Hempstead, NY Building Safety: Building Inspections (2026)

The Building Department keeps a permanent record of every examination and inspection performed under § 86-21A, together with a record of any violations found, per § 86-21B; those records are public under § 86-7A. Once inspections confirm the work substantially matches the approved permit, § 86-22A requires the certificate of occupancy, certificate of completion, or certificate of plumbing approval to issue within a reasonable time, but § 86-22B first requires the applicant to submit a final survey for a certificate of occupancy or completion. If a project is not finished but part of it can be occupied safely, the Building Inspector can issue a temporary certificate of occupancy under § 86-23, valid for up to three months and renewable twice more for three months each, for good cause.

Separately, § 86-24 lets the Building Inspector require material, construction, equipment or an assembly to be tested by a designated testing agency, at the applicant's own expense, whenever there are reasonable grounds to believe it does not conform to applicable building laws, ordinances or regulations. Inspections are not limited to the final walk-through: § 86-21A specifically authorizes the Building Inspector to inspect work 'from time to time during and upon completion,' giving inspectors standing authority to visit an active job site at multiple stages rather than waiting until the work is done.