The Office of Building Construction&Code Enforcement is open to the public from 9:00am to 5:00pm. Appointments are not required, but are recommended. Please call (607) 772-7010 to schedule your appointment.

Plumbers wishing to conduct their business within the City of Binghamton must hold a current license issued by this municipality. Plumbers who have received a Certificate of Competency from the Examining Board of Plumbers are eligible to receive licenses. For more information on the qualifying examination, or to obtain a copy of your Certificate, please contact the Office of Building Construction & Code Enforcement.

To obtain an original license, applicants must visit the Office of Office of Building Construction & Code Enforcement during regular business hours and provide the following:

• Photo identification
• Certificate of Competency from the Examining Board of Plumbers
• Workers Compensation insurance or waiver
• License fee (as outlined below)

Please note that the New York State Workers Compensation Board requires municipal clerks to verify that an applicant for this type of license either (a) has current Workers Compensation Insurance, or (b) has a Workers Compensation Insurance Waiver. Waivers are available for those applicants who are self-employed and have no employees. For information on obtaining these documents, please visit the NYS Compensation Board website.

The fee for a Plumber License is $50, payable by cash, money order or local bank check made out to the City of Binghamton. Licenses expire the last day of September and must be renewed annually. The late fee for renewal is $15 with a 3-day grace period. After an original license has been obtained, all renewals may be submitted by mail or in person to the following address:

Office of the City Clerk
38 Hawley Street
Binghamton, NY 13901

Permitting and Inspection Services

The Building Construction group enforces the New York State Code and local laws which govern the planning, design, construction and alteration of new and existing structures. 

Our principal service is provided under the Building Permit Program for residential, commercial and institutional occupancies. This program conforms to statewide standards established by the New York Department of State Codes Division and the International Codes Council.

Other services available from the Building Construction group include:

Technical guidance/interpretation. Assistance with project planning and design development.
Compliance inspection of unsafe structures. Assess fire damage or structural deficiency in existing structures.
Skilled trade licensing. Facilitate testing for and licensing of the plumbing and electrical trades.

The Building Construction staff is comprised of four New York State certified code officials: Supervisor of Building Construction, Building Inspector, Plumbing Inspector and Electrical Inspector. Administrative and field inspection services provided by our code professionals help ensure that newly constructed work is installed in general compliance with applicable codes.

According to Section 200-9 of the Code of the City of Binghamton, a Building Permit is required for any work which must conform to the New York State Uniform Code.

The scope or type of work that requires a Building Permit includes the construction, enlargement, alteration, improvement, removal, relocation, demolition, or extension of structures, electrical, plumbing and HVAC systems. The installation or construction of a solid-fuel-burning heating appliance, chimney or flue is subject to permitting, as well.

Please note that a Building Permit must be obtained and displayed on premises before any work is performed or started by the applicant or designee.

The Building Permit application is located in the Building Permit document folder at the bottom of this page.

Categories of Work Subject to Building Permit

General Construction—Principal work is general construction or related trades and General contractor holds Prime Contract for project. Required for alteration, renovation, addition, or new construction or installation in all structures or elements thereof.

Electrical Prime—Principal work limited to electrical and licensed Electrical contractor is Prime Contractor for the project. Required for all electrical work subject to permitting (as above), including electrical power service connection. Permitted electrical work performed in all types of occupancies except owner occupied/residential (single/two family) structures, must be performed by a licensed Master Electrician.

Plumbing Prime—Principal work limited to plumbing and licensed Plumbing contractor is Prime Contractor for the project. Required for all plumbing work subject to permitting (as above), including Water or Sewer service or service laterals. Permitted plumbing work in all types of occupancies including owner occupied/residential (single/two family) structures, must be performed by a licensed Master Plumber.

Demolition—Required for all demolition work or activity that effects a structural element of a building, including wall assemblies. Evidence of compliance with NY State Code Rule 56 required. Landmark structures and structures located in historic districts subject to prior review and approval by Commission on Architecture and Urban Design.

Sewer Service—Required for any new connection, modification or extension of sewer service. Work of this type may be subject to Infiltration & Inflow requirements. Additional documentation required, as below.

Street Work Permit—Required for any work of any type that is performed in a public Right of Way, including placement of dumpsters and construction trailers. General Liability insurance required. Please note that Street Work Permits are administered by the Department of Engineering.

Permit Fees for ALL applications

 Where Estimated Cost of Construction for the entire project is greater than $20,000 the fee is calculated, as follows:

Estimated Total Cost of Construction multiplied by .75% (or .0075), with maximum fee of $50,000 for any single, Building Permit.

The Code Enforcement is a group of Code Officers and Code Inspectors who are responsible for enforcing New York State and local municipal codes that govern the maintenance of property and structures.

Code officials respond to complaints and provide enforcement services, in relation to the exterior and interior condition of buildings. This work includes periodic inspections of structures and occupancies for compliance with life safety and property maintenance regulations.

The Code Enforcement group also provides technical and administrative support for the Vacant Property program and the Rental Registration program.