Yonkers, NY Building Safety: Electrical Permits (2026)

City Code § 56-113A requires a permit before installing or altering any wiring, devices or equipment used to transmit, distribute or utilize electrical energy for light, power or heat, with two narrow carve-outs: minor repairs such as replacing lamps, ballasts or fuses or connecting portable devices to existing receptacles, and maintenance work on premises that regularly employ a specially licensed electrician. Section 56-113B requires an electrical contractor filing a permit to correct a cited violation to start that work within 10 days of the permit's issuance, and lets the Commissioner haul a slow contractor before the Westchester County Licensing Board if the violation isn't being promptly cleared.

Section 56-111 makes it unlawful to work as an electrical contractor in Yonkers without registering and licensing as a master electrician with the Westchester County Electrical Licensing Board, and § 56-112 requires every contractor to file proof of workers' compensation insurance, general liability insurance with at least $1,000,000 in combined coverage per occurrence, and a hold-harmless agreement when filing for a permit. Section 56-114 requires the application to bear the licensed contractor's personal signature and the resulting permit to be posted at the premises near the service meter.

Section 56-115 requires plans for multiple dwellings and nonresidential buildings to be drawn, signed and sealed by a New York-licensed professional engineer before the building construction permit issues. Section 56-116 sets the fee at a base of $175 plus $10 per $1,000 of estimated cost, covering two inspections for one- or two-family homes and three for other occupancies, with additional inspections costing $150 each.