Building permits, zoning and land rules in Monroe County, New York

Building work in Monroe County that must comply with the New York State Uniform Code generally requires a building permit from the local code-enforcement program¹. A local program may exclude listed work, including certain one-story detached sheds, playhouses and similar structures of 144 square feet or less, but excluded work still must meet the applicable codes⁹. Ask the municipality before treating a small project as exempt because the local authority may require building permits for all code-regulated work⁹. Applications submitted from December 31, 2025 onward must comply with the 2025 NYS Uniform Code⁸. Permit holders must leave construction accessible and exposed until the municipality completes and accepts the required building inspections¹. Work that required a building permit, or a change in general occupancy classification, needs a certificate of occupancy or compliance from the local enforcement official².

The city, town or village containing the parcel runs the code-enforcement program and is the first stop for a Monroe County building permit¹. The same municipality handles building inspections, occupancy certificates and local zoning approval, but private septic permits and septic inspections remain with the Monroe County Department of Public Health^1,2,3,4. The Town of Brighton Building and Planning Department is an example, but it serves Brighton only; its office is at 680 Westfall Road, Rochester, and its phone number is 585-784-5250¹¹. Brighton directs applicants to building-permit applications and separate land-use board applications¹¹. Brighton also publishes building/occupancy and zoning/planning fee schedules, but those town-specific fees should not be used to price a project elsewhere in Monroe County¹¹.

Monroe County does not administer countywide zoning; the parcel's city, town or village controls local land use³. Ask that municipality about allowed uses, setbacks, lot coverage, building height, minimum dwelling size and minimum lot size because those standards vary by municipality³. Brighton illustrates why the parcel address matters: its Comprehensive Development Regulations control land use and development, and dimensional requirements depend on the zoning district and map¹². Brighton's zoning approval applies only within Brighton, while Monroe County Public Health continues to handle private septic permits and inspections there^4,12. Monroe County itself sets no minimum dwelling size and no minimum lot size; a municipality may set both through its own zoning, and state building-code and septic requirements still apply³. In Brighton, a residential addition must meet a side setback of 15% of lot width and a front and rear setback of either 40 feet or 60 feet depending on the zoning map, and decks in the RLA district need 60 feet front and rear¹². Monroe County reviews certain referred municipal planning and zoning actions, but the municipality retains the underlying decision³.

The Monroe County Department of Public Health administers private septic systems countywide under the county sanitary code, including addresses where a city, town or village handles building permits and zoning⁴. Monroe County requires a septic permit to construct, alter, repair or extend a private sewage disposal system, with a limited exception when an applicable subdivision approval has already been issued⁵. Contact the Bureau of Public Health Engineering at 111 Westfall Road, Room 844, Rochester, or 585-753-5060⁴. Before construction, a design professional must prepare a plan showing system placement; applications require completed forms, plans and reports as needed, while repair requirements vary by project⁴. A county representative must inspect new and repaired systems before backfilling, and satisfactory work receives a certificate of approval⁴. A private system generally cannot be built or repaired where a public sanitary sewer is available and accessible⁵. Only 11.4% of county soils lack severe limits for a conventional drain field, so establish feasibility before buying¹³.

We could not confirm one rule allowing residential or long-term RV use, temporary camping or tiny-home occupancy throughout Monroe County. Because land-use rules are municipal, ask the parcel's city, town or village whether the zoning district allows the proposed unit, where it may sit and whether temporary occupancy during construction is permitted³. A tiny house used as a dwelling may trigger the local building-permit process when its work must conform to the state code¹. Work that required a building permit, or a structure converted to another general occupancy classification, requires a certificate of occupancy or compliance². A qualifying owner-builder may use a job-specific certificate to attest that workers' compensation and disability or Paid Family Leave coverage is not required, but that exemption does not remove building-permit, building-code, zoning or inspection requirements⁶. Monroe County sets no countywide minimum dwelling size, though a municipality may³. An owner who intends to live in a manufactured home may apply for certification as its installer, but a certified installer must be on site during installation⁷.

1. Identify the parcel's city, town or village; that municipality controls zoning and administers building permits^1,3.
2. Ask the local office to confirm allowed use, setbacks, site-plan or subdivision review, building-permit documents and fees^3,11.
3. Check whether shoreline or floodplain location triggers county advisory review and whether a proposed subdivision needs county sanitary review^10,14. County planning referrals may require an online referral and supporting documents; projects involving county roads or rights-of-way may also require one hard copy⁴.
4. Submit the building-permit application under the 2025 NYS Uniform Code⁸.
5. Apply to the county Health Department for the septic permit with the septic plan and required project documents; an available public sewer generally prevents use of a private system^4,5.
6. Obtain a county highway-access permit if the project adds access in the county right-of-way¹⁵.
7. Leave building and septic work exposed until the required building and septic inspections are accepted^1,4.
8. Obtain the required occupancy or compliance certificate for work that needed a building permit².

Before buying, confirm the municipality and zoning district because local land-use standards vary across Monroe County³. Determine whether public sanitary sewer is available and accessible; if it is, Monroe County generally does not allow a new or repaired private sewage system⁵. We could not confirm a countywide requirement to connect to public water, so ask the municipality and water provider about the parcel⁵. If septic is necessary, investigate the lot rather than relying on county averages because only 11.4% of county soils lack severe limits for a conventional drain field¹³. Check county advisory-review maps if the land is near Lake Ontario, Irondequoit Bay or a named floodplain¹⁴. For access involving a county right-of-way, obtain the county highway permit¹⁵. The effective property-tax rate is about 2.8%, and the median annual bill is about $5,495¹³.