Southampton, NY Building Safety: Building Permits (2026)

Southampton Town Code § 123-9A(1) makes it unlawful to commence erection, construction, enlargement, alteration, improvement, conversion or a change in use or occupancy of any building or structure without first obtaining a building permit from the Building Inspector, distinct from any Zoning Ordinance permit, with a narrow carve-out for ordinary repairs that are not structural in nature. Section 123-8 exempts work that changes no perimeter or structural element of an existing structure and that the Town Board has specifically listed by resolution, though even an exempt residential storage shed still needs an owner's certification of zoning compliance.

A permit application touching a building built before 1941, identified from the Assessor's actual-year-built record or a listed heritage survey, is automatically referred to the Landmarks and Historic Districts Board, which has 45 days to report or recommend under § 123-9A(1)(a). Separate applications are required for electrical work (filed with the Building Division under § 123-9A(3)) and for plumbing or drainage systems (§ 123-9A(4)), and a permit is independently required for any regulated wetlands activity under Chapter 325. Once issued, a permit stays effective for 24 months under § 123-11A, with up to four extensions of six months each available for good cause; after that a new application and fee are required. Fees are set by Town Board resolution, and § 123-12C doubles every fee tied to work found underway without the required permit.