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

Work that must meet New York’s Uniform Code or Energy Code needs a building permit unless an allowed exception applies, and the town, village or city with jurisdiction administers and enforces the code¹. A local code program may exempt listed minor work, including a qualifying one-story detached shed, playhouse or similar accessory structure no larger than 144 square feet, but exempt work must still comply with the codes⁶. The 2025 New York State Uniform Code applies to regulated permit applications submitted beginning December 31, 2025⁷. Permit holders must keep covered construction accessible until required inspections are completed, and permit-covered buildings or occupancy changes cannot be used until the local authority issues a certificate of occupancy or compliance^1,8. Ask the local code office before treating a small project as permit-exempt because each authority may require permits for all code-regulated work¹.

For unincorporated land in Madison County, start with the town code office; inside a village or city, identify the municipal office serving the parcel². Local building-permit programs include City of Oneida⁹, Village of Chittenango¹⁰, Village of Canastota¹¹, Town of Hamilton¹², Village of Hamilton¹³, Town of Cazenovia¹⁴, Village of Cazenovia¹⁵, Village of Morrisville¹⁶, Village of Wampsville¹⁷, and Town of DeRuyter¹⁸. Madison County Public Health still handles county septic review, specifically including alternative designs and construction³. The Madison County Planning Department offers land-use assistance and GIS mapping at 315-366-2376¹⁹. For projects inside Oneida, call the City Code Enforcement Office at 315-363-8460²⁰.

Madison County zoning varies by town, village and city; municipal zoning approval must be checked for the parcel, rather than inferred from a countywide label². Municipalities with their own zoning include City of Oneida²¹, Village of Chittenango²², Village of Canastota²³, Town of Hamilton¹², Village of Hamilton²⁴, Town of Cazenovia²⁵, Village of Cazenovia²⁶, Village of Morrisville²⁷, Village of Wampsville²⁸, and Town of DeRuyter¹⁸. County septic review remains with Madison County Public Health³. The county table reports no zoning ordinance for the towns of Brookfield, Georgetown, Lebanon and Madison, but those towns still have subdivision regulations². No zoning ordinance does not remove state building-code requirements¹. We could not confirm countywide setbacks, minimum lot size, height, lot coverage or accessory-dwelling rules; ask the parcel’s municipal code or zoning office².

Madison County Public Health is the countywide septic authority; it reviews and approves alternative onsite wastewater system designs and construction, gives placement guidance, and observes percolation and deep-hole tests³. We could not confirm that every septic installation requires a county septic permit; ask Madison County Public Health which approvals and tests the proposed system needs³. The published county fee schedule lists a $125 residential individual-sewage-disposal base fee and a $125-per-system onsite wastewater plan-approval and inspection fee²⁹. Contact Public Health at 138 N Court Street, Building 5, Wampsville, NY 13163, or 315-366-2361³. Only 11.9% of Madison County soils lack severe limitations for a conventional drain field, so obtain site testing before fixing the house location or septic budget⁵.

A countywide rule for long-term RV living, temporary private-land camping or tiny-home occupancy could not be confirmed. Ask the town, village or city code office that serves the parcel because zoning and local land-use rules vary across Madison County’s municipalities². The county table’s report that Brookfield, Georgetown, Lebanon and the Town of Madison lack zoning ordinances does not itself authorize residential RV use or a tiny home². A tiny home used as a dwelling still needs a building permit when its work must conform to the Uniform Code or Energy Code, and a permit-covered structure cannot be occupied until the local authority issues a certificate of occupancy or compliance¹. Septic stays with Madison County Public Health even where the municipality handles building permits and zoning; ask Public Health what review the wastewater system needs³.

1. Identify the parcel’s town, village or city and contact its code office for zoning approval, setbacks, local ordinances and the building-permit process².

1. Test septic feasibility early because only 11.9% of county soils lack severe limits for a conventional drain field⁵.

1. Ask Madison County Public Health what septic review or approval the proposed system requires; the county reviews alternative designs and observes percolation and deep-hole tests³.

1. File the building-permit application with the local authority, including the parcel location, tax-map number, scope and acceptable construction documents¹.

1. Keep work accessible for required building inspections and obtain a certificate of occupancy or compliance before use^1,8.

1. For a new driveway into a Madison County highway right-of-way, submit the county driveway-permit application and $50 fee; approval is usually within one week³⁰.

Confirm the parcel’s municipality first because zoning approval, RV use, tiny homes, dimensional rules and building-permit administration depend on the town, village or city². Confirm septic feasibility next: only 11.9% of soils lack severe conventional-drain-field limits, and Madison County Public Health observes percolation and deep-hole tests while reviewing alternative designs^3,5. Ask the local code office about flood-hazard development because no single countywide floodplain permit rule or administrator was confirmed. Verify whether access meets a town, county or state road; a new connection to a Madison County highway right-of-way requires a $50 driveway permit, while work on an existing driveway does not³⁰. Building-permit and zoning fees vary locally; for example, Stockbridge publishes a $200 new-house building-permit fee, while county wastewater fees are separate^29,31.