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

Town of Van Etten’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  Work inside Van Etten town limits that must conform to the uniform code, including new construction, alterations, decks, porches, and storage buildings of 144 square feet or more

  • Under Local Law 1 of 2007, Section 4(a), a building permit is required for any work that must conform to the uniform code and/or energy code; work may not begin before the permit is obtained.
  • Exemption under Section 4(b)(1): one-story detached tool/storage sheds, playhouses or similar uses associated with one- or two-family dwellings where gross floor area does not exceed 144 square feet; other categories in Section 4(b) were not reviewed.
  • Code Compliance FAQ lists residential new construction of homes, garages and carports, additions and alterations, storage buildings 144 square feet and over, decks and porches, swimming pools, woodstoves and chimneys, demolition, and commercial work as requiring a permit; re-roofing including shingle layover also requires a permit.
  • Whether Local Law 1 of 2022 changed these rules was not verified.

  exempt detached accessory structure gross floor area: <= 144 square feet (one-story detached tool/storage shed, playhouse or similar use associated with one- or two-family dwellings (Local Law 1 of 2007 Sec. 4(b)(1)))

  “storage buildings 144 square feet and over, including prefabricated buildings delivered to the site”

• Building code adoptedAdopted

  Construction and alterations inside Van Etten town limits

  • Local Law No. 1 of 2007 adopts administration and enforcement of the NYS Uniform Code and Energy Code; the town's Local Law Index also lists Local Law 1 of 22 (building construction and code enforcement), which was not opened, so it may amend or replace the 2007 law.
  • Local Law 2-19 amends Local Law 1-07 per the index; text not opened.

  “a certificate of occupancy i certificate of completion shall be required for any work which is the subject of a building permit”

• InspectionsRequired

  Permitted construction inside Van Etten town limits

  • Inspections include footers, foundation, framing, insulation, plumbing, and a final inspection to close out the permit; a list is given when the permit is issued.
  • Electrical inspections are performed by a third-party agency listed on the permit card (Code Compliance FAQ).

  “during construction inspection of footers, foundation, framing, insulation, plumbing and a final inspection to close out a permit is required.”

• Certificate of occupancyRequired

  Work that is the subject of a building permit, and conversions of use, inside Van Etten town limits

  • Under Local Law 1 of 2007, Section 7(a), occupancy requires a certificate of occupancy or certificate of completion; a final inspection and required paperwork must be on file (Code Compliance FAQ).
  • Residential new-dwelling permit fee schedule lists a $25 certificate of occupancy.

  “a certificate of occupancy i certificate of completion shall be required for any work which is the subject of a building permit”

• Local zoningAbsent (with conditions)

  Land inside Van Etten town limits: the town has stated it has no zoning, so no town zoning ordinance restricts use or dimensions. Septic, building code and other town rules still apply.

  • The town's official Code Compliance page states the town has no zoning; no zoning ordinance or zoning map was found on the town site.
  • Chemung County zoning, if any, was not checked for this record.

  “does the town of van etten have zoning? no”

• Zoning districtsNot published (with conditions)

  Zoning districts inside Van Etten town

  • No zoning districts exist because the town has no zoning; the single-family residential and agricultural district claims do not apply.

  “does the town of van etten have zoning? no”

• Minimum dwelling sizeNone

  Dwelling size inside Van Etten town (no town zoning, so no town minimum floor area; the single-family residential district concept does not apply)

  • Dwelling still must meet the NYS Uniform Code under the town's building code law.

  “does the town of van etten have zoning? no”

• Minimum lot sizeNone

  Lot size inside Van Etten town (no town zoning, so no town minimum lot area)

  • Septic site evaluation and permit (county) may limit usable lot area for an on-site system.

  “does the town of van etten have zoning? no”

• SetbacksNone

  Building setbacks inside Van Etten town (no town zoning, so no town setback rule)

  • County septic rules may impose separation distances from wells and lot lines (plot plan shows distances from buildings to lot lines per the town permit application; numbers not verified).

  “does the town of van etten have zoning? no”

• Lot coverageNone

  Lot coverage inside Van Etten town (no town zoning, so no town lot coverage limit)

  “does the town of van etten have zoning? no”

• Building heightNone

  Building height inside Van Etten town (no town zoning, so no town height limit)

  “does the town of van etten have zoning? no”

• Manufactured homesAllowed

  Placing a mobile home or double-wide trailer inside Van Etten town

  • Town's own Code Compliance FAQ answers yes; the same page says building permits and certificates of completion apply to work on a home.
  • The town Local Law Index shows a 1991 mobile home licensing law (Local Law 1-91) that was rejected by NYS and directed to be revised; the revised status was not verified.

  “can i place a mobile home or double wide trailer in the town? yes”

• Accessory dwellingsUnrestricted

  Accessory dwelling units inside Van Etten town

  • Based on the town's no-zoning statement; building code, septic and certificate of occupancy rules still apply to any added dwelling.

  “does the town of van etten have zoning? no”

• Permit feesPublished (with conditions)

  Town building code permit fees for work inside Van Etten town

  • Fee schedule is titled 2025 and no effective date is stated in the document; confirm it is current for 2026.
  • Fees include a $25 certificate of occupancy on a new dwelling, $50 base plus $5.00 per $1,000 of project cost for additions and alterations, and $25 certificate of compliance on most items.
  • Building permits are valid one (1) year from issuance date (per the same schedule).

  new dwelling permit fee: 100 USD (plus $.10 per sq. ft. plus $25 certificate of occupancy)

  “new dwelling $100 base plus $.10 per sq. ft. plus $25 certificate of occupancy”

• Permit processPartial

  Building permit application process inside Van Etten town

  • Code Compliance page is marked 'code enforcement page under construction'; the application requires insurance and workers' compensation proof per the town documentation, not verified here.
  • Processing: if all documentation is received and insurance papers are in order, usually within a day or two; new construction, major additions and other permits may take up to two weeks.

  “if all documentation is received and insurance papers are in order, usually within a day or two (2).”

Rules another office applies inside Town of Van Etten

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

• Who permits septicCounty (with conditions)

  On-site wastewater (septic) systems on land inside Van Etten town. The rule-maker is the Chemung County Health Department, Environmental Health Services; the county page is county-wide and does not name Van Etten, so it is recorded as the county rule that applies inside the town.

  • Permits are issued by the county health department (Environmental Health Services) and site evaluations are performed by county public health sanitarians assigned to towns in each region.
  • The Van Etten town building fee sheet and documentation PDF are not used to establish this; a search snippet for the town's Documentation Needed PDF said septic permits come from the Chemung County Health Department, but that PDF was not opened.

  “after the site evaluation has been conducted and the site evaluation fee has been received, the sanitarian will complete a site evaluation form”

• Septic permitRequired

  New on-site wastewater (septic) systems on land inside Van Etten town

  • Construction permit is issued to a registered contractor, not the property owner; a homeowner exemption from contractor registration is available for owner-built systems via a homeowners registration exemption form.
  • A site evaluation by a county sanitarian must be done before a construction permit is issued; a site evaluation fee is charged.
  • Permit is valid for one year and may be renewed; the page's fee amounts are from an older schedule and were not re-verified.

  “a sewage treatment system (sts) construction permit will only be issued to a "registered contractor".”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-occupant construction inside Van Etten town limits
• Septic inspection — On-site wastewater (septic) system inspection inside Van Etten town
• Off-grid sanitation — Off-grid sanitation (non-sewered waste disposal) inside Van Etten town
• Well permit — Private water wells inside Van Etten town
• Mandatory utility hookup — Whether a new home inside Van Etten town must connect to public water or sewer

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.

Off-grid gear

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

• Water Crystal Quest Filter any source — well, rain, or creek — to drinking-clean.
• Power Bluetti Solar generators and home battery backup for living off the grid.
• Septic Soil percolation test kit Run your own perc test before paying an engineer — the first thing a septic office asks about.
• Water Well water test kit Bacteria, nitrates, hardness — know what the well on a parcel is really pumping.

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