Town of Patterson, New York Building Permit Guide

Every building permit in the Town of Patterson comes from the Building Department at Town Hall, 1142 Route 311 (845-878-6319, ext. 20 or 21), open weekdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. (4 p.m. in July and August). A permit costs a $75 application fee plus $100 for work up to $10,000 and a per-$1,000 charge above that, review takes about 7 to 10 business days, and electrical permits are filed with the same office for $100.

What requires a building permit in the Town of Patterson?

The Building Department page lists new construction, additions, alterations, renovations, decks, pools, garages, carports, tent-like structures and wood-burning appliances, and its permit types also cover blasting, demolition, moving a building, plumbing, chimneys and flues and accessory structures. Demolishing any building, structure or part of one also needs a permit, and an expired permit can be renewed, though a new fee may be charged. The department’s own list of work needing a permit and certificate also includes:

The town asks owners to leave its historic stone walls undisturbed where possible and to post house numbers at least 4 inches high in reflective material for the county’s 911 system.

What the town decides and what the state sets

The Uniform Code and Energy Code set the construction standards. Patterson sets its own zoning (Chapter 154, including fences and setbacks), wetlands and watercourse permits, rental registration (Chapter 129), fill, erosion control and land development permits, and professional review escrows (Chapter 87). Depending on the project, the department also works with the New York City Department of Environmental Protection, the county Health Department and Consumer Affairs, the Planning Board and the ZBA.

Town of Patterson building department: who handles permitting

The Building Department enforces the state code and the Town Code, reviews plans, issues permits and certificates, and handles zoning, noise, property maintenance and fire safety complaints. Robert McCarthy is the Director of Code Enforcement, working with a code compliance officer, a fire inspector and two clerks. Meetings with the Building Inspector are by appointment only, by phone or email. The Census lists no incorporated village in Patterson, so the town office covers every address, including the Putnam Lake area.

The town posts an unofficial copy of the Town Code on its website and the Chapter 129 rental law on its forms page; the checklist and fee schedule cite code sections throughout. Each permit may also prompt a review by the Town Assessor, since the work changes the property’s value.

The department also runs the rental registration program under Chapter 129. Every apartment and accessory dwelling must be registered, whatever its legal status and however long it has existed; the permit is valid three years and must then be renewed; the owner or occupant must be present for the inspection, which the town tries to schedule around the owner, including evenings; and registration also needs Putnam County Health Department and Patterson ZBA approval. The fee is $100 per unit for the first four units and $50 for each one after, and failing to register is a violation punishable by a fine or jail.

Town of Patterson permit types and filing rules

Residential permits

The general building permit application goes in with the town’s permit checklist: a survey showing the new work and existing structures with lot lines, width, area, frontage and setbacks; three sets of plans to scale, stamped and signed and meeting the Energy Code; Putnam County Health Department approval for new houses and for additions that include possible bedrooms; the contractor’s Putnam County license and liability certificate; the electrician’s and plumber’s licenses; an E-911 sign at the proposed driveway; and the Notice of Construction Type for new homes, additions and remodels. Work that disturbs more than an acre also needs a letter certifying compliance with a stormwater plan.

Gas appliances need a separate fuel oil and gas permit in addition to the building permit, with the county-licensed plumber’s license and the manufacturer’s specifications, and a pressure and leak test affidavit. Roof permits need the contractor’s county license and insurance certificate, both naming roofing work.

Pools have their own information packet, which also applies to bringing an existing pool into compliance: pool and pump specifications, deck plans where there is a deck, a survey showing the pool, a pool alarm meeting ASTM F2208 and a permanent barrier at least 48 inches high with self-closing, self-latching locked gates. An inflatable or temporary pool wall cannot serve as its own barrier because it is not rigid; a frame pool can, if it is 48 inches high all the way around. An inflatable pool’s pump must plug straight into a GFCI outlet, never an extension cord, and wiring for in-ground and above-ground pools and hot tubs must be done by a county-licensed electrician and inspected.

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

Commercial permits

Commercial units pay the same $75 application fee and value-based fee. Non-residential site plans start at a $600 minimum and scale with floor area, municipal searches cost $250 plus $50 per rented unit, and commercial fuel gas permits are $100.

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

• Driveway: a permit from the town ($125, with an $80 per square yard bond for work in a town street), county or state highway office.
• Fill and erosion: a fill permit for more than 10 cubic yards ($75 up to 500, $250 above) and an erosion control permit for 5,000 square feet or more of disturbance, both from the Planning Department.
• Wetlands: within 100 feet of a wetland or watercourse, ask the town Environmental Conservation Inspector; minor permits are $150, major ones $400 plus area charges up to $10,000.
• Zoning Board of Appeals: area variance $200 (plus $75 for each additional one), use variance $400, interpretation $150, accessory apartment special use permit $300.
• Flood plain: a floodplain development permit costs $300; FEMA lists Patterson as a participating community, with maps dated March 4, 2013.

Town of Patterson permit fees

The Town Clerk’s schedule of fees (pages dated September 23, 2026) sets the building fees. The application fee is due at filing and is not refunded; the construction fee is due when the permit issues, with the cost of construction determined by the Building Department.

Planning charges on the same schedule include a $125 general appearance fee at the Planning Board, residential site plans at $125 per lot or unit, minor subdivisions from $950 for two lots to $1,200 for four, an $8,500 fee in place of parkland for each new lot, and professional review escrows under Chapter 87, for example $450 per lot for subdivision plats.

Worked example: a $40,000 addition pays the $100 base plus 30 × $6 = $180 for the cost between $10,000 and $40,000, so $280, plus the $75 application fee and the $50 certificate of occupancy, $405 in all.

Trade permits and who may pull them

Putnam County licenses the trades: its Electrical Board licenses electricians, the Plumbing and Mechanical Trades Board licenses plumbers, heating and HVAC installers, LP gas installers, well drillers, pump installers and water treatment installers, and the Home Improvement Board registers contractors. Patterson’s checklist requires every contractor, electrician and plumber to show a county license and liability certificate, a licensed plumber must sign for plumbing inspections, and all propane and natural gas work must be done by a county-licensed plumber.

Electrical. Since December 1, 2022, electrical inspection permit applications for work in Patterson are filed with the town Building Department, not the county; Putnam County’s own page confirms that Patterson, Carmel and Putnam Valley take them at town hall. The fee is $100, by check to the Town of Patterson. The approved agencies are State Wide Inspection Services (Elmsford, 914-909-4471), New York Electrical Inspection Services (Tarrytown, 914-347-4390) and New York Electrical Inspectors, Inc., doing business as Inspections on Time (Middletown, 845-233-6711), and each agency’s application is on the town forms page. Some older answers on the town’s FAQ still point to the county for electrical permits; the 2022 notice is the current rule.

Septic and wells. New houses and bedroom additions need Putnam County Department of Health approval before the permit, and the certificate of occupancy needs the as-built septic plan, the septic guarantee, the well log and a water analysis.

How to apply for a Town of Patterson building permit

Review, corrections and what causes delay

The checklist asks applicants to allow 7 to 10 business days for review, and every item must be completed; blank questions hold the file. Missing stamps, a survey without setbacks or an absent county license copy leave the checklist incomplete. A permit becomes void if construction has not started within 12 months, and renewals cost $100 the first time and $250 after that. Work started before a permit pays double.

Town of Patterson inspections and certificates

Inspection appointments must be made at least one day ahead. For new construction the inspection list runs from footing placement (corners staked, forms set, rebar in), foundation walls and drains, framing and rough plumbing (pressure test on water lines, water test on drains) through fire blocking, insulation, fire-rated drywall in attached garages, gas if needed and the final. Footing locations must be surveyed before other work continues.

The certificate of occupancy requirements for a new house are an as-built survey, as-built septic plan, well log, water analysis, septic guarantee, Health Department compliance, a finished driveway or waiver, final electric and gas inspections with verification, posted 911 numbers, a plumbing riser diagram and alarm company details. A roof permit closes only after a final inspection and photos of the decking, ice and water barrier, felt, flashing and shingles.

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

Town of Patterson permit FAQ

Do I need a permit to replace my roof in Patterson?

Yes. All roofing work needs a permit, and the contractor’s county license and insurance must name roofing.

Where do I file an electrical permit?

With the Patterson Building Department at Town Hall, for $100, on an approved agency’s application.

Do I need a permit for a fence or shed?

No for a fence that meets zoning section 154-15, and no for a shed up to 144 sq ft that meets setbacks.

Does an inflatable pool need a permit?

Yes, if it can hold 24 inches of water or more.

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

$280 plus the $75 application fee and $50 certificate of occupancy, $405 in all.

How long does review take?

Allow 7 to 10 business days for a complete application.

Do I need Health Department approval?

Yes for any new house and any addition that could add a bedroom.

Can I meet with the Building Inspector?

Yes, by appointment; call 845-878-6319 or email the department.

Permit search and official resources

Patterson has no online permit search. A municipal search costs $200 for a home, and other permit records can be requested from the Town Clerk under the Freedom of Information Law, with copies at 25 cents a page.

• Town of Patterson Building Department
• Building forms and applications
• General building permit application
• Building permit checklist
• Schedule of fees (September 23, 2026)
• Inspection requirements, new construction
• Certificate of occupancy requirements
• Pools, hot tubs and spas packet
• Putnam County Consumer Affairs
• Putnam County Department of Health
• FEMA Community Status Book, New York
• NYS code adoption notice

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