Town of Perinton, New York Building Permit Guide

In the Town of Perinton, building permits are issued by the Building and Codes Department at Town Hall, 1350 Turk Hill Road, which also makes the electrical inspections itself; inside the Village of Fairport the village’s own building office issues permits instead. The 2026 fee schedule charges $0.20 per square foot for residential work ($50 minimum), and the GovWell portal takes residential applications and shows permits back to 1988.

What requires a building permit in Perinton?

A permit is needed for any new building, any addition, and any alteration that affects a building’s structure, its heating, cooling, ventilation, electrical or plumbing systems, or its use. The department lists the typical residential projects that need one.

Commercial work, home occupations, signs, short-term rentals, lawn sprinklers and demolition each have their own instruction sheet on the department’s Permits and General Information page. If in doubt, the town asks owners to check with Building and Codes before starting.

What the town decides and what the state sets

Construction standards are the state Uniform Code and Energy Code, which Perinton enforces but cannot weaken. The town sets the rest by local law: the Code of the Town of Perinton’s zoning, accessory-building and fence limits, its own electrical inspection program under Chapter 108, historic preservation (Chapter 149), flood damage prevention (Chapter 138), sewer rules (Chapter 171) and the Fee Law in Chapter 130, which applies to the town outside the Village of Fairport.

Perinton building department: who handles permitting

The Building and Codes Department sits within Public Works and brings together the building inspectors, the fire marshal and the code enforcement officer. It reviews and issues permits, makes construction and electrical inspections, issues certificates of occupancy and compliance, carries out fire and life safety inspections, handles property maintenance and zoning complaints and advises on land development. Greg Seigfred is the Director of Building and Codes.

Village of Fairport. Perinton contains one incorporated village. Inside the Village of Fairport, building permits are issued by the village’s Building & Code Enforcement office, which reviews applications against state and village codes and inspects the work; its Building Inspector/Code Enforcement Officer/Fire Marshal is reached at 585-421-3207, and the village office is at 31 South Main Street. The village says most construction there needs a permit, naming renovations, alterations, additions, sheds, decks, pools and hot tubs, fences, signs and changes to electric, gas or plumbing. It has its own permit applications, fee schedule, Planning Board, Zoning Board and Historic Preservation Commission. The town’s fee law expressly excludes the village.

Permit types and application requirements

Residential permits

Residential applications can be filed and managed in the Building & Codes Web Portal; anyone who would rather not apply online can bring the information to the department or e-mail it to Building@perinton.org. The department posts a project sheet for each common job, from additions, decks and porches to generators, hot tubs, roofing and sewer or water service repairs. A simple interior project often needs only a scaled floor plan, while additions, decks and major structural work need a full set of working drawings and a survey map. Contractors must be registered in the portal and supply proof of general liability, workers’ compensation and disability insurance.

The homeowner is legally responsible for making sure a permit is obtained. A contractor or designer may apply instead, but the town advises owners to see the permit card before work starts, to name the contractor on the application so the department can verify its insurance, and to hold the final payment until the final inspection is passed and the certificate is issued.

• Sheds and accessory buildings: one per property, up to 200 sq ft or 1% of the lot area (whichever is greater, but never over 1,200 sq ft), in the rear yard at least 5 feet from side and rear lines; buildings over 144 sq ft must also be 5 feet from the house, and those over 200 sq ft must meet the district setbacks. They cannot sit in an easement or be lived in. Submit the survey with the location and detailed framing drawings, or a brochure for a kit.
• Fences: no minimum setback, 6 feet high in side and rear yards and 3 feet in the front setback, good side facing out, never in an easement or the right-of-way, and finished with a certificate of compliance.
• Pools: any pool that can hold 24 inches of water, plus hot tubs, with barriers to the state code.

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

Commercial permits

The portal takes residential applications only, so commercial projects are filed directly with the department. Commercial building permits are $0.25 per sq ft with a $200 minimum, commercial fences go through site plan review, and commercial remodeling has its own instruction sheet. New commercial buildings and remodels pay electrical inspection fees by floor area.

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: residential area variances $100, commercial $150, use variances $100; small variances of 6 inches or less can be handled administratively for $50.
• Planning Board: site plans $250 for preliminary and $250 for final approval; residential-sensitive plans for accessory structures and additions $200.
• Historic Architecture Commission: a certificate of appropriateness ($50) for designated historic properties.
• Right-of-way: a $40 Public Works permit for a residential driveway or curb cut.
• Flood areas: both the town and the Village of Fairport participate in the National Flood Insurance Program, with flood maps dated August 28, 2008.

Perinton permit fees

Fees are set by the Town Board and filed under the Fee Law in Chapter 130; the town publishes them as its 2026 Fee Schedule. They do not apply inside the Village of Fairport, which has its own schedule.

For example, a new 2,000 sq ft single-family house is $400 for the building permit, $100 for the electrical inspection of a new residential unit, $50 for the certificate of occupancy and the $1,000 recreation fee, a total of $1,550 before sewer entrance and connection charges.

Trade permits and who may pull them

Electrical. The town performs all electrical inspections itself and does not accept reports from third-party inspection agencies. Electrical work that is part of a building permit, such as a remodel or a new house, needs no separate electrical permit; stand-alone work such as a service upgrade or EV charger takes a $100 electrical permit that includes the inspection. Where the work needs a utility disconnect, customers of Fairport Electric (the Fairport Municipal Commission, 585-223-9500) arrange it after the permit is issued, while RG&E customers must get a work request number from RG&E (585-743-2110) before applying. Schedule the rough electrical inspection before wiring is covered; the town issues the final electrical inspection and certificate of compliance.

Contractors. Any contractor working under a Perinton permit must be registered in the town portal with general liability, workers’ compensation and disability insurance on file. The town code’s chapter list shows no separate plumber or electrician licensing chapter, and the department verifies contractors’ insurance when the application names them.

Sewer and septic. Sanitary sewer, storm sewer and water service connections or repairs have their own instruction sheet, and new connections pay the town sewer district entrance fee and the county Pure Waters connection. A town permit to construct a septic system is $10 under the sewer chapter; the onsite system design itself is reviewed by the Monroe County Department of Public Health.

How to apply for a Perinton building permit

Review, corrections and what causes delay

The department does not publish a standard review time. Delays usually come from an unregistered contractor, a missing survey or framing drawings for larger work, a shed or second accessory building that breaks the one-per-lot rule, and a commercial application sent through the residential-only portal. Starting work before the permit doubles the fee, with a $100 minimum, and the town can issue stop-work or cease-and-desist orders until a permit is obtained.

Perinton inspections and certificates

Inspections are made by the department’s own building inspectors, including the electrical inspections; contact Building and Codes at 585-223-0770 to schedule them, and book the rough electrical inspection before wiring is hidden behind insulation or drywall. A re-inspection costs $100.

A final inspection is required when the work is complete. Once the project meets the codes, the department issues a certificate of compliance or certificate of occupancy, and the space may not be used or occupied until one of them is issued; a certificate of occupancy re-inspection is $50. For new homes finished in winter, the builder and buyer sign the Public Works winter grading and drainage affidavit, which sets a June 1 deadline for final grading and downspout connections on pain of the certificate of occupancy being revoked.

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

Perinton permit FAQ

Who issues building permits in Perinton?

The Town Building and Codes Department at 1350 Turk Hill Road (585-223-0770), for everywhere outside the Village of Fairport. Inside the village, the Village of Fairport Building & Code Enforcement office issues permits.

How much is a building permit in Perinton?

$0.20 per square foot for residential work with a $50 minimum, and $0.25 per square foot for commercial work with a $200 minimum, under the 2026 fee schedule.

Do I need a permit for a fence in Perinton?

Yes, for every permanent fence. Temporary snow fence and seasonal garden fencing need no permit but must still follow the town’s fence rules.

Do I need a permit to replace my roof or windows?

Usually not: the town lists re-roofing, re-siding and window or door replacement without enlarging the opening among repairs that may not need a permit. Check with the department first.

Who does electrical inspections in Perinton?

The town itself. Perinton does not accept third-party agency reports; a stand-alone electrical permit is $100 including the inspection.

Can I look up past permits on my property?

Yes. The GovWell portal shows current and past permits from 1988 onward.

How big can a shed be in Perinton?

Up to 200 sq ft or 1% of the lot, whichever is greater, but no more than 1,200 sq ft, with one accessory building per property.

Permit search and official resources

The Building & Codes Web Portal is Perinton’s public permit search: it shows current and past permits from 1988 to the present and also takes confidential property complaints. For older records, or documents not shown in the portal, contact the department or make a Freedom of Information request to the Town Clerk. Village of Fairport permits are kept by the village.

• Perinton Building and Codes Department
• Building & Codes Web Portal (GovWell)
• Permits and general information sheets
• Building permit FAQs
• Town of Perinton 2026 fee schedule
• Building permit application form
• Electrical permit and service upgrade rules
• Sheds and accessory buildings
• Fence permit regulations
• Winter grading and drainage affidavit
• Code of the Town of Perinton (eCode360)
• Chapter 130, Fee Law
• Village of Fairport Building & Code Enforcement
• Village of Fairport building permits and applications
• Monroe County onsite wastewater (septic) program
• NYS Department of State code adoption notice

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