Cheektowaga, NY Building Safety: Building Permits (2026)

Under Cheektowaga Code § 70-11, no one may start erecting, altering, enlarging, demolishing, converting or changing the occupancy of a building or structure without first securing a permit from the Supervising Building and Plumbing Inspector. The only exception covers non-structural repairs involving no plumbing, electrical, heating or venting work. Applications go to the Inspector on Building Inspection Department forms and must include plans and specifications signed by the responsible designer; where state Education Law § 7302 applies, a licensed architect's or engineer's seal is required.

The Inspector reviews each application and must approve or deny it within 60 days of submission. Once approved and the required fees are paid, the Inspector issues the permit, and it authorizes work for one year from issuance; demolition work must start within 45 days. A project not started before the permit expires is deemed abandoned, though the Inspector may grant a postponement of up to six months if the owner asks within 30 days of expiration. If an 18-month-old permit's work still is not substantially complete, the owner may renew it once by filing a new application and paying the full current fee, and that renewal cannot be extended further.

Permits, approved plans and surveys must stay on the job site and be visible from the street throughout construction. The Inspector can revoke a permit for false statements in the application, issuance in error, work departing from approved plans, or failure to comply with a stop-work order.