Village of Valley Stream, New York Building Permit Guide

In the Incorporated Village of Valley Stream, the village Building Department at Village Hall, 123 South Central Avenue, examines plans and issues permits for residential and commercial work, licenses plumbers and electricians, and takes applications through its OpenGov online permitting system. A residential building permit is $50 for the first $1,000 of construction plus $6 for each further $1,000, and the village’s permit list reaches replacement windows, siding and every plumbing or electrical fixture swap.

What requires a building permit in Valley Stream?

The Building Department handles building, plumbing, electrical, fence, sign, pool, lines-and-grades, floodplain development, dumpster, temporary structure and storage container permits, and subdivisions. Its list of common projects that need a permit is broad.

The FAQ list is wider than the building-permit exemptions in Chapter 2 of the Village Code (Local Law 3 of 2007), which exempt one-story sheds and playhouses of up to 144 sq ft at one- and two-family homes, above-ground pools built for less than 24 inches of water, fences that do not enclose a pool, retaining walls without a surcharge, window awnings on houses, painting and other finish work, and like-for-like equipment replacement. Those items need no building permit under the adopted code, but fences still carry the village’s own $50 fence permit, and plumbing and electrical work always needs a trade permit.

What the village decides and what the state sets

The state Uniform Code and Energy Code are enforced through Chapter 2 of the Village Code, and stricter construction standards would need state Code Council approval. The village sets its own zoning in Chapter 99, including fence heights and the building facade and streetscape design guidelines reviewed by the Architectural Review Board; its flood damage prevention law (Chapter 34); licensing of electricians, plumbers, fence installers, carting firms and tree companies; rental permits (Chapter 46A); private sewer lateral rules; and its fees, which the Board of Trustees sets by resolution (Resolution 095/13 of May 20, 2013 raised the fees in the electrical, plumbing, street and zoning chapters).

Valley Stream building department: who handles permitting

The Building Department examines plans and issues permits for construction and land improvement on residential and commercial property in the village, enforcing the state building and fire codes and the Village Code; it also handles the village licensing of plumbers and electricians. Valley Stream is an incorporated village inside the Town of Hempstead, and work within the village is permitted here rather than by the town. Inspectors and plans examiners take calls only in set windows, and the plumbing inspector two mornings a week.

Permit types and submission requirements

Residential permits

All permit applications and supporting documents are on the village’s online permitting system, and the documents needed depend on the scope. The village’s forms include a contractor affidavit, a letter of authorization for an agent, an architect’s certificate-of-occupancy affidavit, a truss-type construction notice, a floodplain application, a demolition packet, a no-plumbing-no-electric affidavit for jobs without trade work, and an application to maintain (legalize) residential construction built without a permit. The department strongly suggests calling before submitting, because an incomplete package delays examination.

Fences under Chapter 99: up to 3 feet in the front yard, measured from sidewalk grade; up to 4 feet in side yards; and up to 6 feet in the rear yard where it backs onto a neighbor’s rear yard. The installer must hold a village fence license, and a taller fence needs a Board of Appeals variance ($75 in residential or CX districts).

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

Commercial permits

Commercial building applications are $200 for the first $1,000 of construction plus $12 for each further $1,000. Facade work, new commercial buildings, awnings, outdoor dining and other streetscape elements in the commercial districts follow the village’s Building Facade and Streetscape Design Guidelines and go to the Architectural Review Board, which has its own application and meeting schedule.

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

If the department denies an application, the applicant can appeal to the Board of Zoning Appeals. Its fees, set by Board of Trustees resolution, include $150 for a residential yard-setback exception, $400 for a one- or two-family lot-size variance, $300 for most commercial variances and $500 for a mother-daughter special use permit; environmental review is billed at $100 an hour. A fence above the legal height costs $75 to vary in a residential or CX district and $100 elsewhere, a sign variance or most other special permits $300, expanding a non-conforming use $300 for a home and $500 for a business, and a mother-daughter permit renewal $300; a re-hearing costs the same as the original application. In a mapped flood zone, the lowest floor of new and substantially improved buildings must be at least 2 feet above the base flood elevation under Chapter 34, and a floodplain application is filed with the permit. FEMA lists the village as a participating NFIP community, mapped on September 11, 2009.

Valley Stream permit fees

The Building Department posts its fees on its Fees page, with a full residential fee table and the Board of Appeals schedule as PDFs.

Worked example. A $40,000 residential alteration costs $50 + 39 × $6 = $284, the figure the village’s residential table gives for $39,001 to $40,000. Add the $100 certificate of compliance, the $40 electrical application plus the inspection company’s charge, and $80 for up to five plumbing fixtures. Legalizing the same work after the fact would cost $284 plus 50%, or $426.

Trade permits and who may pull them

Home improvement contractors. Anyone working on a private home of up to three families needs a Home Improvement License from the Nassau County Department of Consumer Affairs (licensing 516-571-2600), and all contractors must comply with the state workers’ compensation law and carry insurance. A homeowner may do general construction under a workers’ compensation exemption, using forms available at Village Hall.

Electrical. Only a master electrician licensed by the village, or someone working under one, may install, alter or repair wiring or electrical appliances under Chapter 23; an Electricians Examining Board of three licensed electricians with at least 10 years in the trade tests applicants. Every electrical job, including a direct fixture replacement, needs the $40 village application, and the applicant pays the certified inspection company separately.

Plumbing. All plumbing work, including a direct fixture replacement, must be done by a plumber licensed by the village, who qualifies by passing the village Plumbers’ Examining Board’s examination under Chapter 63; a Plumbing Inspector examines each plumbing permit application and inspects the work as it is installed; homeowners cannot do their own plumbing or electrical work. The department keeps current lists of licensed plumbers and electricians, registered fence contractors and dumpster or carting companies, but will not recommend a contractor, architect or engineer.

Trees. Removing or substantially cutting back any tree on private property or in the curbside strip needs a permit from the Superintendent of Public Works after an inspection of the tree, and tree removal tied to building work requires a site plan.

Rental properties. Under Chapter 46A every rented dwelling needs a two-year rental permit from the Building Department, issued after an on-site inspection unless the owner files an architect’s or engineer’s certification; the application fee is $400, or $150 with that certification and $200 for owners who qualify for certain tax exemptions at their own village home.

Other licenses. Fence installers need a village license ($100 a year), tree removal companies need a village license backed by their Nassau County Consumer Affairs license, and dumpster and carting firms must be registered with the village.

How to apply for a Valley Stream building permit

Review, corrections and what causes delay

The village reviews packages in a timely manner but warns that an incomplete package causes unnecessary delay, which is why it asks applicants to call before submitting. A building permit expires 12 months after issue. The holder can ask the Supervisor of the Building Department in writing for an extension, granted in six-month steps up to 36 months in total, each costing half the original permit fee.

Valley Stream inspections and certificates

Chapter 2 lists the stages the village inspects where they apply: the site before the permit, footings and foundation, slab preparation, framing, rough-in of structural, electrical, plumbing, mechanical and fire-protection systems, fire-resistant construction and penetrations, chimneys and solid-fuel appliances, energy code items such as insulation, windows and air leakage, factory-built and manufactured homes, and a final inspection. Work must stay exposed until it passes, and the inspector may accept a remote inspection where it gives the same quality. The permit package lists the inspections the project needs. To book one, call the Building Department with the address and permit number; village inspections take place between 10 a.m. and noon, Monday to Friday. Some projects also need inspections from other agencies, such as the certified electrical inspection company, so check the permit documents for every required sign-off.

The job closes with a certificate of compliance or certificate of occupancy ($100 each). The village’s forms include an architect’s certificate-of-occupancy affidavit for jobs designed by an architect.

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

Valley Stream permit FAQ

Do I need a permit to replace windows or siding in Valley Stream?

Yes. The Building Department lists new and replacement windows and exterior siding among the projects that need a permit.

How much is a residential building permit?

$50 for the first $1,000 of construction and $6 for each further $1,000: $284 for a $40,000 job.

Can I replace a light fixture or faucet myself?

No. All electrical and plumbing work, including direct replacement of fixtures, must be done by a village-licensed electrician or plumber with a permit.

How high can my fence be?

Three feet in the front yard, 4 feet in side yards and 6 feet in the rear yard; the fence permit is $50 and the installer must be village-licensed.

When are inspections done?

Between 10 a.m. and noon, Monday to Friday; call the Building Department with the permit number to book.

How long does a permit last?

Twelve months, with six-month extensions up to 36 months at half the original fee each.

How do I get copies of a property’s building file?

File a Freedom of Information application with the Clerk’s office; allow five business days.

Permit search and official resources

Residential and commercial building files can be reviewed after completing a Freedom of Information application, emailed or mailed to the Clerk’s Department at 123 South Central Avenue; the village allows five business days to pull files and copies. Applicants can follow their own applications in the OpenGov portal, and the forms page posts the current lists of village-licensed plumbers and electricians.

• Valley Stream Building Department
• Online permitting system (OpenGov)
• Forms and applications
• Building Department fees
• Residential building permit fee table
• Board of Appeals fee schedule
• Building Department FAQs
• Building Department records access
• Licensed electricians list
• Licensed plumbers list
• Village codes and new local laws
• Code of the Village of Valley Stream (eCode360)
• Chapter 23, Electrical Code
• Chapter 34, Flood Damage Prevention
• Chapter 99, Zoning
• Nassau County home improvement licensing
• NYS Department of State code adoption notice

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