Town of Sweden, New York Building Permit Guide

In the Town of Sweden, the Building Department at Town Hall, 18 State Street, Brockport, issues building, pool and plumbing permits and inspects the work everywhere outside the Village of Brockport. Its January 6, 2026 fee rules charge $0.20 per square foot of living area for a new house or addition ($50 minimum) plus a $750 parks and recreation fee per new home, and no permit is issued on a property with delinquent town, county or school taxes.

What requires a building permit in Sweden?

Under Chapter 64 of the Town Code, any work governed by the Uniform Code, the Energy Code or the town code needs a building permit, from new buildings and additions to alterations, moves and demolitions. Storage sheds and playhouses of up to 144 square feet are the main exemption for homeowners.

Fences in residential districts may be up to 6 feet on a side or rear lot line and 4 feet when closer to the street than the front setback, with the better side facing the neighbor when within 5 feet of the line. Fences that meet those limits need no permit; a taller residential fence needs a Zoning Board of Appeals permit after a public hearing.

What the town decides and what the state sets

Building standards are the 2025 Uniform Code and Energy Code; Sweden enforces them through Chapter 64 (rewritten in 2022, with definitions amended in March 2026) and would need state Code Council approval for anything stricter. Locally, the Town Board sets zoning (Chapter 175), solar, wind and battery storage rules (Chapters 174, 173 and 176, adopted after 2024 moratoria), its own freshwater wetlands permits (Chapter 117), electrical inspection and plumbing rules, and the fee rules.

Sweden building department: who handles permitting

The Building Department reviews applications, issues permits and certificates, inspects construction and takes code complaints. After the residential building inspector resigned, the town announced in March 2026 that Fire Marshal Jared Hicks is serving as interim residential building inspector; commercial inspections and commercial plan review are handled by consultants working for the department. The Building, Planning and Zoning Coordinator handles the paperwork for permits and board applications, and the Code Enforcement Officer is also the floodplain local administrator.

The Village of Brockport

Brockport is the only village in Sweden and keeps its own Building & Code Enforcement department, with two code enforcement officers who serve as building inspectors. It handles building code permits, certificates of occupancy, fire safety, rental registration and applications to the village Planning Board and Zoning Board of Appeals. Its office is at Village Hall, 127 Main Street, Brockport (585-637-5300, Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.). Town Hall also has a Brockport address, so check whether the parcel is inside the village line before choosing an office.

Permit types and submission requirements

Residential permits

The fee rules sort town permits by letter: Permit B for buildings, Permit C for pools, spas and hot tubs, Permit E for special permits, Permit G for dumping fill and Permit I for signs, alongside plumbing and demolition permits. A building permit application is signed by the owner or the owner’s agent. Chapter 64 requires construction documents that show the work complies with the codes, and one accepted set stays on site. The pool, spa and hot tub application asks for a plot plan with the pool’s location, dimensions, depth and volume in gallons, the approximate cost, and confirmation that the contractor’s workers’ compensation coverage is on file; the town links the state exemption attestation for owners without employees. Sewer tap and Pure Waters charges must be paid before a building permit issues.

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

Commercial permits

Commercial, industrial and public assembly buildings pay $0.25 per square foot ($50 minimum) up to 100,000 sq ft and $0.28 above that, and a parks and recreation fee of $1,000 per unit ($2,000 above 100,000 sq ft). The Fire Marshal’s fire, life and safety inspections are billed by occupancy: $50 a year for assembly spaces over 50 people and high-hazard uses (both need operating permits), $50 to $150 every two years for offices, shops, apartments and factories, with fees doubled if unpaid after 90 days. Assembly permits for large outdoor events are posted on the town’s news page.

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

What comes before the building permit

New subdivisions and site plans go to the Planning Board, which meets at 7 p.m. at the Sweden Town Offices and takes the SEQRA short or long form and, near farms, an Agricultural Data Statement. A first residential subdivision lot costs $600 with $200 for each further lot, a residential site plan $500 a lot, and a commercial or light industrial site plan $1,500 plus 5 cents per square foot of building; half of each Planning Board fee pays the Town Engineer, and engineering costs beyond that are billed before the chair signs. Variances go to the Zoning Board of Appeals: $300 covers the first two area variances and each further one is $100, and a use variance is $1,000. Work in a regulated freshwater wetland or its adjacent area needs a permit from the Town Board under Chapter 117. In a mapped flood zone, the Code Enforcement Officer issues a floodplain development permit and new homes must be built with the lowest floor at least 2 feet above the base flood elevation. FEMA lists the town and the Village of Brockport as participating in the flood insurance program, with maps dated August 28, 2008 that show no base flood elevations (Zones A, C and X only). Septic systems on lots without sewer are approved and inspected by the Monroe County Department of Public Health (585-753-5060).

Sweden permit fees

The Town Board’s Rules and Regulations for Building Control Fees were last revised on January 6, 2026. The main residential rows:

Worked examples. A 300 sq ft deck costs 300 × $0.20 = $60, plus the $50 certificate of compliance, $110 in all. An in-ground pool is $65 plus $50 for its certificate of compliance. A new 2,000 sq ft house costs 2,000 × $0.20 = $400 for the permit, $750 for parks and recreation and $100 for the certificate of occupancy, $1,250, plus $500 for a sewer connection where public sewer serves the lot and the plumbing permit at $4 per opening.

Other charges on the same rules. Sign permits cost $25 up to 32 sq ft, $50 to 100 sq ft and $100 above that, and a special-event sign $25. A vacant building must be registered under Chapter 169: a one- to three-unit residential building pays $250 in the first year, $500 in the second, $750 in the third and $1,000 each year after, while an owner who files a demolition or rehabilitation plan pays $100.

Trade permits and who may pull them

Plumbing. Sweden controls who may work as a plumber through its plumbing permit: under Chapter 139 nobody may carry on the plumbing trade in the town without the town’s plumbing permit, which runs to December 31 each year and can be renewed in the 30 days before it lapses. A job permit is also needed for any new building with plumbing and for remodeling or additions where plumbing is added, moved or changed. A homeowner may do repair work on his or her own home with the Code Enforcement Officer’s permission, but no one works in the town sanitary sewer without a special town permit.

Electrical. Chapter 90 lets the Town Board appoint electrical inspection agencies, and no wiring for light, heat or power may be installed or altered until an inspection application is filed with one of them. The agencies the town lists are New York Electrical Inspection Agency, Middle Department Inspection Agency and Commonwealth Electrical Inspection Service. The town bears none of the agency’s charges, and the agency sends its certificate of compliance to the Code Enforcement Officer. The town code sets up no electrician license.

Contractors and insurance. The town code and fee rules set up no home-improvement contractor license. Contractors file proof of workers’ compensation coverage, or the owner files the state exemption attestation, with the application.

How to apply for a Sweden building permit

Review, corrections and what causes delay

Unpaid property taxes stop a building, pool, special use, fill or sign permit outright. Plans that do not meet Chapter 64 are not accepted, and returned plans are not permission to start. Work must begin within six months of issuance and the permit expires after 12 months; the Code Enforcement Officer may grant up to two six-month extensions for good cause. Commercial drawings go to the town’s commercial plan reviewer before a permit issues.

Sweden inspections and certificates

Call the Building Department at 585-637-8684 to book town inspections; work must stay uncovered until it is accepted. Electrical work is inspected separately by the agency you filed with, which reports defects to the owner and the Code Enforcement Officer and issues the electrical certificate of compliance. Septic installations are inspected by the county health department.

A new house closes with a certificate of occupancy ($100), duplex, townhouse and apartment units at $40 each, and an addition or renovation at $50. Decks, sheds, garages, pools and hot tubs close with a $50 certificate of compliance, and fireplaces, wood stoves and generators with a $25 one. Commercial buildings are then put on the Fire Marshal’s inspection cycle for their occupancy.

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

Sweden permit FAQ

Do I need a permit for a shed in Sweden?

Only if it is larger than 144 square feet; then it costs $0.20 per square foot ($30 minimum) plus a $50 certificate of compliance.

Do I need a permit for a fence?

Not if it stays within 6 feet on side and rear lines and 4 feet in front; a taller fence needs a Zoning Board permit.

How much is a permit for a new house?

$0.20 per square foot of living area, a $750 parks and recreation fee and a $100 certificate of occupancy, plus sewer connection and plumbing fees where they apply.

Who inspects electrical work?

One of the town’s approved agencies: New York Electrical Inspection Agency, Middle Department Inspection Agency or Commonwealth Electrical Inspection Service.

Can I do my own plumbing?

Repairs on your own home, yes, with the Code Enforcement Officer’s permission; anyone in the plumbing business needs the town’s annual plumbing permit.

Why was my permit refused?

One common reason is delinquent town, county or school taxes on the property: the town will not issue building, pool, special use, fill or sign permits until they are paid.

I live in Brockport. Who issues my permit?

Inside the village, the Village of Brockport Building & Code Enforcement office at 127 Main Street; elsewhere in Sweden, the town at 18 State Street.

Permit search and official resources

Sweden has no public online permit search. To see a permit, certificate or inspection file, file the town’s Application for Access to Public Records with the Town Clerk at Town Hall (585-637-2144, Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.); a $25 zoning verification letter from the Building Department confirms a property’s zoning.

• Sweden Building Department
• Building control fees, revised January 6, 2026
• Pool, spa and hot tub permit application
• Building Department staffing update, March 2026
• Planning Board
• Land Use Development and Subdivision Regulations
• Town Code Chapter 64, Building Code Administration
• Town Code Chapter 90, Electrical Inspections
• Town Code Chapter 139, Plumbing
• Town Code Chapter 112, Flood Damage Prevention
• Town Code Chapter 175, Zoning
• Application for Access to Public Records
• Village of Brockport Building & Code Enforcement
• Monroe County onsite wastewater program
• NYS Department of State code adoption notice

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