Town of Red Hook, New York Building Permit Guide

In the Town of Red Hook, the Building & Zoning Department at Town Hall, 7340 South Broadway, issues building permits and certificates of occupancy for land outside the Villages of Red Hook and Tivoli; Stephen Cole is the Building Inspector. Applications are paper or fillable forms with a set list of documents, and a house or renovation is charged $40 per 100 square feet plus a $100 certificate of occupancy fee under the schedule adopted February 8, 2022 and updated November 14, 2022.

What requires a building permit in the Town of Red Hook?

Section 74-5 of the Town Code requires a permit for work under the Uniform Code, and Red Hook’s exemptions are narrow: sheds are exempt only up to 100 sq ft, and fences are not on the exempt list at all. The town application and fee schedule show what the office permits.

Zoning limits fences and walls to 6 feet in side and rear yards and 4 feet in the front yard, with the finished face toward the neighbor outside the AB District. Even an exempt shed must meet every accessory-structure rule in Chapter 143.

What the town decides and what the state holds

The Uniform Code sets the construction standards, and changes to them need Code Council approval. The Town Board sets fees by resolution and its code adds Section 74-20 (Local Law 1 of 2009): no building permit is issued for a newly built one- to four-family dwelling (townhouses included) unless the applicant submits a HERS rater’s preliminary HERS rating certificate showing it will meet the New York ENERGY STAR home requirements, and no certificate of occupancy until an ENERGY STAR rating certificate shows a HERS score of 84.0 or higher. The town also runs zoning with historic preservation review, flood rules in Chapter 77 and a tree law in Chapter 128.

Town of Red Hook building department: who handles permitting

The town contains two incorporated villages, and each keeps its own building department. The Village of Red Hook has a Building / Planning / Zoning Department at 7467 South Broadway whose Building Inspector, Code & Zoning Enforcement Officer and Fire Inspector sees people by appointment (845-758-4719; village office 845-758-4718). The Village of Tivoli has its own Building Inspector and Zoning Enforcement Officer, with permit forms and a 2024 building fee schedule on the village website; Village Hall is at 86 Broadway (845-757-2021), and the village does not accept mail sent to that street address. Everything else in the town comes to the town office below, where Building Inspector Stephen Cole and a deputy building inspector who is also the zoning enforcement officer work.

Town of Red Hook permit types and filing

The town uses one building permit application (updated April 2, 2025, with a fillable version) that covers new construction, garages, decks, renovations and additions, roofs, pools, alternative power systems, fences and wood or gas appliances, plus the New York State Unified Solar Permit for small solar systems and a separate sign permit. The checklist of documents required for issuance (updated August 2024) is the core of every file.

Residential permits

Every owner of the property signs the application, and an applicant who is not the owner files the owner consent form. Include a site plan with setbacks, workers’ compensation, disability and liability certificates naming the Town of Red Hook (or the exemption affidavit), and a 911 address. Work valued at $20,000 or more needs plans stamped by a New York design professional; smaller jobs can use a detailed sketch with a materials list. A new house, or any change in bedroom count, needs the Dutchess County SAN 34 approval form, and new driveways need a town, county or state driveway permit (a second driveway permit applies if construction traffic uses another access).

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

Commercial permits

Non-residential buildings are charged $60 per 100 sq ft, basements and cellars included, plus the $100 certificate fee; commercial demolition is $500 and fire inspections cost $200 up to 1,000 sq ft and $250 above. Site plans and special permits go to the Planning Board first. Any project disturbing an acre or more must be covered by a state SPDES stormwater permit.

For tenant improvements and new commercial builds, Alliance handles commercial permit applications through issuance. More on this: commercial building permits explained.

What comes before the building permit

For regulated historic structures, the Planning Board must issue a certificate of appropriateness ($100 application) before the Building Inspector may issue a building or demolition permit. That covers every structure in the Historic Landmark Overlay District (the Hudson River National Historic Landmark District), properties listed or eligible for the State or National Register, the Hamlet District, and new construction in those areas. Site plan review starts at $200 plus $100 per 1,000 sq ft for work on an existing building, special permits cost $175 for residential uses, every new residential lot or unit pays a $5,000 recreation fee, and Planning Board applicants fund an escrow for consultant review. A town driveway permit costs $200 plus a $2,500 refundable performance bond.

Town of Red Hook building permit fees

The Building Permit Fee Schedule was adopted February 8, 2022 and updated November 14, 2022, under Chapter 74’s rule that the Town Board sets fees by resolution. The minimum building permit fee is $100.

A new house with 2,000 sq ft therefore pays $800 at $40 per 100 square feet plus the $100 certificate of occupancy fee, $900 in building fees, before separate items such as a pool, stove or driveway permit. Building without a permit doubles the fee for that type of work. A short-term rental permit costs $250 for 12 months.

Trade permits and who may pull them

Red Hook’s Town Code contains no chapter licensing electricians, plumbers or home-improvement contractors; trade work is listed on the building application and inspected by the town, except electrical work. The application and fee schedule price heating equipment, generators, solid-fuel appliances and solar systems as separate items.

Electrical. Rough and final electrical inspections are made by a third-party inspector, and the certificate from that inspector is one of the documents the Building Inspector needs before the final inspection and certificate of occupancy. A pool may not be filled until its barriers are in place and its electrical inspection is done.

Plumbing and heating. Rough plumbing is inspected with a pressure test on supply and waste lines, and the HVAC installation is inspected before walls are closed.

Septic and wells. The Dutchess County Department of Behavioral & Community Health approves new systems through the SAN 34 process; its signed SAN 34 approval is required both for issuance on a new house or a change in bedroom count and again at the final inspection.

How to apply for a Town of Red Hook building permit

Review, corrections and what causes delay

The town publishes a flow chart of its review procedure but no fixed review time. Files usually stall on a missing SAN 34 approval, a historic certificate of appropriateness not yet granted, plans that need a stamp because the job tops $20,000, or a new home without its preliminary HERS certificate. A permit becomes invalid if work does not start within six months and expires 12 months after work begins or 18 months after issue, whichever comes first; the first one-year renewal is free.

Town of Red Hook inspections and certificates

The town’s required-inspections sheet (revised April 2025) lists, in order: footings after the forms are set and before pouring; the foundation before the pour and before backfill; batch slips for every ready-mix concrete pour; framing before enclosing; rough electrical by the third-party inspector; insulation (with no paper facing left exposed in first-floor or basement joists); rough plumbing with a pressure test; HVAC; pool barriers before filling; and the final, for which the signed SAN 34 approval and the final electrical certificate must be in hand.

No building may be used until the certificate of occupancy is issued, the driveway must comply with its permit, and the 911 address must be posted. A new home also needs its ENERGY STAR certification under Section 74-20 before the certificate. The town reminds owners that every permit should end in a certificate, because a missing one surfaces when a property is sold or refinanced. The department’s forms also include an as-built certification of construction compliance.

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 Red Hook permit FAQ

Does the town issue permits in the Village of Red Hook or Tivoli?

No. The Village of Red Hook’s Building Inspector works by appointment at 7467 South Broadway (845-758-4719), and the Village of Tivoli’s Building Department is reached through Village Hall (845-757-2021). The town office covers the rest of the town.

How much is a building permit for a new house?

$40 per 100 square feet plus a $100 certificate of occupancy fee: $900 for a 2,000 sq ft house, with separate fees for items such as pools, stoves and driveways.

Do I need a permit for a shed or a fence?

Fences need a $100 permit; zoning caps them at 6 feet in side and rear yards and 4 feet in front. Sheds over 100 sq ft, or any shed with a foundation, utilities or more than 10 feet of height, need a permit at $35 per 100 sq ft.

Do I need a permit to replace my roof?

Yes. Roof repair or replacement is a $150 permit in the Town of Red Hook.

Are there extra rules for building in the hamlets or historic district?

Yes. New construction and exterior changes to regulated structures in the Hamlet District, the Historic Landmark Overlay District and on listed historic properties need a Planning Board certificate of appropriateness before the building permit.

Who inspects electrical work?

A third-party electrical inspector does the rough and final inspections, and its certificate goes to the Building Inspector before the certificate of occupancy.

Is the Town of Red Hook in FEMA’s flood insurance program?

Yes. FEMA’s Community Status Book lists the Town of Red Hook and the Village of Red Hook as participating communities, both with current flood maps dated May 2, 2012.

Town of Red Hook permit search and official resources

The town has no public online permit search. The Building & Zoning Department will search a property’s certificate of occupancy records for $150 (residential) or $200 (commercial).

• Town of Red Hook Building & Zoning
• Building permit application (updated April 2025)
• Documents required for permit issuance
• Building permit fee schedule (updated November 14, 2022)
• Required inspections and certificate of occupancy
• Planning Board fee schedule (Town Board approved June 26, 2024)
• Certificate of appropriateness application
• Driveway and road access permit
• Town Code Chapter 74, Fire Prevention and Building Construction
• Code of the Town of Red Hook (eCode360)
• Village of Red Hook Building / Planning / Zoning Department
• Village of Tivoli Building Department
• Dutchess County home construction guidance (septic and wells)
• NYS Uniform Code adoption notice

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