps put the entire city in a flood zone, mostly AE, so most projects must also meet the city’s flood rules: new and substantially improved homes in A zones need the lowest floor at least 2 feet above the base flood elevation, and non-residential buildings 3 feet. FEMA lists Long Beach as a participating NFIP community in Community Rating System class 7, a 15% premium discount. Disturbing an acre or more also needs a state stormwater permit and a SWPPP.

Long Beach permit fees

The web page tells applicants to call for prices, but the fees are written into the City Code (Chapters 7 and 21, Supplement 87).

Worked example. A $30,000 alteration costs $175 plus 29 × $18 = $522, or $697. For a new house with an estimated cost of $400,000 the permit fee is $175 + 399 × $18 = $7,357; because a new building over $25,000 pays the same amount again to the capital improvement fund, the total is $14,714, plus $250 for the certificate of occupancy. Half of any fee over $60 (at least $60) is paid when the application is filed and is not refunded if the permit is refused, and work started before the permit doubles every fee.

Trade permits and who may pull them

Contractors. Anyone in the building business in the city needs a City of Long Beach license from the City Clerk; the City Code lists $265 for general contractors and $200 for home improvement, HVAC and other residential contractors. A residential home improvement business also needs the Nassau County license from the county Department of Consumer Affairs in Mineola (licensing 516-571-2600).

Electrical. All electrical work must be done by a master electrician licensed by the City of Long Beach, examined by the city’s Board of Examiners of Electricians, and homeowners may not do it themselves. Before wiring is installed or altered, an application for inspection must be filed with an electrical inspection agency the Commissioner has authorized; the agency’s charges are never billed to the city.

Plumbing and gas. Plumbing, gas piping and gas appliances must be done by a licensed and registered City of Long Beach plumber, who files the plumbing permit, signs the specifications and swears an affidavit of authority. Homeowners cannot do their own plumbing.

How to apply for a Long Beach building permit

Review, corrections and what causes delay

A refused application forfeits the half-fee paid at filing, so incomplete plans cost money as well as time. Work must start within 90 days and finish within one year unless the Commissioner grants a longer term at issue; after that the job counts as abandoned and needs a supplementary permit, issued for 90 days at a time at 25% of the original fees. Demolition must start within 10 days and finish within 30. Variance and site plan cases add the board calendars to the timeline.

Long Beach inspections and certificates

The Building Department inspects building, plumbing and zoning work, while wiring is inspected by the authorized electrical agency named on the inspection application. Each extra inspection needed before a certificate of occupancy, change-of-use permit or letter of completion is $30. Plumbing work receives a certificate of approval ($25) once it passes.

A new building needs a certificate of occupancy before use ($250 for a new one- or two-family house), and smaller jobs close with a $50 letter of completion. With the certificate application the owner or builder files a sworn statement of the actual final cost, and the permit fee is trued up to it; where the Commissioner required it at approval, an architect or engineer must also swear to having inspected the work throughout. Certificates are issued within 10 days of a written application when the building qualifies. A temporary certificate for up to 90 days costs $300, and a demolition permit’s $350 deposit is returned once the Commissioner approves the finished work.

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

Long Beach permit FAQ

Do I need a permit for a new roof or a fence in Long Beach?

Yes. Roof installation or replacement, siding, fences, driveways and sidewalks all need a permit, priced like other work at $175 for the first $1,000 plus $18 per $1,000.

Can a homeowner pull a permit in Long Beach?

The department’s page says a homeowner may take out a building permit, while section 7-38 of the City Code allows construction or alteration permits only to “a licensed builder or mechanic”; ask the department first. Either way, homeowners may never do electrical or plumbing work themselves.

How much is a building permit for a $30,000 job?

$697: $175 for the first $1,000 and $18 for each of the other 29 thousands.

Is my house in a flood zone?

FEMA’s 2009 maps put the whole city in a flood zone, most of it AE; the department or FEMA’s map service gives the zone and base flood elevation for a lot.

How long is a permit good for?

Start within 90 days and finish within one year, unless the Commissioner allows longer at issue; extensions run 90 days at a time.

Can I install a home battery system?

Yes, with a building and an electrical permit, up to 20 kWh per unit and 40 to 80 kWh in total depending on location; anything over 80 kWh is prohibited.

How do I appeal a zoning denial?

Get the denial letter from the Building Department, then file with the Zoning Board of Appeals by the posted deadline.

Do contractors need a city license?

Yes. Contractors need a City of Long Beach license, and residential home improvement firms also need the Nassau County license.

Permit search and official resources

Permit and certificate records are kept by the Building Department in Room 304. Copies and other public records are requested through the city’s online FOIL form; the city asks that requests not be emailed elsewhere, which slows the answer.

• Long Beach Building Department
• Long Beach Code of Ordinances, Supplement 87
• Charter and Code of Ordinances page
• Zoning Board of Appeals schedule
• Flood information and CRS
• Freedom of Information requests
• Nassau County home improvement licensing
• NYS Department of State code adoption notice

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