Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Village of Philmont, New York

Village of Philmont’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  Proposed construction and property improvements inside Philmont village

  • Village building department reviews zoning and state building/energy code compliance; open and expired permits are a violation.
  • Specific exemptions not found.

  “the building permit process starts by submitting an application (building permit application) to the building department for review of the proposed work location”

• Building code adoptedAdopted

  Construction inside Philmont village

  • NYS Uniform Fire Prevention and Building Code and Energy Code apply statewide; village adopted NY Stretch energy code in 2021 (Local Law 1 of 2021).

  “in 2021, the village of philmont adopted ny stretch, a more energy efficient building code than the eccc.”

• InspectionsRequired

  Permitted work inside Philmont village

  • Inspections are those listed on the building permit; owner must call for them.

  “the property owner is ultimately responsible for ensuring that all required code enforcement office inspections, as listed on the building permit, are called for and completed.”

• Certificate of occupancyRequired

  Buildings with a building permit inside Philmont village

  • Occupying a building without a certificate of occupancy or certificate of inspection is a violation of local and state law.
  • Rental properties also need an annual rental certificate of occupancy.

  “a certificate of occupancy or certificate of inspection is required after a building permit is issued.”

• Local zoningPresent

  Land inside Philmont village

  • Source is a village-hosted draft housing study (Nov 2024) summarizing the code; the code text itself on eCode360 was not opened.
  • Zoning map last updated 2006 per the study; 11 districts.

  “chapter 160 of philmont's local laws presents the village's zoning regulations.”

• Zoning districtsPublished

  Zoning districts inside Philmont village

  • Study lists 11 districts: Rural, Residential Low Density, Hamlet I-III, Residential High Density, Mill, Mill II, General Business, Conservation, Residence Senior Citizen.

  “quick links building permit fee schedule philmont sewer law intent of zoning districts zoning districts map submit a code complaint”

• Lot coverageDistrict specific (with conditions)

  Buildings in Philmont village zoning districts

  • General Business and Mill districts 85%; Residence Senior Citizen 50%; Conservation district: buildings not permitted.
  • From village-hosted draft housing study summarizing the code, not the code text.

  maximum lot coverage, most districts: <= 30 percent (general business and mill 85%; senior citizen residence 50%; conservation none)

  “with four exceptions, all zoning districts in philmont allow buildings a maximum lot coverage of 30%.”

• Building heightSpecified

  Buildings in Philmont village zoning districts

  • From village-hosted draft housing study summarizing the code, not the code text.

  maximum height: <= 2.5 stories (mill district 3 stories)

  “in general, all buildings in the village may be built with a maximum of 2.5 stories except in the mill district, where 3 stories are permitted.”

• Driveway accessRequired

  New driveway connections to the road inside Philmont village

  • Page does not say which road owner (village, county, state) issues for each road.

  “new driveway connections to the road require a driveway permit.”

• Permit feesPublished

  Building permits inside Philmont village

  • Fee schedule document linked from the page was not opened; amounts not recorded.

  “quick links building permit fee schedule philmont sewer law intent of zoning districts”

• Permit processPublished

  Building permit process inside Philmont village

  • Process: application, zoning and code plan review, periodic site inspections, certificate of occupancy or inspection.

  “the building permit process starts by submitting an application (building permit application) to the building department for review of the proposed work location”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Village of Philmont or Columbia County directly.

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption inside Philmont village
• Minimum dwelling size — Minimum dwelling size inside Philmont village
• Minimum lot size — Minimum lot size in Philmont village districts
• Setbacks — Setbacks in Philmont village districts
• Living in an RV — RV occupancy inside Philmont village

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.