Last reviewed October 31, 2026.
The roofer can start Monday. Then, at the kitchen table, comes the question nobody has asked yet: does the town need to know? In Brookhaven the answer sits in the town code, spread across a few sections rather than one tidy sentence.
What the Brookhaven code says about re-roofing
Chapter 16 of the town code requires a building permit “for any work which must conform to the Uniform Code and/or the Energy Code,” including the alteration or improvement of any building or portion of it. It then lists what is exempt: small sheds, window awnings, painting and similar finish work, portable equipment, and repairs that do not affect the structural system, the exits or fire protection.
Roofing is not named on that exempt list, and the town does not publish a roofing-specific answer. Two things are clear from the text. Work on the structure itself, such as rafters or replacing the roof deck, is outside the repair exemption. And the code adds that being exempt from a permit never makes it acceptable to do work that breaks the Uniform Code.
The practical answer: before the roofer starts, call the Building Division at 631-451-8696 with the scope of work (tear-off or overlay, whether any sheathing is coming off) and ask. Write down who you spoke to and the date.
State roofing rules every Brookhaven roof follows
New York adopted the 2025 Uniform Code, including the 2025 Residential Code of New York State, effective December 31, 2025. Its re-roofing section sets limits that apply with or without a town permit:
- Replacement means a full tear-off. Section R908.3 says roof replacement includes removing the existing layers down to the roof deck.
- Two layers is the ceiling for an overlay. Section R908.4 does not allow a new roof over an existing one that already has two or more layers, is water-soaked or deteriorated, or is slate, clay, cement or asbestos-cement tile.
- Damaged flashing gets replaced, not reused.
Applying for a Brookhaven building permit
The town’s online system at digitalservices.brookhavenny.gov handles new applications, and since September 28, 2026 it handles renewals too. The town says it will never ask for payment by wire transfer.
The town’s paper application (revised December 2024) lists what goes with a residential filing. The pieces that matter on a roof job:
| Item | What the application asks for |
|---|---|
| Workers’ comp | Form C-105.2, U-26.3, GSI-105.2, SI-12 or CE-200 |
| Disability insurance | Form CE-200, DB-120.1 or DB-155 |
| Homeowner doing the work | CE-200 exemption form |
| Cost estimate | Itemized, from the vendor, for alterations |
| Survey | 2 originals, signed and stamped, dated within a year |
| Plans | 3 sets, plus a PDF if available |
| Historic district | Historic District Advisory Committee approval, where it applies |
Those insurance forms are worth asking your roofer for whether or not a permit is filed. The town also charges a $50 Planning Division review fee with each one- or two-family residential permit application. The Building Division’s own dollar fee schedule is set by Town Board resolution and is not posted, so ask for the fee when you call.
After the work: inspections and the certificate
The code requires a certificate of occupancy or certificate of compliance for any work done under a building permit, after an inspection. The town’s FAQ says that after the final inspection, the Building Division mails a list of what it needs to issue the certificate. A permit is good for one year from the date it is issued. A renewal costs the greater of one third of the current permit fee or the minimum fee, and renewals done online are 10 percent cheaper.
Keep the certificate with your house papers.
Historic districts in the town
If your house is a town landmark, or sits in one of Brookhaven’s sixteen historic districts or within 500 feet of one, you need Historic District Advisory Committee approval to change the design, materials or outward appearance, the town says, “including but not limited to siding, roofing, and window replacement.” That applies even when no building permit is needed. The districts include Stony Brook, Old Setauket, East Setauket, Miller Place, Mount Sinai, Yaphank, Center Moriches, Eastport and Old Mastic. Call the Planning Division at (631) 451-6400 to check your address.
The committee’s handbook asks that new roofing resemble the original color as closely as possible, and that metal or slate roofs be repaired rather than replaced with contemporary material. Ordinary repairs that do not change the design or material do not need review.
Penalties for skipping the permit
Breaking Chapter 16, or a permit, stop-work order or other order under it, can bring a fine of up to $125 per day of violation, up to 15 days in jail, or both. The code also allows a civil penalty of up to $125 for every day the violation continues, orders to fix it, and stop-work orders.
Villages inside Brookhaven
Suffolk County lists Belle Terre, Bellport, Lake Grove, Old Field, Patchogue, Poquott, Port Jefferson and Shoreham among the incorporated villages in the Town of Brookhaven. If your address is in one of them, start with village hall, not Farmingville.
Who can do the work
We found no town contractor license for roofing in the Brookhaven code. Suffolk County’s law does cover it: home improvement contracting includes roofing and siding, and working without a county license is a misdemeanor with a fine of up to $5,000, up to a year in jail, or both. Look the roofer up in the county’s lookup before you sign, using the steps in our guide to checking a contractor.
This page is the permit. The companies with a shop in the town, and the license line on each card, are a separate list.
