West Haven, CT Building Safety: Building Permits (2026)

Chapter 81 of the West Haven Code, adopted by the City Council on 8-24-2020, superseded the former Chapter 81 and sets the building permit rule for the City of West Haven, Connecticut. Section 81-1 applies to anyone who intends to construct, enlarge, alter, repair, move, demolish or change the occupancy of a building or structure, move a lot line that will affect an existing building or structure, or erect, install, enlarge, alter, repair, remove, convert or replace any electrical, gas, mechanical, fire protection or plumbing system regulated by and not exempt from the permitting requirements of the State of Connecticut Building Code or any relevant City ordinance. The application goes to the Building Official.

Work begun before the permit is issued is handled under § 81-1A through enforcement under Chapter 128 of the Code, at $100 for each day the violation continues. On application, the Building Official can carry out a pre-permit inspection of the unpermitted work and charge the applicant for his time under the Building Department fee schedule.

Valuations follow the Connecticut State Building Code (§ 81-1C). At project completion the Building Official can require an affidavit of total construction costs, and if the final cost exceeds the fee declared, no certificate of occupancy or completion issues until the additional fees are paid. If a permit is revoked or a project is withdrawn, abandoned or discontinued, excess fees for incomplete work are refunded on written request (§ 81-1B).

Fees are set in § 81-8. Building permits, including plumbing, electrical, mechanical or demolition, cost $25 per thousand or fraction thereof of the value of the work, and a certificate of use and occupancy costs $24. No permit issues until the fee is paid. The Building Official also refuses to approve a permit when delinquent taxes or sewer use charges are owed on the property, unless the owner has entered a payment program approved by the City Tax Collector, and can grant emergency waivers for documented health and safety work where hardship is established. City-funded projects on City, Board of Education or supported library property are exempt from permit fees apart from the state education fee and outside plan review fees (§ 81-9).

A person aggrieved by the Building Official's written finding of value or fees due appeals to the Municipal Review Hearing Officer, in writing, through the Corporation Counsel's office within 30 days (§ 81-1D).