Union is a Broome County town of about 54,000 residents on the Susquehanna River west of Binghamton. Its Department of Code Enforcement at Town Hall, 3111 East Main Street in Endwell, issues permits for the town outside the incorporated villages of Endicott and Johnson City.
This guide covers the Code Enforcement office, the village trap, the Susquehanna River flood rules, and the codes in force.
This guide covers the Town of Union in Broome County. The incorporated villages of Endicott and Johnson City inside the town are separate authorities with their own building departments.
The villages of Endicott and Johnson City file separately, and the Susquehanna River drives flood review across the town. A parcel inside Endicott or Johnson City files with the village, not the town. The town saw major river flooding in recent decades, so flood-zone elevation and substantial-improvement rules figure heavily, and there is no county or town general-contractor licence.
What requires a building permit in Union?
Permit required
- New commercial, multi-family and residential construction, additions and change of occupancy
- Structural alterations, load-bearing changes, foundations, decks and retaining walls
- Electrical work — services, panels, circuits, solar and EV charging — under the Uniform Code and the referenced National Electrical Code
- Plumbing under the Plumbing Code of New York State, by a licensed plumber where the jurisdiction requires one
- Mechanical and HVAC change-outs, and work affecting the Energy Code envelope
- Re-roofing above the exempt scope, pools, signs, and demolition
Often exempt
- Minor repairs and maintenance replacing materials in kind
- One-storey detached sheds and playhouses of 144 square feet or less at a one- or two-family home, where the local law exempts them and zoning allows
- Painting, flooring, cabinetry and other finish work
- Like-for-like fixture or appliance swaps with no alteration to wiring or piping
Local amendments and thresholds differ from one jurisdiction to the next, so an exempt list from a neighbouring city is not reliable — a project waved through in one place needs a full permit set in the next. An exemption from a building permit is never an exemption from zoning, the statewide energy code, or any electrical or plumbing permit the municipality requires. Confirm scope with the Code Enforcement office before work starts.
Short on time to read all of this?
Get a free quote →The statewide layers that apply everywhere
Several layers apply on top of the base building code and routinely catch projects owners assume are exempt: the 2025 Energy Conservation Construction Code of New York State, which took effect alongside the Uniform Code (its all-electric requirements for new buildings remain suspended by court order, according to the Department of State); the truss-construction identification requirements carried in Executive Law; and, in shoreline and flood-prone areas, floodplain administration under the local flood damage prevention law. Snow and ice loading is a live structural constraint across most of the state. Locally, the Town of Union enforces the Uniform Code through its Department of Code Enforcement in Endwell, with flood provisions adopted by local law.
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
Who handles permitting in Union?
The Department of Code Enforcement issues permits and inspects residential and commercial work in the unincorporated Town of Union, outside the incorporated villages.
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Authority | Town of Union Department of Code Enforcement |
| Serves | Unincorporated Town of Union, outside the villages |
| Phone | 607-786-2920 |
| Counter | Town Hall, 3111 East Main Street, Endwell, NY 13760; Mon–Fri 8am–4pm (call ahead to see an inspector) |
| Code | 2025 Uniform Code with local flood provisions |
| Filing | At the Code Enforcement office; permit fees can be paid online once the documents are processed |
| Licensing | No local GC licence; worker coverage required |
| Records | Permit records held by the office |
There is no statewide contractor licence, and upstate Broome County towns generally do not require a local general-contractor licence; the office confirms workers’ compensation and disability coverage. Electrical work is inspected by private electrical inspection agencies approved by NYSEG, and the town will not issue a certificate of occupancy until the agency confirms the electrical work passed.
The Susquehanna River and its tributaries put much of the town in flood zones, so flood elevation and substantial-improvement review figure in many riverfront projects.
Not sure this scope needs a permit?
Get a free quote →In 2025, building permits issued in Town of Union authorized 4 new privately owned housing units, all of them single-family homes, according to the U.S. Census Bureau Building Permits Survey.
Permit types
Residential permits
Residential work in the unincorporated town is permitted and inspected under the Uniform Code and the town’s local law. Susquehanna River and tributary parcels must meet the flood elevation and substantial-improvement requirements of the town’s flood damage prevention law. Minor in-kind repairs and finish work are generally exempt from a building permit but not from zoning.
Commercial permits
Commercial work goes through office plan review against the Uniform Code, the Energy Code and the fire code, with stamped drawings. The town’s legacy industrial corridors and riverfront carry site, drainage and flood review alongside the building permit.
Licenses, trade classifications and design professionals
Practically, three credential layers appear on New York projects: the local home improvement or contractor registration where the jurisdiction issues one; separately licensed electrical and plumbing trades, licensed locally rather than statewide; and, on commercial and larger residential work, drawings stamped by a New York-licensed architect or professional engineer. Confirm what the Code Enforcement office requires for the specific building before filing.
New York has no state general contractor, home-improvement, electrician or plumber licence; licensing is local (New York City and Nassau, Suffolk, Westchester, Putnam and Rockland counties license home-improvement contractors), and the state sets home-improvement contract rules. Contractor licensing in New York
Union permit costs and fees
Budget the town building permit and plan-review fees, separate electrical, plumbing and mechanical permits, and any flood-zone submission fees on riverfront parcels. Worker coverage is confirmed with the permit rather than charged as a fee.
| Fee component | How it works |
|---|---|
| Building permit | Based on project valuation or square footage; set by the local schedule |
| Plan check | A percentage of the permit fee or a flat charge, at submittal |
| Trade permits | Separate electrical, plumbing and mechanical fees |
| State surcharges | None: New York has no state permit surcharge, and fees are set locally |
| Impact and school fees | Money in lieu of parkland on some subdivisions and site plans, where the local planning board requires it |
| Re-inspections and revisions | Additional fees for failed inspections, revisions and expired permits |
Rather talk it over?
Call 1-855-478-4290 →New York does not layer a uniform statewide permit surcharge on local charges the way some states do, so the fee is substantially local: each city, town and village sets its own schedule by local law, and neighbouring municipalities on the same road can price the same job differently. A figure from a neighbouring town is not reliable — ask the Code Enforcement office for the schedule in force on your filing date.
Need a real number for a specific Union project? Send us the scope, address and valuation and we will identify the authority having jurisdiction, the code edition in force and the fee categories that will apply.
Trade permits and who may pull them
Permit required
- Service installations, panel upgrades, new circuits, solar PV and EV chargers
- New plumbing, repipes, water heater change-outs, fixtures, backflow and gas piping
- HVAC installation and change-out, ductwork, venting and commercial kitchen exhaust
- Sprinkler, standpipe and fire alarm work on commercial and multi-family structures
Typically exempt
- Replacing a fixture, switch, receptacle or light with no alteration to wiring or piping
- Clearing a stoppage without replacing or rearranging concealed piping
- Filter, thermostat and routine component service
- Like-for-like appliance repair that does not alter the connection
Where a municipality issues separate trade permits, the work is done under whatever electrical or plumbing licence that city, town or county requires; many places license neither trade. Trade licences in New York
Rather not deal with the building department?
Get a free quote →How to apply for a Union building permit
A parcel inside Endicott or Johnson City files with the village.
Workers’ compensation and disability coverage are required.
Riverfront parcels carry elevation and substantial-improvement rules.
Commercial and larger residential work needs an architect or engineer seal.
Drawings, trade permits and flood submissions as they apply.
The office inspects to plan and checks elevation on the riverfront.
Review, corrections and what actually causes delay
In New York, the first cause of delay is uncertainty over jurisdiction — filing with a town when an incorporated village inside it holds the authority, or assuming a county issues permits when it generally does not. After that come Energy Code documentation, a contractor registration that the jurisdiction does not recognise, and, in shoreline and flood-prone areas, floodplain requirements that were not addressed up front. Build the plan-review time into the schedule and confirm the checklist with the Code Enforcement office before filing.
Every permit carries an expiration date set by Town of Union, which may void a permit if work does not start in time; confirm the expiry on phased or delayed work. Permit validity in New York
Inspections in Union
Where a permit is required, standard checkpoints include footing and foundation, framing, rough-in electrical, plumbing and mechanical, insulation and Energy Code compliance, fire systems on commercial work, and final, with a certificate of occupancy before use. The office inspects to the approved plans and checks elevation certificates on riverfront flood-zone work.
New York inspections are made against the code edition that applied to the permit application, so the approved plans and the Energy Code documentation need to be on site for the inspector to check against. Local code enforcement officials are certified by the state, and the municipality reports its enforcement activity to the Department of State. Confirm the notice the Code Enforcement office needs and schedule around its inspection windows.
Want this handled start to finish?
Get a free quote →Do not cover work before the required inspection has been approved. Keep the issued permit, the approved plans, product listings, Energy Code documentation and your correction responses available on site.
Union permit search and official resources
Permit records in New York sit with the local authority that issued them. Where the Town of Union Department of Code Enforcement is the authority for the Town of Union outside its incorporated villages, it holds the building permit, the inspection history and the certificate of occupancy or compliance. If you are buying, refinancing or renovating, confirm that past work was permitted rather than assuming it was — open permits and missing certificates are a common closing problem in this state.
Confirm the authority having jurisdiction first. New York enforces one statewide Uniform Code outside New York City, but towns, villages and cities each administer it with their own local law, fee schedule and staffing, so the requirements that apply vary by parcel — and a village inside a town is its own authority. Confirm current requirements, fees and review turnaround for your filing date.
These are the primary sources behind this guide. Codes, fee schedules and procedures change — confirm the position for your filing date.
- Town of Union Code Enforcement
- NYS Uniform Fire Prevention and Building Code
- NYS State Fire Prevention and Building Code Council
- NYS Division of Building Standards and Codes
- New York State Homes and Community Renewal
Frequently asked questions
Who issues building permits in the Town of Union?
The Department of Code Enforcement at 3111 East Main Street in Endwell, for the unincorporated town. The incorporated villages of Endicott and Johnson City run their own building departments.
Inspections are where schedules slip.
Get a free quote →How do I know if I am in a village?
If the parcel sits inside the Village of Endicott or the Village of Johnson City, you file with that village rather than the town. Confirm the jurisdiction before filing.
Why does flooding matter so much here?
The Susquehanna River and its tributaries put much of the town in flood zones, and the area saw major river flooding in recent decades, so flood elevation and substantial-improvement rules figure heavily on riverfront work.
Do I need a contractor licence here?
New York has no statewide contractor licence, and upstate Broome County towns generally do not require a local general-contractor licence. Workers’ compensation and disability coverage are still required.
Do I need stamped drawings?
Commercial work and larger residential work require drawings stamped by a New York-licensed architect or professional engineer.
Which code edition applies?
The 2025 Uniform Code, administered by the town with local flood provisions adopted by local law.
Simplify Union permitting with Alliance Permitting
Union rewards confirming town versus village first, then mapping the Susquehanna flood zone and substantial-improvement rule before filing.
Trusted by leading builders, developers, and national contractors — 21+ years of filing in the jurisdictions we write about.
Contractors and builders choose Alliance for Union because the work is done by people who have stood at the counter:
- We confirm whether a parcel is town or one of the villages.
- We map the Susquehanna flood zone and substantial-improvement rule.
- We confirm the worker-coverage requirements the office needs.
- We assemble the stamped plan set the office requires.
- We coordinate the electrical, plumbing and mechanical filings.
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.
Ready to break ground in Union sooner?
Let Alliance prepare, file, and track your Union permits while your crew stays on the job.
More New York permitting guides
This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about Union permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.