Town of Webster, New York Building Permit Guide

In the Town of Webster, the Building Department at Town Hall, 1000 Ridge Road, reviews and approves building permits, inspects the work and issues the certificate needed before a building is used; inside the Village of Webster the village Building Department issues permits instead. The town’s 2026 fee schedule charges a home $0.20 per square foot (at least $100) plus a $30 inspection fee, and Webster requires permits for fences and roof replacements.

What requires a building permit in Webster?

The Building Department lists the jobs it sees most and asks anyone unsure to call 585-872-7036 before starting. The 2026 fee schedule adds items such as docks, flagpoles, lawn sprinklers and invisible fencing that also carry a permit fee.

What the town decides and what the state sets

Chapter 119 of the Town Code (Local Law 2 of 2007) puts the Building Inspector in charge of enforcing the state Uniform Code and Energy Code, whose construction standards Webster cannot tighten on its own. The town’s own levers are the Chapter 350 zoning code, with its shed, fence and pool rules and its Environmental Protection Overlay Districts; the approval of electrical inspection agencies; plumber licensing; waterfront consistency review under its Local Waterfront Revitalization Program; and the fee schedule the Town Board adopts.

Webster building department: who handles permitting

The Building Department accepts, reviews and approves building permit applications, inspects construction and issues the final certificate of occupancy or compliance. Applications are also reviewed by the Department of Community Development where a project needs it, and that department supports the Planning Board, Zoning Board of Appeals and Conservation Board. Fire-code permits for fuel-burning appliances, chimney relining, tents, sprinklers and tanks come from the Fire Marshal and appear on the same fee schedule.

Village of Webster. The village runs its own Building Department from Village Hall, 28 West Main Street; its Building Inspector (585-265-3770) issues permits there and enforces the village’s zoning. The town’s electrical inspection chapter says it applies only outside the village, so village parcels file with the village.

Permit types and submission requirements

Residential permits

A new home needs two printed plan sets, one stamped by a licensed architect or engineer, plus a PDF copy, the RES-check or other energy compliance certificate, Manual J heat calculations and a plot or tape map. An addition needs an instrument survey showing the work and, when it costs more than $20,000, two stamped architectural sets plus a PDF. Decks need drawings with footing size and depth, framing sizes and spans and the square footage; finished basements need a floor plan with a code-compliant egress window. Separate supplements cover accessory buildings, sheds, fences, decks, pools and roofs, and a re-roof needs only the application and insurance proof. Zoning rules that shape most small jobs:

• Sheds: one per lot, in a side or rear yard, at least 5 feet from every line and never in the front setback, no more than 200 sq ft with no side longer than 20 feet, and limited to storing yard, garden, pool and similar equipment; it may never be used for sleeping.
• Fences: no stockade, solid or chain-link fence in a residential front setback and nothing there over 4 feet; in side and rear setbacks a fence up to 6 feet can sit on the line, a 7-foot fence 10 feet back and an 8-foot fence 15 feet back; the finished face points to the neighbor, barbed-wire and electric fences are banned on homes, and no fence may enter a buffer or town easement without Town Board approval and a license agreement.
• Pools: in a side or rear yard at least 15 feet from every lot line, a rule that also covers pool decks more than 1 foot above grade.

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

Commercial permits

Commercial new buildings, renovations and additions need two complete stamped sets, liability and workers’ compensation proof, and any COMcheck, water usage figures or code reviews requested after review. A new tenant or change of use files the change-of-use application. Commercial permits are $0.25 per sq ft with a $200 minimum, and an operating permit fire safety inspection is $75.

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

Community Development coordinates site plan, subdivision and special permit review before the Planning Board and variances before the Zoning Board of Appeals; board applications go through 585-872-7028. Land in an Environmental Protection Overlay District, which covers the steep slopes and woodlots along Irondequoit Bay and the town’s floodplains, needs an EPOD permit, and work in a flood hazard area a floodplain development permit under Chapter 170; FEMA lists the town as a participating NFIP community. Waterfront projects can need a Local Waterfront Revitalization Program consistency determination, a coastal assessment and a dock permit. Driveways, right-of-way work and road cuts need Highway Department permits.

Webster permit fees for 2026

Chapter 119 says building fees follow the schedule the Town Board adopts. The 2026 Town of Webster Fee Schedule (dated December 8, 2025) is linked from the Building Department page; most building items add a $30 inspection fee.

Worked example. A 2,000 sq ft new house costs 2,000 × $0.20 = $400 (above the $100 minimum), plus the $30 inspection fee and the $50 residential certificate of occupancy, for $480 in building fees. Recreation and sewer entrance fees are separate lines, as are Fire Marshal permits such as $45 for a wood stove or gas insert.

Trade permits and who may pull them

Electrical. Under Chapter 152, electrical work in the town outside the village may not start until an application for inspection is filed with an inspection organization approved by the Town Board, and wiring may not be connected to power before that organization issues a certificate. The department lists three agencies: Middle Department Inspection Service (585-454-5191), Commonwealth Electrical Inspection Service (585-624-2380) and New York Electrical Inspection Agency (585-436-4460). The agency sends a copy of its certificate of compliance to the Building Inspector, and its charges are paid by the owner, never by the town. The code sets no electrician license.

Plumbing. Chapter 239 requires a license from the Building Inspector to do plumbing in the town. It goes to holders of a City of Rochester Examining Board of Plumbers license, plumbers with at least 10 years in the trade, or those who pass a Town Board examination; corporations qualify when licensed officers own at least 51% of the stock. Insurance must name the town as additional insured, the 2026 annual fee is $50, and every license expires on June 30.

Insurance on the permit. Every applicant shows liability and workers’ compensation coverage, or a CE-200 exemption when no contractor is involved, with the Town of Webster at 1000 Ridge Road as certificate holder.

Sewer and septic. Sewered lots need a sewer lateral permit ($50 residential, $100 commercial). Where a lot uses a septic system, the Monroe County Department of Public Health (585-753-5060) approves a design drawn by a design professional and inspects the installation within 48 hours of a request.

How to apply for a Webster building permit

Review, corrections and what causes delay

The Building Inspector reviews every submission, with Community Development joining when zoning or site issues arise. The form requires a scaled survey map showing the work, and a shed, fence or pool drawn inside a setback has to go to the Zoning Board of Appeals before the permit can issue. A permit authorizes work for 12 months; for good cause the Building Inspector may grant up to two extensions of three months each, at $20 apiece.

Webster inspections and certificates

The office marks the required inspections on each permit from a standard list: footing, foundation, under-slab plumbing, rough framing, rough plumbing, insulation, electrical and a final for a certificate of occupancy or certificate of compliance. Call the department at 585-872-7036 to schedule them. A failed residential certificate inspection is $25 to repeat ($50 commercial), and the general re-inspection fee is $25 an hour.

A building may not be used or occupied until the final certificate is issued. When minor items remain, a temporary certificate of occupancy can be granted for up to six months with one three-month extension, never more than nine months in total.

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

Webster permit FAQ

Do I need a permit to replace my roof in Webster?

Yes. A residential roof replacement is $50 and needs the application plus liability and workers’ compensation proof; commercial roofs are $100 per 5,000 sq ft.

Do I need a permit for a fence?

Yes, at $20 plus a $30 inspection fee, with a survey showing the fence. Front-setback fences are limited to 4 feet and cannot be solid or chain-link.

How big can a shed be?

One shed per lot, up to 200 sq ft with no side over 20 feet, at least 5 feet from the lines in a side or rear yard. The permit is $20 plus $30.

How much is a building permit for a house addition?

$0.20 per square foot with a $100 minimum, plus the $30 inspection fee, under the 2026 schedule; a 400 sq ft addition is $80, so the $100 minimum applies, for $130.

Does the development moratorium stop my home project?

It pauses only new site plan, subdivision and special permit applications for the listed activities and districts. Ordinary repairs, maintenance, interior renovations and the redevelopment or rehabilitation of existing structures are exempt.

Who inspects electrical work?

One of the three Town Board-approved agencies (Middle Department, Commonwealth or New York Electrical Inspection Agency), hired and paid by the owner.

I live in the Village of Webster. Where do I apply?

At the village Building Department, Village Hall, 28 West Main Street (585-265-3770).

Permit search and official resources

Call the Building Department to ask whether a property has open permits or a certificate on file; certificate copies are $5 each plus $0.25 a page on the 2026 schedule, and a letter of compliance from Community Development is $100. Copies of permit files can be requested from the town under the state Freedom of Information Law.

• Webster Building Department
• Building forms and applications
• Building permit application and submission requirements
• 2026 Town of Webster fee schedule
• Planning, zoning and fire permit applications
• Floodplain development permit application
• Development moratorium
• Local Law 2 of 2026 (moratorium)
• Community Planning and Development
• Code of the Town of Webster (eCode360)
• Chapter 119, Building Construction
• Chapter 152, Electrical Inspections
• Chapter 239, Plumbing
• Chapter 350, Zoning
• Village of Webster Building Department
• Monroe County onsite wastewater (septic) program
• NYS Department of State code adoption notice

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