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

Town of Orleans’s own rules

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land inside the Town of Orleans, Jefferson County, New York.

  • Town page identifies a Zoning Officer and links the Town's zoning ordinance and zoning map.

  “Zoning & Building permits are required before you build in the Town of Orleans, Thank you.”

• Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

  Zoning districts inside Orleans town.

  • Town page links a zoning map and zoning ordinance, but district names and boundaries were not extracted because the ordinance PDF could not be opened within the research budget.

  “Zoning Ordinances Solar Energy Law Zoning Ordinance - effective November 5/2012 2017 Wind Law Zoning Map Amendment-Overlay District and WECS Subdivision Law”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Subdivision proposals inside Orleans town.

  • Town planning page provides an Application for Subdivision and identifies the Town's Subdivision Law.

  “Zoning Forms Town of Orleans Plot Plan Zoning Information Application for Zoning Permit Application Variance Permit Application Site Plan Review Application Plot Plan Application for Subdivision”

• Permit feesPublished (with conditions)

  Town zoning and planning applications inside Orleans town.

  • Fee schedule is labeled Updated March 2023.
  • This claim does not establish the amount of Jefferson County Uniform Code building-permit fees.

  residential zoning fee: 25 USD · commercial zoning fee: 100 USD · minor subdivision fee: 100 USD (4 lots or less) · major subdivision fee: 300 USD (5 or more lots)

  “Zoning: Residential $ 25 Commercial $ 100”

Rules another office applies inside Town of Orleans

Town of Orleans does not set these itself; the county, a health district or the state does, and they apply to every address inside its limits.

• Building permitRequired

  Most new residential and commercial construction, alterations, conversions, renovations, mobile/modular units, listed installations, and most demolition inside Orleans town.

  • County administers the Uniform Code in Orleans town.
  • Applicants must submit the application and construction-specification forms, plot plan, construction plans, and local zoning permit; the County checks completeness, bills the fee, and issues the permit after approval.

  “A Jefferson County Uniform Code Building Permit is required for: most types of new residential and commercial construction including alterations, conversions and renovations to existing structures.”

• Building code adoptedAdopted (with conditions)

  Uniform-code construction inside Orleans town; Jefferson County administers the State Uniform Code because Orleans is listed among municipalities opting out of local enforcement.

  • County administration applies because the municipality chose not to enforce the Code locally.

  “The County enforces the NYS Building Code in the following municipalities:”

• InspectionsRequired

  Work performed under a Jefferson County building permit inside Orleans town.

  • County must be notified when work is ready at intervals stated on the building permit.

  “Once your Permit has been issued and construction has begun, your inspector will make periodic inspections at your site to inspect the work as it progresses.”

• Certificate of occupancyRequired

  Completed projects using the Jefferson County building-permit process inside Orleans town.

  • The work must receive final approval by the County Code Enforcement Officer; the page says to allow ten days between final inspection and certificate issuance.

  “When construction of your project is complete and the work is given final approval by the County Code Enforcement Officer, the County will then issue a Certificate of Occupancy or a Compliance Certificate ending the Building Permit Process.”

• Who permits septicCounty (with conditions)

  Installation of septic systems inside Orleans town through the County Uniform Code building-permit program.

  • Engineered septic plans are additionally required when a new system is installed.

  “the installation of all mobile and modular units, all wood stoves - fireplaces and inserts, all heating units, all pools, all electrical work and the installation of all septic systems.”

• Septic permitRequired

  Installation of septic systems inside Orleans town.

  • Engineered septic plans are required if a new system is installed.

  “Engineered Septic Plans if a new system is to be installed,”

• Off-grid sanitationLimited

  Improved property in the Town's four named sewer districts where a public sewer is located in or adjacent to the abutting street or right-of-way.

  • Properties meeting the sewer-availability condition must connect to public sewer; this does not establish rules for property outside these sewer districts or without available sewer.

  “This Ordinance shall be known as Town of Orleans Sewer Use Ordinance and governs sewer use in the Thousand Islands Park Sewer District (No. 1); LaFargeville Sewer District (No. 2); Fineview Sewer District (No. 3); and Fishers Landing Sewer District (No. 4).”

• Mandatory utility hookupSewer (with conditions)

  Improved property in the Thousand Islands Park, LaFargeville, Fineview, or Fishers Landing Sewer District that abuts a street or right-of-way containing or adjacent to a public sewer.

  • New buildings in a District with uses identified in §4.2 must connect before use or occupancy.
  • The ordinance governs these four named sewer districts only, not all land in Orleans town.

  “Any improved property within any District used for human occupancy, employment, recreation, commerce, industry, or other public or private purpose which abuts on any street or right-of-way in which, or adjacent to which, there is located a public sewer, is hereby required to connect the sanitary sewage discharge system from his/her property directly to, or with, the public sewer.”

• Permit processPublished (with conditions)

  Jefferson County Uniform Code building-permit applications inside Orleans town.

  • Requires local Town zoning permit, application and construction-specification forms, plot plan, and construction plans.
  • County processes the application after fee payment and approval.

  “Deliver or mail the completed Application Form, Construction Specifications Form, along with your plot plan, construction plans and a copy of your local Zoning Permit to Jefferson County Fire Prevention and Building Code Office at 175 Arsenal Street, Watertown, N.Y. 13601, Phone No. 785-5130.”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builders undertaking construction inside Orleans town.
• Minimum dwelling size — Dwellings inside Orleans town.
• Minimum lot size — Lots inside Orleans town.
• Setbacks — Structures inside Orleans town.
• Lot coverage — Lots inside Orleans 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.