Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Town of Durham, New York
Town of Durham is a town in Greene County, New York. Town of Durham has not adopted its own zoning; the county’s or state’s rules apply inside its limits. 7 rules below are quoted from official sources and independently re-checked, most recently on October 29, 2026. Rules for unincorporated land are on the Greene County page.
Answers from the rulebook for Town of Durham
Town of Durham’s own rules
Local zoningAbsent
All land inside Durham town, Greene County, NY (town-level zoning ordinance)
Source is a Greene County Planning Department page that lists which Greene County towns have zoning; it is not a Durham town ordinance or a Durham town statement.
The county page states the no-zoning fact in a footnote next to its list of towns with zoning links.
Durham town's own site (durhamny.gov) was reachable only for its home page and Building and Code Laws list, which contain no zoning law; the town has not been confirmed to state this itself.
Durham town's Building and Code Laws list shows local laws on building, sewage disposal and subdivision, which are not zoning laws.
“*the towns of ashland, durham, hunter and prattsville do not have zoning.”
Zoning districtsNot published
Land inside Durham town (no zoning districts exist)
Based on the Greene County statement that Durham town does not have zoning, so no district map is published.
“*the towns of ashland, durham, hunter and prattsville do not have zoning.”
Minimum dwelling sizeNone
Single-family dwellings inside Durham town (no zoning, so no district)
Based on the Greene County statement that Durham town does not have zoning; no minimum dwelling size appears in any Durham source opened.
State building code and any Durham building law requirements were not checked and may still apply.
“*the towns of ashland, durham, hunter and prattsville do not have zoning.”
Minimum lot sizeNone
Residential lots inside Durham town (no zoning, so no district; main single-family residential lot standard)
Based on the Greene County statement that Durham town does not have zoning; no lot-size minimum found in Durham sources opened.
Septic and health-department lot requirements, if any, were not checked and still apply.
“*the towns of ashland, durham, hunter and prattsville do not have zoning.”
SetbacksNone
Structures on private land inside Durham town (no zoning, so no district setbacks)
Based on the Greene County statement that Durham town does not have zoning; no setback rule found in Durham sources opened.
Road, floodplain and septic setbacks set by other rules were not checked and still apply.
“*the towns of ashland, durham, hunter and prattsville do not have zoning.”
Lot coverageNone
Lots inside Durham town (no zoning, so no coverage limit)
Based on the Greene County statement that Durham town does not have zoning; no lot-coverage rule found in Durham sources opened.
“*the towns of ashland, durham, hunter and prattsville do not have zoning.”
Building heightNone
Buildings inside Durham town (no zoning, so no height limit)
Based on the Greene County statement that Durham town does not have zoning; no height rule found in Durham sources opened.
Airport, FAA or tower-siting rules, which a Durham local law may address (LL #2 of 2002 broadcast tower siting is listed on the town site, not opened), were not checked.
“*the towns of ashland, durham, hunter and prattsville do not have zoning.”
Still unanswered
We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Town of Durham or Greene County directly.
Building permit — New construction inside Durham town
Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder construction inside Durham town
Building code adopted — Construction inside Durham town
Inspections — Inspections of construction inside Durham town
Certificate of occupancy — Certificate of occupancy for new dwellings inside Durham town
13 more unanswered
Who permits septic
Septic permit
Septic inspection
Off-grid sanitation
Well permit
Mandatory utility hookup
Agricultural exemption
Subdividing land
Driveway access
Building in a floodplain
Short-term rentals
Permit fees
Permit process
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.
Unanswered questions are usually a sign that Town of Durham publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Greene County’s page lists the county offices to call.
Off-grid gear
Going off-grid in Town of Durham means bringing your own water and power. The kit we’d start with:
