Town of Somers, New York Building Permit Guide

The Town of Somers Building Department (914-277-3539) issues building, plumbing, gas and mechanical permits for the whole town from the brick building at 337 Route 202. Complete building applications are reviewed only at an appointment with the Building Inspector, after a zoning check and, for any work outside the existing footprint, a $50 environmental determination from the Engineering Department. Plumbing, mechanical, gas, oil, generator, roofing and solar permits can be dropped off or mailed, and fees are paid by check or money order.

What requires a building permit in Somers?

The department’s guidance document says any addition to a house and any detached structure needs a building permit and an in-office appointment, and that new plumbing or gas fixtures, appliances, oil tanks, mechanical equipment, generators, pool fencing and solar arrays need permits too.

Exempt work still has to meet zoning. A yard fence needs no building permit, but no fence or wall may exceed 6 feet (Section 170-49), corner lots keep a clear sight triangle, and the department suggests a zoning check and an environmental determination before building one. Replacing a fence that encloses a pool does need a permit.

What Somers decides and what the state sets

The construction standards are the Uniform Code and Energy Code. Chapter 74 of the Town Code adds local rules: permit administration, septic approval triggers, as-built foundation surveys and an ENERGY STAR requirement for new homes. Zoning (Chapter 170), wetlands and watercourses (Chapter 167), steep slopes (Chapter 148), tree preservation (Chapter 156) and flood damage prevention (Chapter 102) shape the site. Any construction standard stricter than the Uniform Code would need state Code Council approval.

Somers building department: who handles permitting

Building Inspector Thomas J. Tooma Jr. heads the Building Department, which also covers fire inspections through the Chief Fire Inspector (914-277-5582). The office is open Monday to Friday from 9 am to 4:30 pm; its contact address is 335 Route 202, and visitors with appointments use the Building Department entrance of the brick building at 337 Route 202. Documents can be left at any time in the gold mail slot at the Assessor’s door facing the parking lot. Somers has no incorporated village, so no other local office issues building permits in the town.

Somers permit types and filing rules

Residential permits

Somers splits work into building permits (houses, additions, alterations, accessory structures, pools, spas, demolition and stand-alone electrical work) and sub-permits (plumbing, gas, oil, mechanical, sprinklers, generators and pool heaters), each with its own form on the permit guidance page. For a building permit, the guidance document (revised December 2024) lists the zoning checklist, a survey showing the proposed work, two plan sets wet-signed and stamped by a New York design professional plus a USB copy, the contractor’s county home improvement license, liability and workers’ compensation certificates naming the Town of Somers, license copies for the electrician and plumber, the environmental determination result or permit, a septic cleaning receipt, any county Health approval and proof of ownership. Owners doing their own work sign a notarized one-man affidavit and the state CE-200.

Roofing needs no appointment: send the application, a sketch of the roof, materials and shingle type, flashing details and photos. Wood, pellet and gas stoves do need an appointment, and the final certificate requires the installer’s signed statement that the unit follows the maker’s instructions. Generators may not stand in a front yard and must be at least 5 feet (R-10) or 15 feet (R-40, R-80, R-120) from side and rear lines, 10 feet from gas tanks and 5 feet from windows and chimneys.

Pools, spas and hot tubs may not go in a front yard. Side and rear setbacks are 5 feet in R-10 and 15 feet in the larger districts, pools may cover no more than 7% (R-10), 3% (R-40) or 2% (R-80, R-120) of the lot, and they must sit at least 10 feet from other buildings. While a pool is being built it must be closed off by a temporary enclosure at least 4 feet high until the permanent barrier is finished, and every pool needs an alarm that sounds when a child enters the water.

Septic triggers come from Chapter 74, Article III. County Health approval is needed for a new house, a teardown, moving a bedroom or changing the footprint, a new bedroom, or any room with privacy and easy access to a full bathroom; large expansions within five years count as new construction. No certificate issues without the county-approved as-built septic drawing.

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Commercial permits

Commercial work follows the same zoning and environmental steps and the same appointment rule. Solar permits cost $150 for homes and businesses alike, with a $100 commercial certificate of occupancy.

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 approval: for anything outside the footprint or touching the land, send the zoning compliance chart and a dimensioned site plan to the Building Inspector by email or bring it in.
• Environmental determination: a $50 application to the Planning and Engineering Department; a town inspector visits, the form goes to the state DEC, and the result must be in hand before the permit appointment.
• Septic: county Health approval where Article III applies.
• Variances: setbacks that do not fit the district table go to the Zoning Board of Appeals.

Somers building permit fees

Chapter 95 leaves fees to Town Board resolution, and the current schedule is kept on file at the Town Clerk’s office rather than posted. The guidance document says building permit fees are based on the estimated project cost as determined by the Building Inspector, so the office gives the exact figure at the appointment. Payment is by check or money order only. The sub-permit fees the department does publish are below.

Trade permits and who may pull them

Electrical. Electrical work must be done by an electrician licensed by Westchester County. Somers inspects the building work itself, and a third-party electrical inspector, arranged by the electrician, inspects the wiring. The county requires those inspectors to hold a county license unless they work for a government, and lists the agencies that comply.

Plumbing, gas and mechanical. Plumbing and gas work need a Westchester County licensed plumber, whose license copy must reach the office before work begins. Plumbing sub-permits can be dropped off before 2 pm on weekdays, when staff check them for missing items, or left in the mail slot later. By signing a mechanical application, the applicant agrees to follow the state’s rules for removing and installing boilers and HVAC units and to call for inspection.

Contractors. General contractors need a Westchester County home improvement license from the Department of Consumer Protection, 148 Martine Avenue, Room 407, White Plains (914-995-2211), where the application fee has been $750 since January 1, 2026. Liability and workers’ compensation certificates must name the Town of Somers as certificate holder.

How to apply for a Somers building permit

Review, corrections and what causes delay

The department does not process incomplete applications, and missing items mean follow-up appointments. The guideline singles out the environmental determination result, original wet stamps and signatures, and the septic cleaning receipt. Under Section 74-4I a permit is invalid unless work starts within six months, and it expires 12 months after issue, so a renewal is needed for longer jobs.

Somers inspections and certificates

Follow the inspection instructions mailed with the permit; the department posts its building and sub-permit inspection lists on each project page. Town inspections are separate from the third-party electrical inspection. Under Article IV of Chapter 74, a surveyor’s sealed as-built foundation survey must reach the Building Inspector before framing when the job needs a wetland or steep slope permit, when the foundation is within 2 feet of a setback line, or when the Building Inspector asks for one.

When everything passes, file a certificate of occupancy application for building permits; plumbing, mechanical, gas and oil permits close without one unless the job converts a heating system between gas, oil and electric. Settle all fees except the certificate fee before close-out. Certificates of occupancy or compliance are mailed to the address on file. A new house also needs ENERGY STAR paperwork under Article V: the permit issues only if the design will meet New York ENERGY STAR home standards, and the certification documents and field test results, with an affidavit, must be filed before any temporary or permanent certificate.

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

Somers permit FAQ

Does any part of Somers have its own village building department?

No. Somers has no incorporated village, so the town Building Department on Route 202 issues every permit.

Do I need an appointment?

Yes, for every building permit. Plumbing, mechanical, gas, oil, generator, roofing and solar permits can be dropped off or mailed.

Do I need a permit for a fence?

Not for a general property fence, which must stay within your lot and under 6 feet. A fence around a pool, including a replacement, needs a permit.

Do I need a permit for a shed?

Not if it is under 144 sq ft at a one- or two-family home; larger accessory buildings need a permit and an appointment. Detached structures may not go in the front yard.

Why do I need an environmental determination?

Any work that touches the land, from a house to a shed or pool, must first be checked for wetlands, steep slopes and similar resources. It costs $50 and the result is needed before your permit appointment.

How do I get records for a property I do not own?

Realtors, surveyors and contractors file a FOIL request through the town’s online form; owners can ask the Building Department directly.

Is Somers in the federal flood insurance program?

Yes. FEMA lists the Town of Somers as participating, with a current flood map dated September 28, 2007.

Permit search and official resources

Parcel permit history comes from the Building Department: owners ask the office directly, and everyone else uses the town’s online FOIL request form.

• Somers Building Department
• Permit application guidance by project type
• Building Department guidance document, revised December 2024
• Standard permitting process guideline
• New dwelling checklist and forms
• Town Code Chapter 74, Building Construction
• Town Code Chapter 95, Fees
• Westchester County plumber and electrician licenses
• Westchester County home improvement license fees
• Westchester County Health septic and well permits
• FEMA Community Status Book, New York
• NYS code adoption notice

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