Town of West Seneca, New York Building Permit Guide

In the Town of West Seneca, the Code Enforcement Office in Room 210 of Town Hall reviews plans and issues building, plumbing and electrical permits, and only an inspector can issue them. A new one- or two-family home is charged $0.25 per square foot under the schedule revised March 31, 2026, plans stay with the office for at least 14 days of review, and plumbing and electrical work must be done by contractors licensed by the town.

What requires a building permit in West Seneca?

Chapter 55 of the Town Code requires a permit from the Code Enforcement Official before anyone builds, enlarges, alters, improves, moves or demolishes a building or structure, or installs a solid-fuel heating appliance, chimney or flue. A business moving into existing commercial space also needs a change in commercial occupant permit, and the town asks for plans even when no alterations are proposed, so it can confirm the use is allowed by the zoning law.

What the town decides and what the state sets

The technical rules come from the New York Uniform Code and Energy Code; West Seneca cannot loosen them and may only add stricter construction rules with the state Code Council’s approval. What the town controls is administration and land use: its fee schedule, its licensing of plumbers, sewer contractors and electricians, its zoning, site plan and drainage requirements, and local laws on pools, flood damage prevention, tree conservation and landmarks.

West Seneca building department: who handles permitting

The Code Enforcement Office handles building plan review against the state code, site plan review for zoning compliance, field inspections and certificates of occupancy. It also has its own Electrical Inspector, who reviews electrical plans and inspects wiring in the town. West Seneca contains no incorporated village, so the office covers every address in the town.

Permit types and application packages

Residential permits

Homes use the town’s one-page building permit application. Mark whether the owner or the contractor is applying, give the estimated cost of work (without the plumbing and electrical work), the size, setbacks and square footage, and name the town-licensed plumber and electrician. The town fills in the zoning classification and any special permit conditions. Plumbing and electrical work each have their own application form as well.

The office will not accept an application without these items:

• A copy of the survey for the property
• Two copies of the plans; the inspector may ask for an architect’s or engineer’s stamp and a New York energy work-up sheet
• Three copies of a workable drainage plan for all new construction, and for other work where the inspector asks
• The contractor’s insurance certificate on file with the office
• The estimated construction cost

Project sheets add their own items. A shed needs the property survey and a cross-section showing its height, and it must sit in the rear yard and off any easement. A standby generator needs a sketch showing its exact location, zoning setbacks and exhaust venting, followed by an electrical inspection. Solar arrays need a structural engineer’s statement that the roof can carry the panels, stamped electrical drawings, the manufacturer’s specifications, a survey for ground mounts, and both a building and an electrical permit.

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

Commercial permits

Commercial work uses the same office: new buildings, alterations, additions, solar installations and commercial mechanical permits each have their own fee line. A new tenant needs the change in commercial occupant permit and plans for the space before opening, and the same fee schedule covers annual fire inspections, which are free unless a second re-inspection is needed ($50).

For tenant improvements and new commercial builds, Alliance handles commercial permit filing through issuance. More on this: commercial building permits explained.

What comes before the building permit

• Zoning and site plan. Where a site plan or zoning law applies, the permit is not issued until every site plan requirement is met; the schedule lists a $3,000 site plan review fee.
• Zoning Board of Appeals. Variances go to the ZBA, which meets on the fourth Wednesday of the month (November and December can differ). File at the Code Enforcement Office at least 16 days before the meeting with the $160 fee, an updated survey, a sketch and drawings of the variance, and a letter of intent.
• Neighbors. The town does not notify adjacent owners; you speak to them yourself and collect signatures on the neighbor signature sheet the office supplies.
• State and county roads. For a lot on a state or Erie County road, the town sends the variance request to that transportation department for a letter.
• Flood areas. Chapter 77 regulates development in mapped flood hazard areas; the town is in the National Flood Insurance Program, with flood maps dated June 7, 2019.

West Seneca permit fees

Fees are set by Town Board resolution under Chapter 55. The current Code Enforcement fee schedule is headed as the 2021 schedule and marked revised March 31, 2026. Any permit not applied for before work starts is charged double.

Trade and connection charges are separate. Plumbing permits carry a $35 filing fee for one- and two-family dwellings ($55 for others) plus $4 per fixture for the first five, $2.50 each for six to ten and $2 each above ten; a water heater replacement is $35 and must include hard-wired smoke and carbon monoxide detectors. Sewer connections cost $400 for a single-family home in a West Seneca sewer district or $100 in Erie County Sewer Districts 1 and 3.

For example, a new house with 2,000 sq ft of floor area pays $500 for the building permit, $275 for the electrical permit (the 2,000–3,000 sq ft band of the 2020 residential electrical fees) and the $375 recreation fee, a total of $1,150 before plumbing, sewer and truss-decal charges.

Trade permits and who may pull them

Electrical. Electrical inspections are made by the town’s own Electrical Inspector under the supervising Code Enforcement Officer, and Chapter 65 makes it a violation to wire before an application is filed with the Code Enforcement Office or to connect to power before the town issues a temporary certificate or certificate of compliance. Under Chapter 66, anyone doing electrical work as a contractor or subcontractor must hold a town license as a master electrician (all work under the state codes) or a residential electrician (work under the Residential Code). Licenses are issued by the Town Clerk after the Board of Electrician Examiners certifies the applicant, require insurance of $1,000,000 for bodily injury and $500,000 for property damage naming the town, and must be renewed before January 31 to avoid a $25 surcharge. An electrician licensed by another New York municipality on the basis of a written exam can be licensed here without retesting. A service change alone is a $100 electrical permit.

Plumbing and sewer. Chapter 90 bars any plumbing, sewer or drainage work in the town by anyone not licensed under it, and the office requires that work be done by a West Seneca licensed master plumber or sewer contractor; the lists of current licensees are posted on the Plumbing Inspections page. The Board of Plumbing Examiners holds the licensing exam ($130 application). Master plumber licenses renew at $125 a year and sewer contractor licenses at $75, and both expire on December 31.

Insurance. The contractor’s insurance certificate must be on file before the office accepts the application.

Septic. Homes without public sewer need an Erie County Department of Health construction permit for the onsite wastewater system. For a new house the system must be designed by a licensed design professional and submitted with the county application and a $300 fee; repairs use a separate $300 application, and the county issues a Completed Works Approval once the designer certifies the installation. County records on existing systems are available at (716) 961-6800.

How to apply for a West Seneca building permit

Review, corrections and what causes delay

The most common holdup is an incomplete filing: the office states it will not take an application missing the survey, plans, drainage plan, insurance or cost estimate. Allow the 14-day minimum review, longer where stamped plans or an energy work-up are requested, and add the ZBA calendar (16-day filing deadline, monthly meeting) for any variance. Changes to the approved plans must be brought to the Code Enforcement Officer and approved the same way as the original. A refused permit can be appealed to the Board of Appeals.

West Seneca inspections and certificates

Call 716-558-3242 at least 24 hours ahead for building and plumbing inspections, and use 716-558-3221 or the online form for electrical inspections. No inspection is made without a house number and a posted permit, and work must stay visible for the inspector.

For a new home the office records each stage before the next one starts:

• Trench footings, before concrete and with all water removed
• Foundation walls, tarred and backed with stone, and post holes for depth
• A foundation location survey before framing
• Rough framing, once rough plumbing by a licensed plumber and rough electrical have both been inspected and heating and flues are in, with no drywall hung
• Insulation, before drywall is brought into the building
• Final, with finishes, final electrical, connected utilities, concrete and final grading complete, and a final plumbing inspection

Passing every stage leads to the Certificate of Code Compliance or certificate of occupancy; altered buildings may not be used more than 30 days after completion without one. A temporary certificate lasts 6 months. Skipped inspections can bring a stop-work order and the need to open up finished work.

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

West Seneca permit FAQ

Who issues building permits in West Seneca?

The Town Code Enforcement Office, Room 210, West Seneca Town Hall, 1250 Union Road, phone 716-558-3242. It covers the whole town, since West Seneca has no incorporated village.

How much is a building permit for a new house in West Seneca?

$0.25 per square foot of floor area, so $500 for 2,000 sq ft, plus electrical, plumbing, the $375 recreation fee and sewer connection charges.

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

Yes. The town says every shed needs a permit and must sit in the rear yard, off any easement; sheds, fences and pools are charged $18 for the first $1,000 of cost and $8 for each further $1,000.

Can a homeowner do their own plumbing or wiring?

The town requires plumbing and sewer work to be done by a West Seneca licensed plumber or sewer contractor, and electrical contractors must hold a town master or residential electrician license.

How long does plan review take?

Plans are left with the office for at least 14 days, and the office will not accept an incomplete application.

How long is a West Seneca building permit valid?

Work must begin within 6 months and the permit expires one year after issue; a renewal costs $15 after six months and the full permit fee after a year.

Permit search and official resources

Chapter 55 makes the office’s permits, plans, inspection reports and certificates public records open for inspection during business hours. To get copies of an old permit or certificate, ask the Code Enforcement Office or file a Freedom of Information request with the Town Clerk; Erie County Department of Health keeps septic system records.

• West Seneca Code Enforcement Office
• Building permit application (Rev. January 2026)
• Building permit application requirements
• Code Enforcement fee schedule (revised March 31, 2026)
• Electrical Inspector and electrical permit forms
• 2020 residential electrical permit fees
• Plumbing inspections and licensed plumbers
• Accessory structure (shed) requirements
• Residential backup generator installations
• Solar panel installation requirements
• Zoning Board of Appeals process
• Code of the Town of West Seneca (eCode360)
• Chapter 66, Electrical Licensing
• Chapter 90, Plumbing
• Freedom of Information requests
• Erie County Department of Health septic systems
• NYS Department of State code adoption notice

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