Address:
Columbia Town Hall
323 Route 87, Columbia, CT 06237
Building/Land Use Department:
Phone: 860-228-0440
Online Permitting
ONLINE PERMITTING SYSTEM
For your convenience, effective June 2022, the Town of Columbia has adopted an online permitting system for the submittal of applications for most building, electrical, plumbing, mechanical/hvac, fuel/gas and demolition permits. Multiple forms of payment are accepted.
Paper permit applications will continue to be accepted in office with a cash or check payment only, and an email address will be required. Applicants can mail checks payable to: Town of Columbia. You may also visit us with payment during our normal business hours or by using the drop box located to the left of our Yeomans Hall entrance. Any payments sent in without a copy of the necessary documents will delay processing.
Before applying for a permit, you should review the Building Department information below to see what documentation is required. Please scan and attach the required 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 delayed or rejected.
BUILDING PERMIT PROCESS
Simple permits for things such as stoves, siding, windows, roofs, doors, and repairs to existing structures, do require permitting but only require a review by the Building Official. More complex projects will require multiple reviews and approvals.
All permit applications require PDF copied attachments of:
- Contractor's License
- Worker's Compensation Insurance Certificate or State 7A/7B waiver form
- Letter of Authorization: required if the contractor is giving the permission of the homeowner or agent to take out a permit under their license number.
- Owner can do their own work and take out their own permits, but state building code states that the home must be owned and inhabited by the owner to allow doing their own work. Flips and rental homes/units require licensed mechanical and structural contractors to apply for permitting.
In addition to the above mentioned permitting, more detailed reviews, permitting, and submissions may be required. If you are constructing, erecting, enlarging, and altering the current footprint and/or moving, removing, or changing the use of a current building it will require reviews by multiple departments (EHHD, Inland Wetlands, Zoning). The following additional submissions are required:
- Plot plan with the proposed structure and work/activity depicted to scale
- Drawings/Plans showing how the structure or space is to be built and if changing or adding onto existing space, an existing plan with designations of spaces used and a proposed plan of designated spaces (both new and existing)
In some cases, this may even require a bit more information to allow for a full and thorough review. You may be asked to provide:
- Additional supporting evidence by outside sources
Paid Property Taxes:
Our Town Ordinance requires all taxes be paid and current before a permit can be issued. If a property is flagged as delinquent the review process will be delayed.
FILLING OUT the PERMIT APPLICATION (after you have logged onto the online permitting website).
- Select the appropriate permit application from the menu on the right
- Select the location for the permit by entering any characters of column text in the white boxes under House # and/or Street to narrow your search.
- Choose the address by highlighting its row.
- Click the Next button above the Property List.
- Fill out the application fields to completion.
- Once you have filled out all text fields click Submit.
- This will prompt you to add attachments. Click ok if you want to add attachments.
- Please mail or hand deliver a check when emailed the payment due amount payable to the Town of Columbia. Credit card payments are now also accepted via the online permitting system.
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 right. Please be sure file names or descriptions accurately depict the purpose of the file.
