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

Town of Mansfield’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  Construction, improvement, removal, relocation, or demolition of a building or structure in Mansfield town, and installation of heating equipment or wood-burning devices.

  • The application says the requirement is “except as noted below,” but the accessible application text does not provide the referenced exclusions.
  • A permit is also required before installation of heating equipment or wood-burning devices.

  “A BUILDING PERMIT IS REQUIRED BEFORE commencing construction or other improvement, removal, relocation, or demolition of any building or structure (including auction barns, farm residences and other such structures) except as noted below, and BEFORE the installation of heating equipment or wood burning devices.”

• Owner-builder exemptionConditional

  A property owner acting as contractor for a Mansfield town project.

  • For BP-1, no wages may be paid in excess of 40 hours per week and the project must not be new-home construction.
  • For new-home construction meeting the owner/contractor and wage condition, the application directs use of Form CE-200 instead.

  wages paid: <= 40 hours/week (Condition for the owner-as-contractor forms described in the application.)

  “If the property owner is acting as the contractor AND no wages are being paid in excess of 40 hours/week AND the project is not new home construction, ATTACH a completed Form BP-1 Affidavit of Exemption to Show Proof of Workers’ Compensation Insurance.”

• InspectionsRequired

  Work under a Mansfield town building permit.

  • Inspections are those shown on the building permit.
  • Work must halt until the Code Enforcement Officer signs the permit for each required interim inspection; failure may result in sanctions.

  “Several interim inspections are required as shown on the building permit. Failure to halt work until the Code Enforcement Officer has signed the permit for each interim inspection could result in sanctions.”

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land within the Town of Mansfield, Cattaraugus County, New York.

  • The cited county planning record identifies the action as applying to the “Entire Town.”

  “Town of Mansfield Zoning Law September 18, 2006”

• Zoning districtsPartial

  Mansfield town zoning districts.

  • The official County planning record identifies A-R, R-1, R-2, and R-3 in the Town’s Schedule A, but this research did not obtain the complete current district schedule or map.

  identified districts: A-R, R-1, R-2, R-3 (Only districts expressly identified in the cited County planning record.)

  “Removing “commercial establishment” and “commercial recreation” from special-permitted uses within the A-R, R-1, R-2, and R-3 zoning districts in Schedule A: Table of Use Regulations.”

• Agricultural exemptionConditional

  Construction-document seal requirement for Mansfield town building-permit applications.

  • The exception is limited to farm buildings used directly and solely for agricultural purposes.
  • The same sentence also exempts residence buildings of 1,500 gross square feet or less from the design-professional seal requirement; this does not establish an exemption from the building-permit requirement.

  residence building size: <= 1500 gross square feet (No design-professional seal requirement under the cited application instruction.)

  “Plans must bear the seal of a New York State licensed architect or engineer. This requirement does not apply to farm buildings used directly and solely for agricultural purposes or to residence buildings of 1500 gross square feet or less.”

Rules another office applies inside Town of Mansfield

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

• Building code adoptedAdopted (with conditions)

  Work covered by the Town of Mansfield building-permit application.

  • The application states that violations of the Uniform Code at any stage of construction result in a stop-work order until corrected.

  “The Uniform Code is automatically in effect in each city, town, and village in the State (except New York City) by directive of the State Legislature.”

• Who permits septicCounty (with conditions)

  Small sewage disposal systems included in projects in Mansfield town.

  • The Town application requires the County Health Department permit to be attached when a small sewage disposal system is applicable.

  “Onsite wastewater treatment systems in Cattaraugus County are regulated by the Environmental Health Division in accordance with NYS standards and specifications”

• Septic permitRequired

  Construction of a small sewage disposal system for a Mansfield town building project.

  • Applies when a septic system is included in the project.
  • The County Health Department permit must be included with the Town building-permit application.

  “All onsite wastewater treatment system repairs or installations in Cattaraugus County require a permit issued by the Environmental Health Division prior to construction.”

Still unanswered

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

• Certificate of occupancy — Occupancy of completed construction within Mansfield town.
• Minimum dwelling size — Dwellings within Mansfield town zoning districts.
• Minimum lot size — Lots within Mansfield town zoning districts.
• Setbacks — Structures within Mansfield town zoning districts.
• Lot coverage — Lots within Mansfield town zoning districts.

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.