Union, NY Building Safety: Building Inspections (2026)

Section 86-5 of the Town of Union Code runs inspections in stages. Work has to remain accessible and exposed until the Code Enforcement Officer, or an inspector the officer authorizes, inspects and accepts it, and the permit holder must notify the Code Enforcement Officer when any element of work is ready. Subsection B lists the elements, where applicable: the work site before the building permit is issued, footing and foundation, preparation for a concrete slab, framing, building systems including underground and rough-in, fire-resistant construction, fire-resistant penetrations, solid-fuel-burning heating appliances, chimneys, flues or gas vents, Energy Code compliance, and a final inspection after all authorized work is complete.

After each inspection the work, or a portion of it, is noted as satisfactory as completed, or the permit holder is told where it fails to comply with the Uniform Code or Energy Code. Failing work stays exposed until it is brought into compliance, reinspected and found satisfactory. The fee under Section 86-16 is paid prior to or at the time of each inspection.

Closing out the job runs through Section 86-7. A certificate of occupancy or certificate of compliance is required for any work that is the subject of a building permit, and the Code Enforcement Officer or an authorized inspector inspects the building, structure or work before issuing it. A temporary certificate allowing occupancy before completion is effective for a period not to exceed six months. Separate from construction stages, Section 86-11 requires firesafety and property maintenance inspections at least once every 12 months for buildings with an area of public assembly and for dormitories, and at least once every 36 months for other multiple dwellings and for nonresidential buildings. These rules apply in the Town of Union outside the Villages of Endicott and Johnson City.