Building Department

The Town of Thomaston is excited to partner with Permit Link to offer online building permits beginning Monday, February 3, 2025!

Fee adjustment: Effective February 3, 2025
The building permit fee schedule has been adjusted for online permitting. The fee for building permits will increase by $11, to cover the electronic processing fee, as adopted by the Board of Selectman on December 3, 2024.
BOS Minutes 12/3/24

BUILDING PERMIT PROCESS

For a list of common projects that require building permits, please check our FAQ section: "How do I know if my project requires a building permit?" 

Property Taxes and Sewer: 

Per Thomaston Code, Article III, § 128-7: Pursuant to C.G.S § 7-148(c)(2)(B), as amended, no building permit shall be issued for improvements to any property on which the property taxes, sewer rates, charges or assessments imposed by the Town of Thomaston Water Pollution Control Authority are delinquent. 

Online Permitting System Guidelines

For your convenience, the Town has adopted new online permitting for the submittal of applications for residential building permits, electrical permits, plumbing and gas permits, mechanical permits, Demolition and Fire Protection permits.

Paper permit applications will no longer be accepted. If you do not own a computer or if you need assistance using a computer, both are available at Town Hall. A computer station terminal is located at the Town Hall. Assistance can be obtained in the office or by contacting the Building Department office during normal business hours.

You will have the option to pay online after the application has been submitted. Applicants can mail a check payable to the Town of Thomaston. You may also visit us with payment during our normal business hours. Any payments sent in without a copy of the necessary documents will not be accepted.

Before applying for a permit, you should review the Building Department information above to see what documentation is required. Please scan and attach supporting documentation with your completed application. If you do not have the ability to scan and upload, please send by mail or in person with a copy of your application. Provide as much information as you can on the form as incomplete applications may be rejected.


Filling Out a Permit Application (after you have logged onto the online permitting website).

​Adding Attachments to Your Permit Application After Submit:
 
If you need to add attachments after closing a submitted application or want to check your status, go to My Documents at the top center of the Main Page. Select the Permit and click buttons to the left.

We accept the following forms of payment:

Cash payments are only accepted during regular office hours.

Checks can be mailed to the Building Department at 158 Main Street, Thomaston, CT 06787, or dropped off during regular office hours.

Debit/Credit Card and eCheck payments can be made online with Invoice Cloud.  The link to pay online can be found under Resources. Convenience fees apply. 

Following is a list of common projects that require permits. This is not intended to be a comprehensive list; please call the Building Department with any questions:

A building permit serves as formal and legal permission to start any construction job. The issuance of a building permit indicates that plans for a new structure, addition, alteration, renovation, foundation, plumbing, heating and air conditioning, electrical, prefabricated structures, etc. have been approved by a building inspector and complies with current mandated building codes and zoning regulations.

Increased Value.  Your home or business is an investment. If your construction project does not comply with the codes adopted by your community, the value of your investment could be reduced. Property insurers may not cover work done without permits and inspections. If you decide to sell a home or building that has had modifications without a permit, you may be required to tear down the addition, leave it unoccupied or do costly repairs.

Legal Protection.  A property owner who can show that code requirements were strictly and consistently met, as demonstrated by a Building Official's carefully maintained records, has a strong ally if something happens to trigger a potentially destructive lawsuit.

Safety.  Your permit also allows the Building Official to protect the public by reducing the potential hazards of unsafe construction and ensuring public health, safety and welfare. By following code guidelines, your completed project will meet minimum standards of safety and will be less likely to cause injury to you, your family, your friends or future owners.

A homeowner can work on his or her own house provided the house is a single-family, owner-occupied dwelling. If the house is a rental property or a multi-family dwelling, a Connecticut licensed professional must apply for the permit and perform the electrical, plumbing, heating, air conditioning, sprinkler, mechanical, etc. work.

No. Because of liability, the Town cannot make recommendations of any type. You are encouraged to “shop around”, ask for references, and check with the CT Department of Consumer Protection website to confirm your contractor has been licensed by the State of Connecticut.

Inspections are performed by a Building Inspector, who checks each phase of construction and makes certain that the work conforms to the building codes, the approved plans, and the permit.

Building codes are laws and ordinances established by Local, State, and Federal governments which set minimum safety standards. Building codes embrace all aspects of the building construction - structural as well as plumbing, electrical, HVAC, and mechanical.

Current State of Connecticut Building Code

104.10.1 State Building Code. Pursuant to subsection (b) of section 29-254 of the Connecticut General Statutes, the State Building Inspector may grant modifications, variations or exemptions from, or approve equivalent or alternative compliance with, the Connecticut State Building Code where strict compliance with the Connecticut State Building Code would entail practical difficulty or unnecessary hardship, or is otherwise adjudged unwarranted, provided the intent of the law shall be observed and public welfare and safety be assured. 

Modification Request Form Available Here.

The Assessor's office can help you with tax related questions. They can be reached at (860) 283-0305

Examples of Mechanical permits include electrical, plumbing, heating, air conditioning, ventilation, sprinkler, hood systems, low voltage wiring.

If you have a concern as to whether work is being done with the required building permit and/or whether work is being done according to Connecticut Building Code, please fill out and return a Building & Land Use Concern/Complaint form. 

Complaints are addressed according to the following priorities and in the order received.  

Building & Land Use staff will contact you within 48 hours upon initial receipt of your complaint; however, please understand that complaints will be investigated and addressed according to the priority system listed above.

Complainants should also be aware that, pursuant to the Connecticut Freedom of Information Act, once this form has been submitted to the Town of Thomaston, it becomes a public record and as such must be made available for public inspection upon request.