Building Department / Housing Inspector

State law allows the building official up to thirty (30) days to review your application for proposed work and ten (10) days to issue a Certificate of Occupancy (once all inspections and paperwork are completed). Call at least 24 hours in advance for inspections.

When building permits are issued, the work involved must be started within 180 days. The permit will become invalid if work is suspended or abandoned for more than 180 days. The Building Official may grant extensions to the permit if applied for in writing.

The Building Department is open Monday through Friday 8:00 am until 12:00 noon to obtain permits. Inspections are available from 9:00 am until 2:00 pm Monday through Thursday. The phone number is (860) 379-3818 (ext 332). Call this number to schedule inspections. Appointments for inspections may not be left on the department answering machine. You must have a permit before an inspection is scheduled. For any building code questions, ask to speak to an inspector. If a voice mailbox is reached at any time, leave a detailed message and your call will be returned as soon as possible.

Building Permits cost $30 for the first $1000 of constructed value and $18 per thousand there after. The permit applicant is required to place a reasonable estimated value on the work to be done, even if there is no actual cost to a project (i.e. someone installing a free wood stove or relocating a shed or building on the same property).

You can print out a complaint form from the Building Department website by clicking this link and either drop it off at the Building Department, or fax it to us at (860) 738-6598, and we will get back to you on it.

If this is a life safety emergency, than hang up and dial 911. Please notify our office immediately that an emergency condition exists and that you need an approval immediately. You must state the reason for the emergency and you must have an approval before proceeding with any work.

A.) When submitting a Permit application for approval, two copies of a plan must be submitted as well as two copies of the proposed plot plan for approval, a Building Permit application form and a departmental sign-off card. All forms must be fully completed.

B.) May require approval from the Torrington Area Health District (if served by septic System).

C.) When applying for a permit, the owner of the property or agent for the owner, (contractor or architect), may act as the applicant, and shall be responsible for the prosecution of the permit. Agents for the applicant must have a letter of authorization.

D.) At the time an application for a permit is received, the Building Official must examine all of the documentation submitted with the application to determine if the proposed work is compliant with the state building code. The local fire marshal determines if the proposed work is substantially compliant with the state fire safety code, where applicable. If insufficient information is presented to determine compliance with the state code, then the application must be denied.

E.) Please submit installation instructions and listing information for all equipment that is proposed to be installed with your application. The Building Department will review this information for code compliance prior to inspection and shall verify that the installation complies with the listing instructions and code requirements.

Building permits are required for new construction, renovations, and remodeling, with the exception of some routine maintenance. They are also required for such projects as swimming pools, storage sheds, and some other improvements that are not part of the principal structure on a property. The primary reason to require building permits is to verify that new construction and improvements are done safely and in compliance with state and local regulations. Building permits also provide a permanent record of work that has been done on the property for future residents.

Zoning Permits are required when opening a business, when almost any type of construction is being done, and also when there is a change of use in the property.

A Rental Certificate of Occupancy is required for all 3-family-or-more buildings every 2 years, or prior to having the apartment occupied as per our Town Ordinances. Please call our office at (860) 379-3818 to set up an inspection.

The first step may be to simply speak to the Building Official to discuss your project. All cities and towns in Connecticut use the Connecticut State Building Code. There is no such thing as a local building code (however local Zoning Regulations will dictate where some uses or structures may be located). The State Building Code is available in most libraries or can be ordered online at https://portal.ct.gov/-/media/DAS/Office-of-State-Building-Inspector/SBC_buybooks.pdf
The Building Code is a comprehensive and expensive publication, and in most cases, it wouldn’t be very useful to most homeowners.