Electrical Permit in Town of Hempstead, New York

Frequently asked questions

Do you need an electrical permit in Town of Hempstead?

This is a jurisdictional handoff, and it is the answer rather than a gap: the Town of Hempstead does not issue electrical permits. Electrical work must instead be inspected and certified by one of the electrical inspection agencies approved by the Department of Buildings, which publishes a current approved agency list, and the resulting electrical certificate has to be filed with the Department. The Department's own affidavit for jobs with no electrical work has the owner swear to that fact and acknowledge that an approved electrical certificate will be required if electrical work is added later, and its pool instructions require the electrical inspection certificate before a certificate of completion will be issued. Electricians working in the town are separately licensed by the Department through the Online Permit Center. Always confirm with the Town of Hempstead Department of Buildings before starting.

How much does an electrical permit cost in Town of Hempstead?

The Town charges no electrical permit fee. The full fee section, Town Code 86-11 as adopted by Local Law No. 93-2022 and amended by Local Law No. 20-2024, has no electrical permit line item; the cost of an electrical certificate is set by the private inspection agency the applicant hires from the Department's approved list. Where the electrical work is part of a larger job, the building permit fee under 86-11C(1) applies, at $200 residential for the first $1,000 of estimated cost plus $18 per additional $1,000. See the official fee schedule for current amounts.

Where do you apply for an electrical permit in Town of Hempstead?

You can apply through the Town of Hempstead permit portal or contact the Town of Hempstead Department of Buildings directly. The links are listed on this page.

Can a homeowner pull an electrical permit themselves in Town of Hempstead?

Under New York law (Inside New York City: NYC Admin. Code 28-104.1, 28-105.1, 28-105.4, 28-105.5.1, 28-401.3 (definition of "general contractor"). Outside New York City: N.Y. Exec. Law 381(2); 19 NYCRR 1203.3(a)(1).): New York State sets no owner-builder rule at all outside New York City. Executive Law 381(2) puts administration and enforcement in the hands of each local government, and 19 NYCRR 1203.3(a)(1) only requires each authority having jurisdiction to make building permits mandatory for work that must conform to the codes, leaving who may apply to local law. The state licenses no general contractors and imposes no owner-builder affidavit, disclosure form or post-permit sale restriction of the kind Florida uses, so whether a homeowner may pull the permit is a question for the specific city, town, village or county. New York City is the genuine outlier. Administrative Code 28-105.1 makes the work itself unlawful without a written permit, and Administrative Code 28-104.1 bars the department from issuing that permit until it approves the required construction documents, which must be prepared by or under the supervision of a registered design professional, meaning a licensed architect or engineer, as required by the code. A homeowner therefore cannot self-prepare and file the plans for permit-requiring work in New York City even though Administrative Code 28-105.5.1 defines the permit applicant as the person who performs the work or retains a subcontractor, and even though the general contractor registration definition in Administrative Code 28-401.3 expressly excludes an individual who constructs a residential structure of no more than three dwelling units for his or her own occupancy. Note that Administrative Code 28-105.4 exempts minor alterations and ordinary repairs from the permit requirement entirely, so the design professional bottleneck applies only to work that needs a permit in the first place. Confirm how Town of Hempstead applies this before you apply.