Stamford building department

Stamford’s Building Department reviews and issues building, electrical, plumbing, mechanical, fire alarm, fire suppression, and demolition permits for the City of Stamford. Zoning permits are filed through the same Building Department section of the city’s permit portal. Phone and email help (203-977-4164, [email protected]) is available Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m.

Applying on the OpenGov portal

All permits are applied for, paid, and issued on Stamford’s OpenGov permit portal. The Building Department section lists these record types:

Permit	Notes from the portal
Building Permit	Residential (2021 IRC) and “other” (2021 IBC) permit categories
Zoning Permit	Standalone zoning permit when there is no building permit
Electrical / Plumbing / Mechanical	Check the exempt-work list and the license types for each trade first
Fire Alarm System	New systems and modifications
Fire Suppression	Ansul hood systems, sprinklers, standpipes (NFPA 14), underground fire service (NFPA 24), fire pumps (NFPA 20)
Demolition	Long attachment checklist (see below)
Customer Inquiries	Property questions, permit status, whether work needs a permit, FOIA requests

Work may begin only after the application is approved, the fee is paid, and the permit is issued. The permit is issued through the portal. Print it with its conditions and keep it on the job site.

Before you submit a building permit

The portal asks applicants to review:

• The city’s Exempt Work list. A Zoning Permit, or an Excavation Permit from Engineering ([email protected]), may still be required even when no building permit is.
• Residential vs. other permit categories. “Residential” means detached one- and two-family homes and townhouses no more than three stories above grade with a separate means of egress, plus their accessory structures. Everything else is reviewed under the IBC.
• The Plan Submission Checklist, the Contractor License Types list, and the Submission Requirements for Other Stamford Departments.
• Property records in the Vision assessor database, plus tax maps and historical aerials. Pre-2013 permit and Certificate of Occupancy data has its own search link.

Use the property’s official parcel address to start an application. If the street address differs from the parcel address, look it up on the city’s GIS parcel map first.

Zoning add-ons

If you already have a building permit and want to add something the building code doesn’t cover, such as a shed under 200 sq ft or a fence under 7 ft, add it to the zoning permit already included in your building permit. That keeps the whole project under one permit. File a standalone Zoning Permit only when the project has no building permit. Zoning questions go to (203) 977-4711.

Demolition requirements

Demolition applications must include these PDFs before you submit:

• A certificate of insurance naming the City of Stamford, its officers, agents, and employees as additional insured
• A certificate from a licensed exterminator
• Notices to adjoining owners within 300 feet, sent by certified mail at least 30 days before demolition, with the receipts and a tax map of that radius
• A save-harmless letter
• Utility cut-off certificates for gas, electric, water, and cable/telephone, plus the sewer cap-off form
• A copy of the demolition contractor’s state license: Class A for structures over 2½ stories or 35 ft, Class B for 2½ stories or 35 ft and under

Additional rules by structure:

• Over 500 sq ft: a photo showing the demolition sign was posted at least 30 days ahead.
• 50+ years old, historic, or in a historic district: a newspaper legal notice within 7 days of filing (a permit may issue unless someone objects within 20 days), and notices to historical commissions.
• Large or high-occupancy buildings: a demolition plan and sequence, with equipment loads and shoring calculations.

Homeowners may demolish their own single-family house or outbuilding up to 35 ft tall under CGS 29-402. The owner must be on site during the work, is personally liable, and the structure must be clear of other structures and roads by at least its own height.

Contractor registration

Most contractors need state credentials, such as HIC, NHC, MC, or trade licenses. Stamford also runs its own city contractor registration, but only for tent and sign contractors, the trades that don’t require state registration. Apply under “Contractor Registration” on the portal.

Walk-in permitting help

The city holds Permitting Walk-In sessions every Wednesday morning, starting at 8:30 a.m., in the 7th-floor lobby (except on holidays when the Building Department is closed). They’re for homeowners, their contractors, and their agents, but not professional expeditors. The sessions cover residential and minor commercial projects, such as opening a food or personal-care business, modifying a space, or adding an accessory structure.

Rental units

Under Stamford’s Multiple Family Dwelling ordinance (Section 146-33), a Certificate of Apartment Occupancy application is required when a covered apartment is rented. It’s filed in the Health Department section of the portal, with a $75 fee due at occupancy. Questions go to (203) 977-5122. Septic and well permits are also handled through the Health Department section.

Codes

Stamford reviews residential work under the 2021 IRC and other work under the 2021 IBC, both as adopted in the 2022 Connecticut State Building Code. The state code applies to permit applications filed on or after October 1, 2022.