Homeowner guide
Electrical permits by town: Fairfield County and Milford
Short version. Every town requires an electrical permit and a final inspection for a panel, service, charger or generator job. Fees are value-based and small — a $3,500 panel upgrade costs roughly $75 in Trumbull, $105 in Stamford, $135 in Bridgeport, $150 in Danbury. Seven of these twelve towns are United Illuminating territory; the rest are Eversource. Figures below are quoted from each town's own schedule with its date; where a town publishes nothing, we say so.
| Town | Department | How to file | Electrical permit fee | Who may pull | Inspections | Electric utility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trumbull | Building Dept, 5866 Main St · 203-452-5020 | ViewPoint Cloud (trumbullct.viewpointcloud.com) | $5 per $100 on first $1,000, then $10 per $1,000; $60 min; + $10 processing, $10 C/O, $0.26/$1,000 state fee (schedule undated) | Owner-occupant of a non-rented home may pull; otherwise CT-licensed | Phone 203-452-5020, inspector hours 7:30–10 AM; no voicemail requests | UI (application has a "UI #" field) |
| Fairfield | Building Dept, 725 Old Post Rd · 203-256-3036 | CitySquared (since 3/1/2022) | $58.26 first $1,000 + $16.26 each $1,000 after, incl. $0.26 state fee (as of April 1, 2024) | Not stated online | Call 203-256-3036, 9–10 AM day-of for a slot | UI |
| Stratford | Building Official, 2725 Main St · 203-385-4010 | ViewPoint Cloud (stratfordct.viewpointcloud.com) | $5 per $100 on first $1,000, then $10 per $1,000 (code amended 6-30-2014) | Not stated online | Not stated online | UI |
| Bridgeport | Building Dept, 45 Lyon Terrace Rm 222 · 203-576-7225 | Park City Portal (Tyler EnerGov) | $60 first $1,000 + $30 per $1,000 after; $40 for jobs ≤$500 (schedule effective 5/18/2016) | CT-licensed, or owner who permanently resides in a single-family home | Not stated online | UI — UI Work Order # required for service work; permits denied if taxes/WPCA delinquent |
| Shelton | Building Dept, 54 Hill St 3rd Fl · 203-924-1555 x1517 | ViewPoint Cloud (sheltonct.viewpointcloud.com) | No schedule published online | Not stated online | Inspector office hours Tue–Fri 8–9, 1–2, 4:30–5 | UI |
| Easton | Building Dept, 225 Center Rd · 203-268-6291 x107/x111 | GovWell (app.govwell.com/easton, since Sept 2, 2025) | No electrical schedule published online | Not stated online | Call x111; virtual or in person | UI |
| Monroe | Building Dept, 7 Fan Hill Rd · 203-452-2805 | OpenGov (monroect.portal.opengov.com); card/ACH | $5 per $100 on first $1,000, then $10 per $1,000 (code amended 1-11-1988) | Not stated online | Phone 203-452-2805 | Eversource |
| Norwalk | Building & Code Enforcement, 125 East Ave Rm 123 · 203-854-7755; electrical inspector 203-854-7968 | PDF application emailed to the trade inspector (no portal) | $18 per $1,000 + $0.26 state fee; $100 minimum (Feb 1, 2021 schedule) | Applicant certifies owner of record or authorized agent | Call/email inspector; allow 24 business hours; trade inspectors 8:30–10:30 AM | Eversource, SNEW or ENEW |
| Stamford | Building Dept, Government Center (phone not retrievable from site) | ViewPoint Cloud (stamfordct.viewpointcloud.com) | $13 per $1,000 of value, $60 min, + $0.26/$1,000 state fee | Not stated online | Online only — select the record, then the "Inspection" step; not until fees paid | Eversource |
| Westport | Building Dept, 515 Post Rd E 2nd Fl · 203-341-5025 | Accela (aca-prod.accela.com/WESTPORT) | $10 per $1,000 + $0.26 state tax; service work $20 min up to $2,000 (effective Jan 1, 2012) | Sub-permit form asks for contractor license | Contractor calls 203-341-5025 | Eversource |
| Danbury | Building Dept, 155 Deer Hill Ave · 203-797-4580; inspections 203-797-4581; electrical 203-796-8041 | OpenGov (danburyct.portal.opengov.com) | $100 application (covers first $1,000) + $16 per $1,000 after + $0.26/$1,000 state fee (effective July 2, 2025) | Not stated online | Inspections line 203-797-4581; portal shows results in real time | Eversource |
| Milford | Building Inspection, 70 West River St · 203-783-3234 | CitySquared | $20 first $1,000 + $15 each $1,000 after, state fee included (effective 1/6/2020) | Not stated online | Call 24 hours ahead minimum; GC calls for all subs; daily list ~9 AM | UI |
Worked fee examples on a $3,500 panel upgrade
- Trumbull / Stratford / Monroe (same formula): $50 for the first $1,000 + $30 for the next three = $80, plus Trumbull's $10 processing and state fee.
- Stamford: 3.5 × $13 = $45.50 → $60 minimum, + $0.91 state fee.
- Fairfield: $58.26 + 3 × $16.26 = $107.04 (state fee included).
- Bridgeport: $60 + 3 × $30 = $150.
- Danbury: $100 + 3 × $16 = $148, + $0.91 state fee.
- Norwalk: 3.5 × $18 = $63 → $100 minimum, + $0.91.
- Milford: $20 + 3 × $15 = $65.
- Westport: 3.5 × $10 = $35 (rounded up per $1,000 fraction: $40), + $0.91.
Against a $2,800–$4,500 job, the permit is 1–4% of the cost. What it buys is a state-licensed inspector confirming the grounding, the AFCI/GFCI count and the surge device before the utility reseals the meter — and a record that survives the sale of the house.
The utility step the permit doesn't cover
A permit authorizes the work; it does not disconnect the power. For a service upgrade in Eversource territory, the electrician must obtain an Eversource service request number at least 15 days before starting and complete the job within 60 days. In United Illuminating towns the contractor files a Service Location Request, gets a UI job number (Bridgeport requires it on the permit application), and UI installs the meter after the town's inspection is posted. How the utility step works →
Who is allowed to do the work
Electrical work in Connecticut requires a license under CGS §20-334. An E-1 unlimited electrical contractor may perform and contract for all electrical work; an E-2 journeyperson may perform it only while employed by a licensed contractor (CT DCP license scope page). The homeowner exemption in CGS §20-340(11) covers owner-occupied single-family homes, subject to the local building official's inspection and the State Building Code. Check any contractor's license at the CT eLicense site before signing.
Ready for a real number?
Planning ranges are not quotes. A licensed Connecticut electrician prices your panel after seeing it.
Request a free estimate →Sources (checked 2026-09-10)
- Trumbull Building Dept + fee schedule — https://www.trumbull-ct.gov/DocumentCenter/View/6365/Permit-Fee-Schedule-pdf — no date on page
- Fairfield Building Permits — https://www.fairfieldct.gov/service/building_department/building_permits/index.php — page dated 2024-04-01
- Stratford code — permit fees — https://ecode360.com/9048791 — page dated 2014-06-30
- Bridgeport fee schedule (PDF) — https://www.bridgeportct.gov/sites/default/files/2023-03/Bldg_2016_05_18_Fee_Schedule.pdf — page dated 2016-05-18
- Bridgeport electrical permit page — https://www.bridgeportct.gov/government/departments/building-department/electrical-permit — no date on page
- Shelton online permitting — https://cityofshelton.org/p/online-permitting — no date on page
- Easton Building — https://eastonct.gov/1228/Building — no date on page
- Monroe code — permit fees — https://ecode360.com/11811728 — page dated 1988-01-11
- Norwalk building fees 2021 (PDF) — https://www.norwalkct.gov/DocumentCenter/View/29063/Building-Fees-2021 — page dated 2021-02-01
- Stamford building permit fees — https://www.stamfordct.gov/government/operations/building-department/building-permit-fees — page dated 2026
- Westport fee schedule — https://www.westportct.gov/government/departments-a-z/building-department/fee-schedule — page dated 2012-01-01
- Danbury permit price list 2025 (PDF) — https://www.danbury-ct.gov/DocumentCenter/View/5922/PERMIT-PRICE-LIST-2025 — page dated 2025-07-02
- Milford permit fee schedule (PDF) — https://www.milfordct.us/DocumentCenter/View/452/Permit-Fee-Schedule-PDF — page dated 2020-01-06
- United Illuminating service area — https://www.uinet.com/w/service-area — no date on page
- CGS §20-340 homeowner exemption — https://law.justia.com/codes/connecticut/title-20/chapter-393/section-20-340 — page dated 2024
- CT DCP electrical license types and scope — https://portal.ct.gov/dcp/occupational-and-professional-division/occupational--profess/electrical-license-types-and-scope-of-work — no date on page