Bangor building department

Bangor’s Code Enforcement Division works out of City Hall, 73 Harlow Street. It issues building, plumbing, oil and gas burner, electrical, sign, shoreland, flood hazard and land development permits, plus Certificates of Occupancy. The staff includes a Director, a Deputy Director, an Electrical Inspector and a Building/Plumbing Inspector. City Hall is open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:15 p.m. You can email the division at [email protected].

Applying

Bangor works on paper and PDF forms. There is no public online permit portal. Download the Building Permit Application from the city’s Applications & Forms page. For plumbing, heating or electrical permits, contact Code Enforcement directly. You can pay by cash, debit card or check made out to the City of Bangor.

The building application packet asks for:

• the street address and map/lot number
• a street opening permit from Engineering
• a subsurface wastewater design (HHE-200) if the lot is on septic
• the dimensions of impervious surfaces
• a Certificate of Occupancy application, which is used for the zoning approval

The residential site plan must show all existing and new structures, setbacks to every property line, the well and septic locations, the area of trees to be cleared, and any wetlands or shoreline setbacks. Shoreland-zone projects that involve filling or grading also need an erosion control plan.

Building plans

All new residential and commercial construction needs a full set of plans:

• floor plans and elevations
• the complete foundation
• the radon collection system
• framing for floors, walls, roof, stairs and decks
• energy-conservation details for the slab, walls, ceiling, windows, doors and building envelope

Commercial plans must carry a Maine-licensed engineer’s or architect’s stamp, and some residential plans need one too.

Local rules worth knowing

• Sheds and similar storage buildings of 200 sq ft or less don’t need a building permit, but they must still meet setbacks.
• All foundations must be at least five feet below grade.
• A building permit doesn’t cover plumbing, septic, heating, electrical, sprinkler or alarm work. Some projects also need DEP or State Fire Marshal approval.
• Yard sales no longer need a permit.

Fees

The City of Bangor Schedule of Fees was revised 06/30/2026. Most fees adjust each July 1 to track CPI-U.

New construction is priced with a formula: gross square footage × the type-of-construction factor × 0.0075. The factor comes from the ICC Building Valuation Data table. For a one- or two-family home (Group R-3), the factor runs from $175.92 to $224.62 per sq ft depending on construction type. Unfinished R-3 basements use $31.50 per sq ft, private garages use the Utility factor, and shell-only buildings get 20% off.

Other permit	Fee
Residential renovation, addition, deck, pool, fence, garage	$52 for the first $2,500 + $7 per $1,000 over
Non-residential renovation or addition	$76 for the first $2,500 + $7 per $1,000 over
Demolition	$89 + $10 per story over 3
Certificate of Occupancy, no construction or up to $2,500	$31
Certificate of Occupancy, $7,501–$175,000	$185
Internal plumbing	$40 for up to 4 fixtures + $10 per additional fixture
Residential propane/natural gas burner (up to 200,000 BTU)	$70
Sign	$62
Shoreland zone permit	$358
Flood hazard development permit	$75
Board of Appeals	$360

If you start work without a permit, the city can issue a stop-work order, and you pay a double fee before the permit is issued.

Inspections and occupancy

When you sign the application, you agree to these conditions:

• schedule inspections 24 to 48 hours ahead by calling (207) 992-4230
• get approval before backfilling the foundation
• have the radon control system inspected before the basement slab is poured
• leave walls open until framing, insulation, vapor barrier, electrical and plumbing are inspected

No building may be occupied until the Building Inspector issues a Certificate of Occupancy.

Codes

Bangor enforces the Maine Uniform Building and Energy Code: the 2021 IBC, IRC, IEBC, IECC and IMC with state amendments. The city’s construction codes also include the National Electrical Code, the International Property Maintenance Code, the Maine State Plumbing Code and the Life Safety Code.

Fire Prevention Bureau

The Fire Prevention Bureau is on the first floor of City Hall, next to Code Enforcement, and can be reached at (207) 992-4263 or [email protected]. It must review and approve plans before any of the following are installed, enlarged or altered:

• fire alarm or detection systems
• suppression systems
• flammable or combustible liquid storage tanks

The Bureau uses NFPA 101, 2009 edition, for life-safety review. Its two fire inspectors carry out about 1,600 inspections a year, including inspections triggered by building permits.

Other related offices

Engineering issues driveway, blasting and street-opening permits. E911 street numbers are requested through an online form. Historic preservation applications, and minor revisions to Certificates of Appropriateness, are filed through the Code Enforcement forms list.