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

Village of Lancaster’s own rules

• Local zoningPresent

  Land inside the Village of Lancaster, Erie County, NY

  • Chapter 350 was amended by L.L. No. 4-2023 (3-27-2023); eCode360 also lists L.L. No. 4-2026 (zoning amendment, 2026-09-28) as a new law.

  “this chapter shall be known and may be cited as the "amended and revised zoning ordinance of the village of lancaster, county of erie and state of new york," and shall constitute chapter 350 of the code of the village of lancaster.”

• Zoning districtsPublished

  Zoning districts inside the Village of Lancaster

  • Districts: MU-Core, MU-1, MU-2, OS, R-1, R-2, R2A, C-1, M-1, M-1P.
  • District boundaries are shown on the Zoning Map (§ 350-4).

  “the incorporated village of lancaster is hereby divided into the following zoning districts:”

• Minimum lot sizeDistrict specific (with conditions)

  R-1 Residence District dwellings inside the Village of Lancaster

  • Other districts except mixed use: 6,000 sq ft for one or two dwelling units plus 2,000 sq ft per additional unit.
  • Sites of one acre or more in R-1: single-family 6,000 sq ft, two-family 9,500 sq ft.
  • Minimum lot width in R-1: 60 feet for the first dwelling unit plus 30 feet per additional unit (§ 350-26).
  • Amended 1-22-2007 and 3-27-2023.

  minimum lot area per dwelling unit, R-1: >= 6000 square feet (mixed use districts governed separately)

  “in r-1 districts, 6,000 square feet per dwelling unit.”

• SetbacksSpecified

  Dwellings in non-mixed-use districts (including R-1, R-2, R2A) inside the Village of Lancaster: front yard

  • Front yard need not be deeper than the average of existing buildings within 150 feet on each side (§ 350-28 c).
  • Mixed use districts are excluded from this section.
  • Side yards: two required, aggregate at least 11 feet, none under 4 feet; multiple dwellings at least 10 feet (§ 350-29).

  minimum front yard, dwellings: >= 25 feet (averaging exception) · minimum aggregate side yards, dwellings: >= 11 feet · minimum single side yard, dwellings: >= 4 feet

  “in districts other than the mixed use districts, minimum front yard requirements shall be as follows: a. for dwellings or mixed use, 25 feet.”

• Building heightSpecified

  Dwellings in R-1, R-2 and R-2A districts inside the Village of Lancaster

  • Accessory buildings in R districts: 14 feet; in C or M districts: 30 feet.
  • Exceptions for chimneys, spires, bulkheads, antennas and flagpoles (§ 350-31 d).

  maximum dwelling height: <= 30 feet (listed height exceptions)

  “maximum height of buildings shall be as follows: a. for dwellings: (1) in r-1, r-2 and r-2a districts, 30 feet.”

Still unanswered

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

• Building permit — Inside Lancaster village
• Owner-builder exemption — Inside Lancaster village
• Building code adopted — Inside Lancaster village
• Inspections — Inside Lancaster village
• Certificate of occupancy — Inside Lancaster 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.