Town of New Windsor, New York Building Permit Guide

In the Town of New Windsor, the Building Department at Town Hall, 555 Union Avenue, reviews plans, issues building permits and signs certificates of occupancy and compliance. Applications are paper forms and the town asks for ten business days to process them; a new one- or two-family house is charged 50 cents per square foot of gross floor area plus a $50 basic fee under the 2026 Standard Schedule of Fees.

What requires a building permit in New Windsor?

Chapter 107 of the Town Code (Local Law 2 of 2007) requires a building permit for any work that must meet the Uniform Code or the Energy Code: building, enlarging, altering, improving, removing, relocating or demolishing a structure, and installing a wood stove, chimney or flue in a home. It lists a short set of exemptions.

An exemption is not permission to do work that breaks the code, and many exempt items still have to meet zoning setbacks.

What the town decides and what the state holds

The building and energy standards are the state’s; New Windsor enforces them through Chapter 107 and cannot raise them without Code Council approval. The Town Board sets the fee schedule and the zoning law (Chapter 300), and the town has its own flood damage prevention, freshwater wetlands, stormwater, sewer and water chapters. Zoning caps fences at 6 feet, and at 4 feet between the house and the street; a taller fence is allowed only where the Planning Board requires it for screening on a site plan.

New Windsor building department: who handles permitting

The Census Bureau lists no incorporated village inside the Town of New Windsor, so the town’s Building Department permits every parcel in it. The department, headed by Jennifer Gallagher, administers the Uniform Code and the town zoning law, issues building and sign permits, certificates of occupancy and compliance, violation and street reports and zoning information, and refers applications to the Planning Board and Zoning Board of Appeals. The Fire Inspector’s office in the same building sets occupant loads for places of assembly, inspects fuel storage tanks and mobile home parks, decides fire lanes and investigates fires.

New Windsor permit types and filing

New Windsor uses one Application for Building Permit, which must be printed on legal-size paper, plus project sheets for pools, decks, tents and grading. The town will not accept the application until the owner’s affidavit or the contractor’s workers’ compensation, disability and liability certificates are attached, and the permit fee is non-refundable.

Residential permits

The application asks for the owner, architect, contractor, zoning district, tax map number, whether the lot is in a flood zone, existing and proposed use, dimensions, number of units and bedrooms, heating fuel and estimated cost. Chapter 107 wants two sets of construction documents and a site plan showing buildings, any well or septic system and distances to lot lines. A homeowner doing the work signs the affidavit of ownership before a notary, which the department offers. A pool application goes in as one package: the form, a brochure for the pool, pump, filter and motion-sensor alarm, insurance on three separate sheets, and a survey or the plot plan on the back of the form showing the pool at least 10 feet from the house and every property line. The town’s Deck Plan Guide helps owners draw deck plans.

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

Commercial permits

Commercial, industrial and multifamily buildings are charged $1.00 per square foot of gross floor area. Businesses also face Fire Inspector checks: Chapter 107 sets fire safety inspections of assembly spaces every 12 months and of other commercial buildings and multiple dwellings every 36 months, with annual fees of $75 for a commercial occupancy and $125 for a place of assembly. Tents over 200 square feet and canopies over 400 square feet need a tent permit.

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

The department refers projects to the Planning Board for site plans and subdivisions and to the Zoning Board of Appeals for variances; both boards’ files are posted in the town’s Laserfiche archive and parcels can be checked on the town GIS map. New houses also need water and sewer permits, or a town septic permit backed by an engineer’s design and percolation test. Filling and grading, floodplain development and stormwater (SWPPP) permits carry review escrows, and road openings are permitted through the Town Clerk’s office.

New Windsor building permit fees

The Town Board adopted the 2026 Standard Schedule of Fees at its September 2, 2026 meeting. Every building permit carries a basic application fee of $50 per structure, paid on top of the fee for the work (clotheslines are the only listed exception).

Because gross floor area is measured to the outside walls and counts decks and basements, a new house with 2,400 square feet on that basis is charged $1,200 plus the $50 basic fee, or $1,250, before sewer or septic, driveway and Planning Board charges. The certificate of occupancy or compliance itself has no fee, but a letter confirming its status costs $50.

Trade permits and who may pull them

The town code has no chapter licensing electricians, plumbers or home-improvement contractors. Orange County does license electricians: its Department of Consumer Affairs states that an electrical license is required to do electrical work in Orange County and that no other trade license is required at county level (845-862-9500).

Electrical. Electrical work is inspected by an agency on the town’s list of recognized inspectors, which names twelve, among them Commonwealth Electrical Inspection Service, Electrical Underwriters of NY, NY Certified Electrical Inspectors, Swanson Consulting, Tri-State Inspection, Middle Department Inspection Agency, Z3 Consultants and Inspections on Time. The pool sheet spells out the pattern: a licensed electrician does the work, a recognized inspector checks it, and the inspector’s fee is paid separately from the town fee. Electrical inspection data must be on hand at the final inspection.

Plumbing, water and sewer. Plumbing is reviewed with the building permit, and rough plumbing and underslab piping are on the required inspection list. New houses need town water and sewer permits; sewer taps cost $425 per lateral, a septic-to-sewer conversion is the same, and a backflow preventer application costs $250. Contractors must file liability insurance on an ACORD form, workers’ compensation on form C-105.2 or U-26.3 and disability on DB-120.1 or DB-155, or a CE-200 exemption for every new or renewed permit.

Septic and wells. Where there is no sewer, the town issues the septic permit ($50) on an engineer’s drawing and percolation test, and the final inspection needs a well water test and the engineer’s certification letter for the septic system. Orange County Environmental Health, 124 Main Street, Goshen (845-862-6201), reviews realty subdivisions of five or more lots under five acres for water and sewage.

How to apply for a New Windsor building permit

Review, corrections and what causes delay

The town’s forms name the items that stop an application: missing insurance forms (the department says it will not make exceptions), incomplete pool packages, and a new house filed without its water, sewer or septic paperwork. Under Chapter 107 a permit becomes invalid if work has not started within six months and expires 18 months after issue; renewal costs $100. Work started before a permit is issued carries a $150 failure-to-obtain fee.

New Windsor inspections and certificates

The application lists the inspections that must be made or the certificate of occupancy may be withheld: excavation with footing forms in place, the foundation (with waterproofing and footing drains), gravel base and underslab plumbing, framing with rough plumbing and electric before covering, insulation, and the final. Call at least 24 hours ahead with the permit number and tax parcel ID. An inspection report left on the job is the only proof a stage passed; a site that calls the inspector out twice for the same stage pays $50.

The driveway must be approved by the Town Highway Superintendent, who may require a bond. At the final, the building must be complete, with electrical inspection data and the certified final plot plan on hand, plus the well water test and the engineer’s septic certification where they apply.

Chapter 107 requires a certificate of occupancy or certificate of compliance for any work done under a building permit and for any change of occupancy, issued only after inspection and, where needed, a structural observation report and flood hazard certifications. New Windsor charges nothing for the certificate itself.

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 Windsor permit FAQ

How much is a building permit for a new house in New Windsor?

50 cents per square foot of gross floor area, measured to the outside walls and including decks and basements, plus a $50 basic application fee: $1,250 for a 2,400 sq ft house.

Do I need a permit for a fence?

Yes; the 2026 schedule lists a $50 fence fee. Fences may be up to 6 feet tall, but no more than 4 feet between the house and the street.

What does a pool permit need?

One complete package: the application, pool, pump, filter and motion-sensor alarm brochure, three insurance sheets and a survey showing the pool at least 10 feet from the house and every property line. The pool sheet lists a $50 fee, and a licensed electrician must wire it.

Can I build my own addition?

Yes, as the owner, if you sign the notarized affidavit of ownership; electrical work still needs a licensed electrician and a town-recognized inspector.

How long does New Windsor take to issue a permit?

The application asks for ten business days. Once issued, work must start within six months and the permit expires after 18 months unless renewed.

Are there any villages in New Windsor with their own building department?

No. The Census lists no incorporated village in the town, so the town Building Department covers every parcel.

Is New Windsor in FEMA’s flood insurance program?

Yes. FEMA’s Community Status Book lists the town as participating, with its current flood map dated August 3, 2009; a floodplain development permit costs $250 plus a $500 deposit.

New Windsor permit search and official resources

To see permits, certificates or plans already on file for a property, file a Freedom of Information Law request with the Town Clerk, online or on the paper form by mail or in person (police records have their own FOIL page). Anyone can also order letters on certificate-of-occupancy status or open building and zoning violations for $50 each.

• New Windsor Building Department and forms
• Application for Building Permit
• 2026 Standard Schedule of Fees
• Electrical inspectors recognized by the town
• Pool requirements
• Insurance requirements
• Fire Inspector’s office
• Code of the Town of New Windsor (eCode360)
• Town Clerk FOIL requests
• Orange County electrician licenses
• Orange County Environmental Health
• NYS Uniform Code adoption notice

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