Hempstead building department

The Town of Hempstead Department of Buildings, at One Washington Street in Hempstead, enforces the state building code and the town’s housing, plumbing, electrical, and zoning rules. It enforces the New York State Uniform Code. Applications filed on or after December 31, 2025 fall under the 2025 edition. It also enforces the town’s housing, plumbing, and electrical codes and the Town of Hempstead Building Zone Ordinance, and it regulates multiple residences, places of public assembly, and unsafe structures.

Nassau County does not issue building permits for town properties. The town’s incorporated villages run their own building departments. For example, the Incorporated Village of Hempstead’s Building Department enforces the Uniform Code and the village zoning ordinance from 99 James A. Garner Way. Before you file with the town, confirm whether your address is in a village.

Filing through the Online Permit Center

The town’s Online Permit Center is an OpenGov portal; the old ViewPoint Cloud address now redirects to it. Create an account there to:

• Submit applications and upload documents
• Track review status and message staff
• Request inspections
• Print issued permits

Under the Building Department Permits category you’ll find filing instructions for these residential project types, among others:

• Decks
• Fences
• Sheds
• Above-ground and in-ground pools
• AC units and generators
• Solar panels
• In-kind kitchen and bath replacement
• Mother-daughter and immediate-family use
• Senior residence units
• Demolition
• New houses, and rebuilds of more than 50%

These rules apply to every application:

• Owner affidavit: a completed, notarized Affidavit of Property Owner.
• File format: all documents uploaded as PDFs. Photos of documents are rejected.
• Contractor permits: a notarized Contractor Information Form plus workers’ compensation proof (C-105.2, U-26.3, or a CE-200 exemption).
• Jobs with no trade work: a notarized Affidavit of No Plumbing and Electrical.
• Dormant applications: applications left dormant for 90 days are abandoned, and their fees are forfeited.

General filing questions go to [email protected].

Most residential checklists ask for:

• A recent, unaltered survey by a licensed land surveyor
• A plot plan
• Construction drawings at a scale of at least 1/4 inch to 1 foot

Alterations also need a Zoning Analysis Sheet and a sealed Design Professional’s Certificate of Compliance. Second-story decks require drawings signed and sealed by an architect or engineer. Solar filings use the Long Island Unified Solar Fast Track application and need:

• A PE letter certifying the system for sustained winds of 125 mph
• A Consent for Inspection form
• An electrical inspection

Sheds, fences, and zoning

The town’s shed checklist sets these limits:

• Size: at most 144 sq ft of floor area, 9 feet tall, and 12 feet in any horizontal dimension, unless the Board of Zoning Appeals grants a special exception.
• Location: rear yard only, at least 45 feet from the front property line, and at least 2 feet from the side and rear lines.
• Corner lots: the shed must sit exactly 2 feet from the rear and side lines, and the town suggests consulting a plans examiner first.

Fences on interior lots may be up to 6 feet tall along the rear lot line and the side lines that enclose the rear yard. Fencing in front of the house’s front building line is limited to 4 feet, must not substantially block sight lines, and must respect clear-sight triangles. See do I need a permit for a shed for general background.

The department’s zoning summary lists these standards for the main residence districts:

District	Min. lot area	Max. lot coverage	Corner-lot front yard
Residence A	6,000 sq ft	25%	30 ft
Residence B	6,000 sq ft	27.5%	25 ft
Residence C	6,000 sq ft	35%	20 ft

These rules apply in every district:

• Maximum height of 2½ stories and 30 feet, measured from the crown of the road.
• Front setback at least the average of existing houses within 200 feet, but no more than 40 feet.

Projects that need a variance go to the Board of Appeals at (516) 812-3004. Those filings need a $40 Building Department record search and site photos.

Fees

The town’s 2024 fee sheet scales permit fees by estimated construction cost:

Estimated cost	Residential (proposed)	Residential (legalize existing, “maintain”)	Commercial (proposed)
$1,000	$200	$400	$400
$10,000	$362	$724	$562
$50,000	$1,082	$2,164	$1,282
$100,000	$1,982	$3,964	$2,182

Legalizing existing work (“maintain”) costs twice the fee for proposed work. The town code fee section (§ 86-11, as printed in 2018) sets several other fees:

• New one- or two-family dwelling: at least $300
• Original certificate of occupancy for a one- or two-family home: $250
• Residential solar PV: $100
• Additional inspection: $50
• Multiple-residence registration: $300 for up to 10 units

A certified copy of a CO or certificate of completion ordered through the portal costs $40.

Inspector call hours

Inspectors take calls only during short morning windows before they leave for field work.

Staff	Phone	Hours
Building inspectors	(516) 812-3088	8:30–10:00 a.m.
Plumbing inspectors	(516) 812-3126	7:30–9:30 a.m.
Housing and zoning inspectors	(516) 812-3052, 812-3115, or 812-3107	9:00–10:30 a.m.
Plans examiners	(516) 812-3073	9:00 a.m.–noon; call the day before to book an appointment

The front counter is open 8:00 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. Call the building inspectors before uploading supplemental plans. The town licenses plumbers and electricians through the same portal, and it keeps a list of approved electrical inspection agencies.