Town of Thompson, New York Building Permit Guide

In the Town of Thompson, building permits come from the Building, Planning & Zoning Department at Town Hall, 4052 Route 42, Monticello (845-794-2500 ext. 321), for the town outside the Village of Monticello. You can email, mail or hand in the application; under the fee schedule that took effect on October 21, 2026, a house is charged a $100 application fee plus $100 for the first $5,000 of construction cost and $7 for each $1,000 after that, with cost set at $175 per square foot of living space.

What requires a building permit in Thompson?

The town’s Guide to Building Permits answers this in plain terms: you need a permit to build, renovate, expand, convert, move or tear down any building or accessory building, and the town’s permit is the only building permit you need; there is no separate state permit.

Wheelchair ramps and similar accessibility features pay no fee where no permit is otherwise required (electrical work, for example, still pays), but plans must still be filed and approved before building. Even when a contractor says a job needs no permit, the town tells owners to check with the department: the owner, not the contractor, is responsible for getting one.

What Thompson decides and what the state sets

The Uniform Code and Energy Code set the construction rules. The town sets its own fees by Town Board resolution (the October 2026 schedule was the first update in seven years), runs zoning and planning under Chapter 250 and a zoning map adopted in November 2025, controls flood damage prevention under Chapter 138, and since August 2026 has a temporary moratorium on land use approvals for package plants and other shared, privately run water or sewer systems.

Thompson building department: who handles permitting

The Building, Planning & Zoning Department enforces the building and zoning codes, reviews plans, issues permits and certificates and handles unsafe buildings. James Carnell, Jr. is the director; code enforcement officers, one of whom is also the fire inspector, do the inspections, and the department also serves the Planning Board and Zoning Board of Appeals.

Village of Monticello. Monticello (7,195 of the town’s 16,722 residents, Census 2025 estimate) has its own Building, Planning & Zoning Department that enforces the village code, so village addresses do not get town permits. The town and village have adopted shared design guidelines for their commercial centers.

Village of Ateres. The town also contains the Village of Ateres, which is newer than the Census figures above. Town Board minutes say Ateres has an intermunicipal agreement for the town Building Department’s permit and inspection services, but in September 2026 the town reported that the village had been issuing its own building permits and certificates of occupancy and discussed ending the agreement. Until that is settled, owners in Ateres should confirm with both offices which one will issue their permit.

Thompson permit types and filing rules

Residential permits

One application form covers new buildings, additions, alterations, mobile and manufactured homes, electrical work, logging, signs and demolition. Every application needs a site plan showing all buildings, septic systems and wells, where the new work goes and its setbacks to lot lines and other buildings, plus construction plans with specifications for the structure, mechanical, electrical and plumbing work. The contractor must supply a workers’ compensation certificate (C-105.2) and a disability certificate (DB-120.1) naming the Town of Thompson as certificate holder, or a CE-200 exemption. Properties in a town water or sewer district need an approval letter from the Water & Sewer Department, and homes in an association need the association’s approval letter.

You do not have to hire a contractor to get a permit, but if you do, the application names them so the town can check their insurance. An owner’s proxy form lets someone else apply for you. Fees can be paid by card online through the town’s payment link (2.65% processing charge, $1.50 minimum).

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

Commercial permits

Commercial buildings use the commercial fee schedule, where construction cost is figured at $250 per square foot of habitable space, $85 for non-habitable space and $125 for renovations. Assembly spaces and hazardous activities need an operating permit, blasting and drilling need a permit issued through the Town Clerk under Chapter 113, and fireworks displays have their own application. The department posts the state short and full environmental assessment forms used in Planning Board reviews.

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

• Zoning boards. Variances go to the Zoning Board of Appeals and site plans, subdivisions and special uses to the Planning Board; both meet on the 2026 schedules the department posts.
• Roads and utilities. A new driveway needs Town Highway Department approval; a culvert under a road needs the town, Sullivan County and state DOT; a sign in a right-of-way needs state DOT; a sewer lateral or water line in a district needs a Water & Sewer Department permit.
• Streams and ponds. Work in or next to a river, stream, dam or pond needs a state DEC permit.
• Shared water and sewer systems. Local Law 3 of 2026, adopted August 4, 2026, stops the town from accepting or approving applications, building permits or certificates of occupancy for new package plants and other privately run water or sewer systems serving more than one lot, building or customer, for 12 months from its filing with the Secretary of State (extensions possible, 24 months at most). A septic system for one building on one lot is not affected, nor are projects for which the Planning Board had already declared itself lead agency.
• Flood zones. Thompson and Monticello both take part in the National Flood Insurance Program, with flood maps dated February 18, 2011.

Thompson building permit fees

The Town Board adopted new residential and commercial fee schedules on October 20, 2026 (Resolution 435, 5-0), effective October 21, 2026. For most building work the fee is worked out from a construction cost the town sets per square foot, not from your contract price.

Construction cost is set at $175 per square foot of habitable space, $40 for non-habitable space and decks, $100 for renovations and dormers, $60 for porches and $300 per replaced pier. A 2,000 sq ft house is therefore valued at $350,000: $100 for the first $5,000, plus 345 × $7 ($2,415), plus the $100 application fee, for $2,615 in all. A 300 sq ft deck is valued at $12,000 and costs $100 + $49 + $100, or $249. On the commercial schedule, signs are $100 plus $1 per square foot and site work $100 plus $250.

Trade permits and who may pull them

Electrical. Electrical work needs a town electrical permit ($100 application plus $50), and the electrician named on the application must hold a Sullivan County master electrician license; the county’s Board of Electrical Licensing requires county licensing for electrical work anywhere in Sullivan County. Chapter 113 forbids installing or altering wiring until an inspection application has been filed with an approved agency, and connecting it to power before that agency issues a certificate. The town’s 2026 list of approved agencies includes NY Atlantic Inland, Tri State, Tri County, Electrical Underwriters of NY, The Inspector, Swanson Consulting, Middle Department, All State, NY Electrical Inspectors & Consulting, NY Certified Electrical Inspectors, CP Certified Electrical Inspector, Z3 Consultants, SAS Electrical Inspection, Hamilton Consulting and Inspections On Time.

Plumbing and wells. The town does not license plumbers. Small repairs need no permit, but wells, septic systems, irrigation systems and waterline replacements do, and laterals or water lines inside a town district need the Water & Sewer Department’s permit as well.

Septic. Septic systems and tanks take a town permit ($100 plus $100), and the department may ask for an engineer’s sign-off before closing the permit. The town also has a Health Officer for public health matters.

How to apply for a Thompson building permit

Review, corrections and what causes delay

The town does not publish a review time; it notifies you once the application is complete and the project meets the codes. An application waits if insurance certificates or a required Water & Sewer or association letter are missing, or if board approval is still pending. The new fee schedule gives most house, addition and commercial permits a one-year term and pools, solar and accessory buildings six months; the older codified Chapter 113 text still says permits lapse after six months with one six-month renewal, so confirm the term printed on your permit.

Thompson inspections and certificates

Contact the department to schedule inspections as the work reaches each stage. Each failed inspection, missed appointment or extra visit costs $100, and work found already started without a permit is charged a $100 inspection fee.

The owner must contact the department for the final inspection and supply the closing papers it asks for, such as the electrical certificate, a water test and an engineer’s sign-off. A permit is closed only when a certificate of occupancy or compliance is issued; otherwise it stays open indefinitely, which the town warns can hold up a later sale. Reviving a permit that expired more than six months ago costs a $100 inspection fee and a $100 certificate fee.

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

Thompson permit FAQ

Does the town issue permits in Monticello?

No. The Village of Monticello has its own building department, reached at 845-794-6130 ext. 302.

How much is a permit for a new house?

For a 2,000 sq ft house, $2,615: the cost is set at $175 per square foot, and the fee is $100 plus $100 for the first $5,000 and $7 per $1,000 after, under the October 2026 schedule.

Do I need a permit to replace windows or a roof?

Not for true replacement windows in the existing frame, or a roof replacement with no structural repair or new plywood. Other window and roof work needs one.

Can I apply by email?

Yes. Send the application and attachments to buildings@thompsonny.gov, mail them to Town Hall, or drop them off.

Who can do electrical work?

A Sullivan County licensed master electrician, with inspection by an approved third-party agency.

Does the package plant moratorium affect my house?

Not if the house uses its own septic system on its own lot. It covers new privately run water or sewer systems that serve more than one lot, building or customer.

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

Chapter 113 exempts fences that do not enclose a pool and sheds up to 144 sq ft, though zoning setbacks still apply.

Why should I close my permit?

An open permit with no certificate stays open and can delay the sale of the property.

Permit search and official resources

The town has no online permit lookup. A municipal search costs $100 (plus $100 an hour if extra time is needed); Chapter 113 makes the department’s permit and inspection records public, and other files can be requested from the Town Clerk under the Freedom of Information Law.

• Building, Planning & Zoning Department
• Guide to building permits in Thompson
• Building permit application
• Residential fee schedule (effective October 21, 2026)
• Commercial fee schedule (effective October 21, 2026)
• Approved electrical inspectors (2026)
• Zoning map adopted November 2025
• Planning Board and ZBA project files
• Town Board minutes, August 4, 2026 (package plant moratorium)
• Town agendas and minutes
• Town Code Chapter 113, Building Construction
• Village of Monticello Building Department
• Sullivan County Electrical Licensing Board
• NYS code adoption notice

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