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

Town of Tupper Lake’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  Creation, construction, enlargement, improvement, alteration, removal, demolition, or heating-equipment installation for buildings or structures inside the Town of Tupper Lake.

  • The permit is required prior to commencing the listed work.
  • A NYS architect or engineer seal, stamp, and signature must be submitted before a permit for a building over 1,500 square feet, a commercial building, or major alteration or renovation.

  building permit duration: 3 years

  “A building permit is required for and prior to commencing: The creation, construction, and enlargement. Improvement, alteration, removal or demolition of any building, structure or any portion thereof and installation of heating equipment.”

• InspectionsLimited

  Electrical installations inside the Town of Tupper Lake.

  • All electrical inspections are performed by a third-party electrical inspector.

  “Yes, all inspections are performed by a third-party electrical inspector.”

• Certificate of occupancyLimited

  Applicants seeking a Certificate of Occupancy inside the Town of Tupper Lake.

  • A final inspection must be performed.
  • Required paperwork must be on file before issuance.

  “A final inspection must be performed and any required paperwork must be on file with office before a Certificate of Occupancy is issued.”

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land inside the Town of Tupper Lake, Franklin County, New York.

  • Land use and development must comply with the applicable Land Use Code provisions.

  “After the effective date, no land use or development in the Town of Altamont or Village or Tupper Lake shall be undertaken or maintained except in accordance with all of the applicable provisions of this code.”

• Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

  Town of Tupper Lake zoning districts.

  • Some listed districts exist in both Town and Village while others exist in one or the other; parcel mapping must be consulted to determine the applicable district.

  zoning districts identified by code: 18 districts (Some exist in both Town and Village and others in only one.)

  “The Town and Village are divided into 18 zoning districts, some of which exist in both the Town and Village while others exist in one or the other.”

• Minimum lot sizeDistrict specific (with conditions)

  Principal buildings inside Town of Tupper Lake zoning districts.

  • The scheduled minimum lot size is required for every principal building.
  • A Planning Board-permitted clustering exception applies under the Land Subdivision Regulations and §5.91; total project acreage must equal or exceed the number of principal buildings multiplied by the minimum lot size.

  “The minimum lot size on the 'Schedule of Uses and Requirements' is required for every principal building, unless clustering pursuant to Article III, Section S of the Land Subdivision Regulations. and Section 5.91 of the Code, is permitted by the Planning Board.”

• SetbacksDistrict specific (with conditions)

  Buildings inside Town of Tupper Lake zoning districts.

  • Setbacks vary by zone and type of building.

  “The set backs can be found in the Tupper Lake Land Use Code, they vary on zone and type of building.”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Subdivisions inside the Town of Tupper Lake.

  • Joint Planning Board review is required before filing with the Franklin County Clerk’s office.

  “All subdivisions are required to be reviewed by the Joint Planning Board before they can be filed with the Franklin County Clerk’s office, Please contact the Town Planner at 518-359-9261 ext 102 for additional information.”

• Permit feesPublished (with conditions)

  Thirty-day temporary-use permit applications inside the Town of Tupper Lake.

  • Fee is payable at time of submittal to the Town of Tupper Lake.

  residential/commercial temporary-use permit fee: 100 USD (Payable at time of submittal.)

  “FEES: RESIDENTIAL/COMMERCIAL - $100.00 (payable at time of submittal to Town of Tupper Lake)”

• Permit processPublished (with conditions)

  Town of Tupper Lake temporary-use permit applications.

  • The Code Administrator may issue a permit for up to 30 days.
  • Uses exceeding 30 days require Planning Board approval.
  • The Code Administrator may refer applications involving potential adverse impacts from traffic, noise, glare, or other impacts requiring mitigating conditions.
  • A temporary use may not be converted to permanent status without complying with the code.

  Code Administrator temporary-use permit maximum period: <= 30 days (Longer periods require Planning Board approval.)

  “The Code Administrator may issue a temporary use permit for a period not to exceed thirty (30) days. Temporary Uses for periods longer than thirty (30) days shall require approval by the Planning Board.”

Rules another office applies inside Town of Tupper Lake

Town of Tupper Lake 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)

  Construction administered by the Town of Tupper Lake Code Enforcement Department.

  • The department administers and enforces both the NYS Uniform Fire Prevention and Building Code and NYS Energy Code.

  “NYS Uniform Fire Prevention and Building Code”

• Agricultural exemptionConditional

  Farm buildings and other buildings used solely and directly for agricultural purposes in Town of Tupper Lake building-permit submissions.

  • The exemption concerns the stamp and seal of a licensed registered architect or professional engineer; it is not evidence of a general building-permit exemption.

  “Farm buildings and other buildings used solely and directly for agricultural purposes;”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-built residential construction inside the Town of Tupper Lake.
• Minimum dwelling size — General single-family dwellings inside the Town of Tupper Lake.
• Living in an RV — Private-land residential occupancy in recreational vehicles inside the Town of Tupper Lake.
• Camping on your land — Temporary camping on private land inside the Town of Tupper Lake.
• Tiny homes — Tiny-home occupancy inside the Town of Tupper Lake.

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.