Town of Penfield, New York Building Permit Guide

In the Town of Penfield, the Building Department at Town Hall, 3100 Atlantic Avenue, reviews plans, issues building permits and certificates of occupancy or compliance, and inspects construction; applications go in through the town’s GovWell portal and fees are paid at the Town Clerk’s office. A new house is charged $50 plus $0.25 per square foot (at least $400) on the town’s fee page, and fences need no building permit.

What requires a building permit in Penfield?

Penfield tells owners they are legally responsible for getting a permit before they construct, enlarge, alter, repair, move or demolish a building or structure, change its occupancy, work on an electrical or plumbing system, or install a solid-fuel heating appliance, chimney or flue.

The exemptions come from Chapter 94 of the Town Code as amended in July 2023; an exempt job must still meet the state code.

What the town decides and what the state sets

Chapter 94, adopted in 2022, makes the Building Department the enforcer of the state Uniform Code and Energy Code in Penfield, and those technical rules are the same as elsewhere in New York. The town’s own rules sit around them: zoning and land use in Chapter 250, including accessory-building and fence limits, Environmental Protection Overlay District permits, historic district review, flood damage prevention in Chapter 120, the approval of electrical inspection agencies, and the fee schedule set by Town Board resolution.

Penfield building department: who handles permitting

The Building Department enforces the state code, town laws, the zoning ordinance and the town’s design criteria, along with conditions set by the Town Board, Planning Board and Zoning Board. It issues building, sign and temporary recreation permits and certificates of occupancy or compliance, interprets the building code, reviews plans and makes construction and electrical inspections. Allen Reitz is the department head. Penfield has no incorporated village, so the department serves the whole town.

Permit types and submission requirements

Residential permits

Every residential application in GovWell needs the building permit form; an instrument survey or tape location map with the work drawn on it; construction plans, a cross-section or a sketch depending on the structure; and a Truss Notice Form for new construction, additions and renovations. Whoever is listed as general contractor, including a homeowner doing their own work, must prove workers’ compensation (Form C-105.2 or U-26.3) and disability coverage (DB-120.1 or DB-155) or file a CE-200 exemption, and the CE-200 must accompany each permit.

The town’s December 2025 info sheets set out the placement rules:

• Sheds: one per property, up to 192 sq ft or 1% of the lot area (whichever is larger) and 20 feet tall, generally 50 feet from the front line and 10 feet from side and rear lines; a shed over 300 sq ft must be 50 feet from every line.
• Garages: one attached or detached garage per property, generally 50 feet from the front, 10 from the sides and 30 from the rear.
• Footings: light-frame accessory buildings over 600 sq ft or with eaves more than 10 feet high need frost-protected footings at least 42 inches deep.
• Decks: attached decks generally 50 feet from the right-of-way, 10 from the sides and 25 from the rear (pool decks 10 from the rear), guards above 30 inches, designed for 40 psf, and a Deck Framing Plan form.
• Patios: a permit with a plan of how the patio is built, generally 50 feet from the front, 10 from the sides and 25 from the rear (10 from the rear when it serves a pool), and guards where it sits more than 30 inches above grade.
• Pools and hot tubs: 10 feet from side and rear lines including pumps and aprons, overhead lines 10 feet from the water, barrier and pool alarm details on the plan, and a site inspection appointment booked when you apply; a hot tub whose cover carries a permanent ASTM F-1346 manual safety cover label does not need the barrier and alarm details.
• Fences: no permit, but 3 feet maximum in front yards, 6 feet at the side and rear (8 feet for deer fencing), and none in town easements without Town Board approval.

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

Commercial permits

Non-residential projects use the same portal and are priced on the non-residential table: $100 plus $0.25 per sq ft for a new building, and the same rate with a $200 minimum for additions and remodeling, plus engineering plan review where the Engineering Department requires it. Commercial generators, fire suppression and fuel work are priced by the Fire Marshal, and signs need a sign installation permit after review.

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

• Zoning Board of Appeals: a residential area variance is $75 plus $25 for each type; a residential use variance $250.
• Planning Board: residential sketch plans and administrative reviews are $150; site plans and subdivisions $400 plus engineering review for residential projects.
• Town Board: conditional and special use permits, and a $125 special permit for a historic district or structure.
• Engineering: EPOD permits, grade and fill permits and sidewalk waivers are handled with the Engineering Department.
• Right-of-way: work in the town road needs a Department of Public Works right-of-way permit.
• Flood areas: Penfield is in the National Flood Insurance Program, with flood maps dated July 31, 2024, under its Chapter 120 flood law.

Penfield permit fees

Under Chapter 94 the fee schedule is set by Town Board resolution. The town’s online fee page shows no adoption date and asks applicants to check the fee with the department before paying. Fees for new structures, additions, remodeling, accessory structures and demolition are charged on top of the $50 certificate of occupancy or compliance.

Non-residential electrical, roofing and solar permits are $300 each, plumbing is $150 plus $20 per fixture, the certificate is $100 and a renewal $200. The town’s 2023 “How to apply” sheet still shows the older rates without the $50 base charge (for example $0.20 per sq ft with a $50 minimum for a deck), so confirm the figure before paying. Owners pay the electrical inspection agency directly.

Trade permits and who may pull them

Electrical. All electrical installations must be inspected by one of the three agencies the town has approved: Commonwealth Electrical Inspection Service (585-624-2380), Middle Department Inspection Agency (585-454-5191) and New York Electrical Inspection Agency (585-436-4460). Article II of Chapter 94 lets an agency apply to the Town Board, serve a one-year probation and then seek permanent approval; agencies must keep an office in Monroe County answering calls at least six hours a business day and file their inspection charges with the department, and the Building Inspector keeps the current list. The town also prices a stand-alone electrical permit at $100 for a home.

Plumbing. Plumbing that adds or moves fixtures is permitted through the Building Department at $10 per fixture. Penfield’s code chapter list shows no plumber or electrician licensing chapter, so ask the department what it requires of the person doing trade work.

Fuel-burning equipment. Generators and fuel-related work are priced on the Fire Marshal’s fee tables rather than the building table.

Septic and sewer. New homes connect to Penfield, Perinton or Webster sewer with a county hook-up, at the fees above. Where a lot uses a septic system, the Monroe County Department of Public Health permits it under the county sanitary code.

How to apply for a Penfield building permit

Review, corrections and what causes delay

Penfield does not publish a review time, and the department’s info sheets say every listed item must be provided before a permit can be approved. The sheets single out survey distances to property lines, a deck framing plan, pool barrier and alarm details, and a CE-200 filed with every permit. Work must start within 12 months of issue or the permit becomes invalid, and a started permit expires 12 months after it was issued; either can be renewed for $50 on a home.

Penfield inspections and certificates

Contact the Building Department to schedule each required inspection as the project reaches it, and the final inspection when construction is complete. Pools and hot tubs also need the site inspection appointment booked at application. Electrical inspections are arranged directly with your chosen agency.

After the final, the department issues the certificate of occupancy or compliance and the Assessor’s Office is notified and may inspect the finished project. The town warns that an unfinished permit, with inspections or the certificate outstanding, complicates later projects and can delay insurance claims and property sales, and it advises owners to confirm the certificate has been issued before making a final payment to a contractor.

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

Penfield permit FAQ

Do I need a permit for a fence in Penfield?

No building permit is needed, but front-yard fences are limited to 3 feet, side and rear fences to 6 feet (8 for deer fencing), and town easements need Town Board approval.

How much is a building permit for a new house in Penfield?

$50 plus $0.25 per square foot with a $400 minimum, plus the $50 certificate, the $1,000 recreation fee and the sewer connection charge.

How big can my shed be?

Up to 192 sq ft or 1% of the lot area, whichever is larger, and 20 feet tall, with one shed per property; it needs a permit at $50 plus $0.20 per sq ft.

Do inflatable or portable pools need a permit?

Yes, if they can hold 24 inches of water; they must meet the state pool rules, including the barrier and alarm.

Who inspects electrical work in Penfield?

One of three town-approved agencies: Commonwealth, Middle Department or New York Electrical Inspection Agency. You pay the agency directly.

How long is a Penfield permit good for?

Work must begin within 12 months, and the permit expires 12 months after issue; a residential renewal is $50.

Does a patio or walkway need a permit in Penfield?

A patio does, at $50 plus $0.20 per sq ft and the $50 certificate. Concrete or paver sidewalks, walkways and paths do not.

Where do I pay for my permit?

At the Town Clerk’s office in Town Hall, by check, cash or card (cards carry a usage fee of at least $3).

Permit search and official resources

Ask the Building Department for copies of compliance documents on your own property; the town encourages owners to keep them. For other permit records, send a Freedom of Information request to the Town Clerk, whose office handles FOIL. The town’s site also has a Property Under Review page next to the permit portal.

• Penfield Building Department
• GovWell building permit application
• Town of Penfield fee schedule
• Applications, permits and info sheets
• How to apply for a building permit
• Accessory structure requirements
• Deck requirements
• Pool, hot tub and spa requirements
• Fence regulations
• Approved electrical inspection agencies
• Chapter 94, Building Construction
• Code of the Town of Penfield (eCode360)
• Town Clerk and FOIL requests
• Monroe County onsite wastewater (septic) program
• NYS Department of State code adoption notice

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