City of North Tonawanda, New York Building Permit Guide

In the City of North Tonawanda, the Building Department at City Hall, 216 Payne Avenue (716-695-8595), issues building permits and zoning compliance, and the city’s own electrical and plumbing inspectors handle those trades. Most permits can be requested by e-mail with the job address, scope, cost, contractor and contract. Under City Code § 25-3, a deck or shed costs a $50 filing fee plus $8 per $1,000 of cost, and every contractor working in the city must hold a city license. The city sits in Niagara County and is separate from both the City and the Town of Tonawanda across the Erie County line.

What requires a building permit in North Tonawanda?

Chapter 25 of the City Code makes the Building Inspector the issuer of every permit the state’s Uniform Code administration rules call for, and the city adds concrete and blacktop flat work to that list. The department’s forms and fee sections show what that means for a homeowner.

A survey is required for additions, decks, sheds, garages, fences and pools. A new building permit application must also show that the owner will lay sidewalk in front of the premises at their own cost, and multifamily dwellings need City Planning Commission approval of a site plan and storm drainage plan before a permit issues.

What North Tonawanda decides and what the state sets

The building standards are the state’s Uniform Code and Energy Code. The city decides its fee schedule by Common Council amendment to Chapter 25, the zoning and fence placement rules, the pool barrier rules in Chapter 83, flood damage prevention in Chapter 42, and the licensing of contractors, electricians and plumbers in Chapters 28A, 36 and 69.

North Tonawanda building department: who handles permitting

The Building Department (the Building Inspector’s office) issues building permits and zoning compliance, licenses contractors and electricians, and advises the Zoning Board of Appeals and the Planning Commission. The Building Inspector is Robert DePaolo. Plumbing has its own inspector and the city has its own electrical inspector, so all three trades are permitted and inspected by the city rather than by private agencies.

North Tonawanda permit types and filing rules

Residential permits

Most residential work uses the General Application for Building Permit and Zoning Compliance, which records the zone, whether the use conforms, any zoning variance date, and the plumber and electrician on the job. Roofing and replacement windows have short forms of their own, and rooftop solar uses the state Unified Residential Solar Permit application. To file by e-mail, send the job address, scope of work, cost, the contractor’s name (if not the homeowner) and a copy of the contract. At the counter, contractors bring the signed contract; if you pay for a license and a permit, or a plumbing and a building permit, bring separate checks. Cash, checks and cards are accepted.

The city’s fence placement sheet sets the heights: up to 7 feet solid in the rear yard; 6 feet solid in a side yard at least 5 feet wide, or 4 feet if narrower; and in the front yard 4 feet where the fence is more than 15 feet from the front property line, 3 feet where it is closer, and less than 50% solid. Fences may run to the side and rear lines, but footings must stay on your own lot, and on a corner lot whose rear yard meets a neighbor’s side yard the fence sets back 15 feet. Pools must be enclosed by a barrier at least 48 inches high with self-closing, self-latching gates; an above-ground pool wall counts if it is 48 inches all round and its ladder can be locked or removed.

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

Commercial permits

New nonresidential buildings pay a $50 filing fee plus $8 per $1,000 of value and a $50 plan review fee. Multifamily projects go to the City Planning Commission for site plan and drainage approval first, and storage tank installations or removals are priced by capacity. Commercial electrical work carries its own inspection fees (from $95), set out in § 25-3.1E.

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

• Zoning Board of Appeals for variances; the variance date is recorded on the building application.
• Planning Commission for site plans, including every multifamily dwelling. The department posts a deadlines sheet for both boards.
• Flood areas: the city takes part in the National Flood Insurance Program (current flood map dated May 4, 2021) and regulates floodplain building under Chapter 42.
• Public Works and Police clearances to move a building along or across a city street (§ 25-4).
• Waterfront and downtown districts: the department links the updated Waterfront District and Downtown Mixed-Use code sections for projects there.

North Tonawanda permit fees

Building fees are set in § 25-3 of the City Code, last amended on September 20, 2022. The department’s posted “Building Permit Fees” PDF is a 2018 printout that still shows $7 per thousand; the code now charges $8. Value is taken from the contractor’s quote or contract, or from material receipts doubled to include labor on a homeowner’s own project, or from the Building Inspector’s estimate.

For example, a homeowner who buys $2,000 of materials for a fence is charged on $4,000 (receipts doubled): $35 plus 4 × $8, or $67. A contractor-built deck on a $6,000 contract costs $50 plus 6 × $8, or $98. Electrical and plumbing work is permitted and paid for separately (see below).

Trade permits and who may pull them

Contractors. Under Chapter 28A, every contractor working for a fee in the city must register each year with the Building Department, for the year running January 1 to December 31. The chapter lists concrete, blacktop, masonry, carpentry, tree trimming, general contracting, signs, electrical, HVAC, pools, fences, building work and demolition. No permit issues until the contractor shows workers’ compensation, disability and liability insurance of at least $100,000 per person, $300,000 per accident and $10,000 for property damage. The adopted code (§ 28A-4, amended 2016) sets the license at $100 a year; the department’s current application form prints $125, so confirm the amount when you file.

Electrical. Chapter 36 requires an electrician’s license from the Building Inspector ($125 a year, with $1,000,000 of insurance naming the city), held by a firm with a master electrician certificate holder on staff. An owner-occupant may do electrical work up to 250 volts in a single-family home without a license. The city’s electrical inspector (716-444-1237) inspects the work. On top of the inspection fee, the permit costs $8 per $1,000 of job cost, rounded up to the next thousand.

Plumbing. Plumbing and drainage must be done by a master plumber registered with the city, licensed through the Examining Board of Plumbers ($125 a year; journeymen $75). An owner may get a plumbing permit for an owner-occupied home once the Plumbing Inspector is satisfied the owner is qualified and insurance is on file, but owners may not work on the sewer lateral from the main to one foot inside the house or on the water service up to the house side of the meter. Plumbing permits carry a $45 filing fee; a new dwelling unit is $150 plus $20 per fixture, remodeling $20 per fixture, and a water heater, sump pump or boiler $45. Work started without a plumbing permit costs $250 a day plus double the fee.

How to apply for a North Tonawanda building permit

Review, corrections and what causes delay

The department does not publish a review time. Its rules point to the usual hold-ups: a missing survey or contract, a contractor whose license or insurance has lapsed (the city suspends the license and issues no permits until coverage is restored), and a project that needs a board approval first. A permit lapses if work has not begun within six months and expires one year after issue; the Building Inspector grants extensions six months at a time. Starting work before the permit is issued doubles the fee and brings a stop-work order, with a fine of up to $250 if the permit is not obtained within one business day.

North Tonawanda inspections and certificates

The department warns that failing to call for inspections results in fines. Building inspections are booked on 716-695-8595 between 8 am and 4 pm, electrical inspections with the electrical inspector at 716-444-1237, and plumbing inspections with the Plumbing Inspector between 8 and 9 am. The building stages run in this order:

• Wall inspection, after a mandatory 48-hour wait once the footer is poured
• Rough framing, only after the rough electrical and rough plumbing inspections pass
• Truss inspection, with the truss certification on file first
• Insulation, with rough electrical complete (and truss certification for a new house or addition)
• Fire separation, before taping
• Final, after the final electrical and plumbing inspections

No new building may be occupied until the Building Inspector issues a certificate of occupancy; there is no charge while a permit is in effect. Electrical fees include two inspections, and a failed plumbing inspection costs $75 to repeat.

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

North Tonawanda permit FAQ

Can I apply for a North Tonawanda permit by e-mail?

Yes, for most permits. E-mail the application (or the job address, scope, cost, contractor and contract) to the Building Department; plumbing permits can also be faxed or mailed with a check.

Do I need a permit to replace siding?

Not if you are the homeowner replacing the exterior siding of your own residential building (§ 25-1D). A contractor’s siding job is listed as nonstructural work at $35 plus $8 per $1,000.

Do I need a permit for a driveway or patio?

Yes. Since October 4, 2016 all flat work, including concrete, asphalt, driveways, patios and sidewalks, has needed a permit.

How tall can my fence be?

Up to 7 feet solid in the rear yard, 6 or 4 feet in a side yard depending on its width, and 3 or 4 feet in front, where the fence must be less than half solid.

Can I do my own electrical or plumbing work?

An owner-occupant may do electrical work up to 250 volts in a single-family home, and may get a plumbing permit for an owner-occupied home if the Plumbing Inspector finds the owner qualified and insurance is filed. Contractors need city licenses.

Is North Tonawanda the same as the Town of Tonawanda?

No. North Tonawanda is a city in Niagara County with its own Building Department; the City and Town of Tonawanda are separate Erie County governments.

Permit search and official resources

The city has no online permit search. Chapter 25 declares permits, plans and specifications public records open to inspection at the Building Inspector’s set hours, though copying plans on file is not allowed. For copies of permits or certificates, file the city’s FOIL request form with the Records Management Officer in the City Clerk’s Office at 216 Payne Avenue.

• Building Inspector: forms, fees and inspections
• Plumbing Inspector: permits, licenses and exams
• General application for building permit and zoning compliance
• Electrical fees sheet
• Plumbing permit and inspection fees
• Contractor license application
• Fence placement sheet
• City Code Chapter 25, Building Permits
• Chapter 28A, Contractors
• Chapter 36, Electrical Code and licensing
• Chapter 69, Plumbing
• Zoning Board of Appeals
• Planning Commission
• FOIL request form
• NYS code adoption notice

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