Building permits, zoning and land rules in Fulton County, New York

A building permit is generally required in Fulton County, but the permit comes from the town, village or city where the property lies rather than from Fulton County¹. The 2025 New York State Uniform Code took effect December 31, 2025 and applies in Fulton County; local governments may adopt authorized construction standards that are more restrictive². Each local authority administers and enforces the permit requirement for work that must conform to the Uniform Code or Energy Code⁷. Fulton County's cities, villages and towns are listed in the county's local-government directory⁸. A local code program may exempt listed work, including a one-story detached shed or playhouse of no more than 144 square feet associated with a one- or two-family home, but exempt work must still comply with the codes⁷. In the Town of Johnstown, for example, Building Inspection and Code Enforcement is the local contact⁹.

Fulton County has no countywide building department, so there is no single office to call for every parcel¹. Confirm which town, village or city your land sits in, then contact that municipality's own code enforcement office⁸. In the Town of Johnstown, that office is Building Inspection and Code Enforcement, reachable at (518) 762-7070, extension 4, or buildings@townofjohnstown.org, at 2753 State Highway 29, Johnstown, NY 12095 - this is one example, not Fulton County's answer for every parcel⁹. The Fulton County Planning Department, at (518) 736-5660 or planning@fultoncountyny.gov, assists municipalities with zoning, subdivision and site-plan programs and can help point you to the right local office, though it does not issue permits itself¹.

Zoning in Fulton County is set town by town and village by village, not by the county¹. The Fulton County Planning Department supports local municipalities as they administer zoning, subdivision regulations and site-plan review, but each town or village adopts and enforces its own zoning law¹. Outside villages, a town's planning board may review and approve subdivision plats if the town board has authorized it by resolution, with a 62-day deadline for the preliminary-plat hearing and decision once your application is complete⁶. Because the rule varies by municipality, ask your specific town or village office, such as the Town of Johnstown's Building Inspection and Code Enforcement, about setbacks, minimum lot size, and RV or tiny-home use before you buy or build⁹.

Septic approval in Fulton County depends on your specific town, and no single county septic-permitting office was confirmed for this guide³. Statewide, a septic system discharging less than 1,000 gallons per day of sewage wastewater to groundwater, with no industrial waste, does not need a State Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit from the Department of Environmental Conservation, but it may still need approval from the appropriate city health department, county health department, or district office of the New York State Department of Health, depending on where the property sits³. Ask your town's code enforcement office, such as the Town of Johnstown's Building Inspection and Code Enforcement, which health authority covers septic review for your specific parcel before you buy⁹.

No Fulton County or state source confirms a countywide answer on living in an RV or tiny home on your own land; that use falls under whichever town or village zoning law covers your parcel¹. Because zoning in Fulton County is set locally, ask your town or village code enforcement office, such as the Town of Johnstown's Building Inspection and Code Enforcement, whether your district allows it before you buy or move one onto the property^1,9. If you are considering a mobile or modular home instead, New York's Uniform Code still requires a building permit, inspections, and a certificate of occupancy before you can legally occupy it⁷.

1. Identify which town, village or city your parcel sits in among Fulton County's cities, villages and towns; each runs its own zoning and building rules^1,8.
2. Call that municipality's code enforcement office to confirm your zoning district, setbacks, and any subdivision or site-plan requirements before you finalize a purchase; the Fulton County Planning Department at (518) 736-5660 can help point you to the right office¹.
3. Apply for your building permit through your town, village or city's code office; if it follows the state's published fee schedule, expect about $200 for the first 1,500 square feet and $100 for each additional 1,000 square feet⁵.
4. Line up your septic approval - ask your local code office which county or state health authority reviews septic plans for your parcel, since a system under 1,000 gallons per day may still need that approval even without a state DEC discharge permit³.
5. Schedule your construction inspections as your local code office requires; New York's Uniform Code calls for inspections of the worksite, footings, framing, and systems before your certificate of occupancy can be issued⁷.
6. If you are creating a new lot from a larger parcel outside a village, check whether your town's planning board reviews subdivisions; where authorized, the town has 62 days to hold its preliminary-plat hearing and decide once your application is complete⁶.
7. Get your certificate of occupancy before you move in; New York law requires one for any work that had a building permit, and a temporary certificate can cover a specified period if you need to occupy before every item is finished⁷.

Fulton County's soils are challenging for septic: only about 6.6% rate free of severe limits for a conventional drain field, so budget for a site evaluation and likely an engineered system on most parcels¹⁰. About 74.7% of the county's land sits at 15% slope or less, and 79% is wooded, so expect clearing costs on a timbered lot even where the grade is gentle¹⁰. The county sees essentially no severe-drought years and sits about 44 miles from the nearest city of 100,000 or more people, with a population density around 105.4 people per square mile¹⁰. Typical property tax runs about 2.1% of value, with a median bill near $3,325 a year¹⁰. Because building, zoning and often septic approval all run through your specific town, village or city rather than the county, confirm the exact office covering your parcel before you make an offer¹.