Monroe County, New York Building Permit Guide

Monroe County has no building department. The City of Rochester, each of the 20 towns (counting East Rochester, which is both a town and a village) and most of the ten villages run their own, and a few share: East Rochester’s town and village are one office, and the Village of Spencerport uses the Town of Ogden’s department. The county comes in where a lot touches county business: the Department of Public Health approves septic systems, the Department of Transportation must consent before a town or village issues a permit for a building fronting a county road, and County Planning reviews referred development.

What requires a building permit in Monroe County?

The towns agree on the large work and part ways on the small. Webster requires permits for fences and roof replacements, while Penfield needs no building permit for a fence and Pittsford none for fences, roofing, siding or replacement windows. Hamlin requires a permit for every roof job, from tear-off to metal over shingles. Chili generally exempts residential fences and sheds under 120 sq ft. Check the list of the office that covers your address, not a neighbor’s.

What the municipalities decide and what the state holds

Construction must meet the state’s 2025 Uniform Code and Energy Code, and no municipality may make them stricter without Code Council approval. Each town and village sets its own fees, permit lists, zoning, environmental overlay districts and contractor rules, and some add local reviews: every new house and addition in the Town of Pittsford goes to its Design Review and Historic Preservation Board first. Two state laws also give the county a say: General Municipal Law 239-F for buildings on county roads and 239-l, m and n for planning referrals.

Monroe County building department: who handles permitting

A town department covers the town outside its villages, and Rochester is separate from every town. Most villages issue their own permits; Spencerport is the exception, served by Ogden under an intermunicipal agreement. This site has full guides for the city and 13 of the towns, linked in the table for their fees, forms and inspection rules.

Brockport straddles Sweden and Clarkson, and the village’s own department covers both parts. A Honeoye Falls address can be inside the village or out in the Town of Mendon, whose town hall is on West Main Street in Honeoye Falls. Town offices in Chili, Gates and Irondequoit themselves carry Rochester mailing addresses, so go by the municipality on the tax bill, not the postal city.

What Monroe County itself does

• Department of Public Health, onsite wastewater program, 111 Westfall Road, Room 844 (585-753-5060): approves septic designs under Articles II-A and III of the county Sanitary Code, witnesses percolation tests and deep holes, and inspects new systems and repairs.
• Department of Transportation Permit Office, City Place, Suite 6100, 50 West Main Street, Rochester (585-753-7710): Section 136 highway work permits for any access to or work in a county right-of-way, and the 239-F consent for buildings on county roads.
• Planning and Development: the Development Review Committee’s online system records every 239 referral, and its review area map shows whether a site is likely to need county review.

Monroe County permit types and applications

Residential permits

Filing methods vary more than fees. Brighton uses OpenGov, Chili uses Cloudpermit, Penfield and Perinton use GovWell and Ogden opened online applications for town and Spencerport residents in August 2026, while Mendon and Riga work from paper forms. Mendon posts a checklist of what to bring, and Riga posts a printable application and a solar form.

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

Commercial permits

Commercial projects usually need site plan approval from the town or village planning board, which refers qualifying actions to County Planning through the online development review system. Sealed drawings by a New York design professional are required, and fire marshal reviews are local: Henrietta’s department is Building and Fire Prevention, and Wheatland combines its building department with the fire marshal.

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

• County road frontage: the owner submits a 239-F form signed by the town or village official, usually the building inspector; the County Highway Superintendent has 10 working days to act, no fee is charged, and a 239-F must accompany every Section 136 permit for a new building.
• Zoning and planning: the local ZBA and planning board, with county referral where required.
• Septic: county Public Health approval of a design professional’s plan on a lot without sewer.
• Sewer: where a home joins a county Pure Waters district, the town collects the county charge with the permit; Parma and Sweden list $250.

Building permit fees in Monroe County

There is no county building fee. Most towns charge new homes by the square foot, and the rate and add-ons vary widely; the figures below come from each town’s current schedule as given in this site’s town guides.

Worked comparison for a 2,000 sq ft house, square-foot charge only: $400 in Perinton, Sweden and Webster, $500 in Parma, $550 in Penfield ($50 plus $500), $600 in Henrietta and Ogden, $700 in Brighton and $800 in Gates. Ogden then adds $350 for the certificate of occupancy and $850 for recreation, and other towns add their own certificate, recreation and sewer charges, so ask for the full assessed total. The county charges nothing for a 239-F review.

Trade permits and who may pull them

Monroe County issues no trade licenses; plumbing rules are town by town. Chili has a plumbing license chapter, Gates requires plumbers to be registered with the town, Pittsford charges $100 a year for its plumbing license and Greece registers plumbers through its Technical Services Department. Electrical work goes to approved third-party agencies: Hamlin names Commonwealth, Middle Department and New York Electrical Inspection Agency for a rough and a final inspection, and their certificate must come in before the town’s final. Henrietta and the Village of Scottsville issue their own plumbing and electrical permits. Under state law, every office needs proof of workers’ compensation and disability coverage, or an exemption, before a permit issues.

How to get a building permit in Monroe County

Review, corrections and what causes delay

Brighton warns that a complete construction application can take four to six weeks. County steps add time: up to 10 working days for a 239-F decision, and no certificate of occupancy should issue until the county’s Section 136 permit conditions are met. Starting early is costly too: Hamlin treats missing permits as a $125 fine, and Chili adds a $100 surcharge plus twice the fee.

Inspections and certificates

Inspections are booked with the department that issued the permit, by phone or through its portal, and the county inspects septic construction itself. Electrical certificates from the approved agency come before the final in towns such as Hamlin. The local office then issues the certificate of occupancy or compliance; where the lot fronts a county road, MCDOT’s permit conditions must be satisfied first.

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

In Monroe County that single code is administered by almost thirty local departments, each with its own fees, portal and permit list.

Monroe County permit FAQ

Does Monroe County issue building permits?

No. The City of Rochester, the towns and the villages do; the county approves septic systems, county-road access and referred development.

Who issues permits in Spencerport?

The Town of Ogden Building Department, which the town and village share under an intermunicipal agreement.

What is a 239-F permit?

The county’s consent for a town or village building permit when the building fronts or takes access from a county highway. The owner submits it, a local official signs it, the county has 10 working days to act, and there is no fee.

Who approves a septic system?

The Monroe County Department of Public Health, on a plan by a design professional; it also inspects the installation.

Do I need a permit for a fence?

It depends on the town: Webster requires one, Penfield and Pittsford do not, and Chili generally exempts residential fences.

Does a Rochester mailing address mean the city issues my permit?

No. The Rochester postal city covers parts of several towns; Chili, Gates and Irondequoit town halls use it themselves. The municipality on the tax bill decides which office issues the permit.

How much is a permit for a new house?

Between $0.20 and $0.40 per sq ft in the towns listed above, before certificate, recreation and sewer charges.

Is my community in the flood insurance program?

Yes. All 30 Monroe County communities in FEMA’s book are in the participating section.

Monroe County permit search and official resources

Permit records stay with the city, town or village that issued them; ask that clerk or building department, or file a Freedom of Information Law request there. County septic approvals are held by Public Health, and 239 referral documents are kept in the county’s online development review system.

• Monroe County onsite wastewater treatment systems
• MCDOT Highway Access Guidelines (Section 136 and 239-F permits)
• Monroe County development review (239 referrals)
• Town of Clarkson Building Department
• Town of Hamlin Building Inspector
• Town of Mendon Building Department
• Town of Riga Building Department
• Town of Rush Building Department
• Town of Wheatland Building Department
• East Rochester Building Department
• FEMA Community Status Book, New York
• NYS code adoption and enforcement updates

Simplify Monroe County 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 Monroe County permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.