Saint Albans building department

In the City of St. Albans, one office at City Hall handles local building, zoning-use, sign, demolition, and certificate-of-compliance permits: the Planning and Permitting Office, also called Property Services. Every approval falls under the city’s Land Development Regulations, a city ordinance adopted under 24 V.S.A. Chapter 117. The city uses a single combined form, the Permit Application for Building, Construction, Use or Other Approval, revised December 2024, for most projects. The office asks owners to contact staff before starting any construction, demolition, renovation, alteration, or change of use.

What needs a permit

The 2025 application lists these permit categories:

• New use, accessory use, and temporary or seasonal use
• New single-family, two-family, and multi-family dwellings
• Renovations or additions to residential or commercial structures
• New commercial structures
• Accessory structures, such as sheds and detached garages
• Fences (the fence fee is waived for fences under 6 feet tall)
• Above-ground and in-ground pools
• Demolition
• Subdivisions and boundary line adjustments

Signs use a separate sign permit application. Projects that need a hearing before the Development Review Board (DRB) or Design Advisory Board (DAB) also file the DRB/DAB Hearing Application. The regulations page links the Official Zoning Map, Design Review District Map (May 29, 2023), and Stream Corridor Map. Check these before you design, because design-review districts control the outward appearance of many buildings.

Submittal requirements

Every application needs:

1. A completed Property Information Form
2. A sketch or site plan, drawn to scale as closely as possible. It must show property lines with dimensions, all existing and proposed structures and driveways or parking (porches, decks, garages, pools) with dimensions and square-foot footprints, and distances from each structure to the boundary lines.
3. When applicable, a State of Vermont Wastewater System and Potable Water Supply Permit, or proof of exemption

Forms are paper. Print them and bring them to the Planning and Permitting Office at City Hall. The city notes that forms may be updated in the office before the website catches up.

Fees

City Council adopted the fee schedule in 2012 and last updated it December 10, 2018. Fees roughly triple if work begins before the permit is issued:

Permit	Before work	After the fact
Residential construction base fee	$30	$90
Commercial construction base fee	$50	$300
Plus construction fee	$4 per $1,000 of work cost (residential); $5 per $1,000 (commercial)	same
Demolition	$50	$100
Pool, above-ground / in-ground	$20 / $30	$50 / $60
Accessory structure, fence, new or accessory use	$20	$50
Sign, temporary / permanent	$25 / $50	$100
DRB request	$90 + $7 per abutter	$140
Variance	$100	n/a

Every permit also carries a $15 City Clerk recording fee and a $12 records management fee. Fees are non-refundable, except that the construction and recording fees are returned if the application is denied. For example, a $40,000 residential addition permitted in advance would come to $30 + $160 + $27 = $217.

Appeal period and expiration

Approved permits do not take effect immediately. Anyone may appeal a decision to the DRB within 15 days of the decision (LDR Sec. 905), and no construction is allowed during the appeal period. Section 903 of the regulations sets how long a permit stays valid. When a project is finished, the application asks you to contact Property Services, because building projects may need an inspection by the City Assessor’s office.

Certificates of compliance

A Certificate of Compliance confirms that a property conforms to the Land Development Regulations. It is commonly requested at sale or refinancing. To apply, submit the certificate application with a detailed site sketch and the fee. The regular fee totals $107 ($80 + $15 recording + $12 records). With less than two business days’ notice, the expedited fee totals $127. Staff either issue the certificate or list the steps needed to bring the property into compliance.

State, fire, and utility requirements

St. Albans does not run its own building-code inspection program. The permit application directs applicants to these contacts:

• Commercial, public, or rental buildings: contact Fire Chief Matt Mulheron at (802) 524-2132 and the Vermont Division of Fire Safety at (802) 879-2300 before any construction. These buildings fall under the 2025 Vermont Fire & Building Safety Code.
• Water and wastewater allocation: Kristen Smith, (802) 524-1500 ext. 253, for any construction
• State permits: State Permit Specialist Jeff McMahon, (802) 477-2241. State electrical work requires a state permit and a licensed master electrician. Plumbing in public buildings requires a state plumbing permit and a licensed plumber.
• Energy code: new construction and some renovations must meet Vermont’s Residential or Commercial Building Energy Standards (RBES/CBES).

Vacant buildings must have a vacant building permit under the Public Health & Safety Ordinance. It costs $127, and $100 is refunded if the building is being actively marketed or demolition permits have been secured. The trespass-notice portion of the application goes to the Fire Marshal’s Office.

Permit records and contact

The Approved Permits and Decisions page posts the latest 100 notices. Prefixes show the permit type: B = building, ZU = zoning use, D = demolition, S = sign, CoC = certificate of compliance. Older records must be requested from the office.

Property Services Manager Sara Bennett can be reached at (802) 524-1500 ext. 262 or [email protected]. The office is at City Hall, 100 North Main Street, Saint Albans, VT 05478 (mailing: P.O. Box 867). It is open weekdays from 8:00 a.m. The forms page lists closing at 4:00 p.m., and the regulations page lists 4:30 p.m.