Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Town of Alma, New York

Town of Alma’s own rules

• Permit feesPublished (with conditions)

  Construction, demolition, and listed floodplain permits issued by the Town of Alma.

  • The fee schedule states it is effective March 5, 2024.
  • Residential-new-building fees are per square foot plus $25 for each plumbing unit.
  • The schedule provides different fees for commercial work, repairs, storage buildings, pools, demolition, and floodplain development.

  residential new building fee: 0.15 USD per square foot (Plus $25 each plumbing unit.) · commercial new building fee: 0.2 USD per square foot (Plus $25 each plumbing unit.) · flood plain development permit residential fee: 125 USD

  “Effective March 5th, 2024 Commercial New Building $.20 per sf plus $25 each plumbing unit Residential New Building $.15 per sf plus $25 each plumbing unit”

Rules another office applies inside Town of Alma

Town of Alma does not set these itself; the county, a health district or the state does, and they apply to every address inside its limits.

• Building permitRequired

  Work inside Alma town that is required to conform to the New York Uniform Code.

  • Certain exceptions are permitted under the state code-enforcement standards.

  “Building permits must be required for any work which is required to conform to the Uniform Code. Certain exceptions are permitted.”

• Building code adoptedAdopted (with conditions)

  Building construction inside Alma town, except New York City, which is expressly excluded by the statewide source.

  • The statewide Uniform Code source expressly excludes New York City.

  “The Uniform Code, which took effect on January 1, 1984, prescribes the minimum standards for building construction in New York. It is applicable in every part of the State with the exception of New York City, which is currently permitted to retain its own code.”

• InspectionsRequired

  Specified elements of construction work inside Alma town that is subject to the Uniform Code permitting process.

  • Permit holders must keep work accessible and exposed until it is inspected and accepted by the municipality.

  “Inspections of certain specified elements of the construction process must be required. Building permits holders must keep work accessible and exposed until inspected and accepted by the municipality.”

• Certificate of occupancyRequired

  Work inside Alma town for which a building permit was required, and changes in general occupancy classification.

  • Required for all work for which a building permit was required and whenever the general occupancy classification changes.

  “A certificate of occupancy or a certificate of compliance must be required (1) for all work for which a building permit was required and (2) whenever the general occupancy classification of a building is changed.”

• Septic inspectionRequired

  Individual sewage disposal systems constructed, installed, altered, or extended within Alma town.

  • The owner or agent must request a final inspection at least 48 hours before expected completion.
  • The system may not be covered with soil or operated until inspection and approval.
  • The Public Health Director may conduct construction-phase inspections.

  final inspection advance request: >= 48 hours (Before expected completion of construction, installation, alteration, or extension.)

  “The owner or his agent shall request a final inspection of the ISDS at least 48 hours in advance of the expected time of completion of construction, installation, alteration, or extension of the system.”

• Off-grid sanitationLimited

  Non-waterborne individual sewage disposal systems in Alma town where running water is unavailable or too scarce for flush toilets, or where water conservation is needed.

  • The system must be an accepted non-waterborne ISDS identified in current Appendix 75-A or the NYSDOH design handbook.
  • ISDS permitting and inspection requirements apply.
  • The definition excludes systems requiring NYSDEC permitting and Article 17 approval.

  “Any of the accepted "non-waterborne" ISDS acceptable for use in areas where running water is not available or is too scarce to support the use of flush toilets, or where there is a need to conserve water, as identified in the current editions 10 NYCRR, Appendix 75-A or the NYSDOH "Individual Residential Wastewater Treatment Systems Design Handbook", which is based on 10 NYCRR.”

• Mandatory utility hookupSewer (with conditions)

  A residence in Alma town that would otherwise use an individual sewage disposal system and is accessible to a public or municipal sanitary sewerage system.

  • The cited sanitary-code provision prohibits installation, extension, or alteration of an individual sewage disposal system on property accessible to public or municipal sanitary sewerage.
  • The source supplies no distance threshold and does not establish a public-water connection rule.

  “No ISDS system shall be installed, extended, or altered on property accessible to a public or municipal sanitary sewerage system.”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-built residential construction inside Alma town.
• Local zoning — Land within the Town of Alma, Allegany County, New York.
• Zoning districts — Zoning districts inside Alma town.
• Minimum dwelling size — Dwellings inside Alma town.
• Minimum lot size — Residential lots inside Alma town.

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.