Town of Southeast, New York Building Permit Guide

Outside the Village of Brewster, building permits in the Town of Southeast come from the Building Department at 1 Main Street, Brewster (845-279-2123). Under the 2026 fee schedule a project under $10,000 costs $150 and one from $10,000 to $30,000 costs $330; plans must be stamped once the work exceeds $10,000, and new homes and additions need Architectural Review Board and Putnam County Health Department approval before the permit.

What requires a building permit in the Town of Southeast?

Chapter 54 of the Town Code says no land may be altered and no building moved, built, rebuilt, demolished, extended or altered without a permit, and the department’s page adds that most home improvements need one. The town’s building FAQ adds detail on small structures:

Accessory structures must stand at least 20 feet from side and rear lines and 15 feet (or their height, if greater) from the house, and none may go in the front yard, which runs 35 or 50 feet deep depending on the district and 100 feet in R-160. Fences and walls are limited to 36 inches along the front line and for 35 feet (R-20), 50 feet (R-40, R-60, R-80) or 100 feet (R-160) down each side. Pools with water 24 inches deep or more need a 48-inch fence with self-closing gates; an above-ground pool with walls over 48 inches needs no fence but must have a removable ladder.

What the town decides and what the state sets

The Uniform Code sets construction standards, and any stricter local building rule would need state approval. Southeast adds an Architectural Review Board (Chapter 3), freshwater wetlands (Chapter 78), historic sites and districts (Chapter 83), stormwater and erosion control with MS4 permits (Chapter 119), flood damage prevention (Chapter 74) and zoning (Chapter 138), and Local Law 1 of 2026, adopted January 22, 2026, updated the fire-code permit section of Chapter 54.

Town of Southeast building department: who handles permitting

The Building Department processes applications, issues permits, inspects work for the certificate of occupancy, refers cases to the Zoning Board of Appeals, Planning Board and Architectural Review Board, and searches historical building records. Michael J. Levine is the Building Inspector, with an assistant building inspector and a code enforcement officer. Since May 8, 2026 the department accepts credit cards, with a 2.5% convenience fee. Note that the Building Department works from 1 Main Street in Brewster, not from the town offices at 1360 Route 22, and that complaints use the department’s own complaint form.

The Village of Brewster

Brewster, home to 2,509 people, is the only incorporated village in Southeast and issues its own building permits. Its general application, filed at Village Hall on Main Street, asks for two sets of plans, a plot plan or survey with setbacks, drainage and soil protection for neighboring lots, the contractor’s license, liability and workers’ compensation insurance and the owner’s consent. The town and the village are separate participating communities in the National Flood Insurance Program, with maps dated March 4, 2013.

Town of Southeast permit types and filing rules

Residential permits

The residential building permit application asks for the builder’s, plumber’s and HVAC contractor’s Putnam County license numbers, the utilities and road type, living area, decks, garages, bedrooms, height and lot coverage, and the area of disturbance; disturbing more than 5,000 square feet without an MS4 permit brings a stop-work order. Its checklist requires an owner consent form, two plot plans showing the lot, easements, buildings, parking, wells, septic systems, watercourses, wetlands and signs, Putnam County approval for any septic system or well, a driveway permit, and workers’ compensation, disability and liability certificates naming the town (CE-200, C-105.2 or U-26.3 accepted).

Construction valued over $10,000 needs stamped plans; smaller jobs need a detailed sketch with a materials list. For new houses and additions the plans must carry the original stamp of the Putnam County Department of Health and the Architectural Review Board’s stamp, energy code compliance software results, the truss construction notice and a 911 address verification. Two full plan sets are required, and plumbing and heating each need a separate permit. A separate small project permit application is also posted.

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Commercial permits

Commercial work has its own permit form and application checklist, and its own certificate of occupancy checklist. Sprinkler systems, equipment, gas installations and signs (including multi-tenant and comprehensive sign programs) each have separate applications.

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

What comes before the building permit

• Architectural Review Board: approval and stamp for new construction and additions.
• Planning Board: site plans, accessory apartments and conditional use permits for home businesses.
• Zoning Board of Appeals: area variance $175, use variance $400, interpretation $200 and administrative appeal $250.
• Wetlands: an administrative wetland permit ($650) or a minor wetland permit ($750 plus escrow).
• Stormwater: MS4 permits cost $500 for 5,000 square feet to an acre of disturbance, $1,000 plus a $1,000 escrow over an acre, and $2,000 plus escrow over five acres.
• Driveway: a town driveway permit ($200 with inspection, $2,000 bond) or the county or state equivalent.

Town of Southeast permit fees

Chapter 54 points to the fee schedule adopted by Town Board resolution; the 2026 Town of Southeast Fee Schedule (pages dated March 12, 2026) is the current one. Fees are paid by check or money order, or by card with the 2.5% fee.

The schedule does not say from what amount the per-$1,000 charges for projects over $30,000 and over $100,000 are counted, so ask the department to price larger jobs. Delinquent town fees carry a 2% monthly late charge. Other building department lines: blasting $500, accessory apartment renewal $450 every two years, and stormwater connection and right-of-way work permits at $150 and $200.

Trade permits and who may pull them

Putnam County licenses home improvement contractors, plumbers, heating and cooling contractors, electricians, and propane and natural gas installers, and the town’s checklist requires a copy of each contractor’s county license with the application. The county’s Office of Consumer Affairs runs the Electrical Board, the Home Improvement Board and the Plumbing and Mechanical Trades Board.

Electrical. Electrical permits for Southeast are not filed at the town: Putnam County takes them for every town except Carmel, Patterson and Putnam Valley, with inspection by State Wide Inspection Services or New York Electrical Inspection Services. Chapter 54 names the fire underwriters as advisers to the town’s officers on electrical reviews, and the rough and final electrical inspections are on the town’s certificate list.

Plumbing, heating and gas. These have separate town permits priced on the sliding scale, and the plans must show plumbing fixture layouts, a waste line diagram, the boiler or furnace location and combustion air.

Septic and sewer. On septic lots, the Putnam County Department of Health must approve the system and any added bedroom; on central sewer, the town’s Special Districts Administrator approves bedroom conversions. Water and sewer applications cost $250 and meters $150.

How to apply for a Town of Southeast building permit

Review, corrections and what causes delay

The town will not review an application until the submittal is complete. Under Chapter 54 a permit expires if work has not begun within six months (two months for demolition), though the inspector may postpone that by up to six months, and every permit expires one year after issue unless the inspector grants a single one-year extension for hardship. Changes in the field need the inspector’s approval and an amended application before the final; a change to approved plans costs $100.

Town of Southeast inspections and certificates

The scheduling checklist asks permit holders to post the permit in the front window (or a 911-numbered sign at the driveway for a new house), finish the work being inspected, have the contractor present and call at least two business days ahead with the permit number, owner’s name, 911 address, tax map number and a daytime phone. The certificate list runs from Board of Health approval, driveway and staking through footings, foundation and drains, framing, house wrap, rough plumbing and electrical, fire caulking, insulation and ductwork to final plumbing, electric, driveway and the certificate of occupancy. The application notes that the energy code requires footing and foundation, framing and rough-in, plumbing, mechanical and electrical rough-in and final inspections, and that the code official may accept reports from approved inspection agencies.

For the certificate, the town’s residential CO checklist (October 15, 2025) asks for everything in one binder: as-built plans if the work strayed from the approved plans, an as-built survey and septic plan, Health Department sign-off for the well and septic with the septic guarantee, a passing water test for E. coli and coliform, the highway department’s driveway sign-off or bond, a notarized final cost affidavit, the electrical underwriters’ certificate (before the final is booked), notarized letters from the plumbing, HVAC, gas and sprinkler contractors, a blower door test and duct test report, a spray foam certification letter where used, photos of the posted 911 number and the construction type symbol, and the refuse district fee for a new home. An alarm permit application goes to the Fire Inspector.

No new or altered building may be occupied until the certificate of occupancy ($55) issues; a no-show or failed inspection costs $75 to rebook. Where the work cost more than estimated, a final cost affidavit may be required before the 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

Town of Southeast permit FAQ

How much is a building permit in Southeast?

$150 for a project under $10,000 and $330 from $10,000 to $30,000; larger projects add a per-$1,000 charge.

Do I need a permit for a fence?

Yes. All fences and walls need a permit, and they are limited to 36 inches along the front and the first part of each side line.

Does a shed need a permit?

Yes, if it is over 48 inches high, and it must be 20 feet from side and rear lines.

I live in the Village of Brewster. Where do I apply?

At Village Hall, 50 Main Street (845-279-3760); the village issues its own permits.

Where do I get an electrical permit?

From Putnam County Consumer Affairs in Carmel (845-808-1617), not the town.

When are stamped plans required?

When construction is valued over $10,000, for new homes over 1,500 square feet of living space, or when the inspector finds significant structural work.

Can I add a bedroom?

Only with a building permit and approval from the County Board of Health (septic lots) or the town Special Districts Administrator (sewered lots).

Can I pay by credit card?

Yes, since May 8, 2026, with a 2.5% convenience fee.

Permit search and official resources

There is no online permit search. The Building Department searches historical building records for a municipal search ($250 for a home), and other records can be requested from the Town Clerk under the Freedom of Information Law.

• Town of Southeast Building Department & Code Enforcement
• Building permit forms
• Residential building permit application and checklist
• Small project permit application
• Scheduling checklist for inspections
• Residential certificate of occupancy checklist
• Building FAQs
• 2026 Town of Southeast fee schedule
• Town Code Chapter 54, Building Construction and Fire Prevention
• Code of the Town of Southeast
• Village of Brewster permits and forms
• Putnam County Consumer Affairs
• Putnam County Department of Health
• FEMA Community Status Book, New York
• NYS code adoption notice

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