Building, electrical, plumbing and mechanical permits in Glocester come from the town’s Building & Zoning Department at Town Hall, 1145 Putnam Pike in Chepachet, and every application is filed online through the Glocester page of the state e-permitting portal. Town Code Chapter 368 sets the building fee at $13 per $1,000 of valuation up to $10,000, with a $65 minimum, and the town will not issue a building permit while taxes or town charges on the property are past due.
What requires a building permit in Glocester?
Glocester’s Building Permits ordinance (Code Chapter 145) requires an application before work starts for a wide range of projects, and the state building code applies on top of it.
Permit before you start
- Erecting, extending, altering or repairing a structure
- Moving or demolishing a structure
- Structural alterations and reroofing
- Electrical wiring
- Installing plumbing or mechanical equipment, in a new or existing building
- Wood stoves and signs, which have their own fees
Conditions in the town code
- Past-due taxes, assessments, fines or fees on the property must be paid first, shown by a Tax Collector’s certificate
- A new building’s lot must front a street on the town’s official road map
- On a non-Town road, the Technical Review Committee must certify the road as adequate for emergency vehicles, school buses and plows
- Permit fees are not refunded
Where the Technical Review Committee finds a road inadequate, only the Town Council can grant an exception, after a public hearing and an advisory opinion from the Planning Board.
What Glocester handles, and what stays with the state
The Building/Zoning Official issues the building and trade permits, administers zoning, and decides whether land clearing or grading needs an erosion plan under Code Chapter 177. The same official issues the permit an outdoor wood boiler needs under Chapter 197. Public buildings are treated differently: under Chapter 145, permit fees are waived for libraries, fire and police departments, municipal buildings and public schools, although the electrical, plumbing and mechanical inspection fees are still charged.
The state keeps its own approvals. RIDEM permits septic systems and wetlands work, and an erosion approval from the town does not replace any state or federal permit. Fire plan review goes to the Fire Marshal, requested as an option on the online building, electrical, plumbing and mechanical applications, and the town’s fire department takes life safety inspection requests through its own section of the portal.
Glocester building department: who handles permitting
The Town of Glocester’s Building & Zoning Department handles building permits, the trade permits and zoning administration for the whole town. Dennis Begin is the Building/Zoning Official. The department lists its own electrical, plumbing and mechanical inspectors, and its Building/Zoning Clerk answers questions about the online portal.
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Get a free quote →| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Office | Glocester Town Hall, 1145 Putnam Pike, Chepachet, RI 02814 (mail: PO Box B) |
| Phone | 401-568-6206 ext. 1 |
| Clerk hours | Monday–Friday 8:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m. (Town Hall is open 8:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m.) |
| Applications | Online only, through the Glocester ViewPoint Cloud (OpenGov) portal; no in-person applications |
| Zoning | Variance, special use permit and zoning modification applications through the same department |
Glocester permit types and forms
Since January 2, 2024, Glocester has accepted permit applications only online through OpenGov’s ViewPoint Cloud, which is the state e-permitting system; the office no longer takes paper applications at the counter. The Building Department’s section of the portal offers eleven application types, and the main building and trade forms let you add a related Fire Plan Review from the Fire Marshal.
Residential permits
- Building Permit for new houses, additions and alterations, with a separate Building Permit (DECKS) form for decks.
- Building/Zoning (SHED) Permit for sheds under 200 sq ft, which the portal describes as a zoning requirement.
- Building Permit (Roofing, Siding, Windows) for exterior replacement work.
- Solar Energy System and Battery Storage Unit Permit.
- Electrical, Mechanical and Plumbing Permits; wood stoves are charged on the mechanical fee scale.
- A permit from the Building/Zoning Official for an outdoor wood boiler (Chapter 197), on a lot of at least 20,000 sq ft.
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Commercial permits
Commercial projects use the same Building Permit and trade forms with the Fire Plan Review option. A Sign Permit needs photos of any existing signage, and Chapter 368 charges $45 plus $2 per sq ft over 10 sq ft. Demolition and Moving permits are separate applications, each $40. Gasoline stations pay $100 per pump and $50 per petroleum tank on top of the building fee. Planning Board applications are filed in the portal’s Planning and Zoning section.
The department also posts zoning and historic district forms:
- Application for Variance/Special Use Permit and the Zoning Modification Application, for relief from the zoning ordinance; the Zoning Board of Review application can also be filed in the portal.
- Certificate of Appropriateness, Recommendation of Compatibility and Emergency Certificate forms, for properties in the Historic District Overlay, reviewed under the Historic District Commission rules in the town code.
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Glocester permit costs and fees
Fees are set in Chapter 368 of the Glocester Code, last amended for building permits on August 2, 2018 (effective September 5, 2018). The building fee bands match the state’s fee regulation for Glocester (510-RICR-00-00-21).
| Item | Fee |
|---|---|
| Building, valuation $1 to $10,000 | $13 per $1,000 |
| Building, $10,001 to $50,000 | $130 plus $11 per $1,000 above $10,000 |
| Building, $50,001 and up | $570 plus $9 per $1,000 above $50,000 |
| Building, minimum | $65 |
| Electrical, plumbing or mechanical | $50 minimum for values $0 to $1,000, plus $10 per $1,000 of cost or fraction |
| Demolition or moving | $40 flat |
| Wood stove | Based on the mechanical permit fee |
| Sign | $45, plus $2 per sq ft over 10 sq ft |
| Reinspection | $35 each |
| Gasoline station | $100 per pump and $50 per petroleum tank, on top of the building fee |
| Zoning application (appeal, variance, amendment or special use permit) | $200 plus advertising, notice, copying and transcript costs |
An $80,000 project, for example, has a building fee of $570 plus 30 × $9, or $840. The code’s late filing penalty is double the standard fee and/or a fine of up to $500 for a first offense, and triple the fee for a second. Towns also add a state levy of 0.1% of construction cost to each permit, capped at $50 per permit for one- and two-family dwellings.
Electrical, plumbing and mechanical permits
Trade permits are issued by the same department and filed in the same portal as the building permit. The department names a separate electrical inspector, plumbing inspector and mechanical inspector, and the town code charges a reinspection fee of $35 when one of their inspections fails or the inspector is locked out of a house after access was arranged.
Wood stove permits are charged on the mechanical fee scale.
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Call 1-855-478-4290 →Alliance handles electrical permits for contractors here. More on this: who pulls the electrical permit.
Who may pull them
Electricians, plumbers and mechanical contractors need the matching Rhode Island licence, which can be checked on the state Department of Labor and Training’s professional regulation site, and general contractors must be registered with the state Contractors’ Registration and Licensing Board. Chapter 145 requires “any person” planning covered work to apply in the Building Official’s office before construction starts, and each trade files its own permit in the portal.
An outdoor wood boiler application must include a sketch with the property lines, every dwelling or occupied building on neighbouring land within 300 feet, the boiler’s location and the prevailing wind direction, and new units must carry a tag certifying the EPA Phase II emission standard. The boiler must be at least 150 feet from any occupied building it does not serve, sit on a concrete pad, stand in a side or rear yard, and have a chimney between 16 and 35 feet high.
How to apply for a Glocester building permit
Pay past-due taxes and town charges on the property; the permit needs the Tax Collector’s certificate.
Confirm the lot fronts a street on the official road map, or get the Technical Review Committee’s certification for a private road.
File a variance, special use or modification application if the plan needs relief, and a Certificate of Appropriateness in the historic overlay.
A RIDEM septic (OWTS) permit for a new system, and RIDEM wetlands review where wetlands are near the work.
Create an account in the Glocester ViewPoint Cloud portal and file the building permit; each tradesperson files their own trade permit.
Pay the calculated fee and arrange each inspection with the department until the work is finalled.
Review, corrections and what causes delay
Several town checks come before plan review: unpaid taxes or town charges on the property, a lot that does not front a street on the official road map, missing zoning or historic district approval, or a missing state septic or wetlands permit. Land disturbance can add a step. Under Chapter 177 the Building Official decides whether a project needs an erosion and sediment control plan, and may require a performance bond before approving it. No determination is needed for an addition to a house with less than 1,000 sq ft of ground coverage that stays more than 100 feet from any watercourse on slopes of 10% or less, or for excavation of no more than 50 cubic yards on slopes of 10% or less with the bare ground protected.
Rather not deal with the building department?
Get a free quote →Fees are not refunded once paid, so file only when the plans are final.
Inspections in Glocester
Inspections are carried out by the Building/Zoning Official and the town’s electrical, plumbing and mechanical inspectors. For help with an inspection or with the portal, call the Building/Zoning Clerk on 401-568-6206 ext. 1 between 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. on weekdays. Make sure the inspector can get into the building at the booked time: a lock-out after access was arranged is charged as a $35 reinspection.
Local details that matter in Glocester
Historic District Overlay: the department posts the overlay rules with the Historic District Commission’s forms — Certificate of Appropriateness, Recommendation of Compatibility and Emergency Certificate — so check whether a property is in the overlay before planning work on it.
Flood maps: Glocester is in the National Flood Insurance Program, and FEMA shows June 23, 2026 as the date of its current flood maps. The code’s flood rules apply to any part of a project inside a mapped flood zone.
Septic and wetlands: new and repaired septic systems are permitted by RIDEM’s Onsite Wastewater Treatment Systems program, and RIDEM’s Freshwater Wetlands program reviews work in or near wetlands. Glocester’s code also has chapters on erosion and sediment control, stormwater management and the Pascoag Reservoir/Echo Lake dam management district.
Open excavations and wells: under Chapter 181 an unguarded or abandoned hole, excavation, well, cistern or cesspool that is dangerous can be declared a public nuisance; the owner then has 10 days after notice to fix it before the Town Council can abate it and lien the property for the cost.
Permit search and records
The town’s OpenGov portal has a public “Search for Records” tool and a “Claim a Record” option for attaching an existing application to your account. For older permit files, the town takes public records requests through an online form or a printed form mailed to the Public Records Officer at PO Box B, Chepachet. Under the town’s Chapter 387 the office has 10 business days to respond, extendable by 20 business days for good cause, and paper copies cost no more than $0.15 a page.
Rhode Island building code
Glocester enforces the state code as adopted by the Building Code Commission: the 2021 International Codes with Rhode Island amendments from December 1, 2025, alongside the 2023 National Electrical Code and the 2024 International Energy Conservation Code.
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Get a free quote →Rhode Island has one state building code, kept by the State Building Code Office and enforced by each city or town’s building official; there is no county layer, and appeals go first to the town’s board of appeals, then to the state Building Code Board of Standards and Appeals. Rhode Island rules
Glocester building permit FAQ
Who issues building permits in Glocester?
The Building & Zoning Department at Glocester Town Hall, 1145 Putnam Pike, Chepachet. Dennis Begin is the Building/Zoning Official.
Can I drop off a paper application?
No. Since January 2, 2024 the town accepts permit applications only online, through its ViewPoint Cloud page on the state e-permitting system.
How much is a building permit in Glocester?
$13 per $1,000 of valuation up to $10,000, $130 plus $11 per $1,000 up to $50,000, and $570 plus $9 per $1,000 above that, with a $65 minimum. An $80,000 job comes to $840 before the state levy.
Can I get a permit if I owe property taxes?
No. The town code bars a building permit until past-due taxes, assessments, fines or fees on the property are paid.
What is the late filing penalty?
Under Chapter 368, double the standard building fees and/or a fine of up to $500 for a first offense, and triple the fees for a second.
Does a small shed need a permit in Glocester?
Yes. The portal has a Building/Zoning (SHED) Permit for sheds under 200 sq ft, listed as a zoning requirement.
Can I install an outdoor wood boiler?
Only with a permit from the Building/Zoning Official, on a lot of at least 20,000 sq ft, at least 150 feet from any occupied building it does not serve, and with an EPA Phase II certified unit.
How do I get a copy of an old permit?
Search the portal’s records, or file a public records request online or by mail to the Public Records Officer; the town has 10 business days to respond.
Inspections are where schedules slip.
Get a free quote →Glocester permit search and official resources
- Glocester Building & Zoning Department
- Glocester ViewPoint Cloud permit portal
- Notice: online-only permit applications from January 2, 2024
- Glocester Code Chapter 145, Building Permits
- Glocester Code Chapter 368, Fee Schedule
- 510-RICR-00-00-21, statewide building permit fee schedules
- RI Building Code Commission: laws, rules and regulations
- RIDEM septic (OWTS) permitting
- RIDEM freshwater wetlands permitting
- RI Contractors’ Registration and Licensing Board
- FEMA Community Status Book, Rhode Island
- Glocester online Building Department applications
- Glocester Code Chapter 177, Erosion and Sediment Control
- Glocester Code Chapter 197, Outdoor Hydronic Heaters and Wood Boilers
- Glocester public records request
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Read guide →This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about Glocester permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.