Washington County, New York Building Permit Guide

Most building permits in Washington County come from the county itself. The Department of Code Enforcement, at 1153 Burgoyne Avenue in Fort Edward ((518) 746-2150), administers the Uniform Code under County Local Law No. 3 of 2007, issues building and sewage disposal permits and inspects the work in 14 towns and six villages. Five municipalities keep their own code officers: the Town of Easton, the Town and Village of Fort Edward, the Town of Kingsbury and the Village of Hudson Falls. In the county’s area, the town or village still controls zoning and signs a local compliance certificate before any permit issues.

What requires a building permit in Washington County?

The county’s application is blunt about it: most projects need a permit, and change-of-use projects always do. Its project list runs from new houses, additions, renovations, repairs and foundations to reroofing, attached and detached garages, decks, porches, fences, signs, pools and solar panels, and the fee schedule adds manufactured and modular homes, chimneys, wood stoves, heating equipment, masonry fireplaces and demolition. The one exemption the county prints is for buildings used for residential storage of 144 square feet or less, which need no building permit but may still have to meet local zoning setbacks.

What the towns decide and what the state holds

The construction rules are the state’s 2025 Uniform Code and Energy Code, enforced by the county under its local law. Towns and villages keep everything the code does not cover: zoning and site plan review, flood plain laws, driveway rules and other local laws. The county’s local regulation compliance certificate, LRCC #1, makes the town or village official confirm whether the parcel is in a flood plain, whether zoning or site plan review applies and whether other local laws apply, before the county will issue anything.

Washington County building department: who handles permitting

The county’s code enforcement roster, revised June 5, 2026, assigns an inspector to each town and village it serves. The phone numbers below are the county inspector lines from that roster, or the local office where the municipality runs its own.

Two villages cross town lines. Cambridge sits mostly in White Creek with a smaller part in the Town of Cambridge, and Greenwich lies mostly in the Town of Greenwich with a sliver in Easton; in both, the county permits the village as a whole and the village official signs the compliance form. Fort Edward’s town and village officers both work from 118 Broadway, so the parcel’s side of the village line decides which one handles it.

What Washington County itself does beyond building permits

• Septic permits: the same department issues sewage disposal system permits, with its own line at (518) 746-2156, and a building permit is held until any needed septic permit is issued.
• Solar permits: handled by a dedicated county line, (518) 746-2579, with residential, on-site and solar farm fees.
• Fire inspections: the department inspects schools and public buildings and issues operating permits.
• County roads: a new driveway or road access onto a county highway needs Washington County Public Works approval, one of the permits the compliance certificate checks.

Washington County permit types and applications

Residential permits

One application packet covers every project. It is completed in ink on every page, signed, and filed with two copies of the plans, a plot diagram that locates every building, septic system and water supply with setbacks from roads and property lines, and a building data sheet covering the foundation, construction type, heating, water supply, sewage system, room counts and floor areas. A truss identification form records whether floors or roofs use truss, pre-engineered wood or timber framing, so the right warning sign goes on the building. The fee is calculated by the applicant and paid by check to the Washington County Treasurer with the application; it is not refundable.

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

Commercial permits

Non-residential buildings and apartment buildings of three or more units use the same packet with their own occupancy class and fee rows. Their plans need the seal of a New York architect or engineer, and a town site plan review often has to be finished before the local official can sign the LRCC.

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

• LRCC #1: signed by the applicant, the owner and the local compliance officer or chief elected official before submission.
• Town extras: Greenwich wants its own building and driveway applications; Argyle wants its own application, a driveway form, a local compliance checklist and a full set of prints; Hampton wants a Construction Use Verification Form.
• Other agencies: the LRCC asks whether a flood hazard area permit, an Adirondack Park Agency or Lake George Park Commission permit, a DEC or state Health permit, or a driveway permit from the state, county or town has been issued where one is needed.
• Sewer or septic: sewer district review in a district; a septic permit, or an approved sewage disposal system application if the work adds wastewater flow.
• Stamped plans: needed unless a new home is 1,500 gross square feet or less, or an alteration costs $20,000 or less without structural or safety changes.

Building permit fees in Washington County

County fees are set by the Board of Supervisors, most recently by Resolution No. 246 of August 16, 2024 and Resolution No. 316 of December 19, 2025, with rates effective January 1, 2026. Towns, villages, fire departments and ambulance services pay no fee. Easton, Fort Edward, Kingsbury and Hudson Falls charge their own fees.

Worked example: a new 2,000-square-foot house is 2,000 × 30 cents, or $600, above the $250 minimum. If the lot needs a new septic system, its $100 permit brings the county total to $700. A 576-square-foot detached garage at 25 cents is $144.

Trade permits and who may pull them

The county’s application and roster set no county license for electricians, plumbers or home improvement contractors. Owners may apply for their own projects, and the packet lists the engineer, architect and each subcontractor by phase of work, or marks the job as owner-built. Heating work is permitted separately, with a $100 permit for each chimney, wood stove or heating appliance. Insurance proof is strict: ACORD certificates are refused, so contractors file the state workers’ compensation and disability forms and owners doing their own work file the CE-200 exemption.

How to get a building permit in Washington County

Review, corrections and what causes delay

The county asks for two to four weeks to process and review a complete application. An unsigned LRCC stops a file before review begins, a missing septic permit holds the building permit, and an incomplete application can be cancelled six months after its first review.

Inspections and certificates

Inspections are scheduled with the county inspector assigned to the town. A re-inspection of an item that failed, or an appointment the builder did not cancel when the work was not ready, costs $50. Skipping a required inspection is charged $75 the first time on a project, $150 the second and $300 after that, and $500 for repeat offenders across projects. Before a certificate of occupancy or compliance issues, a new well needs water test data and the town or village must sign LRCC #2 confirming the finished project meets local requirements. A 90-day temporary certificate costs $100, and a permit can be renewed for $50 a year.

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

Across most of Washington County that code is enforced by one county department, so a house in Salem and a house in Whitehall go through the same review.

Washington County permit FAQ

Does Washington County issue building permits?

Yes, in every town and village except the Town of Easton, the Town and Village of Fort Edward, the Town of Kingsbury and the Village of Hudson Falls, which have their own code officers.

What is the LRCC?

The local regulation compliance certificate. LRCC #1 is signed by the town or village before the county issues a permit; LRCC #2 is signed after the work is done and must be filed before the certificate of occupancy.

How much does a permit for a new house cost?

30 cents per square foot with a $250 minimum, so a 2,000-square-foot house is $600, plus $100 if it needs a septic permit.

Do I need a permit for a shed?

Not from the county if it is used for residential storage and is 144 square feet or less, but local zoning setbacks may apply; larger accessory buildings pay 25 cents per square foot with a $100 minimum.

Who issues septic permits?

The county Department of Code Enforcement, at $100, and it holds the building permit until the septic permit is issued; Kingsbury issues its own, as its guide explains.

Who handles a Hudson Falls address?

The Village of Hudson Falls code officer at 220 Main Street for land inside the village, and the Town of Kingsbury for the rest of the town.

What happens if I build without a permit?

The county charges twice the application fee or $200, whichever is greater, on top of the permit itself.

Is my community in the flood insurance program?

Yes. All 26 Washington County entries in FEMA’s Community Status Book are in the participating section, and most have flood maps dated July 21, 2026.

Washington County permit search and official resources

The county keeps the files for permits it issued and charges $50 per parcel for a certificate of occupancy search; ask the Department of Code Enforcement or file a Freedom of Information Law request with the county. Records in Easton, Fort Edward, Kingsbury and Hudson Falls sit with those municipalities.

• Washington County building permit application, fee schedule and LRCC forms (PDF)
• Washington County building code enforcement officer list, revised June 5, 2026 (PDF)
• FEMA Community Status Book, New York
• NYS code adoption and enforcement updates

Simplify Washington County 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 Washington County permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.