Building permits in the Town of Shelter Island

The Town office on North Ferry Road

Building permits on Shelter Island go through the Town's Building Department at 38 N Ferry Road. The Town pages we read do not mention an incorporated village or a village building department, so if you think your address may be in one, check our list of village and city offices. The department also notes that the 2025 New York State Energy Code has been in effect since December 31, 2025.

CitySquared, stamped plans and a survey

The Town accepts credit cards and lets you apply for a permit, or a new home improvement license, online through CitySquared, where you register with your email address and a password. The Building page also links a fillable building permit application, whose instructions ask for:

• Two sets of plans stamped by an architect or engineer
• One digital set, emailed as PDFs, of the stamped plans, the survey, the approvals of every agency with jurisdiction, the application, the owner's authorization and all contact information
• A survey with every permit application, at a scale of no more than 50 feet to the inch, showing all existing structures, planned improvements and setback dimensions; staff may waive it for repairs or interior work that does not affect setbacks
• A topographical survey with flood zone boundaries for all new construction and for waterfront or low-lying properties

If the job needs a DEC permit or letter of non-jurisdiction, Suffolk County Department of Health approval or West Neck Water District approval, it must be submitted with the application, and the Town accepts no incomplete applications. An owner can sign a form authorizing someone else to fill out the permit paperwork, and no work may start before the permit is issued.

Small structures still need permits here

• Sheds, carports, gazebos, outdoor showers and pergolas need a permit and must comply with setbacks.
• Driveways and driveway aprons now need a permit.
• Generators and HVAC systems need a permit because they must conform to setbacks, and equipment placed in the yard outside the house may need its own permit.
• Roof-mounted solar takes a building permit application along with the Town's Fast Track Application for Roof Mounted Solar Panels.
• Rebuilding a structure that was already there, in place and in kind, still needs a permit and must conform to setbacks.

Shelter Island's own license

The Town says home improvements must be performed by a licensed contractor holding a Shelter Island license. For a new license, the Building page asks for a $250 check made out to the Town, a liability Acord certificate listing the Town of Shelter Island as certificate holder, and a workers' compensation certificate, or a CE-200 exemption form for a business without that coverage. The Town's Licensing Review Board hears complaints that may lead to a license being suspended or revoked.

Fees: two sources that disagree

The Town's fee figures do not line up. Its 2022 Building Department fee sheet prints different amounts from its current Building page and FAQ for some of the same work, including driveways, sheds, generators and HVAC, and irrigation systems, so ask the department for the current fee before you file. The Building page does list a 2.45% convenience fee for paying by credit or debit card, with a $1.75 minimum, and an irrigation form that must be filled out every year.

Certificate of occupancy on the island

No building may be occupied or used for any purpose until the Building Department issues a certificate of occupancy, and an updated survey is required before a certificate of occupancy or completion can be issued. By signing the homeowner authorization form, the owner accepts responsibility for getting the certificate before occupying or using the structure. The Building page links a Request for Certificate of Occupancy form.

Shelter Island's Zoning Board of Appeals

The board meets in person, with a Zoom option. Every application and supporting document must be submitted both digitally and on paper, and a complete application can be seen through a FOIL request or in person at the ZBA Clerk's office. The board's page lists 631-749-0291. The Town also has a Conservation Advisory Council, which advises on its natural resources, but we could not confirm its wetland, flood or coastal erosion rules, or the zoning board's fees and standards.

On the call for a Shelter Island job

Settle which outside approvals the job needs, since any DEC, Health Department or West Neck Water District sign-off must be in hand when you apply. Ask each contractor to show a current Shelter Island license and a Suffolk County home improvement license, and who will file the stamped plans and survey. The county side is covered in how to check a Suffolk County license.