Bolthole Index

Erie County, New York

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

The Village of Springville, Erie County, New York requires a building permit for any work that must conform to the state Uniform Code1. The village has its own zoning chapter, and its Code Enforcement Office handles building permits23. Septic permits come from the Erie County Department of Health, not the village4.

At a glance

Building permit
Required for work covered by the NYS Uniform Code; issued by the village15
Zoning
Village-adopted zoning code (Chapter 200) applies inside village limits2
Septic
Erie County Department of Health issues construction permits; village-specific septic rules not confirmed4
Certificate of occupancy
Required for work under a village building permit6
Camping in residence districts
Seasonal cottage, cabin or camping-ground use is not allowed in R-8.5, R-6 and RM7
R-8.5 minimum lot
8,500 square feet8
Owner-builder
State workers' compensation form BP-1 may apply; village-specific exemption not confirmed9

Who to call

Building permits

Village of Springville Code Enforcement Office

Building permits, Uniform Code inspections and certificates of occupancy inside the Village of Springville; zoning questions

(716) 592-4936

5 West Main Street

Septic permits

Erie County Department of Health — Division of Environmental Health

Onsite wastewater treatment (septic) construction and repair 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 Springville means bringing your own water and power. The kit we’d start with:

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Does Springville have zoning, and what does it mean for RVs, tiny homes and lot size?

Yes. The Village of Springville adopted its own zoning code, Chapter 200 of the village code, and it applies to land inside village limits2. Rules differ by district, so check the district for your parcel before you plan anything.

In the R-8.5 Residence District, the minimum lot area is 8,500 square feet8. Required yards are 25 feet in front, 10 feet on one side and 30 feet in back10. Main and accessory buildings together may cover no more than 30 percent of the lot11. Where public sewers are unavailable, the village sets a larger minimum lot individually to leave room for private waste disposal8.

Seasonal cottage, cabin and camping-ground uses are marked as not permitted in the R-8.5, R-6 and RM Residence Districts7. We could not confirm a village rule that specifically answers living in an RV or a tiny home, so ask the Code Enforcement Office before you buy.

Do you need a building permit in Springville, and who issues it?

Yes. A building permit is required in the Village of Springville for any work that must conform to the New York State Uniform Code or Energy Code, including building, enlarging, altering, removing or relocating a structure1. The village administers and enforces those codes itself5. Listed exemptions exist, such as a nonhabitable accessory building of 32 square feet or less and no more than eight feet high1.

The village Code Enforcement Office is in the Village Office at 5 West Main Street3. Work must stay exposed until the Code Enforcement Officer or an authorized inspector accepts it12, and a certificate of occupancy or compliance is required for any work under a building permit6. The Village Board sets the permit fee schedule by resolution13; ask the Code Enforcement Office for the current amounts.

How do septic permits work inside Springville?

New septic systems in Erie County are permitted by the Erie County Department of Health4. For a new home that needs an onsite wastewater system, the county requires a licensed design professional14. The application must include an engineer's report, plans and a $300 fee, and the Health Department issues the construction permit once the plans meet its regulations4.

We could not confirm whether a particular address in the village is served by public sewer or needs a private system, or any village-specific septic rule. Ask the Code Enforcement Office about sewer service for your lot, and call the county Division of Environmental Health at14 for septic permits. Selling a property that has a septic system or private well also requires a Property Transfer Certification from the county Department of Health15.

Can you build your own home in Springville?

New York's statewide homeowner rule lets a homeowner act as the general contractor on a one- to four-family owner-occupied residence, and the homeowner files form BP-1 when applying for the building permit if doing all the work personally9. For new construction of a primary or secondary residence, BP-1 may not be filed, and the homeowner must instead carry workers' compensation coverage or have the general contractor provide proof of coverage9. We could not confirm a Springville-specific owner-builder exemption, so ask the Code Enforcement Office.

Building a home in Springville: the steps, in order

  1. Find your parcel's zoning district and check lot size, yards and lot coverage against Chapter 2002.
  2. Ask the Code Enforcement Office whether public sewer serves the lot3.
  3. If you need a private system, hire a licensed design professional and apply to the Erie County Department of Health for a septic construction permit4.
  4. Apply for the village building permit before work starts1.
  5. Keep work exposed for inspection until the Code Enforcement Officer accepts it12.
  6. Get the certificate of occupancy or compliance before moving in6.

What stays with Erie County and the state, and what to check before you buy

Septic permits and property-transfer septic and well certifications stay with the Erie County Department of Health, wherever the property sits in the county15. The county's own pages for land outside village limits are at Erie County.

If the property fronts a New York State highway, building or changing a driveway needs a permit from the NYS Department of Transportation16. Development in FEMA-mapped flood hazard areas needs a local floodplain development permit17; we could not confirm the village's floodplain procedure, so ask the Code Enforcement Office. Erie County's effective property tax rate is 2.1%18.

Watch-outs

  • We could not confirm whether the village requires a separate driveway permit, though the village forms page lists a driveway form; ask the Code Enforcement Office3.
  • Village zoning rules differ by district, so the lot-size and yard figures above apply only to the R-8.5 district8.
  • Short-term rentals may be regulated by a recent village local law; confirm with the village before renting out a property3.

Sources

  1. Chapter 73: Building Construction and Fire Prevention - Village of Springville, NY (Village of Springville), quoted and re-checked
  2. Chapter 200: Zoning - Village of Springville, NY (Village of Springville), quoted and re-checked
  3. Village of Springville Code Enforcement Office (villageofspringvilleny.gov)
  4. Septic and Onsite Wastewater Systems, quoted and re-checked
  5. Chapter 73: Building Construction and Fire Prevention - Village of Springville, NY (Village of Springville), quoted and re-checked
  6. Chapter 73: Building Construction and Fire Prevention - Village of Springville, NY (Village of Springville), quoted and re-checked
  7. Chapter 200 Attachment 1: Table of Use Regulations — Residence Districts (Village of Springville), quoted and re-checked
  8. Chapter 200 Attachment 4: Table of Dimensional Regulations — Residence Districts (Village of Springville), quoted and re-checked
  9. Workers’ Compensation Requirements for Government Issued Permits, Licenses and Contracts, quoted and re-checked
  10. Chapter 200 Attachment 4: Table of Dimensional Regulations — Residence Districts (Village of Springville), quoted and re-checked
  11. Chapter 200 Attachment 4: Table of Dimensional Regulations — Residence Districts (Village of Springville), quoted and re-checked
  12. Chapter 73: Building Construction and Fire Prevention - Village of Springville, NY (Village of Springville), quoted and re-checked
  13. Chapter 73: Building Construction and Fire Prevention - Village of Springville, NY (Village of Springville), quoted and re-checked
  14. Erie County Department of Health — Division of Environmental Health (www3.erie.gov)
  15. Septic and Onsite Wastewater Systems, quoted and re-checked
  16. Residential Driveway Permits (New York statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  17. Floodplain Management - NYSDEC (New York statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  18. Effective property tax rate: 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 Springville

Village of Springville’s own rules

  • Building permitRequired

    Work inside Springville village that must conform to the Uniform Code or Energy Code.

    • Exemptions apply to listed work categories, including a nonhabitable accessory building of 32 square feet or less and no more than eight feet high.
    • parameters[]
    “A building permit shall be required for any work which must conform to the Uniform Code and/or the Energy Code, including, but not limited to, the construction, enlargement, alteration, improvement, removal, relocation, or demolition of any building or structure or any portion thereof, and the installation of a solid fuel burning heating appliance, chimney, or flue in any dwelling unit.”
  • Building code adoptedAdopted (with conditions)

    Construction inside Springville village limits.

    • The Village administers and enforces the New York State Uniform Code and State Energy Code through Chapter 73.
    “This chapter provides for the administration and enforcement of the New York State Uniform Fire Prevention and Building Code (the Uniform Code) and the State Energy Conservation Construction Code (the Energy Code) in this Village.”
  • InspectionsRequired

    Permitted construction inside Springville village limits.

    • Work must remain accessible and exposed until inspected and accepted; the listed construction elements are inspected where applicable.
    “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.”
  • Certificate of occupancyRequired

    Work subject to a Village building permit and changes in use or occupancy inside Springville village limits.

    • The Code Enforcement Officer or authorized inspector inspects before issuance; temporary occupancy requires safety, operational fire/life-safety components, and required means of egress.
    “A certificate of occupancy or certificate of compliance shall be required for any work which is the subject of a building permit and for all structures, buildings, or portions thereof which are converted from one use or occupancy classification or subclassification to another.”
  • Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

    Land inside Springville village limits.

    • Chapter 200 was adopted by the Village Board and has amendments noted where applicable.
    “[HISTORY: Adopted by the Board of Trustees of the Village of Springville 11-19-1979 as Ch. 132 of the 1979 Code. Amendments noted where applicable.]”
  • Permit feesVariable (with conditions)

    Village building-code applications, permits, certificates, and inspections.

    • The Village Board establishes the schedule by resolution and may amend it by like resolution; unpaid Village fees and fines after April 20 are re-levied to Village property tax.
    “A fee schedule shall be established by resolution of the Village Board of this Village. Such fee schedule may thereafter be amended from time to time by like resolution.”

Rules another office applies inside Village of Springville

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

  • Minimum lot sizeSpecified

    R-8.5 Residence District inside Springville village limits.

    • If public sewers are unavailable, the Village determines an increased minimum lot size individually to provide sufficient space for private sanitary waste disposal; width, depth, and setbacks may not be reduced below table standards.

    minimum lot area: 8500 square feet (R-8.5 Residence District)

    “Lot area,* minimum (square feet) 8,500 8,500 8,500”
  • SetbacksSpecified

    R-8.5 Residence District inside Springville village limits.

    • The table's stated yard dimensions apply; private-sewer conditions do not permit reduction of setbacks below table standards.

    front yard minimum: 25 feet (R-8.5 Residence District) · side yard minimum for one: 10 feet (R-8.5 Residence District) · rear yard minimum: 30 feet (R-8.5 Residence District)

    “Yards, minimum (feet) Front 25 20 20 Side, minimum for 1 10 10 15 Side, total for both on interior lot 16 16 30 Side, abutting side street on corner lot 25 20 20 Rear 30 25 25”
  • Lot coverageSpecified

    R-8.5 Residence District inside Springville village limits.

    maximum lot coverage: <= 30 percent (Main and accessory buildings in R-8.5 Residence District)

    “Lot coverage, percent of total lot area occupied by main and accessory buildings 30% 30% 30%”
  • Camping on your landProhibited

    Seasonal cottage, cabin, or camping-ground use in R-8.5, R-6, and RM Residence Districts inside Springville village limits.

    • This claim is limited to the three residence districts listed in the table.
    “Seasonal cottage, cabin, camping ground X X X”

Still unanswered

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

  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-built residential construction inside Springville village limits.
  • Minimum dwelling size — Dwellings inside Springville village limits.
  • Living in an RV — Residential occupancy of recreational vehicles on private land inside Springville village limits.
  • Tiny homes — Tiny-home occupancy inside Springville village limits.
  • Manufactured homes — Manufactured-home occupancy inside Springville village limits.
9 more unanswered
  • Who permits septic
  • Septic permit
  • Septic inspection
  • Off-grid sanitation
  • Well permit
  • Mandatory utility hookup
  • Agricultural exemption
  • Driveway access
  • Building in a floodplain

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 Springville publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Erie County’s page lists the county offices to call.

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