Colonie, NY Permit Requirements: Renovation Permits (2026)

The Town of Colonie administers and enforces the New York State Uniform Fire Prevention and Building Code locally. Construction permits are governed by Chapter 116 (Building Construction Administration) of the Town Code (eCode360 CO0290) and by 19 NYCRR Part 1203 (the state's minimum standards for administration and enforcement of the Uniform Code by local governments). 19 NYCRR Section 1203.3 lists work that does NOT require a building permit: replacement of plumbing fixtures with similar fixtures that do not involve replacement of piping; repair of an existing fixture; replacement of windows of the same rough opening; installation of replacement siding or roofing on detached one- and two-family dwellings; minor in-kind repairs that do not involve structural, electrical, plumbing, mechanical, or gas-piping changes; one-story detached accessory structures used as tool and storage sheds, playhouses, and similar uses under 144 square feet of floor area; fences not over 6 feet; retaining walls under 4 feet; sidewalks and driveways on private property; ordinary in-kind painting and decorating. A permit is required for everything else, including additions, alterations involving structural members, removal of load-bearing walls, new electrical circuits or service upgrades, new plumbing or gas piping, mechanical equipment replacements, decks and porches, swimming pools, and any change in occupancy classification. Applicable codes adopted into 19 NYCRR include Part 1219 (Fire Code), 1220 (Residential Code), 1221 (Building Code), 1222 (Existing Building Code), 1223 (Energy Code), 1224 (Fuel Gas Code), 1225 (Plumbing Code), 1226 (Property Maintenance Code), 1227 (Mechanical Code), and 1228 (Energy Conservation Construction Code). Commercial plans must be sealed by a New York-licensed Professional Engineer or Registered Architect. Permits are issued by the Colonie Building Department; the New York Uniform Code requires that work commence within 12 months after permit issuance and be completed within the period stated in the permit. The town also enforces the New York-amended IRC R301.2.1 climatic and geographic design criteria, including the Hudson-Mohawk Valley's 50-pound-per-square-foot ground snow load and Seismic Design Category B requirements.