Smithtown adopts steeper fees for building and construction work

Steeper fees for residential and building-related work in Smithtown, including for electrical permits and new pool and fence installations, are set to take effect this spring.

The town board recently voted to raise a host of fees related to commercial and residential building, along with other general permits and fees. The increases go into effect April 1 and vary by permit type.

Electrical permits will double, to $100, according to a town board resolution. Fence installations will rise to $200, a $30 hike. Above-ground or in-ground swimming pools not made of concrete or gunite will cost $285 to install, up $10. In-ground pools made of concrete or gunite will cost $340 to install, a $15 increase in the permit fee.

Tom McCarthy, Smithtown's deputy supervisor and a town board member, said the increases are required to keep pace with rising expenses across town government. McCarthy cited as budgetary pressures, steep growth in inflation, employee salaries and pensions and health care costs.

Among other fee hikes:

• A permit to install solar panels on residential rooftops will increase $10 to $175.
• To install commercial antennas and satellite dishes, the fees will increase $75 to $1,200 per unit.
• Permits to install heating and cooling equipment will increase $25, to $575 per unit. Gas pressure tests will rise $15, to $290.

Last fall, the town approved a 2026 budget that exceeds the state's tax cap by 10.7%. The $141.4 million spending plan was a 5.3% increase over the 2025 budget. Residents protested the proposed tax increases in October. But Smithtown officials said the hikes were required to prevent service cuts and employee layoffs.

"All we do is cover the costs of our contractual agreements, medical, and the comptroller comes up with what it's going to cost to keep the status quo," McCarthy said in an interview. "We just keep the status quo, and hopefully we get enough permits to cover everything." 

The town has been steadily increasing fees for the past several years, McCarthy said.

Officials said they don't expect the increases to cause a decline in construction projections.