Building permits, zoning and septic rules in Genesee County, New York

Yes. The current New York State Uniform Code took effect on December 31, 2025, and applies statewide outside New York City^2,8. A building permit is required for work that must conform to the Uniform Code or Energy Code, although each local enforcement program may keep or omit the state's listed exceptions¹. Genesee County does not issue one countywide building permit: the Code Enforcement Officer for the city, town or village containing the parcel handles the building-permit decision and local fee schedule³. Zoning approval is separate and also local, while a residential septic construction permit stays with Genesee County Environmental Health^4,5.

Contact the Code Enforcement Officer for the city, town or village where the Genesee County parcel lies³. A building-permit application must give the local code official enough information to determine compliance, including the location, scope, tax-map number, street address, occupancy classification and acceptable construction documents¹. As an example only, the City of Batavia Bureau of Inspection handles building permits, building inspections and zoning enforcement inside the city, at One Batavia City Centre, Batavia, NY 14020, 585-345-6345⁹. Do not use that city office for land elsewhere in Genesee County. County Environmental Health still handles residential septic construction permits for addresses throughout Genesee County⁵. Permit holders must notify the local authority when work is ready and keep it accessible until accepted².

Genesee County does not adopt county-level zoning; towns and villages exercise zoning, and the County Planning Board reviews certain local planning actions referred under state law⁴. The City of Batavia also administers zoning inside the city⁹. Ask the city, town or village containing the parcel about zoning approval, the zoning district, allowed uses, setbacks, lot size, building height and subdivision review before relying on a purchase or site plan. Genesee County Planning provides municipal planning support and referral review, but it does not replace the municipality's zoning decision⁴. Septic construction permits remain countywide through Genesee County Environmental Health even when a municipality controls zoning⁵. The County Planning Board charges no referral-review fee, so verify any payment demand directly with the Planning Department⁴.

The Genesee & Orleans County Health Departments' Environmental Health Division oversees septic design and permitting throughout Genesee County, including new systems, repairs and replacements⁷. A residential onsite wastewater treatment system requires a county septic construction permit, and the application must include a $175 check or money order payable to the Genesee County Health Department⁵. Environmental Health also performs septic inspections during property transfers⁷. Only about 12% of Genesee County soils are rated without severe limits for a conventional drain field, so arrange the site evaluation before committing to a house location or system budget¹⁰. This county role does not move to the city, town or village that issues the building permit or zoning approval^3,4,5. Reach Environmental Health at (585) 344-2580 or health@geneseeny.gov⁷.

We could not confirm a countywide rule allowing long-term RV occupancy, temporary camping or tiny-home occupancy in Genesee County. Ask the city, town or village that controls the parcel about allowed uses, placement and occupancy before buying or moving a unit onto the land⁴. For work requiring a building permit, the local authority must inspect the completed work and issue a certificate of occupancy or compliance before occupancy; a use or occupancy-classification change also requires a certificate¹. A person who will own and occupy a manufactured home may apply for installer certification, but homeowner-performed installation components must be supervised and certified by a certified installer⁶. That narrow installer path does not replace a municipal building permit, local zoning approval or a county septic construction permit^3,4,5.

1. Identify the city, town or village containing the parcel and ask its Code Enforcement Officer about zoning approval, building-permit documents and local fees^3,4.
2. Confirm the allowed use and dimensional rules, then determine which project work requires a building permit¹.
3. Contact County Environmental Health at (585) 344-2580 before fixing the house and septic locations⁷.
4. Submit the local building-permit application with enough information for code review, and submit the separate county septic construction-permit application with its $175 payment^1,5.
5. Notify the municipality when work is ready and keep it accessible for required building inspections².
6. Obtain the municipality's certificate of occupancy or compliance before occupying completed permitted work².

Only about 12% of Genesee County soils are rated without severe limits for a conventional septic drain field, so obtain Environmental Health's site guidance before assuming a standard system will fit^7,10. Check public-water eligibility early: development inside a Smart Growth Development Area has access, Agricultural District land may face lateral restrictions, and new development outside the boundary is not automatically eligible for a hookup but can receive case-by-case review¹¹. Agricultural District enrollment can provide protection from nuisance claims and certain local regulations, but it does not create a blanket building-permit exemption¹². Ask the municipality about zoning approval; we could not confirm countywide driveway-access or floodplain-development permit rules, so also ask which road authority and floodplain official cover the parcel⁴. The median property-tax bill is about $3,958 per year, with an effective rate near 2.5%¹⁰.