Plumbing Permit in Town of Hempstead, New York

Frequently asked questions

Do you need a plumbing permit in Town of Hempstead?

Plumbing is a separate permit from the building permit in the Town of Hempstead, and it must be filed by a plumber holding a Town of Hempstead master plumber license, not by the homeowner. The Plumbing Department runs four permit types on the Online Permit Center: Plumbing Permit, Gas Plumbing Permit, Sewer Permit and Fire Sprinkler Permit. Where a building permit job involves no plumbing, the Department requires a notarized Affidavit of No Plumbing Work in which the owner acknowledges that a plumbing permit must be applied for if plumbing is installed later. Even small jobs are caught: an in-ground pool needs a plumbing application for the vacuum breaker signed by a Town licensed master plumber. Always confirm with the Town of Hempstead Department of Buildings before starting.

How much does a plumbing permit cost in Town of Hempstead?

Town Code 86-11N, as adopted by Local Law No. 93-2022 (effective 12-22-2022): a permit to install any new plumbing or drainage work is a minimum of $70, plus an additional $40 residential for each fixture over one; plumbing work started before the permit is issued is a minimum of $120 residential plus $60 for each fixture over one. Connecting a single fixture or replacing fixtures on an existing system is a minimum of $70 residential under 86-11P(1). Extending a vent stack is $75 residential (86-11O), a sewer permit to install or repair a house sewer is $125 plus $75 for the certificate of approval (86-11DD), and the certificate of approval of plumbing or drainage work is $100, payable when the plumbing permit is issued (86-11Q). See the official fee schedule for current amounts.

Where do you apply for a plumbing 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 a plumbing 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.