Town of New Hartford, New York Building Permit Guide

In the Town of New Hartford, building permits come from the Codes Department at 8635 Clinton Street (315-733-7500 ext. 2423), which meets applicants by appointment and usually issues a complete residential permit within 5 to 10 business days. The fee schedule in Town Code section 118-140 charges $0.26 per square foot for a one- or two-family house. The Village of New Hartford and the part of the Village of New York Mills inside the town have their own codes offices.

What requires a building permit in New Hartford?

Chapter 65 of the Town Code requires a building or site grading permit for work under the Uniform Code, the Energy Code or the Town Code, and its short exception list has no size limit for sheds and no exemption for fences. The Codes Department’s own answers list:

What New Hartford decides and what the state sets

The Uniform Code and Energy Code govern construction. The town’s Zoning Law (Chapter 118) regulates land use and the location and size of structures, and a permit that would break it is denied and referred to the Zoning Board of Appeals; zoning questions go to the board’s secretary at the same extension, 2423. The town also sets site grading and drainage review by the Town Engineer, flood damage prevention in Chapter 67, plumbing inspection charges in Chapter 92, the electrical agency rules in Chapter 59 and the fee schedule in section 118-140.

New Hartford building department: who handles permitting

The Codes Department interprets and enforces zoning, building, property maintenance and fire safety codes and advises the Planning Board, Zoning Board of Appeals and Town Board. Michael Mulligan, the department head and Code Enforcement Officer, asks anyone planning to apply to call or email for an appointment, so the officers can go over the plans in person. The department also inspects plumbing itself under Chapter 92 and issues septic permits where there is no public sewer.

The Village of New Hartford issues its own building, fence, pool, solar, sign and special use permits. New York Mills, which straddles the New Hartford and Whitestown town line, requires its own permits for additions, sheds, pools, porches, decks, fences and garages. A New Hartford mailing address does not settle which of the three offices a parcel uses.

New Hartford permit types and filing rules

Residential permits

Every project uses the Application for Building, Zoning and Demolition Permit, filed in ink with one complete set of plans and a plot diagram showing every building, setback, easement and the finished grade relative to the crown of the road. Permits are issued only for lots of record with a tax map number. The owner may apply, but the department recommends that the person or firm doing the work be the applicant. Plans need a New York architect’s or engineer’s seal when alterations cost $20,000 or more or affect structural safety.

For a new one- or two-family house the town’s new-home guide adds more steps: submit plans at least two weeks before applying; homes over 1,500 square feet need wet-stamped plans on every sheet, and modular homes need stamped plans and a state system approval number; get the sewer permit from the Town Highway Department and the driveway permit from whoever owns the road before the building permit; and before occupancy provide an as-built survey stamped by a licensed land surveyor. Contractors must show workers’ compensation, disability and liability coverage, and only the liability certificate may be on an ACORD form, naming the town as additional insured.

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

Commercial permits

Commercial buildings pay by floor area plus a plan review charge of $0.02 per square foot. A commercial re-roof that changes the insulation needs a permit ($100 plus $0.02 per square foot). Site plans start with a $250 sketch-plan meeting with the Development Review Committee (Town Planner, Town Engineer and Code Enforcement Officer), followed by preliminary and final Planning Board review priced by acreage, parking spaces and units.

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

What comes before the building permit

• Zoning Board of Appeals: area variances $100 for one- and two-family homes and $240 for other uses; use variances $300.
• Planning Board: site plans, subdivisions and special use permits ($250).
• Site grading and drainage: the Town Engineer may have to approve a grading plan and sump discharge before a permit issues.
• Sewer: a Highway Department sewer permit; parts of the town that drain to the Sauquoit Creek Pump Station are under an offset plan that can affect connections.
• Flood plain: a flood development permit for work in a mapped flood area; the town and both villages take part in the National Flood Insurance Program.

New Hartford permit fees

Fees are in section 118-140 of the Town Code, last amended for building permits by Local Law 3 of 2019 and for fire inspections by Resolution 102 of 2024 (effective February 8, 2024). Starting work before the permit doubles the application fee.

For example, a 2,000 sq ft house with a 500 sq ft attached garage costs 2,000 × $0.26 = $520 plus 500 × $0.15 = $75, or $595, before the $50 certificate of occupancy and any sewer and driveway permits. A 200 sq ft deck is $25 plus $10 for the extra 50 square feet, or $35. Plumbing inspections are billed under Chapter 92: $35 covers a three-fixture bathroom, water heater, kitchen sink, washer and dishwasher with two visits within 120 days, plus $3 for each extra fixture. Commercial plumbing uses fixture units: a base price of $50, $75 or $100 depending on the job’s size, plus $3 per fixture unit.

Trade permits and who may pull them

Electrical. Wiring is inspected by a registered outside agency. Under Chapter 59, an inspection agency must register with the Codes Department each December, pay $250 a year, carry $3,000,000 in insurance and use inspectors certified by the International Association of Electrical Inspectors or the International Code Council. The 2025 registered list names CNY Electrical Inspection Service, Upstate Electrical Inspection Agency, The Inspector, Commonwealth Electrical Inspection Agency and NY Atlantic Inland.

Plumbing. Codes Department inspectors inspect plumbing, and the plumbing fee is entered on the same application as the building permit. The Town Code has no plumber or electrician licensing chapter; the town’s requirement is insurance from whoever does the work.

Septic. Where public sewer is not available, the Codes Officer issues the septic permit ($50) once a New York-licensed engineer has designed the system, and the engineer of record carries out the septic inspections. The Oneida County Health Department’s sewage program reviews alternative systems for individual homes and systems at county-permitted facilities.

How to apply for a New Hartford building permit

Review, corrections and what causes delay

Complete residential requests generally become permits in 5 to 10 business days, handled first come, first served, and the code gives the officer 30 days to act. The town’s guide and forms name the items that must be settled first: a tax map number for the lot, a seal where plans need one, the sewer and driveway permits for a new house, and workers’ compensation and disability proof on state forms rather than ACORD certificates. In an emergency, such as a failed furnace, the replacement can go ahead if a complete application arrives within three business days. Building permits expire one year after issue (Chapter 65 allows one renewal, at 25% of the original permit fee), demolition permits after 30 days, and temporary permits for structures that go with a building permit after one year.

New Hartford inspections and certificates

Call the Codes Department at least a day before each inspection, and have someone on site to receive the report. The application lists footings before concrete, poured walls, the foundation before backfill, slabs, plumbing, heating, framing and electrical before the walls are closed, insulation, and a final by the sewer, electrical, plumbing and codes inspectors. Excavations must be guarded by a temporary fence. A reinspection costs $75 when the work was not ready or defects were not corrected.

The department also runs fire safety and property maintenance inspections, charged per building on each tax parcel under the 2024 resolution: $300 for buildings with one to three family units, $300 plus $30 a unit after the third for multifamily buildings with common areas ($15 a unit without them), and $300 and up for commercial buildings by floor area. An operating permit is $75.

No building may be used until the department issues a certificate of occupancy; for a new house the Highway Superintendent must also approve the driveway and sewer inspections.

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 Hartford permit FAQ

How do I apply for a building permit in the Town of New Hartford?

Call or email the Codes Department for an appointment, then bring the application, plans and insurance to 8635 Clinton Street.

How much is a permit for a new house?

$0.26 per square foot of house plus $0.15 per square foot of attached garage, with $50 for the certificate of occupancy.

Do I need a permit for a fence or shed?

Yes. Any fence needs a permit ($50), and sheds and other detached accessory buildings cost $0.10 per square foot with a $30 minimum.

Do I need a permit to re-roof my house?

No, roofing and siding on a home are exempt; a commercial roof with an insulation change needs a permit.

Who inspects electrical work?

An agency registered with the town; the 2025 list has five, including CNY Electrical Inspection Service and The Inspector.

Does the town handle permits in the Village of New Hartford or New York Mills?

No. The Village of New Hartford (315-732-1147) and the Village of New York Mills (315-736-9212 ext. 227) issue their own permits.

Can a homeowner apply for the permit?

Yes. The department suggests the person doing the work apply, but an owner may apply even when others do the work, taking on more responsibility for compliance.

How long does a permit take?

A complete residential request generally takes 5 to 10 business days; new-house plans should reach the office two weeks before you apply.

Permit search and official resources

The town has no online permit lookup. For a property’s permit history ask the Codes Department; a zoning compliance letter costs $100 and a combined zoning and building safety compliance letter $250.

• Town Codes Department
• Codes Department FAQs
• Codes forms and information
• Application for building, zoning and demolition permit
• Guide to acquiring a building permit for a home
• Floodplain permit
• Registered electrical inspection agencies, 2025
• Town Code on eCode360 (fees in s118-140)
• Resolution 102 of 2024, fire inspection fees
• Village of New Hartford Codes
• Village of New York Mills Code Enforcement
• Oneida County sewage program
• NYS code adoption notice

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