Village of Highland Falls

Orange County, New York

Last verified September 17, 2026

Village of Highland Falls is a jurisdiction in Orange County, New York, which does not currently list an online permit database — contact the department directly by phone or email. Use the contact information below to reach the local building department, or the mailing address if the jurisdiction needs to be listed as a certificate holder on a contractor's insurance documentation.

Contact

Phone: 845-446-4280 x316
Department Site: Town of Highlands Building Department (serves Village of Highland Falls) (opens in a new tab)

Source: highlands-ny.gov (opens in a new tab)

Permit Search

No online permit database on file — contact the department directly by phone or email.

Certificate Holder Mailing Address

Philip Hannawalt (Building Inspector) / James Bretones (Code Enforcement Officer)
Town of Highlands Building Department
254 Main Street
Highland Falls, NY 10928

Use this address when the jurisdiction needs to be listed as a certificate holder on a contractor's insurance documentation.

Additional Notes

Building permits for the Village of Highland Falls are issued through the Town of Highlands Building Department (a shared/contracted arrangement), which states explicitly it is 'responsible for building inspections, building permits, code enforcement and zoning administration in the Town of Highlands (Fort Montgomery) and Village of Highland Falls.' Building Inspector: Philip Hannawalt. Code Enforcement Officer: James Bretones. No direct email address confirmed. Fax: 845-977-5445.

What You Need Before Applying for a Permit

Most building departments ask for the same core package before they'll issue a permit: a completed application naming the property owner and contractor, the contractor's state license number and proof of insurance (general liability, and workers' comp if employees are on the job), a notice of commencement or equivalent recorded filing for larger jobs where the state requires one, and scaled plans or a site plan for anything beyond minor repairs. Roofing, fence, pool, and solar permits typically have their own simplified checklists — Village of Highland Falls's department (above) can confirm exactly what applies to your project.

Why this matters for insurance: permit history is one of the first things an underwriter or adjuster checks. Unpermitted work — a finished basement, an added bedroom, a rebuilt roof — can complicate a claim or even void coverage for that portion of the loss, and it routinely surfaces during a home inspection. Pulling the right permit up front, and keeping the closed-permit record on file, protects both the property's value and its insurability at resale.

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