If you are planning to remodel or build a new commercial building, this guide will take you through the process from start to finish. We created this page for developers, engineers, planners, architects, and anyone else involved in the planning and construction process.
A commercial building is defined as a building that is any of the following:
- Used for commercial purposes
- Mixed-use
- 3 or more residential units (apartments)
For additional information about required permits for 1-2 family residential projects, exterior demolitions, licensed trades, right-of-way and more,
click here.
Depending on your project, you may need a series of zoning reviews. Before you start, make sure your project is allowed by our zoning laws by contacting the Office of Zoning. The way that your property is zoned will affect the kind of projects you’re allowed to do. You can also use the Zoning and Application Discovery Tool located on the Online Application Portal.
The Central Permit Office needs to know about the proposed project: You have two options:
Option 1: Pre-Development Meeting Registration (Optional): Schedule a meeting with City staff to help with the planning process of your commercial project and before submitting documentation for review. See Step 4 if you choose this option.
Option 2: Commercial Intake Project Registration (Required): Register your commercial project for review. Your project will be reviewed to decide whether you need an intake meeting. Skip to Step 5 if you choose this option.
A pre-development meeting gives you and your project team the opportunity to meet with relevant City staff who will review your project. This meeting is not required but can be scheduled to help in the planning process and before registering your project for review. Click on the button below to complete the form. If this is your first time using the Online Application Portal, you will need to create an account.
Pre-Development Meeting Registration Form
Find out more about what happens at a Pre-Development Meeting:
Before the Meeting:
- Make sure all the major project stakeholders can come to the meeting, including the developer and any architects, engineers, and contractors.
- Be prepared to share details about the project, including timeline and construction plans.
During the Meeting:
- City departments involved in the review of your project will be in attendance (i.e. Engineering, Fire, Planning, Public Works, and Zoning).
- You and your team will present details about the project.
- We’ll let you know about any problems or concerns we have, and what approvals you need for your project.
- We’ll answer your questions.
After the Meeting:
- Within 3 business days of the meeting, we’ll give you feedback about your project and details about which steps in the process apply.
- We’ll provide a contact list of all City staff members who attended the meeting and any other staff members you need to contact about your plan.
- Please be in regular contact with city stakeholders to resolve any issues prior to submitting final plans for permit review.
This form must be filled out by the architect or engineer who is the formal “design professional of record”. The form will need their signature and stamp. If required, this form must be completed before your scheduled intake meeting with the Central Permit Office.
This form is required if your project:
Building and Existing Building Code Review Form
Please complete the form carefully. If you submit any incorrect information, you will need to complete the form again. This form is not a comprehensive code analysis and does not guarantee compliance. We may need to ask for additional information to complete our review.
All commercial projects need to be registered. When you’re ready, use the form below to register your commercial project for review:
Commercial Intake Project Registration
Once we receive your registration, you will receive an answer within 1 to 2 days regarding whether or not your project requires an intake meeting. If it does require intake, we will schedule the meeting and ensure the appropriate City staff will be in attendance.
During the meeting, we will:
- Let you know about any problems or concerns we have with your project.
- Tell you which approvals you need for your project.
- Let you know next steps to submit your plans for review.
- Answer any questions.
When you’ve completed all the previous steps, you’re ready to submit your final plans. All plans and documents must be submitted through our Online Application Portal. Please review the Checklist for Commercial Permit Application for a list of everything you will need to submit with your application. Click the button below to apply for commercial construction permits:
Commercial Construction Permits
Depending on the scope of your project, it can take 8 weeks to approve plans and issue your permits (or longer if revisions need to be made). You cannot start construction until you have all your permits.
Tips for managing the permit process:
- Get started on your permit applications as soon as possible.
- We can only issue permits for finalized projects. We understand that most developers work with preliminary plans until the project is finalized, but you’ll need to wait until your plans are finalized and certified to apply for permits.
- If your construction plans change significantly for any reason, please contact permits@syr.gov.
- All City departments that need to be involved in approving your project will conduct a review of your final plans. We’ll make it clear what you need to do for final approval of your site plan.
Once your application is approved and payment is received, your permit will be issued and uploaded to the documents section of your submission on the online portal. You must print the permit placard and place it in an obvious location at the project site. You will have one year from the time of issuance to complete the project.
As you complete each phase of construction, our city inspectors will visit to ensure that the work meets New York State’s safety standards. There are 5 major types of inspections:
- Electrical Inspections for electrical and security work.
- Building Permit Inspections for the construction or alteration of structures, pools, fences and decks.
- Mechanical Permit Inspections for HVAC and refrigeration work, above / underground tanks, cooking hood systems, and fireplaces.
- Sprinkler Permit Inspections.
- Fire Alarm Inspections.
Here is how the inspection process works:
1. Schedule City Inspections: Contact the Division of Code Enforcement at 315-448-8695 or CodeEnforcement@syr.gov to set up your inspections. When you call, be prepared to provide the following:
2. Schedule Elevator and Plumbing Inspections: The City does not perform elevator or plumbing inspections. You will have to set them up separately.
3. Before Inspections: You must do the following:
- Post a copy of your permit in the building.
- Make sure to have your approved plans available.
4. During Inspections: Be ready to show the following:
- Footing before pouring concrete (building inspector)
- Foundation before backfill (building inspector)
- Framing before enclosing (building inspector)
- Sprinkler before closing (sprinkler inspector)
- Electric before enclosing (electrical inspector)
- Elevator (elevator inspector contracted by City)
- Fire Alarm/Security (fire)
- Plumbing before enclosing (County plumbing control inspector)
- Heating, ventilation, air conditional before enclosing (HVAC inspector)
- Insulation before enclosing (building inspector)
- Final inspection (all of the above complete a final inspection, though not simultaneously).
Once all your inspections are complete and we determine that your building is up to code and safe, your inspector will issue a Certificate of Occupancy or Certificate of Completion. Once you have one of those certificates, you can connect utilities to your building (power, water, and gas) and open it to the public. In you have questions regarding inspections, please contact 315-448-8695 or CodeEnforcement@syr.gov.