Bolthole Index

Erie County, New York

Building permits, zoning and septic rules in the Village of Depew, New York

The Village of Depew in Erie County, New York requires a building permit from its Code Enforcement Officer for any work that must meet the state Uniform Code1. The village also adopts its own zoning, with districts such as R-1 Single-Family Residential2. Septic permits come from the Erie County Department of Health, not the village3.

At a glance

Building permit
Required from the village Code Enforcement Officer for work under the Uniform Code1
Zoning
Village zoning chapter with R-1, R-2, commercial and other districts2
Inspections
Required during construction, with a certificate of occupancy at the end45
Septic
Erie County Department of Health issues construction permits6
Subdivision
Village Board of Trustees must approve any division of land7

Who to call

Building permits

Village of Depew Building Inspection (Code Enforcement)

Building permits, inspections, plumbing inspection, sewer certificates of compliance, and staff liaison to the zoning and planning boards for the village

716-683-1400

Septic permits

Erie County Department of Health — Division of Environmental Health

Septic (onsite wastewater) construction permits countywide in Erie County

716-961-6800

[email protected]

ECDOH Building, 503 Kensington Avenue, Buffalo, NY 14214

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 Village of Depew means bringing your own water and power. The kit we’d start with:

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Do you need a building permit in Depew, NY?

Yes. Inside the Village of Depew, a building permit is required before work starts on construction, enlargement, alteration, removal, relocation or demolition that must meet the state Uniform Code or Energy Code1. The village's Building Inspection department says that no one may begin permitted work without a permit from the Code Enforcement Officer8. Starting first costs more: the department charges a double permit fee when a permit is requested after the work has begun or finished8.

Some minor one- and two-family-dwelling work is exempt under the village code, but an exemption never excuses work that breaks the code1. Ask the Building Department whether your project is on that list before you skip a permit.

Who issues building permits in Depew, and how do you reach them?

The Village of Depew handles its own building permits; Erie County does not. The Building Inspection department is the place to ask, at 716-683-14008. Applications are made in writing on a form the Code Enforcement Officer accepts, signed by the owner or an authorized agent9. Fees are set by Village Board of Trustees resolution and are due when you submit the application10.

Inspections follow the permit. The permit holder must tell the Code Enforcement Officer when each stage is ready, and work must stay exposed until it is inspected4. Once a building permit has been issued, the building may be used or occupied only after a certificate of occupancy or certificate of compliance is issued5.

Does Depew have zoning, and what does it mean for lot size and setbacks?

Yes. Depew has its own zoning chapter, and its sections cover R-1 Single-Family Residential, R-2 Two-Family and Multifamily Residential, C-1 General Commercial and C-2 Shopping Center districts, among others2. Lot area, yards, building height and building location all depend on the district your lot sits in, and no lot may be reduced or subdivided so that it becomes nonconforming11. The village's Building Inspection page links a village zoning map to find your district8.

Any division of land needs approval from the Village Board of Trustees7. We could not confirm the numeric setback, height or minimum-lot figures for each district, so ask the Code Enforcement Officer for the standards in your district before you design anything.

How do septic permits work in Depew?

New Erie County septic systems are permitted by the Erie County Department of Health, which administers the county's onsite wastewater permit and inspection process3. A new home that needs a septic system must hire a licensed design professional, and the application package includes a $300 fee6. The health department issues the construction permit once the plans meet its regulations6.

A lot connected to public sewer may not need a septic system at all. We could not confirm the village's own rules for private wastewater systems or sewer connection, so ask the village Building Department whether public sewer serves your lot. The village also offers a sewer certificate of compliance, which it says is needed to sell your home8. Call the Erie County Department of Health at 716-961-6800 for septic questions12.

Can you live in an RV or tiny home in Depew?

We could not confirm a direct village rule on living in an RV, camping on a lot or occupying a tiny home. Village zoning is district-by-district, so the answer depends on where the lot sits. Ask the Village of Depew Building Inspection department at 716-683-1400 before you park or place any dwelling on a lot8. A tiny home built on a foundation would be a building and need a permit like any other dwelling1.

Building a home in Depew: the steps, in order

  1. Call the Building Inspection department to confirm your zoning district and which approvals your project needs8.
  2. Ask whether public sewer serves the lot; if it does not, apply to the Erie County Department of Health for a septic construction permit through a licensed design professional6.
  3. Apply in writing for a building permit from the Code Enforcement Officer and pay the fee set by the Board of Trustees910.
  4. Call for each inspection and keep work exposed until it passes4.
  5. Obtain the certificate of occupancy before anyone moves in5.

What stays with Erie County, and what to check before you buy in Depew

The county's health department, not the village, handles septic permits3. Erie County also requires a property-transfer certification before title passes on a property served by a septic system or private well3. Landowners also pay county-level tax: Erie County's effective property tax rate is 2.1% and its median property tax bill is $4,525 a year1314. For land outside the village, see the Erie County page.

Watch-outs

  • We could not confirm the village's rules on RV occupancy, tiny homes, accessory dwellings, or private wells, so ask the Building Inspection department at 716-683-1400 before you buy or build8.
  • Check whether your lot is in a mapped flood hazard area; the village has a floodplain development permit section we could not review in full, so ask the Building Department8.
  • Septic soils matter at the county level: only about 0.3% of Erie County soils rate as not limited for a conventional drain field, so an engineered system is likely where sewer is unavailable15.

Sources

  1. Village of Depew Code, Article III: Building Permits (Village of Depew), quoted and re-checked
  2. Village of Depew Code, Chapter 260: Zoning (Village of Depew), quoted and re-checked
  3. Septic and Onsite Wastewater Systems, quoted and re-checked
  4. Village of Depew Code, Article V: Construction Inspections; Stop-Work Orders; Certificates of Occupancy/Certificates of Compliance (Village of Depew), quoted and re-checked
  5. Village of Depew Code, Article V: Construction Inspections; Stop-Work Orders; Certificates of Occupancy/Certificates of Compliance (Village of Depew), quoted and re-checked
  6. Septic and Onsite Wastewater Systems, quoted and re-checked
  7. Village of Depew Code, Chapter 260: Zoning (Village of Depew), quoted and re-checked
  8. Village of Depew Building Inspection (Code Enforcement) (depewny.gov)
  9. Village of Depew Code, Article III: Building Permits (Village of Depew), quoted and re-checked
  10. Village of Depew Code, Article III: Building Permits (Village of Depew), quoted and re-checked
  11. Village of Depew Code, Chapter 260: Zoning (Village of Depew), quoted and re-checked
  12. Erie County Department of Health — Division of Environmental Health (www3.erie.gov)
  13. Effective property tax rate: Bolthole Index county data
  14. Median property tax bill: Bolthole Index county data
  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

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 Village of Depew

Village of Depew’s own rules

  • Building permitRequired

    Construction, enlargement, alteration, improvement, removal, relocation, or demolition of a building or structure inside Depew village when the work must conform to the Uniform Code and/or Energy Code.

    • Exemptions in § 76-6(B) include listed minor one- and two-family-dwelling work; exemption does not authorize noncompliant work.
    • A permit must be obtained from the Code Enforcement Officer before required work begins.
    “No person shall commence any work for which a building permit is required without first having obtained a building permit from the Code Enforcement Officer.”
  • InspectionsRequired

    Permitted construction inside Depew village.

    • The permit holder must notify the Code Enforcement Officer when an inspectable element is ready.
    • Applicable inspections include site, footing/foundation, slab preparation, framing, building systems, fire-resistant construction, Energy Code compliance, and final inspection.
    “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. The permit holder shall notify the Code Enforcement Officer when any element of work described in Subsection B of this section is ready for inspection.”
  • Certificate of occupancyRequired

    Work subject to a building permit and structures converted to another use or occupancy classification inside Depew village.

    • Use or occupancy after a building permit is granted only by issuance of a certificate.
    • The Code Enforcement Officer or authorized Inspector must inspect before issuance; applicable supplemental documents include flood-hazard certifications.
    • Temporary occupancy may be authorized only under a temporary certificate and only if statutory safety conditions are met.
    “Permission to use or occupy a building or structure, or portion thereof, for which a building permit was previously issued shall be granted only by issuance of a certificate of occupancy/certificate of compliance.”
  • Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

    Zoning districts inside Depew village.

    • The published zoning chapter identifies R-1 Single-Family Residential, R-2 Two-Family and Multifamily Residential, commercial, industrial, motor-services, and land-conservation district sections.
    “§ 260-23 R-1 Single-Family Residential District. § 260-24 R-2 Two-Family and Multifamily Residential District. § 260-25 C-1 General Commercial District. § 260-26 C-2 Shopping Center District.”
  • Minimum lot sizeDistrict specific (with conditions)

    Land inside Depew village, by the zoning district in which the lot is located.

    • No lot area may be reduced, altered, or subdivided so as to create a nonconforming lot.
    • Specific numerical district standards were not extracted.
    “No building shall be erected, no existing buildings shall be altered, enlarged or rebuilt, nor shall any open space surrounding any building be encroached upon or reduced in any manner except in conformity with the yard, lot area, height and building location regulations hereinafter designated for the district in which such building or open space is located, and upon issuance of all approvals required by this chapter.”
  • SetbacksDistrict specific (with conditions)

    Land inside Depew village, by the zoning district in which the building or open space is located.

    • All required chapter approvals must be issued.
    • Specific numerical district standards were not extracted.
    “No building shall be erected, no existing buildings shall be altered, enlarged or rebuilt, nor shall any open space surrounding any building be encroached upon or reduced in any manner except in conformity with the yard, lot area, height and building location regulations hereinafter designated for the district in which such building or open space is located, and upon issuance of all approvals required by this chapter.”
  • Lot coverageDistrict specific (with conditions)

    Land inside Depew village, by zoning district.

    • Specific coverage percentages were not extracted.
    “Maximum building coverage | 30% | 40% | 30%”
  • Building heightDistrict specific (with conditions)

    Land inside Depew village, by the zoning district in which the building is located.

    • All required chapter approvals must be issued.
    • Specific numerical district standards were not extracted.
    “No building shall be erected, no existing buildings shall be altered, enlarged or rebuilt, nor shall any open space surrounding any building be encroached upon or reduced in any manner except in conformity with the yard, lot area, height and building location regulations hereinafter designated for the district in which such building or open space is located, and upon issuance of all approvals required by this chapter.”
  • Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

    Division of land inside Depew village.

    • Division may not create a nonconforming lot.
    • Village Board of Trustees approval is required.
    “No lot area shall be reduced, altered or subdivided as to create a nonconforming lot. All division of land shall be approved by the Village Board of Trustees.”
  • Permit feesVariable (with conditions)

    Village building-permit applications, amendments, and renewals.

    • Fees are payable at application submission and are set by Village Board of Trustees resolution.
    “The building permit fees shall be paid at the time of submission of an application for a building permit, for an amended building permit, or for renewal of a building permit. Such fees shall be as set forth by the Village of Depew by Village Board of Trustees resolution.”
  • Permit processPublished (with conditions)

    Building permits inside Depew village.

    • Application must be in writing, on a form provided by or acceptable to the Code Enforcement Officer, and signed by the owner or authorized agent.
    • The ordinance specifies application information and construction documents; work may not begin until the permit issues.
    “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 Village of Depew or Erie County directly.

  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-built residential work inside Depew village.
  • Minimum dwelling size — Dwellings inside Depew village.
  • Living in an RV — Residential occupancy of recreational vehicles on private land inside Depew village.
  • Camping on your land — Temporary camping on private land inside Depew village.
  • Tiny homes — Tiny-home occupancy inside Depew village.
12 more unanswered
  • Manufactured homes
  • Accessory dwellings
  • Who permits septic
  • Septic permit
  • Septic inspection
  • Off-grid sanitation
  • Well permit
  • Mandatory utility hookup
  • Agricultural exemption
  • Driveway access
  • 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 Village of Depew publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Erie County’s page lists the county offices to call.

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