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

Town of Lexington’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  All construction, repair, relocation, removal or demolition of a building or structure inside Lexington town

  • Electrical, plumbing and mechanical work each need a separate permit for each trade (FAQ).
  • Work may not legally begin before the permit is obtained and posted at the work site (FAQ).
  • Projects that disturb one or more acres need a separate storm-water discharge permit (Building Permit Requirements page).
  • The FAQ carries an 'example faqs (for training)' label; the statement is taken as the town's own published text but should be confirmed with the code office.

  “you need a building permit for all construction that involves the construction, repair, movement to another site, removal, or demolition of any building or structure.”

• InspectionsRequired

  Permitted construction work inside Lexington town

  • Inspections are made by the code officer at certain periods throughout construction.
  • Specific pre-pour and pre-close-up inspections are listed: inspect before any concrete is poured; inspect before any interior walls are closed up; inspect when walls are closed up.
  • Applies to both new structures and additions/renovations per the Building Permit Requirements page.

  minimum inspection notice: >= 72 hours

  “inspections of all work to be done by code office (72 hrs notice minimum) detailed inspection checklist supplied with application.”

• Certificate of occupancyRequired

  New structures and additions/renovations for which a certificate of occupancy or certificate of completion is sought inside Lexington town

  • For a new structure, the C.O. list includes final DEP approval, certified electrical inspection, NYS residential building energy standards certificate, copy of well completion report, and final code office inspection (the DEP agency is not named on the page).
  • Greene County electrician must be used for all electrical work (Building Permit Requirements page).

  “for c. o. on structure final dep approval certified electrical inspection nys residential building energy standards certificate copy of well completion report final code office inspection”

• Short-term rentalsLimited

  Short-term rentals inside Lexington town (permits under the town's short-term rental regulations)

  • Permits are required: the page says 'to be posted in all permitted strs: notice of regulations'.
  • Non-resident permits are capped at 62 (page reports all 62 issued and about five on a waiting list); no cap is stated for resident permits.
  • Permits are non-transferable; a new owner must apply for their own permit.
  • The town's STR regulation history is the original 2021 law and the amended 2023 law (Local Law # 4-23); their text was not opened.

  non-resident STR permit cap: 62 permits (No cap stated for resident permits)

  “overview of the numbers: maximum number (cap) of 'non-resident' permits: 62”

• Permit feesVariable (with conditions)

  Building permits issued by the town for construction inside Lexington town

  • Published fee amounts are on the Building Permit Fees - Fee Schedule page (listed in the sitemap), which was not opened.
  • Permit requirements page says payment of all applicable fees is required with the application.

  “the price of the permit is calculated using the cost of the construction.”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder work inside Lexington town
• Building code adopted — Construction inside Lexington town limits
• Local zoning — Land inside Lexington town limits (zoning administration)
• Zoning districts — Zoning districts inside Lexington town
• Minimum dwelling size — Main single-family residential district inside Lexington 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.

Off-grid gear

Going off-grid in Town of Lexington means bringing your own water and power. The kit we’d start with:

• Water Crystal Quest Filter any source — well, rain, or creek — to drinking-clean.
• Power Bluetti Solar generators and home battery backup for living off the grid.
• Septic Soil percolation test kit Run your own perc test before paying an engineer — the first thing a septic office asks about.
• Water Well water test kit Bacteria, nitrates, hardness — know what the well on a parcel is really pumping.

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