Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Village of Colonie, New York

Village of Colonie’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  Construction, alteration, demolition etc. inside the Village of Colonie

  • Exemptions in § 79-4(b), e.g. one-story detached sheds/playhouses of 144 sq ft or less accessory to one- or two-family dwellings, playground equipment, certain pools.
  • Permit issued by the village code enforcement officer.

  exempt shed floor area: <= 144 sq ft (one-story detached accessory structures)

  “a building permit shall be required for any work which must conform to the uniform code and/or the energy code”

• Building code adoptedAdopted

  Construction inside the Village of Colonie

  • Village enforces the NYS Uniform Code and Energy Code under Municipal Home Rule Law § 10.

  “this article provides for the administration and enforcement of the new york state uniform fire prevention and building code (the uniform code) and the state energy conservation construction code (the energy code) in this village.”

• InspectionsRequired

  Permitted construction inside the Village of Colonie

  • Permit holder must notify the code enforcement officer when work elements are ready for inspection.

  “work shall remain accessible and exposed until inspected and accepted by the code enforcement officer or by an inspector authorized by the code enforcement officer.”

• Certificate of occupancyRequired

  Work under a building permit and change of use/occupancy inside the Village of Colonie

  • Issued only if work complies with the Uniform Code and Energy Code.

  “certificates of occupancy shall be required for any work which is the subject of a building permit and for all structures, buildings, or portions thereof which are converted from one use or occupancy classification or subclassification to another.”

• Local zoningPresent

  Land inside the Village of Colonie (Albany County)

  • Administered through village Planning Commission, Board of Appeals and Code Enforcement.

  “chapter 242 zoning [history: adopted by the board of trustees of the village of colonie 8-28-1995 by l.l. no. 2-1995; see ch. 1, general provisions, art. i. amendments noted where applicable.]”

• Zoning districtsPublished

  Village of Colonie zoning districts

  • Districts: Conservation-Residential, Residential A, B, C, Commercial A, B, D; zoning map linked from building department page.

  “§ 242-4 conservation-residential district. § 242-5 residential a district. § 242-6 residential b district. § 242-7 residential c district. § 242-8 commercial a district.”

• Manufactured homesLimited

  Mobile homes inside the Village of Colonie

  • Use of a mobile home is prohibited in all zoning districts except in an approved mobile home park (ch. 150, not opened).

  “the provisions of this section shall not apply to a mobile home in an approved mobile home park.”

• Accessory dwellingsLimited

  Residential A district, Village of Colonie

  • Accessory apartment must be in a one-family dwelling and meet § 242-5(g) provisions (not opened).

  “(6) accessory apartment in a one-family dwelling, subject to the provisions of subsection g below.”

• Permit feesPublished

  Village of Colonie building permits

  • Fee amounts not read; schedule is amended March 2, 2026 per the page; code § 79-16 and ch. A246 also address fees.

  “zoning map fee schedule amended march 2, 2026 tenant change building permit application”

• Permit processPublished

  Village of Colonie building permits

  • Applications for building, fence, pool, demolition, solar etc. and a residential occupancy permit guide are posted; Planning Commission site plan approval precedes building permits where required.

  “building permit application form fence permit application pool application gazebo permit application fireworks application demolition permit application”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Village of Colonie or Albany County directly.

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption inside the Village of Colonie
• Minimum dwelling size — Single-family districts, Village of Colonie
• Minimum lot size — Residential A district, Village of Colonie
• Setbacks — Residential A district, Village of Colonie
• Lot coverage — Residential A district, Village of Colonie

Each answer was extracted from an official source and independently re-checked against that source by a second reviewer. That is an evidence check, not legal advice. Rules change; confirm with the authority before you buy or build.