Last reviewed October 31, 2026.
A roofer walks the ridge of a 1930s shingle cottage in Hampton Bays, tells the owner the old roof is done, and adds that the town never asks for a permit on a reroof. The roofer is close to what the town itself says. What that pitch skipped decides the answer on that particular house: the year it was built, and whether the lot sits inside one of the villages.
Southampton Town’s written answer on roofing material
The Town of Southampton’s FAQ, under Public Safety and Code Enforcement, answers “Is a building permit required?” this way: “Replacing siding or roofing material generally does not require a permit, but in village businesses and where buildings are in close proximity, it may require a permit to ascertain that fire codes are addressed.” The same answer opens by saying a permit is not required for minor work, wood stoves excepted, and sends questions about homes to the Building Department.
That is an FAQ, not a section of the town code, and “generally” is doing real work in it. The town’s building code chapter, Chapter 123, sits on eCode360, which did not let us read it directly, so we could not check its exemption list word for word. Treat the FAQ as the town’s plain-language position. Then confirm your scope by phone.
Structural work is a different story. Asked whether rebuilding a deck, porch or steps exactly the way it was needs a building permit, the town’s Building and Zoning FAQ answers with one word: “Yes.” The building permit application has a box for alteration, renovation or repair, which is where reframing work gets described.
| Roof job on a house in the unincorporated town | What town sources say |
|---|---|
| New shingles or other roofing material only | Generally no permit, per the code enforcement FAQ |
| Same, on a building close to its neighbors | May need one so fire codes are checked |
| House built before 1941 or a recognized historic resource | Landmarks Board review of any permit application |
| Visible change of material or color on a landmark or in a historic district | Certificate of appropriateness first |
| Rebuilt structure, even to the old design | The FAQ’s deck and porch answer is yes |
The Landmarks Board and houses older than 1941
The town’s Landmarks and Historic Districts Board says it “reviews demolition and construction permit applications which are submitted through the Town Building Department, for structures built before 1941 or those that are recognized historic resources.” Under Section 330-320 of the zoning code, last amended in February 2025, the board has nine town residents appointed by the Town Board, with the Town Historian sitting in without a vote.
Section 330-321 draws the line that matters for a roof. Ordinary maintenance and repair that does not change “design, material, color or outward appearance” is left alone. A material change in how a landmark or a property in a historic district looks from a public street or alley needs a certificate of appropriateness from the board, and Section 330-324 says no building permit for that work will be issued until the certificate is. The board does not weigh features that cannot be seen from a public right of way.
So gray asphalt over gray asphalt on a designated house is maintenance. Cedar shakes replaced with asphalt, or a new standing seam roof on the street side, is a change in material and outward appearance. A board handout dated 2011 described its review as free. We found no newer statement either way, and the current fee schedule has a separate Landmarks review line we could not read cleanly. Ask before you count on it.
What the 2026 fee schedule charges
The Building and Zoning Division’s residential fee schedule, effective May 26, 2026, has no roofing line. When a roof job does need a permit, it lands under renovations, billed by the square foot. The rates below are cash or check prices. A credit card costs slightly more on every line.
| Item | Cash or check |
|---|---|
| New dwellings, additions and renovations | Per square foot by size band, from 50 cents up to 2,000 sq. ft. to $2.50 above 5,000 |
| Completeness review on an online submission | $20 |
| Missed inspection | $25 |
| Re-inspection after the first | $50 |
| Six-month extension, up to four | $150, then $300, $450 and $600 |
| Application for work already done | Double fees |
Every residential permit is valid for two years, with up to two renewals at the current permit fee. The FAQ says a renewal means a new, signed application and the fee, and inspections can be requested as soon as it is filed. The same FAQ says the current owner is responsible for a permit that expired before they bought the house. If you are buying, look up the address before you close.
Applying at 116 Hampton Road
The Department of Land Management’s Building and Zoning Division is at 116 Hampton Road, Southampton, NY 11968. The version of the town’s Application for Building Permit posted in September 2026 lists the phone as 631-287-5700. The form wants the property’s tax map number, the owner and a contact person, and a description of the construction with its square footage. Down in the department-use section sits a line for the contractor’s Southampton Town license number. Applicants also check a box acknowledging that false statements are a Class A misdemeanor under the state Penal Law.
The town keeps a checklist for each kind of residential application online, and the FAQ points there for what to submit. The town licenses home improvement contractors under Chapter 143 of its code, and the Southampton town roofer page covers that license along with the county one.
Six villages and part of Sag Harbor
Suffolk County lists six incorporated villages in the Town of Southampton. Each runs its own building department and its own rules:
| Village | Village hall phone (county list) |
|---|---|
| Southampton | 631-283-0247 |
| North Haven | 631-725-1378 |
| Quogue | 631-653-4498 |
| Sagaponack | 631-537-0017 |
| Westhampton Beach | 631-288-1654 |
| West Hampton Dunes | 631-288-6571 |
The county files Sag Harbor under East Hampton, but the village’s own consultant notice says it is about three-fifths in the Town of Southampton and two-fifths in East Hampton, with Division Street as the town line. A Sag Harbor address on the Southampton side still files with the village building department, 55 Main Street, 631-725-0224, not with the town. Post office names do not settle it either. Hamlets like Hampton Bays, Bridgehampton and East Quogue are not on the county’s village list and file with the town.
Quogue’s code creates a village Building Inspector, and Sagaponack’s building construction chapter has its own Building Inspector receive applications and issue permits for alterations. North Haven’s building department page says applications that need it are referred to the village Board of Architectural Review and Historic Preservation under Chapter 163 of its code. We did not find a review board for West Hampton Dunes in what we could read, so call village hall before assuming there is none.
Design boards in Southampton Village, Sag Harbor and Westhampton Beach
Southampton Village. Chapter A119 of the village code requires a building permit for alterations and improvements, except “ordinary repairs which are not structural in nature.” Chapter 65 adds a certificate of appropriateness from the Board of Architectural Review and Historic Preservation for any exterior alteration on a landmark or in a historic district, and for any material change in how such a property looks. The board means it on roofs. On June 13, 2022 it denied an application to replace a slate roof with standing seam metal on a house in the village, and the Appellate Division decided the owners’ appeal on May 20, 2026. 27east reported on June 30, 2026 that the owners had installed the metal roof without approval and that the court upheld the board.
Sag Harbor. Article XIII of the village code says no building permit will be issued until the Board of Historic Preservation and Architectural Review issues a certificate of appropriateness. The village’s Local Law 13 of 2025 counts about 698 contributing historic structures in the Historic District, which was listed on the State and National Registers in 1974. Since 2021 the board can approve qualifying applications on a consent agenda without a hearing.
Westhampton Beach. Chapter 5 sends new construction to the village Architectural Review Board, plus alterations larger than 20 percent of a structure’s square footage and any new or replacement facade covering 20 percent or more of a side. A reroof alone did not appear in that list.
East of the town line, the rules turn over again, as our East Hampton guide explains.
