Building Department
Building Department Office, Room 212
Town Hall, 2 Renshaw Road
203 656-7347 phone
203 656-7385 fax
Open Monday - Friday, 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m., closed Holidays
- Charles A. Saverine
Building Official
CSaverine@darienct.gov - Peter E. Solheim
Assistant Building Official
PSolheim@darienct.gov - Michael E. Vitti
Assistant Building Official
MVitti@darienct.gov - Lisa Mason
Office Administrator
LMason@darienct.gov - Nancy Sforza
Secretary
NSforza@darienct.gov
Inspectors are in the office Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. - 10:00 a.m., 1:00 p.m - 2:00 p.m., and 4:00 p.m. - 4:30 p.m. to answer questions and take calls
Inspections are Monday through Friday from
10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. and 2:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Request inspections or information by e-mail to Lisa Mason. Please include:
- Owner’s name & address
- Type of Inspection
- Your name & phone number
- Permit number
Information you can obtain from the Building Department:
- Surveys and plot plans
- Permits issued by address
- Certificates of Occupancy for permits
- Certificates of Compliance for permits
- Construction plans for permits issued after 1960; if you are the homeowner
- A list of current construction
You need a Building Permit for:
- Building a house
- Adding a garage
- Putting on a deck or portico
- Remodeling a bathroom
- Finishing part of a basement or attic
- Putting on a new roof
- Renovating a kitchen
- Installing a pool or spa, in-ground or above
- Erecting a shed
- Erecting a large tent
- Demolishing a structure
- Enclosing a porch
- Installing a gas or wood burning stove or fireplace
- Changing the size of windows, or adding a bay window
- Doing interior alterations
- Installing lawn sprinkler systems
A Building Permit must be activated within 6 months or the permit will become null and void. The applicant may request, in writing, a ninety (90) day extension of the permit.
To obtain a Building Permit you will need:
- 2 green building applications filled out
- 1 zoning application filled out
- 1 worker’s comp. Affidavit filled out and notarized
- 3 sets of plans and 3 surveys (if required), a 4th set of plans for commercial projects
- Health clearance if required
- A check for $40.00 made out to The Town of Darien, (zoning fees)
Everything is dropped off as a package to the Planning and Zoning Department. It will be forwarded to the Building Department for review and you will be contacted when it is ready to be picked up.
Building Permit fees are as follows:
- $10 minimum fee for all permits up to and including $1,000 of valuation of work.
- $10 per thousand for each additional thousand or fraction thereof of valuation of work.
- This fee includes all mechanical fees. Mechanical trade permits must be obtained, but no charge is made when they are covered by a building permit.
- Valuation of work includes the entire cost of construction, alteration or moving of the building or structure including value of all materials and labor used, whether or not donated or furnished by the owner. Does not include value of land, sanitary disposal system, well, driveway or site work.
- Carnivals, fairs, exhibitions or similar activity - $10.
- Temporary electric service for construction - $30.
- Service change or revamp - $60.
- Oil tank or Propane installation - $20.
- There shall be no refund of any fee, or part thereof, after a permit has been issued.
- An Education fee of .16 per thousand dollars of construction value will be collected on every permit.
Codes that we use in Darien (effective September 1, 2004):
- 1996 BOCA National Code
- 2003 International Building Code
- 2003 International Residential Code One & Two Family Dwellings
- 2003 International Energy Conservation Code
- 2003 International Mechanical Code
- 2003 International Plumbing Code
- 2002 National Electric Code, NFPA 70
- 2004 Amendment to the Connecticut Supplement
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