The Yonkers Department of Housing and Buildings (DHB) issues building permits and certificates of occupancy and carries out inspections. It is at 20 South Broadway, 3rd Floor, Yonkers, NY 10701, phone 914-377-6500.
This guide covers DHB, its fee schedule effective 7/1/2019, city and county contractor licences, third-party plan review and the Zoning Board of Appeals. DHB’s electrical and plumbing fee sheets could not be read, and the pages read do not say how to request an inspection, so ask DHB.
What requires a building permit in the City of Yonkers?
In Yonkers all facade repairs, restoration or pointing, all scaffolding, and all sidewalk bridges or sheds need a building permit.
A standby generator at a one- or two-family home needs a building application with the manufacturer’s installation requirements and two site plans showing compliance with section 43-40(D) of the Yonkers Zoning Ordinance and NFPA 37, plus electrical and plumbing permits.
A building permit may be refused if the applicant or owner is delinquent in real property or ad valorem taxes to the City of Yonkers or Westchester County on the property (Local Law 1-2013).
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
Short on time to read all of this?
Get a free quote →Who handles permitting in the City of Yonkers?
| Office | Handles | Contact |
|---|---|---|
| Department of Housing and Buildings | Building permits, certificates of occupancy, inspections; 20 South Broadway, 3rd Floor | 914-377-6500 |
| Consumer Protection Bureau | Home Improvement Contractor’s and Expeditor’s Licenses | 914-377-3000 |
| Zoning Board of Appeals | Variances and appeals of the Commissioner of Buildings; 20 South Broadway, 9th Floor, Suite 923 | 914-377-6136 |
| Westchester County Department of Consumer Protection | County home improvement and trade licences | (914) 995-2155 |
Licences, plan review and zoning appeals in Yonkers
City and county licences
Before getting a permit to renovate an existing 1- to 3-family dwelling, the contractor needs a City of Yonkers Home Improvement Contractor’s License from the Consumer Protection Bureau. Anyone providing expediting services needs a Yonkers Expeditor’s License from the same bureau. Westchester County also requires home improvement contractors to hold a county licence.
Third-party plan review
Applicants may use an approved third-party plan review consultant on any project; new buildings, changes in use and major renovations or additions over $250,000 typically require third-party pre-review. The DHB permit application and filing fee must be submitted first, and in-house staff check zoning and planning board needs before release.
Not sure this scope needs a permit?
Get a free quote →Zoning Board of Appeals
The seven-member Zoning Board of Appeals hears area and use variances and appeals of the Commissioner of Buildings’ interpretations; applications are filed through the MuniCollab portal. Area variances and interpretations cost $350.00 for single- and two-family uses and $1,500.00 for all other uses; use variances cost $1,500.00; a $250.00 certified-check deposit is required for each hearing sign.
City of Yonkers permit costs and fees
From the DHB fee schedule effective 7/1/2019 (estimated cost is rounded up to the nearest $1,000):
| Item | Fee |
|---|---|
| Building permit, 1 & 2 family dwellings | $125.00 filing fee plus $15.00 per $1,000 up to $1,000,000; $12.00 per $1,000 above |
| All other building permits | $250.00 filing fee plus the same rates |
| Furnaces, boilers and A/C systems | $150.00 plus $15.00 per $1,000 |
| Sheds | $150.00 |
| Fences | $100.00 filing fee plus $15.00 per $1,000 |
| Failed or partial re-inspection | $250.00; each later failed re-inspection $500.00 |
| Changing the contractor or design professional | $150.00 |
| Revision or resubmission | $125.00 for 1 & 2 family dwellings and minor permits; $250.00 for all others |
| Extending a 1- or 2-family permit | $100.00 |
Rather talk it over?
Call 1-855-478-4290 →Yonkers adds a building permit surcharge (operating trust fund fee) of $0.01 per square foot of under-roof floor space under section 55-8.
Plumbers and electricians in Yonkers
Westchester County requires plumbers and electricians to hold a Westchester County trade licence. Standby generators at one- or two-family homes need electrical and plumbing permits as well as the building application. DHB’s electrical and plumbing fee sheets could not be read for this guide; ask DHB for those amounts.
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
How to get a building permit in the City of Yonkers
A contractor renovating a 1- to 3-family dwelling needs the city Home Improvement Contractor’s License; an expediter needs the Expeditor’s License.
Delinquent real property or ad valorem taxes on the property can block the permit.
All DHB building permit applications are filed online, with the filing fee.
New buildings, changes in use and major work over $250,000 typically need third-party pre-review after the DHB application is in.
Revisions, amendments, permit extensions and temporary CO filings also go through City Squared, using the city’s paperless filing instructions.
Rather not deal with the City of Yonkers building department?
Get a free quote →Every permit carries an expiration date set by the City of Yonkers, 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 the City of Yonkers
DHB carries out inspections and issues certificates of occupancy. A failed or partial re-inspection costs $250.00, and each later failed re-inspection $500.00. The pages read do not publish how to request an inspection; ask DHB at 914-377-6500.
Official City of Yonkers permitting resources
These are the primary sources behind this guide. Codes, fee schedules and procedures change — confirm the position for your filing date.
Want this handled start to finish?
Get a free quote →- Yonkers Department of Housing and Buildings
- Yonkers DHB forms and permits
- Yonkers DHB fee schedule
- Yonkers third-party plan review program
- Yonkers DHB FAQ: facades, scaffolding, generators
- Yonkers Zoning Board of Appeals
- Westchester County home improvement contractor licensing
Frequently asked questions
Does scaffolding need a permit in Yonkers?
Yes. All scaffolding, all sidewalk bridges or sheds, and all facade repairs, restoration or pointing need a building permit.
Can unpaid property taxes stop a Yonkers permit?
Yes. Under Local Law 1-2013 a permit may be refused if the applicant or owner is delinquent in taxes to the City of Yonkers or Westchester County on the property.
What does a 1- or 2-family building permit cost in Yonkers?
A $125.00 filing fee plus $15.00 per $1,000 of estimated cost up to $1,000,000, under the schedule effective 7/1/2019.
Inspections are where schedules slip.
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- Confirm the office for the parcel and the zoning, historic or street approvals that go with the permit
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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.
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More New York permitting guides
This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about City of Yonkers permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.