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

Village of Alfred’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  Construction inside the Village of Alfred

  • Building permit ensures compliance with the New York State building code and is the responsibility of the codes enforcement officer.
  • Repairs and small outbuildings such as storage sheds do not need a building permit.
  • A separate zoning compliance permit is also required for new buildings, exterior changes, change of use, etc.

  “you need a building permit for most new construction and for structural changes to the interior or exterior of an existing building.”

• Local zoningPresent

  Land inside the Village of Alfred, Allegany County, NY

  • Source is the Rev. 2019 zoning law on the village site; the village has posted a 2025 proposed revision and a Nov 2026 notice of proposed changes, which were not verified as adopted.

  “this law is enacted pursuant to the authority and power granted by the municipal home rule law of the state of new york, article 2, §10 et seq., and article vii of the nys village law.”

• Zoning districtsPublished

  Zoning districts inside the Village of Alfred

  • Districts listed in the law: R-1, R-2, R-3, B-1, B-2, Research/Development, E-1 educational, and Overlay Zone; the permits page also mentions B-3, R-D and historical districts.

  “the village of alfred is divided into several zoning districts. different rules apply in different zoning districts.”

• Minimum lot sizeSpecified

  Single-family dwelling in the R-1 One-Family Residence District, Village of Alfred

  • No agricultural or rural-residential district was identified; other uses and districts have different figures in Section 105.00.

  minimum lot area, single family: >= 12000 sq ft · minimum lot width: >= 100 ft

  “single family 12,000 100 25 10 rear side rear principal accessory 30 10 10 35 16 35 25 r-2, r-3, b-1, b-2 churches”

• SetbacksSpecified

  Single-family principal building, R-1 district, Village of Alfred

  • Column reading of the flattened table is inferred: front 25 ft, side 10 ft, rear 30 ft for the principal building; accessory building distances not resolved.

  front yard principal building: >= 25 ft · side yard principal building: >= 10 ft · rear yard principal building: >= 30 ft

  “single family 12,000 100 25 10 rear side rear principal accessory 30 10 10 35 16 35 25 r-2, r-3, b-1, b-2 churches”

• Tiny homesLimited

  Tiny homes inside the Village of Alfred

  • Special permit required; allowed only in certain districts (R-2 or E-1 per the quoted text; the Section 105.00 table lists others).
  • Must be a detached structure on a foundation and meet setback and minimum lot requirements of Section 105.00.

  “a manufactured home or a tiny home may be placed and/or constructed in an r-2 district, or e-1 district provided the conditions set forth in this subsection h are satisfied.”

• Manufactured homesLimited

  Manufactured homes inside the Village of Alfred

  • Special permit required; district limits apply.
  • Must be a detached structure on a foundation and meet setback and minimum lot requirements of Section 105.00.

  “a manufactured home or tiny home may only be placed and/or constructed as a detached structure on a foundation and must comply with all set back requirements and minimum lot requirements set forth in section 105.00”

• Permit processPublished

  Building and zoning permit applications inside the Village of Alfred

  • Applications are submitted to the village clerk; site development plan review applies to many projects.

  “be sure to read the permit application process prior to completing and submitting your permit(s) to the village clerk.”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption inside Alfred village
• Building code adopted — Building code inside Alfred village
• Inspections — Inspections inside Alfred village
• Certificate of occupancy — Certificates of occupancy inside Alfred village
• Minimum dwelling size — Minimum dwelling size inside Alfred village

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.