Concord building department

Concord’s Building Safety Division is part of the Code Administration Division of the Community Development Department. It reviews plans, issues building, electrical, plumbing, mechanical, and demolition permits, inspects the work, and issues certificates of occupancy. It also enforces the City’s Property Maintenance Code and supports the Building Board of Appeals. The office is in the City Hall Annex at 37 Green Street, next to City Hall at 41 Green Street, and is open Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Zoning is handled elsewhere. On September 30, 2024, all zoning functions moved from Code Administration to the City’s Planning Division, so Zoning Board of Adjustment applications and zoning questions go there.

Codes Concord enforces

Code	Edition
International Building, Residential, Mechanical, and Plumbing Codes	2024
International Energy Conservation Code	2018
International Swimming Pool and Spa Code	2021
National Electrical Code (NFPA 70)	2023
International Property Maintenance Code	2021

The City also publishes local design values. Ground snow load is 70 psf at 600 feet of elevation. Because the city ranges from 200 to 875 feet, the actual value runs from about 61.6 to 75.8 psf. Design wind speed is 90 mph, seismic site class is B, frost depth is 48 inches, and weathering is rated severe.

Applying through Citizen Self Service

Concord no longer accepts paper permit applications. Everything goes through the Citizen Self Service (CSS) portal, a Tyler EnerGov system. The City says to use Google Chrome and warns that the portal doesn’t work on mobile devices. For walk-in applicants there is a computer kiosk at the office, and staff can help.

Accounts are approved for contractors, permit services, design professionals, owner-builders, and applicants in Growth Management cases. To register:

1. Click Register in the portal.
2. Confirm your email address through the link the portal sends you.
3. Set your username and password.
4. Wait for a second email saying your account is approved.

Other users can look up permit information through the portal’s public search.

After you submit, staff email you as the review moves along, and then send the fee notice. Payment releases the permit, which is emailed to you. Simple projects can be approved in days, while large ones can take several weeks. If you create a new dwelling unit, impact fees apply, and they must be paid before the certificate of occupancy is issued.

What needs a permit

Concord’s permit list includes replacing kitchen cabinets or countertops. Decks, porches, garages, generators, solar arrays, and above-ground or in-ground pools also need permits. According to the City’s residential guide, these don’t need a permit:

• sheds and accessory structures of 60 sq ft or less
• retaining walls up to 4 feet
• fences up to 7 feet
• pools less than 24 inches deep
• nonstructural roofing, siding, and replacement windows
• painting, papering, tiling, carpeting, and similar finish work
• wall-supported window awnings projecting no more than 54 inches

Two other reviews can lengthen a project. Under the demolition review ordinance, demolishing more than 500 sq ft of a building that is more than 50 years old can take up to 60 days to approve. In the Historic District, all exterior work needs Planning approval.

Inspections are scheduled by phone

The City asks that you not schedule inspections online. Call Code Administration at (603) 225-8580, or call the inspector for that discipline:

Inspection	Direct line
Commercial building	(603) 230-3639
Residential building	(603) 230-3641 or (603) 230-3649
Electrical	(603) 230-3644
Plumbing and mechanical	(603) 230-3642

The general contractor calls for building inspections. Each licensed electrician, plumber, or mechanical contractor calls for their own, and in most cases must be on site for the inspection.

Before a certificate of occupancy or completion can be issued, all inspections must be approved and, where they apply, these must be in place:

• an E911 address number posted on the building or driveway
• proof of potable water from a private well
• NHDES “Approval for Operation” for a septic system

Building permit fees

The building fee schedule took effect July 1, 2020. It has these charges:

• New construction and alterations: a $30 nonrefundable application fee, plus $7.60 per $1,000 of estimated cost.
• Demolition: $30, plus a $30 demolition-plan review fee, plus $10 per $1,000.
• Change of occupancy: $50.

If work starts before the permit is issued, the fee goes up by 25% for a contractor’s first offense, 50% for the second, and 100% after that. Electrical, plumbing, mechanical, and fire fees are on separate schedules, all linked from the Building Applications & Fees page.

Contacts

Need	Contact
Code Administration, permits, inspections	(603) 225-8580, [email protected]
A submitted application missing from the portal	(603) 225-8580, with the permit type and address
Office	City Hall Annex, 37 Green Street, Concord, NH 03301