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

Town of Norwich’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  Erection, construction, alteration, improvement, removal, demolition, or heating-equipment installation for buildings or structures in the Town of Norwich.

  • Agricultural buildings or structures are excepted.
  • The Code Enforcement Officer may waive the requirement for minor interior or exterior alterations.
  • The Town directs applicants to Chenango County Code Enforcement, and the county coverage table identifies Norwich in County Code Enforcement territory.

  “No person, firm, corporation, association, or other organization shall commence the erection, construction, alteration, improvement, removal, or dumolition ur any building or structure, except agricultural buildings ur structures, or the installation of heating equipment without having 'applied for and OLainud a Building Permit from the Code Enforcement Officer.”

• Building code adoptedAdopted (with conditions)

  Building-code administration inside the Town of Norwich, where the Town directs building permits to Chenango County Code Enforcement and the county coverage table includes Norwich.

  • County enforcement applies to municipalities that have not elected to enforce the Code.
  • The Town states that all Town building permits are handled by County Code Enforcement.

  “The County Board of Supervisors of the County of Chenango hereby establishes the Department of Code Enforcement to administer and enforce the State Uniform Fire Prevention and Building Code (hereinafter referred to as the Code) within those municipalities in Chenango County which have not elected to enforce the Code.”

• InspectionsRequired

  Dwellings, structures, and uses regulated by the State Uniform Fire Prevention and Building Code inside the Town of Norwich.

  • Routine periodic inspections of occupied dwelling units are not required unless otherwise required by the Code.
  • After a building permit is issued, the owner, applicant, or authorized agent must arrange construction inspections through County Code Enforcement.

  “All dwellings, structures and uses regulated under the State Uniform Fire Prevention and Building Code, including but riot limited to those buildings and structures for which a Building Permit has been obtained, shall be inspected for compliance with building construction and fire prevention provisions of the Code.”

• Certificate of occupancyRequired

  Occupancy or use of a dwelling or structure constructed or altered in the Town of Norwich.

  • A temporary certificate may be issued before all permitted work is complete if completed portions can be occupied safely without endangering life, public health, or welfare.
  • A temporary certificate lasts no more than three months and may receive up to two extensions of no more than three months each for good cause.

  “Occupancy must be issued before any occupancy, or use of the dwelling or structure is allowed.”

• Local zoningAbsent

  Land within the Town of Norwich, Chenango County, New York.

  • This finding concerns Town zoning; sanitary, subdivision, floodplain, highway, and building-code rules may still apply.

  “Is there zoning within the Town? Short answer: No”

• Minimum dwelling sizeNone

  Dwellings in the Town of Norwich, as a zoning dimensional-control matter.

  • This finding does not displace State building-code requirements.

  “Is there zoning within the Town? Short answer: No”

• Minimum lot sizeNone

  Lots in the Town of Norwich, as a zoning dimensional-control matter.

  • Subdivision and sanitary regulations remain applicable.

  “Is there zoning within the Town? Short answer: No”

• SetbacksNone

  Structures in the Town of Norwich, as a zoning dimensional-control matter.

  • Sanitary-system setback requirements remain applicable.

  “Is there zoning within the Town? Short answer: No”

• Lot coverageNone

  Lots in the Town of Norwich, as a zoning dimensional-control matter.

  • Subdivision, sanitary, and floodplain requirements may still apply.

  “Is there zoning within the Town? Short answer: No”

• Building heightNone

  Buildings in the Town of Norwich, as a zoning dimensional-control matter.

  • State building-code and other non-zoning requirements may still apply.

  “Is there zoning within the Town? Short answer: No”

• Living in an RVUnrestricted

  Long-term recreational-vehicle occupancy on private land in the Town of Norwich, as a zoning matter.

  • This finding is limited to the absence of Town zoning and does not remove sanitary, building, subdivision, floodplain, highway, or other applicable requirements.

  “Is there zoning within the Town? Short answer: No”

• Camping on your landUnrestricted

  Temporary camping on private land in the Town of Norwich, as a zoning matter.

  • This finding is limited to the absence of Town zoning and does not remove sanitary, building, subdivision, floodplain, highway, or other applicable requirements.

  “Is there zoning within the Town? Short answer: No”

• Tiny homesUnrestricted

  Tiny-home occupancy in the Town of Norwich, as a zoning matter.

  • This finding is limited to the absence of Town zoning and does not remove sanitary, building, subdivision, floodplain, highway, or other applicable requirements.

  “Is there zoning within the Town? Short answer: No”

• Manufactured homesUnrestricted

  Manufactured-home occupancy in the Town of Norwich, as a zoning matter.

  • This finding is limited to the absence of Town zoning and does not remove sanitary, building, subdivision, floodplain, highway, or other applicable requirements.

  “Is there zoning within the Town? Short answer: No”

• Accessory dwellingsUnrestricted

  Accessory dwellings in the Town of Norwich, as a zoning matter.

  • This finding is limited to the absence of Town zoning and does not remove sanitary, building, subdivision, floodplain, highway, or other applicable requirements.

  “Is there zoning within the Town? Short answer: No”

• Who permits septicLocal (with conditions)

  Individual sewage disposal systems within the Town of Norwich.

  • The local law excludes design, installation, and sewage disposal by a community or public sewer.
  • The Sanitary Inspector is appointed by the Town Board and administers and enforces the local law.

  “The Sanitary Inspector shall have the duty to administer and enforce the provisions of this local law. The Sanitary Inspector shall be appointed and may be removed by the Town Board.”

• Septic permitRequired

  Construction, alteration, repair, enlargement, or extension of an individual sewage disposal system within the Town of Norwich.

  • The permit application must be written, signed, submitted to the Sanitary Inspector, and accompanied by a fee.
  • Applicants must show that no public sewer is available or that discharge to public sewer is impracticable.
  • A percolation test is required for a proposed leaching facility when a system is extended or new construction is proposed.

  “It shall be unlawful for any person to construct, alter, repair, enlarge or extend an individual sewage disposal system within the town unless a sanitary system permit has been issued.”

• Septic inspectionLimited

  Individual sewage disposal systems constructed after the Town sanitary law takes effect.

  • A sanitary use certificate may follow an on-site investigation or installer/designer certification.
  • The Sanitary Inspector or designee may inspect systems built after the law takes effect to verify proper maintenance.
  • Applicants consent to site examinations, tests, and inspections by filing an application.

  “The Sanitary Inspector or his designee may inspect any individual sewage disposal system built after this local law takes effect to ensure that it is being maintained in proper working order.”

• Off-grid sanitationLimited

  Individual, non-public sewage disposal systems within the Town of Norwich.

  • A sanitary-system permit is required before construction, repair, alteration, enlargement, or extension.
  • The local law does not govern sewage disposal through a community or public sewer.
  • Individual systems must comply with the stated local and incorporated state standards.

  “This local law shall govern the disposal of sewage and the design of all sewage disposal systems within the town, except that this order shall not govern the design of, installation of or disposal of sewage by means of a community or public server.”

• Mandatory utility hookupConditional

  New on-site sewage-disposal systems in the Town of Norwich.

  • Town Water/Sewer Districts 2 and 3 serve specifically described State Highway 12 corridors and related areas.
  • For an individual sewage-system permit, the applicant must demonstrate no public sewer is available or that sewer discharge is impracticable.

  “Evidence to demonstrate to the satisfaction of the Sanitary Inspector that there is no public sewer available into which the sewage can be discharged from plumbing facilities on the proposed building site, or that it is impracticable to discharge sewage from on-site plumbing facilities into a public sewer system.”

• Agricultural exemptionConditional

  Agricultural buildings or structures in the Town of Norwich under the County building-permit rule.

  • The exception identified is from the County building-permit requirement; it does not establish exemptions from sanitary, subdivision, floodplain, or other laws.

  “No person, firm, corporation, association, or other organization shall commence the erection, construction, alteration, improvement, removal, or dumolition ur any building or structure, except agricultural buildings ur structures, or the installation of heating equipment without having 'applied for and OLainud a Building Permit from the Code Enforcement Officer.”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Division of land into two or more lots, blocks, or sites for sale, ownership transfer, or development within the Town of Norwich.

  • Before sale, offer to sell, or building-permit issuance in a proposed subdivision, the owner or authorized agent must apply in writing for approval.
  • The Planning Board reviews preliminary and final plats.
  • The regulation was enacted by the Norwich Town Board on September 11, 2006.

  “When a subdivision of land is proposed to be made, and before the closing of the sale of any lots or any offer to sell any lots in such subdivision or any part thereof is made, and before any permit for the erection of a structure in such proposed subdivision shall be granted, the owner or his duly authorized agent, shall apply in writing for approval of such proposed subdivision in accordance with the procedures set forth in this law.”

• Permit feesVariable (with conditions)

  County building permits for work in the Town of Norwich.

  • The County Board of Supervisors sets the building-permit application fee.
  • The Town sanitary law separately requires a fee to accompany a sanitary-system permit application but does not state an amount in the cited provision.

  “The Board of Supervisors of the County of Chenango shall set a fee for Building Permit Applications.”

• Permit processPublished (with conditions)

  County building-permit applications for work in the Town of Norwich.

  • Applications may be delivered in person or sent directly to County Code Enforcement.
  • The Code Enforcement Officer approves or disapproves an application within 60 days of submission.
  • The process applies because the Town directs all Town building permits to County Code Enforcement and County Code Enforcement coverage includes Norwich.

  “Applications for Building Permits shall be delivered in person or sent directly to the County Department of Code Enforcement for review and processing by the Code Enforcement Officer.”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-built residential work within the Town of Norwich.
• Well permit — Private wells within the Town of Norwich.
• Driveway access — New or extended driveway access in the Town of Norwich.
• Building in a floodplain — Development in mapped flood-hazard areas in the Town of Norwich.
• Short-term rentals — Short-term rentals in the Town of Norwich.

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.