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

Town of Chesterfield’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  Work inside Chesterfield town that must conform to the Uniform Code.

  • The town application lists exclusions, including certain accessory buildings not exceeding 144 square feet, certain playground equipment, certain above-ground pools less than 24 inches deep, fences not enclosing pools, certain retaining walls, certain window awnings, finish work, listed portable equipment, certain replacement equipment, and repairs not involving the listed structural, egress, building-system, or fire-protection changes.

  accessory-building exclusion threshold: <= 144 square feet (Tool and storage sheds, playhouses, or similar uses.)

  “Building permits shall be required for work which must conform to the Uniform Code. The following categories of work may be excluded from the requirement for a building permit”

• Certificate of occupancyRequired

  A building inside Chesterfield town before it is occupied or used.

  • A Certificate of Occupancy or Certificate of Compliance issued by the Code Enforcement Officer is required before occupancy or use.

  “No building shall be occupied or used, in whole or in part, for any purpose whatsoever until a Certificate of Occupancy or a Certificate of Compliance has been issued by the Code Enforcement Officer.”

• Permit processPublished (with conditions)

  Building-permit applications inside Chesterfield town.

  • Incomplete submissions will not be reviewed.
  • The application requires listed owner, location, parcel, contractor, project-cost, deed-restriction, other-agency-approval, historic-district, agricultural-district, and construction-document information.
  • Payment is due when the application is submitted.

  “Submit this completed application to the Town of Chesterfield Office or email to: chesterfieldcodes@gmail.com. Payment for the permit fee must be made at the time of application submission (see Permit Fee Schedule to calculate the appropriate fee).”

Rules another office applies inside Town of Chesterfield

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

• Building code adoptedAdopted (with conditions)

  The New York State Uniform Code applies inside Chesterfield town because Chesterfield is not New York City.

  • The State source says New York City is the exception.
  • The town may adopt more restrictive standards subject to State approval.

  “The Uniform Code is automatically in effect in each city, town, and village in the State (except New York City) by directive of the State Legislature.”

• InspectionsRequired

  Construction subject to the Uniform Code inside Chesterfield town.

  • Inspections apply to certain specified elements of the construction process.
  • Permit holders must keep work accessible and exposed until inspected and accepted by the municipality.
  • The State source separately excludes mandatory regular periodic inspections of owner-occupied one- and two-family dwellings and agricultural buildings used directly and solely for agricultural purposes, subject to stated hazard and invitation exceptions.

  “Construction Inspections. Inspections of certain specified elements of the construction process must be required. Building permits holders must keep work accessible and exposed until inspected and accepted by the municipality.”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder construction inside Chesterfield town.
• Zoning districts — Zoning districts inside Chesterfield town.
• Minimum dwelling size — Dwelling units inside Chesterfield town.
• Minimum lot size — Lots inside Chesterfield town.
• Setbacks — Structures inside Chesterfield town.

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.