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

Town of Tonawanda’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  Work inside the Town of Tonawanda that must conform to the Uniform Code or Energy Code, including construction, enlargement, alteration, improvement, removal, relocation, demolition, and listed solid-fuel appliance work.

  • The quoted requirement is excepted where Subsection B of § 54-5 provides an exemption.
  • Work may not commence unless a building permit is issued.

  “Except as otherwise provided in Subsection B of this section, a building and/or plumbing permit shall be required for any work which must conform to the Uniform Code and/or 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.”

• Owner-builder exemptionConditional

  Plumbing work in the Town of Tonawanda, exclusive of the Village of Kenmore.

  • The exemption is limited to a resident owner of a one- or two-family residence personally doing that owner's own plumbing work.
  • If the owner subcontracts the plumbing work, it must be performed by or under a currently licensed master plumber.

  “Plumbing work, including the installation of a sump pump, in the Town of Tonawanda, exclusive of the Village of Kenmore, shall be performed by or under the supervision of a master plumber and under a current license in accordance with Chapter 150, Plumbers, Licensing of, of the Code of the Town of Tonawanda, except that a resident owner of a one- or two-family residence may personally do his or her own work.”

• InspectionsRequired

  Permitted construction work inside the Town of Tonawanda.

  • The permit holder must notify the Code Enforcement Officer when an applicable element is ready for 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.”

• Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

  Zoning districts inside the Town of Tonawanda.

  • The cited table lists the Town's residential districts; Chapter 215 also contains mixed-use, industrial, and special-purpose district articles.

  “The residential districts of the Town of Tonawanda are listed in the following table. When this zoning code refers to residential or "R" zoning districts it is referring to one of the following: District Name | Abbreviation and Map Symbol Single-family residential | R-1 Two-family residential | R-2 Mixed residential | MR”

• Permit feesVariable (with conditions)

  Zoning permits, applications, and deposits required under Town Zoning Chapter 215.

  • The fee schedule is set by Town Board resolution and may be amended from time to time.
  • For consultant review, an escrow deposit is required before an application is deemed complete.

  “Fee schedule established. A schedule of fees for all permits, applications, and deposits as required in this Zoning Law shall be provided in a Fee Schedule, set by resolution of the Town Board. Such schedule may be amended from time to time as deemed necessary by the Town Board.”

• Permit processPublished (with conditions)

  Building and plumbing permit applications inside the Town of Tonawanda.

  • The Code Enforcement Officer may require additional information or documentation.
  • Work may not begin merely because construction documents were accepted; it may begin only after permit issuance.

  application examination period: <= 60 days from submission of complete application

  “An application for a building and/or plumbing permit shall be examined within 60 days from the date of submission of the complete application to ascertain whether the proposed work is in compliance with the applicable requirements of the Uniform Code and Energy Code.”

Rules another office applies inside Town of Tonawanda

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

• Minimum dwelling sizeSpecified

  R-1 Single-family Residential District inside the Town of Tonawanda.

  • The table distinguishes one-story and two-or-more-story dwellings.

  minimum building footprint, one-story dwelling: >= 800 square feet · minimum building footprint, two or more story dwelling: >= 520 square feet

  “Min Building Footprint (square feet) One-story dwelling | 800 | — | — Two or more story dwelling | 520 | — | —”

• Lot coverageSpecified

  R-1 Single-family Residential District inside the Town of Tonawanda.

  maximum lot coverage by structures and impervious surfaces: <= 60 percent

  “Max Lot Coverage Structures and impervious surfaces | 60% | 60% | 50% Min Open Space Grass, landscaped, or natural areas | 40% | 40% | 50%”

• Building in a floodplainRequired

  Development actions in the Town of Tonawanda Flood Hazard Overlay District.

  • The requirement applies to development actions in the FHO District and is administered under Town Code Chapter 92, Flood Damage Prevention.

  “Flood damage prevention. A floodplain development permit shall be required for all development actions in the FHO District as provided by Chapter 92 (Flood Damage Prevention) of the Town of Tonawanda Code.”

Still unanswered

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

• Building code adopted — Construction inside the Town of Tonawanda.
• Living in an RV — Residential occupancy of recreational vehicles on private land inside the Town of Tonawanda.
• Camping on your land — Temporary camping on private land inside the Town of Tonawanda.
• Tiny homes — Tiny-home occupancy inside the Town of Tonawanda.
• Manufactured homes — Manufactured-home occupancy inside the Town of Tonawanda.

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.

Off-grid gear

Going off-grid in Town of Tonawanda means bringing your own water and power. The kit we’d start with:

• Water Crystal Quest Filter any source — well, rain, or creek — to drinking-clean.
• Power Bluetti Solar generators and home battery backup for living off the grid.
• Septic Soil percolation test kit Run your own perc test before paying an engineer — the first thing a septic office asks about.
• Water Well water test kit Bacteria, nitrates, hardness — know what the well on a parcel is really pumping.

These are affiliate links — we may earn a commission, at no cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, Bolthole Index earns from qualifying purchases.