Zoning, building permits and septic rules in the Town of Henrietta, NY

At a glance

Building permit

Required; issued and enforced locally under the NYS Uniform Code¹²

Zoning

Town zoning, Chapter 295 of the town code, with a published zoning map³⁵

Septic

Monroe County Department of Public Health permits private systems⁴⁶

RV living

Town board permit needed beyond 72 hours⁷

Minimum lot, R-1-20

20,000 sq ft⁸

Minimum lot, rural residential

2 acres with water and sewer, otherwise 5 acres⁹

Building coverage

Up to 25% of the lot in residential districts¹⁰

Who to call

Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on October 14, 2026.

Do you need a building permit in the Town of Henrietta, NY?

Yes. New York requires a building permit for work that must conform to the state Uniform Code, and local governments administer and enforce that requirement¹¹². In Monroe County that enforcement sits with each town, village and city, so the Town of Henrietta, not the county, handles building permits inside town limits¹. The town lists a Building & Fire Prevention department and an Engineering & Planning department on its site¹².

A local authority may exempt some small categories of work from the permit requirement, so a small shed may or may not need one; ask the town before you build¹³. A certificate of occupancy or certificate of compliance is required for all work that needed a building permit¹⁴. We could not confirm Henrietta's permit fees or its owner-builder rules, so ask the Building & Fire Prevention department.

Who handles building permits and zoning in Henrietta, and how do you reach them?

The Town of Henrietta handles both. Building permits come through the town's Building & Fire Prevention department, and zoning questions go through Engineering & Planning, with the Planning Board and Zoning Board hearing applications¹². Reach Town Hall at (585) 334-7700 or visit 475 Calkins Road, Rochester, NY 14623¹². The town publishes an interactive zoning map and a zoning portal¹².

The Monroe County Planning & Development Department reviews referred municipal planning actions; it does not issue Henrietta's building permits or set its zoning¹⁵. Septic is the main thing that sits with the county; see the septic section below.

Does Henrietta have zoning, and what does it mean for lots, setbacks and RVs?

Yes. The Town of Henrietta zones its own land under Chapter 295 of the town code, with an official zoning map on file with the director of engineering and planning³. Monroe County does not set zoning for the town¹⁶. Districts include R-1-20, R-1-15, R-2-15, B-1, B-2, I, PUD, PCD, ILCD and RR (rural residential)⁵.

Rules differ by district. In R-1-20 the minimum lot is 20,000 square feet and the minimum width is 100 feet⁸. In the rural residential district, the minimum lot is 2 acres where both municipal water and sewer serve the lot, and 5 acres where they do not or where the lot is in an agricultural district, though open-space incentives can allow smaller lots⁹. In the R districts, side setbacks are at least 8 feet and rear setbacks 10 feet¹⁷. In the RR district with water and sewer, front setbacks are 30 feet on a town or private road and 50 feet on a county or state road, and the rear setback is 30 feet¹⁸.

How big and how tall can a building be in Henrietta?

In Henrietta's residential districts, the ground area of the principal and accessory buildings on a lot may not exceed 25% of the lot¹⁰. Accessory buildings other than automobile garages are limited to 1% of lot area and two individual buildings¹⁰. No structure in a residential district may exceed two stories above the basement, and no residential building may exceed 21 feet from the top of the first floor to the ceiling of the second story¹⁹. Farm barns and silos in a county agricultural district are excepted from the height limit¹⁹.

Farms and customary agricultural operations are allowed in R-1 districts, but stabling farm animals within 100 feet of a lot line is excluded²⁰. Subdividing land is regulated, and the rural residential district requires a site analysis at sketch plan²¹.

How do septic permits work in Henrietta?

The Monroe County Department of Public Health, not the Town of Henrietta, administers septic permits for private systems under the Monroe County Sanitary Code⁴²². Constructing a private system requires a permit from the county permit-issuing official, and alteration or repair also needs one⁶. Installation must be inspected before backfilling²³.

Where a public sanitary sewer is available and accessible, a private sewage disposal system generally may not be built, with a narrow exception for a temporary privy during construction²⁴. Check sewer availability for any Henrietta parcel before planning a septic system. Across Monroe County, only about 11% of soils rate as not limited for a conventional drain field, so expect a site evaluation and possibly an engineered system outside the sewered area²⁵. Call the Bureau of Public Health Engineering at 585-753-5060²².

Can you live in an RV or tiny home in Henrietta?

Only briefly without approval. The Town of Henrietta code makes it unlawful to store, park or occupy a house trailer as living or sleeping quarters for more than 72 hours without a permit from the town board⁷. Operating a trailer camp or tourist camp of two or more units requires its own town board permit²⁶.

We did not find a tiny-home provision in Henrietta's code, and we could not confirm whether the town allows manufactured homes or accessory dwellings. Zoning sets a minimum size for a single-family dwelling, so confirm the size and district rules with Engineering & Planning before buying for a tiny home¹².

Building a home in Henrietta: the steps, in order

1. Confirm the zoning district on the town's zoning map and check lot size, setbacks and height for that district⁵¹².
2. Ask the town whether public sewer is available; if it is not, contact the Monroe County Department of Public Health about a septic permit²⁴²².
3. If you are dividing land, expect subdivision review by the town²¹.
4. Apply for a building permit through the town's Building & Fire Prevention department²¹².
5. Keep work exposed until inspected, then obtain the certificate of occupancy²⁷²⁸.

What stays with Monroe County, and what to check before you buy in Henrietta

Monroe County handles septic permits and advisory planning referrals; the town handles zoning and building permits. See the Monroe County page for land outside the town. A driveway onto a state highway needs a permit from NYSDOT²⁹, and county-road access is handled by the Monroe County highway department³⁰. In flood-prone areas, local communities regulate development in Special Flood Hazard Areas³¹; we could not confirm the town's floodplain rules.

At the county level, Monroe County's effective property tax rate is 2.8% and the median property tax bill is $5,495 per year³²³³. Typical home value is about $297,573³⁴.

Watch-outs

• The town's building permit chapter, fees and owner-builder rules were not confirmed; ask the Building & Fire Prevention department at (585) 334-7700 before you plan¹².
• Private septic systems are not allowed where public sewer is available and accessible, so a parcel's sewer status can decide the whole plan²⁴.
• Staying in an RV beyond 72 hours needs a town board permit⁷.
• Zoning rules vary by district, so a neighbor's lot rules may not apply to yours⁵.

Sources

1. Town of Brighton Building and Planning (2026 county census)
2. Legal Memorandum LG03: NYS Uniform Fire Prevention and Building Code, quoted and re-checked
3. Town of Henrietta Code, Ch. 295 Zoning, Art. III Districts (Town of Henrietta), quoted and re-checked
4. Onsite Wastewater Treatment Systems, quoted and re-checked
5. Town of Henrietta Code, Ch. 295 Zoning, Art. III Districts (Town of Henrietta), quoted and re-checked
6. Monroe County Sanitary Code, Article IIA, Private Sewage Disposal Systems, quoted and re-checked
7. Town of Henrietta Code, Ch. 257 Trailers (Town of Henrietta), quoted and re-checked
8. Town of Henrietta Code, Ch. 295 Zoning, Art. V R Residential Districts (Town of Henrietta), quoted and re-checked
9. Town of Henrietta Code, Ch. 295 Zoning, Art. V R Residential Districts (Town of Henrietta), quoted and re-checked
10. Town of Henrietta Code, Ch. 295 Zoning, Art. V R Residential Districts (Town of Henrietta), quoted and re-checked
11. Administration and Enforcement of the Uniform Code (New York statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
12. Town of Henrietta Town Hall (Building & Fire Prevention; Engineering & Planning) (henriettany.gov)
13. Part 1203 Uniform Code and the Energy Code: Minimum Standards for Administration and Enforcement (New York statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
14. Administration and Enforcement of the Uniform Code, quoted and re-checked
15. Plan Forward: Why Plan?, quoted and re-checked
16. Monroe County, NY - Plan Forward: Why Plan?, quoted and re-checked
17. Town of Henrietta Code, Ch. 295 Zoning, Art. V R Residential Districts (Town of Henrietta), quoted and re-checked
18. Town of Henrietta Code, Ch. 295 Zoning, Art. V R Residential Districts (Town of Henrietta), quoted and re-checked
19. Town of Henrietta Code, Ch. 295 Zoning, Art. V R Residential Districts (Town of Henrietta), quoted and re-checked
20. Town of Henrietta Code, Ch. 295 Zoning, Art. V R Residential Districts (Town of Henrietta), quoted and re-checked
21. Town of Henrietta Code, Ch. 295 Zoning, Art. V R Residential Districts (Town of Henrietta), quoted and re-checked
22. Monroe County Department of Public Health, Bureau of Public Health Engineering (monroecounty.gov)
23. Onsite Wastewater Treatment Systems, quoted and re-checked
24. Monroe County Sanitary Code, Article II-A, Private Sewage Disposal Systems, quoted and re-checked
25. Share of soils USDA rates "not limited" for a conventional septic drain field (SSURGO). A strict rating: the median county is about 6% and a tenth of counties are 0%, so a low figure means most lots need a site evaluation or an engineered system, not that septic is impossible. Cite it only with that caveat: Bolthole Index county data
26. Town of Henrietta Code, Ch. 257 Trailers (Town of Henrietta), quoted and re-checked
27. Legal Memorandum LG03: NYS Uniform Fire Prevention and Building Code, quoted and re-checked
28. Legal Memorandum LG03: NYS Uniform Fire Prevention and Building Code, quoted and re-checked
29. Residential Driveway Permits (New York statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
30. Monroe County, NY - Highway and Bridge Engineering, quoted and re-checked
31. Floodplain Management - NYSDEC (New York statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
32. Effective property tax rate: Bolthole Index county data
33. Median property tax bill: Bolthole Index county data
34. Typical home value (Zillow): Bolthole Index county data

Written October 14, 2026 from the rules quoted below, each taken from an official source and re-checked by an independent reviewer. This is research, not legal advice: rules change, so confirm with the office before you buy or build.