Building permits, zoning and septic rules in Broome County, New York

Yes. In Broome County, work required to comply with New York's Uniform Code or Energy Code needs a building permit⁴. Regulated permit applications submitted from December 31, 2025, must comply with the 2025 Uniform Code and state code books¹. Permit procedures are not uniform among local governments, so the authority serving the parcel determines the application and local exceptions⁹. Construction subject to the Uniform Code requires inspections, and permit holders must leave covered work accessible until the municipality accepts it⁹. A certificate of occupancy or compliance is required for permit-covered work and when a building's general occupancy classification changes⁴.

Broome County's published materials identify separate city, village and town code departments, so first identify the municipality containing the parcel and use that code office⁶. For property inside the Town of Binghamton, the Building Codes & Permits office is at 279 Park Avenue, Binghamton, NY 13903; call (607) 772-0357 or email code@townofbinghamton.com¹⁰. The Town of Binghamton says a house application needs state-approved stamped plans, an energy study, a plot plan and Broome County Health Department sewage approval¹⁰. Those details apply only within the Town of Binghamton. Building and code inspectors check construction against approved plans, local codes, zoning ordinances and the state Uniform Code, then issue occupancy certificates for properly completed projects¹¹.

New York has not delegated general zoning power to counties, so Broome County does not supply a single county zoning code for unincorporated land¹². Instead, cities, towns and villages choose and administer local zoning, and Broome County publishes municipal zoning information for places including the City of Binghamton, multiple towns and the Village of Windsor^13,14. Property owners must obtain the necessary approvals from the municipality where the property is located⁵. Broome County's materials document municipal districts, including districts in the Town of Maine, but do not provide one complete current district schedule for every parcel⁵. Ask the relevant municipal code office for the parcel's district, allowed uses, setbacks, minimum lot and dwelling sizes, height, lot coverage, RV rules and accessory-dwelling rules before making an offer.

Broome County Health Department's Division of Environmental Health administers residential onsite wastewater systems under Appendix 75-A³. A county application is required for every new residential septic installation designed for less than 1,000 gallons per day, and applications for new or failed systems go to the Health Department^3,15. The applicant must hire a licensed engineer to submit the onsite wastewater plans, and that engineer inspects construction as it progresses for conformity with the approved design¹⁶. The sewage-disposal construction-permit fee is $50, payable by cash, check or money order¹⁶; replacing an existing failed system costs $190³. Questions can go to bcsewage@broomecountyny.gov or 607-778-2847³. USDA survey data rates 0% of county soils as free from severe conventional drain-field limitations, so make the site evaluation an early purchase contingency¹⁷.

We could not confirm one countywide rule for long-term RV occupancy, temporary camping or tiny-home occupancy in Broome County. Because zoning is locally adopted and administered, ask the code office for the parcel's city, town or village whether the use is allowed in that district and what placement or duration limits apply^6,13. A tiny dwelling does not avoid permits merely because it is small: work subject to the Uniform or Energy Code requires a permit⁴. A manufactured home's installation specifically requires a permit and a certificate of occupancy or compliance¹. We also could not confirm one countywide land-use rule for manufactured-home placement or accessory dwellings, so obtain the municipal zoning answer separately from the building-code approval.

1. Identify the city, town or village containing the parcel, because local zoning and permit procedures vary^6,9.
2. Ask that code office for the zoning district, allowed use, setbacks, application, municipal fee schedule and required drawings.
3. Obtain preliminary Health Commissioner approval before constructing a new or replacement private water supply for a dwelling or other covered premises in the Broome County Health District⁷.
4. Hire a licensed engineer to submit the onsite wastewater plan to Broome County Environmental Health¹⁶.
5. Submit the county septic application and $50 fee for the sewage-disposal construction permit^15,16.
6. Submit the municipal building-permit package and keep the work exposed for required inspections^4,9.
7. Have the engineer inspect septic construction as it progresses, then obtain the required certificate of occupancy or compliance before using the completed home^4,16.

Put wastewater and water feasibility first: county survey data rates 0% of soils as free from severe conventional drain-field limitations, and Broome County requires preliminary approval for covered new or replacement private water supplies^7,17. A building used solely for agricultural purposes may avoid the county sanitary certificate of approval for its sewage and water facilities, but that narrow exception is not a general building-permit or zoning exemption⁷. About 78.4% of Broome County is wooded, and 71.3% has a slope of 15% or less, so evaluate clearing, grade and the actual septic area on the parcel¹⁷. The effective property-tax rate is about 2.6%, with a median annual bill of about $3,824¹⁷. Development in a mapped Special Flood Hazard Area needs a local floodplain permit, and a new or modified residential driveway onto a state highway needs a state permit^18,19.