Town of New Castle, New York Building Permit Guide

The Town of New Castle Building Division, part of the Development Department at 200 South Greeley Avenue, Chappaqua (914-238-4723), issues building, electrical, plumbing and HVAC permits for every property in the town. It takes no electronic submissions: bring the paper forms, three sealed drawing sets and payment to the office. A permit for a house or house addition costs $150 for the first $1,000 of construction cost and $18 for each further $1,000, and the final certificate of occupancy or compliance is $50.

What requires a building permit in New Castle?

The Building Division names new construction, additions, alterations, decks, swimming pools, enclosing a screened porch, adding skylights and sheds as building-permit work, and asks owners to call before starting any home improvement. Electrical, plumbing (including boiler and furnace replacement), HVAC and solar work each have their own permit.

A plain yard fence needs no building permit here, but a fence that encloses a pool does, and zoning and wetland rules still apply to where it goes. Sheds are a different matter: the town lists them among permit items, and legalizing one already built costs a $500 flat fee plus three times the normal permit fee.

What New Castle decides and what the state sets

The town began enforcing the 2025 Uniform Code and Energy Code on December 31, 2025. Its own Chapter 48 (Local Law 15 of 2011) sets permit terms, inspections and certificates; Chapter 74 and Chapter 46 tie new one- and two-family homes to ENERGY STAR requirements; and zoning (Chapter 60), steep slope (Chapter 108), tree (Chapter 121), wetlands (Chapter 137) and flood damage (Chapter 70) chapters govern the site. A stricter construction rule would need state Code Council approval.

New Castle building department: who handles permitting

Building Inspector Thomas DePole III leads the Building Division, with an assistant inspector, a fire inspector, an Environmental Coordinator for wetland matters and the secretary to the Board of Architectural Review in the same office. New Castle has no incorporated village. Mount Kisco, which borders the town, is its own town and village with one government and its own building department, so check which municipality a Mount Kisco mailing address actually sits in.

New Castle permit types and filing rules

Residential permits

The building permit application (last revised March 27, 2025) is signed by the owner and comes with an existing survey, two site plans showing every improvement and the septic system, and three signed and sealed drawing sets, two at 24 by 36 inches and one at 11 by 17, with elevations, foundation and floor plans and sections. It also asks for a floor-area-ratio and coverage worksheet, truss certification and, where sprinklers are installed, three sprinkler design plans. The form asks whether trees will be cut, whether the work is inside a wetland buffer, whether it disturbs slopes over 15 percent and whether the lot is in a conservation subdivision; the form itself warns that steep slope, wetland and tree removal permits may also be required.

Septic matters at two points. A new house or a bedroom addition needs Westchester County Health Department approval, and work on any existing house needs proof that the septic tank was pumped within the last five years, or proof of a sewer connection. Where a septic system is involved, the certificate of occupancy application must carry the county’s certificate of completion.

The estimated cost must count labor, materials, scaffolding, fixed equipment, professional fees, filling and grading and site work, including donated labor and materials. Before the permit issues, the builder supplies workers’ compensation (C-105.2), disability (DB-120.1) and the Westchester County home improvement license.

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

Commercial permits

Commercial, multifamily, religious and public assembly buildings pay $200 for the first $1,000 and $20 for each further $1,000, and $100 for each inspection. Buildings over 20,000 sq ft and multifamily-zone projects need an extra owner affidavit under Section 48-12, and places of assembly pay fire safety inspection fees from $100 (50 to 100 people) to $250 (401 to 1,000 people).

The fire inspector’s other charges on the 2026 schedule run by tenant size: $100 for a commercial tenant up to 3,000 sq ft rising to $500 over 50,000 sq ft, $200 to $1,000 for industrial tenants, $25 per apartment in multifamily buildings and $100 a year for each fire suppression system. Blasting needs its own permit at $100 for up to $10,000 of blasting cost plus $50 per further $10,000, and tents and outdoor business areas have separate permits and checklists.

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

• Board of Architectural Review: file one week before the meeting with photographs of every elevation, a satellite image, the neighbors’ front elevations and the whole application as a single PDF on a thumb drive or CD.
• Planning Board: a pre-application meeting is required before any Planning Board filing; piecemeal submissions are refused.
• Wetlands: permits decided by the Environmental Coordinator ($200) or the Environmental Review Board ($275), or by the Planning Board ($1,500 with inspection) where the code sends the application there.
• Steep slopes: a Town Engineer steep slope permit costs $500 plus a notification fee.
• Zoning Board of Appeals: variances, special permits and appeals of the Building Inspector’s decisions cost $275 plus a $225 notification fee.

New Castle building permit fees

Section 48-21 fees are set by the Town Board. The Development Department posts the 2026 fee schedule, and the building and electrical forms print the same permit rates.

Worked example: a $40,000 renovation of a house costs $150 for the first $1,000 plus $702 for the next 39 thousand (39 × $18), or $852, and $50 more for the final certificate: $902 before the electrical and plumbing permits.

Trade permits and who may pull them

Electrical. All electrical work needs a New Castle electrical permit filed through the Building Division by an electrician licensed by Westchester County, who lists the county license number and the inspection agency and sends the agency its own application. Under Section 48-30 only inspectors licensed by the Westchester County Electrical Licensing Board may inspect, and they register with the Building Department. The division’s page names Better Homes Electrical Inspection Services, New York Electrical Inspection Services, Statewide Inspection Services, Swanson Consulting & Associates and Tri-State Inspection Agency; the county posts its list of licensed agencies.

Plumbing and HVAC. Plumbing permits cover every plumbing job, including boiler and furnace replacement, and the plumber must hold a Westchester County license. HVAC equipment has its own permit application.

Contractors. The home improvement license comes from the Westchester County Department of Consumer Protection, 148 Martine Avenue, Room 407, White Plains (914-995-2211); its application fee rose to $750 on January 1, 2026, and the county lets the public check trade licenses online.

How to apply for a New Castle building permit

Review, corrections and what causes delay

Applications without three sealed drawing sets are not accepted, and missing septic proof, insurance or the county license holds a permit back. Design changes after approval need revised plans ($100 for the first page). Section 48-14 sets short time limits for a house: the permit is void unless work starts within six months and finishes within 12 months; other buildings get 12 months to start and two years to finish. The Building Inspector may extend a permit for up to six months at a time when there is good cause, and a renewal costs half the original fee up to the cap.

New Castle inspections and certificates

Contact the Building Division at 914-238-4723 to arrange inspections. Single-family houses over 5,000 sq ft pay $50 per inspection and buildings other than single-family homes $100, and a re-inspection costs $50. Electrical work is inspected by the licensed agency the electrician named, and the Engineering Division reviews plans and visits construction sites to check that run-off is contained, recommending revisions where needed.

All building permit work closes with a certificate of compliance, and a certificate of occupancy is issued once a project is complete; the final certificate costs $50. A permit left open can be closed administratively for $100 per 90 days. A temporary certificate costs $1,000 for three months on a house.

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

New Castle permit FAQ

Is Mount Kisco part of New Castle’s building department?

No. Mount Kisco is a separate town and village with its own building department, and New Castle has no village inside it, so the Chappaqua office covers the whole town.

Do I need a permit for a fence?

Not a building permit, unless the fence encloses a swimming pool. Zoning and wetland rules still apply.

Can I submit my application by email?

No. The Building Division does not accept electronic submissions; bring the completed forms and payment to the office.

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

$852 for the permit ($150 for the first $1,000 plus $18 for each of the next 39) and $50 for the final certificate, before trade permits.

How long do I have to finish?

For a single-family house, work must start within six months and finish within 12 months of the permit date, unless the Building Inspector grants an extension.

Do I need septic paperwork for an interior renovation?

Yes, for an existing house: proof of a septic pump-out within five years or of a sewer connection. Adding a bedroom also needs county Health Department approval.

Do I need permission to cut down a tree on my own lot?

Yes. The town requires residents to apply before cutting trees, using the tree removal permit application and the notice it calls for; the fee is $30 for up to three trees and $15 for each extra tree.

Is New Castle in the federal flood insurance program?

Yes. FEMA lists the Town of New Castle as participating, with a current flood map dated September 28, 2007.

Permit search and official resources

To confirm what is on file for a property, order a title search or predate letter from the Building Division ($250); sealed copies of a permit ($10) or certificate ($25) are also available, and other copies are charged under the town’s FOIL rates.

• New Castle Building Division
• Building permit application
• Electrical permit application
• Development Department fee schedule, 2026
• Notice of the 2025 code change
• Planning Board applicant information
• Town Code Chapter 48, Building Construction and Fire Prevention
• Town Code Chapter 74, Green Building Standards
• 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 New Castle 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 New Castle permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.