Narragansett, Rhode Island Building Permit Guide

The Town of Narragansett’s Building Inspection Department issues building, electrical, plumbing and mechanical permits, which are applied for on the Town’s E-Permit portal; inspections cannot be booked online and must be phoned in to 401-782-0619. Since the Town Council adopted Chapter 1144 on April 6, 2026, all four permit types use one valuation schedule, from $9 per $1,000 with a $65 minimum, and plan review and the certificate of occupancy are included in that fee.

What requires a permit in Narragansett?

The Town’s own pages and forms name these permits:

Sheds and accessory buildings (Town shed requirements, revised May 2026): a shed over 64 sq ft needs a building permit with two copies of a site plan showing every structure on the lot and its setbacks, and the location of any septic tank or cesspool so the shed does not interfere with it. A surveyor-stamped plan may be required, though the Building Official can waive it where property markers can be checked in the field. An accessory building of 144 sq ft or less and no more than 13 ft high may sit at one-third of the side and rear yard setbacks; anything larger or taller must meet the full setbacks and an 18 ft height limit, and one over 1,500 sq ft or 18 ft needs a special use permit.

What Narragansett handles and what the state keeps

Narragansett’s Building Inspection Department covers a wide local brief from one office at 25 Fifth Avenue: building and trade permits, inspections, zoning enforcement, minimum housing, flood zone rules, ADA and ISDS enforcement and rental registration. Public Works issues tree permits, the Fire Marshal answers smoke detector questions, and the Zoning Board of Review hears special use permits and variances, including those under the Coastal Resources Overlay District. The state keeps the CRMC assent, the RIDEM septic and freshwater wetlands permits, and contractor registration with the Contractors’ Registration and Licensing Board.

Narragansett building department: who handles permitting

The Building Inspection Department issues building permits and inspects the work for compliance with federal, state and local codes. It also enforces the Town Zoning Ordinance, minimum housing standards, flood zone requirements, ADA and ISDS (septic) regulations, and rental registration. Jay Humes is the Building Official. Community Development (401-782-0632) and the Building Official’s office both help applicants with the 2021 bulk zoning changes, and the Fire Marshal (401-789-1000 ext. 2) answers questions on smoke detector requirements.

Narragansett applications and forms

Start a building permit on the Narragansett E-Permit portal, and use E-Permit Search to look up existing permits; inspection results and the certificate of occupancy are posted to the permit record there. Forms and handouts on the Town’s General Information & Forms page:

• Energy Certificate and Professional Certificate (engineer, architect or surveyor)
• Demolition Checklist
• Deck information and a deck detail sheet; pool, fence and window information
• Generator Load Calculation Worksheet
• Shed Requirements (May 2026)
• Applications for dimensional modifications and relief from the merger provision, and the Town’s summary of the state ADU mandates
• Zoning certificate and tent permit applications, both online

Residential permits

The Building Department section of the E-Permit portal lists building, electrical, mechanical, plumbing and solar permits, demolition, rental registration and zoning certificates; each building and trade application can add a related fire plan review on the same form. For a house, the Town’s handouts cover decks (with a detail sheet), pools, fences, windows, sheds and generators, and an addition that takes a home past four bedrooms needs the Section 12.23 special use permit before the building permit.

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

Commercial permits

Commercial building and trade permits use the same portal forms and the same Chapter 1144 valuation table. Food and drink businesses find a separate portal application for the permanent expansion of the COVID-19 “Take it Outside” outdoor seating and dining program, and businesses register fire and burglar alarms in the Public Safety section. For questions on any of these, the portal sends applicants to the Building Inspectors Office at 401-782-0619.

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

Looking up a Narragansett permit or record

E-Permit Search shows existing permits, with inspection results and certificates of occupancy posted to each record, so there is no need to call for results. Other building records are requested through the Town’s online public records portal (JustFOIA), linked from the Town’s Records Request page.

Narragansett permit fees

Narragansett rewrote its permit fees in Chapter 1144, an amendment to Chapter 10, Article II of the Code of Ordinances, adopted by the Town Council on April 6, 2026 and effective on passage. The same valuation table now applies to building, plumbing, electrical and mechanical permits, replacing the old per-square-foot building fee and separate trade tables, and it matches the Narragansett schedule in the state fee regulation (510-RICR-00-00-21).

For example, a $35,000 kitchen remodel’s building permit is $90 plus 25 × $7, or $265, and its electrical and plumbing permits are priced on the same table from their own values. Each permit also carries the state levy of R.I. Gen. Laws § 23-27.3-108.2, 0.1% of the construction cost, which may not exceed $50 per permit for a one- or two-family dwelling. All fees must be paid in full before construction starts. The stated value must be reasonably within the unit construction costs in the state building code, and the Building Official may ask for a sworn statement of the actual cost.

Electrical, plumbing and mechanical permits in Narragansett

The Building Inspection Department issues electrical, plumbing and mechanical permits through E-Permit, priced on the Chapter 1144 valuation table. Trade inspections run on set days: electrical on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday, and plumbing and mechanical on Tuesday and Thursday. For either, call 401-782-0619 one day ahead with the property address and permit number. Results are posted on the E-Permit record, so the office asks you not to phone for them.

Alliance handles electrical permit expediting for contractors here. More on this: who pulls the electrical permit.

Who may pull trade permits

Electrical, plumbing and mechanical permits in Narragansett go to tradespeople licensed by the Department of Labor and Training, the state body that examines electricians, plumbers, pipefitters and sheet metal workers. The building permit side requires a Contractors’ Registration and Licensing Board registration for any contractor or subcontractor, and the Town may not issue a building permit to one who needs it and has none (R.I. Gen. Laws § 5-65-3); an owner who lives in the house is not required to register. Narragansett also makes the contractor, not the owner, responsible for requesting building inspections.

How to get a Narragansett building permit

Review, corrections and what causes delay

Narragansett does not post a target review time. What it does make clear is what stops a job: every fee must be paid before construction starts, the stated project value must be in line with the state code’s unit costs (the Building Official can demand a sworn cost statement), and no inspection takes place without the permit card posted and the approved plans and engineering on site. A shed over 64 sq ft needs a site plan that may have to be stamped by a land surveyor, and homes over four bedrooms or work in the Coastal Resources Overlay District go to the Zoning Board first; its public hearings are held at Town Hall, 25 Fifth Avenue (the November 19, 2026 hearing is set for 6:30 p.m.).

Narragansett inspections

Inspections cannot be scheduled through the online system. Building inspections must be requested by the contractor 24 hours ahead by calling 401-782-0619 with the property address, inspection type and permit number. The building permit card must be posted on the job for every inspection, and the approved plans and engineering specifications must be on site at all times, or no inspection will be done. Failing an inspection, or having no permit card or approved plans on site, brings a $50 re-inspection fee.

The certificate of occupancy is issued once all final inspections and certifications are complete, and it is added to the permit record on E-Permit.

Narragansett coastal, flood and septic rules

Flood zones: Narragansett takes part in the National Flood Insurance Program, with FEMA flood maps effective April 3, 2020. The Building Inspection Department enforces flood zone requirements and answers questions about building in a flood zone on 401-782-0619.

Coastal work: the Coastal Resources Management Council (CRMC) permits work in the coastal zone, separately from the Town permit. The Town’s own zoning also has a Coastal Resources Overlay District (Section 4.4), and relief from it comes from the Zoning Board of Review, as its 2026 hearing notices show.

Septic (ISDS): the department enforces ISDS rules locally, while RIDEM’s OWTS Program issues the septic permit itself; RIDEM typically reviews new construction and alteration designs in 3 weeks and repairs in 1 to 2 weeks. A shed site plan must show any septic tank or cesspool.

Wetlands: RIDEM permits work in or near freshwater wetlands under rules in effect since July 1, 2022.

Rentals: rental properties are registered with the Building Inspection Department through the online permit system.

Building code in Narragansett

Narragansett inspects to the Rhode Island State Building Code. Since December 1, 2025 it incorporates the 2021 ICC codes with Rhode Island amendments, the 2023 National Electrical Code and the 2024 International Energy Conservation Code.

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

Narragansett permit FAQ

Who issues building permits in Narragansett?

The Building Inspection Department at 25 Fifth Avenue (401-782-0619), open 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on weekdays.

How much is a building permit in Narragansett?

$9 per $1,000 of value up to $10,000, $90 plus $7 per $1,000 up to $50,000, and $370 plus $5 per $1,000 above that, with a $65 minimum; plan review and the certificate of occupancy are included.

Can I schedule an inspection online?

No. Call 401-782-0619: a day ahead for electrical, plumbing and mechanical, and 24 hours ahead (by the contractor) for building inspections.

Do I need a permit to re-roof, re-side or put up a fence?

Yes. The Town requires a building permit for each.

Do I need a permit for a shed?

Yes, if it is over 64 sq ft, with two copies of a site plan.

What happens if I build without a permit?

If the Building Official orders the work stopped, the permit costs an extra $500 for a first violation and $1,000 for any later one.

How do I look up an existing Narragansett permit?

Use E-Permit Search; inspection results and the certificate of occupancy are posted to the permit record. For older files, use the Town’s online public records portal.

Do I need a permit to keep outdoor dining?

Yes. The permanent expansion of COVID-19 “Take it Outside” seating and dining is applied for in the Building Department section of the portal.

Narragansett permit search and official resources

These are the primary sources behind this guide. Codes, fee schedules and procedures change — confirm the position for your filing date.

• Narragansett Building Inspection
• Narragansett E-Permit portal
• Narragansett E-Permit search
• Narragansett Chapter 1144 permit fee ordinance, April 6, 2026 (PDF)
• Narragansett building forms and information
• Narragansett shed requirements, May 2026 (PDF)
• Statewide building permit fee schedules (510-RICR-00-00-21)
• Rhode Island Building Code Commission: adopted codes
• Coastal Resources Management Council
• RIDEM onsite wastewater (septic) permits
• RIDEM freshwater wetlands permits
• Narragansett E-Permit: Building Department applications
• Narragansett public records requests

Simplify Narragansett permitting with Alliance Permitting

Alliance Permitting is a permit documentation and submission company in Rhode Island. 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 Narragansett permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.