Town of Pomfret, New York Building Permit Guide

In the Town of Pomfret, building permits come from the town’s Code Enforcement Officer, Warren M. Kelly, based at Town Hall, 9 Day Street, Fredonia. The officer keeps no set office hours: you call his cell phone (716-673-5459), leave a voicemail and get a call back. The town permits everything outside the Village of Fredonia, which runs its own code enforcement office, and its July 2026 application lists new houses at $0.12 per square foot.

What requires a building permit in Pomfret?

The town’s permit packet lists the work that needs a building permit, and the officer asks anyone unsure to call before starting.

The Town Board adopted a new Zoning Law as Local Law No. 1 of 2025 and amended it, with a new zoning map, by Local Law No. 1 of 2026 on June 10, 2026, after a public hearing that evening; the town posts the result as its April 2026 zoning code. Under it, § 300-1-3 requires a zoning permit to occupy land or a structure, to build, alter, enlarge, move or demolish one, or to change its use, and § 300-5-4 says fences and walls need a building permit. Fences may be up to 4 feet high in a front yard (any yard on a street counts as a front yard) and up to 8 feet in side yards and in rear yards that back onto another yard, otherwise 6 feet; chain-link is not allowed in a front setback, barbed or electric fences need a conditional use permit from the Zoning Board, and the finished side must face the neighbors. The building inspector page still shows the older fence text revised in December 2022, which the current zoning law replaces.

What the town decides and what the state holds

The building standards themselves are New York’s Uniform Code and Energy Code. The town decides who enforces them outside the village, what it charges, and its land-use rules, set out in the Town of Pomfret Zoning Law with its fence, lakeshore, special use and subdivision provisions and applied by the Planning Board and Zoning Board of Appeals.

Pomfret building department: who handles permitting

Pomfret contains one incorporated village, Fredonia, which holds about 9,300 of the town’s 12,605 residents, so the mailing address “Fredonia” covers both. The split is simple:

• Town of Pomfret outside the village: the town’s Building Code Department, run by Code Enforcement Officer Warren M. Kelly, issues building permits and inspects; a separate Zoning Enforcement Officer (716-870-9288) handles zoning complaints.
• Village of Fredonia: the village’s own Code Enforcement Office, led by its Chief Inspection Officer at 9-11 Church Street (716-679-2313), issues permits on the village’s application form and licenses its own electricians and plumbers.

In July 2026 the Town Board added a part-time Deputy Code Enforcement Officer, and early in 2026 the supervisor reported that the town was looking into combining the village’s building inspection and code enforcement with the town’s; the posted minutes through October 2026 show no such merger adopted.

Pomfret permit types and filing requirements

Residential permits

The nine-page Building Permit Application dated July 2026 asks for the agent, owner, contractor and any subcontractor, the county, township and address, old and new tax map numbers and zoning district, a detailed scope with the estimated cost, and whether the lot uses a new or existing septic system or well or municipal sewer and water. Page three is a site sketch showing the lot, every building and the distances to the street, rear and side lot lines. Pools have their own Swimming Pool Application and Code Requirements form, also dated July 2026, and § 300-4-27 of the zoning law requires a zoning permit and a fence or wall at least 4 feet high around any pool whose own wall is lower than that, with self-closing, self-latching gates kept locked when the pool is not in use.

For new houses, garages, storage and commercial buildings the town wants a drawing that shows footers and their reinforcement, foundation walls and insulation, footer drains inside and out, joist sizes and spacing, beams and their supports, walls with window and door sizes, at least R-21 wall insulation, a stair section with handrails, and the roof framing, with the engineer’s certification sheet for pre-engineered trusses. Plans for new construction, and for additions or alterations that affect public safety, must carry the original seal and signature of a New York licensed engineer or architect.

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

Commercial permits

Commercial buildings and additions are $0.20 per square foot and multiple dwellings $0.15. The packet also prices cell towers, wind turbines, commercial solar, meteorological towers and mobile home parks, and the town charges $50 for an annual fire inspection.

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: variances, interpretations, special use permits that come with a variance request, conditional permits for barbed or electric fences, and permit extensions. It meets at 6:30 pm at Town Hall; the November 10, 2026 meeting was cancelled for lack of business.
• Planning Board: reports on matters referred to it under the zoning law; it also meets at 6:30 pm at Town Hall, and its November 2, 2026 meeting was cancelled.
• Lily Dale: inside the Lily Dale sub-district of the Lakeside Residential zone, special rules allow small shops, restaurants and bed-and-breakfasts, and some applications must come from the occupant with the consent of the Lily Dale Assembly.
• Public hearings and environmental review: $150 per ZBA or Planning Board hearing, plus a SEQR fee of $150 (short form) or $200 (long form).
• Septic and wells: where a lot uses a septic system, the Chautauqua County Health Department must send the code officer a “right to connect” letter before a permit for a new building, added bedrooms or a change of use, and a new system needs a county OWTS permit.
• Flood areas: FEMA lists both the Town of Pomfret and the Village of Fredonia as participating communities in the National Flood Insurance Program.

Pomfret building permit fees

The town prints its permit fees on page four of the Building Permit Application form dated July 2026. Under § 300-7-6 of the zoning law the Town Board sets fees by resolution, the schedule is posted in the Town Clerk’s office, and no action is taken on an application until every fee is paid.

Worked examples: a new 1,600-square-foot house costs 1,600 × $0.12 = $192; a 250-square-foot addition works out to $30, so the $35 minimum applies; a 400-square-foot addition costs $48; a new 6,000-square-foot commercial building costs $1,200. A detached garage or pole barn is a flat $50 regardless of size, a re-roof $45 and a fence $25.

Trade permits and who may pull them

Electrical inspections. The town approves three third-party electrical inspection companies: Gleason Enterprises Electrical Inspections of Mayville, DEAN Electrical Inspections of Western NY of Dunkirk, and LCR Electrical Inspections of Silver Creek. Wiring on a permitted job is inspected by one of them.

Contractor lists. The packet includes the town’s 2025–26 list of general contractors, lists of electrical and of heating and plumbing contractors, and a suggested list of architects and engineers revised July 8, 2025; the web page labels its electrician list “2021–2022 Licensed Electricians.” Neither the page nor the packet states a town licensing requirement for contractors, electricians or plumbers, so the lists are a starting point, not a register.

In the Village of Fredonia. Inside the village, electrical permits are needed for any electrical work, which must be done either by the homeowner personally or by a Village of Fredonia licensed electrician, with a final third-party inspection and a utility ESR number for service upgrades. The village also licenses plumbers, posts 2025 lists of both trades, and charges $75 for every re-inspection after the first.

How to apply for a Pomfret building permit

Review, corrections and what causes delay

With no fixed office hours, the first delay is reaching the code officer, so leave a clear voicemail and allow time for the call back. The drawing checklist is detailed, and a packet missing footer reinforcement, insulation values or truss certifications is incomplete. Both boards cancel meetings when there is no business, so a variance case waits for the next meeting that actually takes place.

Pomfret inspections and certificates

The code officer inspects building work at the stages the permit calls for. Under § 300-7-1 no land, new or altered building, or property that changes hands may be used until the Building Inspector issues a certificate of occupancy, though a single-family house sold to a new owner needs none; temporary certificates of occupancy or compliance cost $50. Under § 300-7-3 a permit is void unless work starts within six months and is finished within 15 months, and the Zoning Board of Appeals can extend it for good reason at no extra cost; if a permit is denied, the fee above the minimum is refunded. Electrical work is inspected separately by one of the three approved agencies. Annual fire inspections ($50) apply to buildings that need them, and seasonal RV campers are permitted for $50.

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

In Pomfret the code is enforced by the town’s Building Code Department outside the village and by the Village of Fredonia’s own Code Enforcement Office inside it.

Town of Pomfret permit FAQ

Does the Town of Pomfret issue permits in Fredonia?

No. The Village of Fredonia has its own Code Enforcement Office at 9-11 Church Street (716-679-2313); the town covers only land outside the village.

How do I reach the Pomfret code officer?

Call 716-673-5459 and leave a voicemail; there are no set office hours, and calls are returned.

How much is a permit for a new house?

$0.12 per square foot under the July 2026 form, so 1,600 square feet costs $192.

Do I need a permit for a fence in Pomfret?

Yes, at $25, unless it is agricultural fencing or a non-boundary fence more than 25 feet from every property line. Front-yard fences are limited to 4 feet and side-yard fences to 8 feet.

Does an inflatable pool need a permit?

Yes. The town lists above-ground, in-ground and inflatable pools; above-ground and inflatable pools cost $50 and in-ground pools $100.

Who inspects electrical work?

One of three town-approved agencies: Gleason Enterprises, DEAN Electrical Inspections of Western NY, or LCR Electrical Inspections.

Do I need a permit for a standby generator?

Yes. Emergency generators are on the town’s permit-required list.

Is Pomfret in the National Flood Insurance Program?

Yes. FEMA lists the Town of Pomfret, and separately the Village of Fredonia, as participating communities.

Pomfret permit search and official resources

Permit records are held by the Building Code Department at Town Hall. To get copies, send the town’s Freedom of Information Law form by email or bring it to Town Hall; the FOIL officer (716-672-7496 ext. 1) confirms receipt within five days and asks for 20 days to fill the request.

• Town of Pomfret Building Inspector page
• Building Permit Application, July 2026 (PDF)
• Swimming Pool Application and Code Requirements, July 2026 (PDF)
• Pomfret Zoning Board of Appeals and zoning code
• Pomfret Planning Board
• Zoning Enforcement Officer
• FOIL requests
• Village of Fredonia code enforcement forms
• Chautauqua County sewage and wastewater permits
• NYS code adoption and enforcement updates

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