Bolthole Index

Broome County, New York

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

The Town of Dickinson, New York requires a building permit for work that must meet the state Uniform Code, and the town's own code enforcement office issues it12. The town has its own zoning, with nine districts outside any incorporated village3. Septic permits for Dickinson addresses come from the Broome County Health Department, not the town4.

At a glance

Building permit
Required for work that must meet the NYS Uniform Code; issued by the Town1
Zoning
Yes, the Town has its own zoning with nine districts outside any incorporated village3
Septic
Broome County Health Department, Division of Environmental Health4
Lot size without public sewer
At least 40,000 square feet where a septic system is needed5
Certificate of occupancy
Required for permitted work6
RV, tiny home, owner-builder
Not confirmed in the Town of Dickinson; ask the Town code enforcement office2

Who to call

Building permits

Town of Dickinson Building & Code Enforcement

Building permits, inspections and zoning enforcement inside the Town of Dickinson

(607) 723-9401

531 Old Front St. Binghamton, NY 13905

Septic permits

Broome County Health Department, Division of Environmental Health

Residential onsite wastewater standards and sewage-disposal construction permits in Broome County

607.778.3930

[email protected]

225 Front Street Binghamton, NY 13905

Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on October 24, 2026.

Off-grid gear

Going off-grid in Town of Dickinson means bringing your own water and power. The kit we’d start with:

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Does the Town of Dickinson have zoning?

Yes. The Town of Dickinson, outside any incorporated village, is divided into nine zoning districts, and the Official Zoning Map is kept in the Town Clerk's office3. Uses and structures in the town must conform to the rules of their district7. Broome County itself does not run a single zoning code; zoning approvals come from the municipality where the property sits8.

Lot size is the rule most likely to shape a purchase: a parcel without public sewer that needs a septic system must have at least 40,000 square feet5. Setbacks, minimum home size, height and lot coverage differ by district, and we could not confirm them. Ask the Building & Code Enforcement office which district a parcel is in before you buy2.

Do you need a building permit in the Town of Dickinson, and who issues it?

Yes. The Town of Dickinson requires a building permit for any work that must conform to the Uniform Code or Energy Code, including construction, enlargement, alteration, removal or relocation of a building or structure1. Some exempt categories exist in the town code, and the state allows exemptions such as small detached sheds of 144 square feet or less9. Work may not begin until the permit is issued10.

The Town's Building & Code Enforcement Department issues building permits and enforces both the state building codes and the town zoning ordinance2. The application is written, on a form from the Code Enforcement Officer, signed by the owner or an authorized agent10. Fees are set by resolution of the Town Board11. Work must stay exposed until inspected12, and a certificate of occupancy is required for any permitted work6.

How do you build a home in the Town of Dickinson, step by step?

Septic permits for the Town of Dickinson come from Broome County, not the town. The Broome County Health Department Division of Environmental Health enforces residential onsite wastewater standards413. A sewage permit application is required for all new septic installations under 1,000 gallons per day14.

For new construction, the county requires plans from a licensed engineer and charges a $50 permit fee; a failed existing system costs $19014. The county does not design systems or run percolation tests, so budget for an engineer4. USDA rates none of Broome County's soils as not limited for a conventional drain field, so expect a site evaluation and possibly an engineered system15. Parcels without public sewer need at least 40,000 square feet16.

What stays with Broome County, and what should you check before buying in Dickinson?

  1. Ask the Town's Building & Code Enforcement office for the parcel's zoning district and confirm the lot meets the 40,000-square-foot minimum if it has no public sewer25.
  2. If there is no public sewer, apply to the Broome County Health Department for a sewage permit, with engineer-prepared plans14.
  3. Submit a written building permit application with construction documents to the Town10.
  4. Keep work exposed until the Code Enforcement Officer or an authorized inspector accepts it12.
  5. Obtain the certificate of occupancy before moving in6.

If the driveway meets a state highway, the New York State Department of Transportation requires its own permit17.

What stays with Broome County, and what should you check before buying in Dickinson?

Septic permits and private water-supply approvals are county matters. Broome County's sanitary code requires preliminary approval from the Commissioner of Health before a well or other water supply for a dwelling is built18. The county page for land outside the town is at Broome County.

County figures give context: Broome County's effective property tax rate is 2.6%19, and the typical home insurance premium is about $953 a year20. Floodplain development inside mapped flood hazard areas needs a local permit21; we could not confirm Dickinson's own flood rules, so ask the Code Enforcement office.

Watch-outs

  • We could not confirm Dickinson's rules on RV living, tiny homes, accessory dwellings, short-term rentals or owner-builder work; ask the Town of Dickinson Building & Code Enforcement office before relying on any of them2.
  • The town code lists a wells chapter and a subdivision chapter that we could not read in full, so confirm well and subdivision rules with the Town before you buy.2
  • Zoning rules apply only outside incorporated villages; a parcel inside a village follows that village's own rules3.

Sources

  1. Chapter 265: Construction Codes, Uniform - Town of Dickinson, NY (Town of Dickinson), quoted and re-checked
  2. Town of Dickinson Building & Code Enforcement (townofdickinsonnybc.gov)
  3. Article II: Zoning Districts - Town of Dickinson, NY (Town of Dickinson), quoted and re-checked
  4. Wastewater Treatment, quoted and re-checked
  5. Article IV: Standards - Town of Dickinson, NY (Town of Dickinson), quoted and re-checked
  6. Chapter 265: Construction Codes, Uniform - Town of Dickinson, NY (Town of Dickinson), quoted and re-checked
  7. Article II: Zoning Districts - Town of Dickinson, NY (Town of Dickinson), quoted and re-checked
  8. Zoning Districts, quoted and re-checked
  9. Part 1203 Uniform Code and the Energy Code: Minimum Standards for Administration and Enforcement (New York statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  10. Chapter 265: Construction Codes, Uniform - Town of Dickinson, NY (Town of Dickinson), quoted and re-checked
  11. Chapter 265: Construction Codes, Uniform - Town of Dickinson, NY (Town of Dickinson), quoted and re-checked
  12. Chapter 265: Construction Codes, Uniform - Town of Dickinson, NY (Town of Dickinson), quoted and re-checked
  13. Broome County Health Department, Division of Environmental Health (broomecountyny.gov)
  14. Wastewater Treatment, quoted and re-checked
  15. Share of soils USDA rates "not limited" for a conventional septic drain field (SSURGO). A strict rating: the median county is about 6% and a tenth of counties are 0%, so a low figure means most lots need a site evaluation or an engineered system, not that septic is impossible. Cite it only with that caveat: Bolthole Index county data
  16. Article IV: Standards - Town of Dickinson, NY (Town of Dickinson), quoted and re-checked
  17. Residential Driveway Permits (New York statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  18. Broome County Charter and Code, Chapter 305, Sanitary Code, quoted and re-checked
  19. Effective property tax rate: Bolthole Index county data
  20. Typical home insurance premium: Bolthole Index county data
  21. Floodplain Management - NYSDEC (New York statewide rule), quoted and re-checked

Written October 24, 2026 from the rules quoted below, each taken from an official source and re-checked by an independent reviewer. This is research, not legal advice: rules change, so confirm with the office before you buy or build.

Answers from the rulebook for Town of Dickinson

Town of Dickinson’s own rules

  • Building permitRequired

    Work in Dickinson town that must conform to the Uniform Code or Energy Code.

    • Exempt work categories in § 265-4B do not require a building permit.
    • No person may commence permit-required work before obtaining a Town building permit.
    “Building permits required. Except as otherwise provided in Subsection B of this section, a building permit shall be required for any work which must conform to the Uniform Code and/or the Energy Code, including, but not limited to, the construction, enlargement, alteration, improvement, removal, relocation, or demolition of any building or structure or any portion thereof, and the installation of a solid-fuel-burning heating appliance, chimney, or flue in any dwelling unit.”
  • Building code adoptedAdopted (with conditions)

    Buildings, structures, and premises in Dickinson town.

    • Except as otherwise provided in the Uniform Code, Energy Code, or other state law.
    “This chapter 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 the Town of Dickinson (Town).”
  • InspectionsRequired

    Permit-authorized construction in Dickinson town.

    • Inspections apply where applicable.
    • A remote inspection may replace an in-person inspection only at the discretion of the Code Enforcement Officer or authorized inspector and only if it can be performed to the same level and quality.
    “Work to remain accessible and exposed. 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 subject to a building permit and structures converted to another use or occupancy classification in Dickinson town.

    • A certificate of occupancy or certificate of compliance is required.
    • The building, structure, or work must be inspected before issuance.
    “Certificates of occupancy and certificates of compliance required. A certificate of occupancy or certificate of compliance 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 (with conditions)

    Land inside the Town of Dickinson, outside any incorporated village.

    • Uses and structures must conform to the district regulations.
    “For purposes of this chapter, the Town of Dickinson, outside of any incorporated village, is hereby divided into nine districts, which shall be designated as follows:”
  • Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

    Land in the Town of Dickinson outside any incorporated village.

    • The Official Zoning Map is on file in the Town Clerk's office and forms part of the zoning chapter.

    number of zoning districts: 9 (Outside any incorporated village)

    “For purposes of this chapter, the Town of Dickinson, outside of any incorporated village, is hereby divided into nine districts, which shall be designated as follows:”
  • Minimum lot sizeSpecified

    Any Dickinson town parcel without public sewer service that requires a septic system.

    • Applies to parcels without public sewer service requiring use of a septic system.

    minimum lot size: >= 40000 square feet (Parcel without public sewer service requiring septic)

    “Minimum lot size. The minimum lot size required for those parcels without public sewer service and thus requiring the use of a septic system shall be a minimum of 40,000 square feet.”
  • Off-grid sanitationLimited

    Parcels in Dickinson town without public sewer service that require an on-site septic system.

    • Minimum lot size is 40,000 square feet for parcels without public sewer service requiring septic.

    minimum lot size for parcel without public sewer requiring septic: >= 40000 square feet

    “Minimum lot size. The minimum lot size required for those parcels without public sewer service and thus requiring the use of a septic system shall be a minimum of 40,000 square feet.”
  • Permit feesVariable (with conditions)

    Construction-code permits and inspections in Dickinson town.

    • Fees are set by the Town Board.
    • The building-permit fee must be paid when submitting an application for a building permit, amended permit, or renewal.
    • Inspection fees must be paid before or at the time of each inspection.
    “A fee schedule shall be established by resolution of the Town Board of this Town. Such fee schedule may thereafter be amended from time to time by like resolution.”
  • Permit processPublished (with conditions)

    Building-permit applications in Dickinson town.

    • Application must be in writing on an acceptable form.
    • Application must be signed by the property owner or an authorized agent.
    • Construction documents and other required information must accompany the application.
    • Work may not begin unless a building permit is issued.
    “Applications for a building permit shall be made in writing on a form provided by or otherwise acceptable to the Code Enforcement Officer. The application shall be signed by the owner of the property where the work is to be performed or an authorized agent of the owner.”

Still unanswered

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

  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder construction in Dickinson town.
  • Minimum dwelling size — Single-family residential dwellings inside Dickinson town.
  • Setbacks — Principal single-family residential development inside Dickinson town.
  • Lot coverage — Principal single-family residential development inside Dickinson town.
  • Building height — Principal single-family residential development inside Dickinson town.
13 more unanswered
  • Living in an RV
  • Camping on your land
  • Tiny homes
  • Accessory dwellings
  • Who permits septic
  • Septic permit
  • Septic inspection
  • Well permit
  • Mandatory utility hookup
  • Agricultural exemption
  • Subdividing land
  • Building in a floodplain
  • Short-term rentals

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.

Unanswered questions are usually a sign that Town of Dickinson publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Broome County’s page lists the county offices to call.

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