Bolthole Index

Monroe County, New York

Building permits, zoning and septic rules in the Town of Penfield, New York

The Town of Penfield, in Monroe County, New York, adopts and enforces its own zoning code (Chapter 250)1, and its Building Department issues building permits and certificates of occupancy2. Septic permits are not a town function: the Monroe County Department of Public Health handles them3.

At a glance

Building permit
Required for work that must meet the NYS Uniform Code; issued by the Penfield Building Department42
Zoning
Town zoning code, Chapter 250, with districts on the official zoning map15
Minimum lot size
Varies by district: 87,120 sq ft in RA-2 and CR-2, 43,560 sq ft in RR-1, 12,000 to 20,000 sq ft in R-1 districts67
Setbacks
50 ft front, 10 ft side, 30 ft rear in the residential districts reviewed8
Septic
Monroe County Department of Public Health3
Subdivision
Regulated by the town (Article XI of Chapter 250)9

Who to call

Building permits

Town of Penfield Building Department

Building permits, certificates of occupancy and compliance, and construction inspections inside the Town of Penfield

(585) 340-8637

3100 Atlantic Avenue, Penfield, NY 14526

Septic permits

Monroe County Department of Public Health, Bureau of Public Health Engineering

Permits and inspections for private onsite wastewater treatment (septic) systems under the Monroe County Sanitary Code

585-753-5060

111 Westfall Road, Room 844, Rochester, NY 14620

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

Off-grid gear

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

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Does Penfield have zoning, and what does it mean for lot size and setbacks?

Yes. The Town of Penfield zones its own land under Chapter 250 of the town code, which was adopted in 1981 and amended in its entirety in 20151. Districts are drawn on the town's official zoning map5. Monroe County does not zone; New York gives zoning power to cities, towns and villages, not counties10.

Dimensional rules depend on the district. In RA-2 and CR-2, the minimum lot is 87,120 square feet with a 200-foot lot width6. In RR-1 it is 43,560 square feet; the R-1-20, R-1-15 and R-1-12 districts need 20,000, 15,000 and 12,000 square feet7. Setbacks in these residential districts are at least 50 feet in front, 10 feet on the side and 30 feet in the rear, with 25 feet allowed for decks and patios at the rear8. Buildings are limited to 35 feet or 2 stories, whichever is less11.

Do you need a building permit in Penfield, and who issues it?

New York requires a building permit for work that must conform to the State Uniform Code, and a local authority may exempt only listed categories such as one-story sheds of 144 square feet or less4. In Penfield, the Town Building Department issues building permits, sign permits and certificates of occupancy, and performs construction and electrical inspections2. The department states that owners are legally responsible for obtaining building permits to construct, enlarge, alter, repair, move or demolish a building2.

A certificate of occupancy is required before a permitted building is used12. We could not confirm Penfield's own permit fees or exemption list; ask the Building Department2.

How do septic permits work in Penfield?

Septic permits for Penfield come from the county, not the town. The Monroe County Department of Public Health administers onsite wastewater treatment systems under Articles II-A and III of the Monroe County Sanitary Code3. Where a public sanitary sewer is available and accessible, a private sewage disposal system generally may not be built13. A county health representative must inspect the installation, and nothing may be backfilled before inspection14. We could not confirm which Penfield streets have public sewer; ask the Town's engineering department or the county health office.

Building a home in Penfield: the steps, in order

  1. Confirm the parcel's zoning district on the town's official zoning map and check lot size and setbacks5.
  2. If you are dividing land, expect town subdivision approval under Article XI of Chapter 2509.
  3. If no public sewer is available, get septic approval from the Monroe County Department of Public Health3.
  4. Apply to the Building Department for a building permit and pay fees at the Town Clerk's office2.
  5. Schedule inspections at each phase, then request the certificate of occupancy2.

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

Septic permits and inspections stay with the Monroe County Department of Public Health3. Monroe County also has advisory review of land use and subdivision within a quarter mile of Lake Ontario and Irondequoit Bay and in listed 100-year floodplains15. For land outside Penfield, see the Monroe County page.

Before buying, confirm the zoning district, any floodplain mapping, and sewer availability. Monroe County's effective property tax rate is 2.8%16, and NRCS rates only about 11% of county soils as not limited for a conventional septic drain field17, so expect a site evaluation.

Watch-outs

  • We could not confirm Penfield's rules on RVs, tiny homes, accessory dwellings or minimum dwelling size; ask the Building Department at (585) 340-8637 before you plan to live on a lot while building2.
  • Zoning amendments were adopted in 2026, so check the current Chapter 250 text before relying on any dimension1.
  • A driveway onto a state highway needs a permit from the NYS Department of Transportation18.

Sources

  1. Town of Penfield Code Chapter 250 Zoning and Land Use (Town of Penfield), quoted and re-checked
  2. Town of Penfield Building Department (penfield.org)
  3. Onsite Wastewater Treatment Systems, quoted and re-checked
  4. Part 1203 Uniform Code and the Energy Code: Minimum Standards for Administration and Enforcement (New York statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  5. Town of Penfield Code Ch. 250, Article V District Regulations (Town of Penfield), quoted and re-checked
  6. Town of Penfield Code Ch. 250, Article V District Regulations (Town of Penfield), quoted and re-checked
  7. Town of Penfield Code Ch. 250, Article V District Regulations (Town of Penfield), quoted and re-checked
  8. Town of Penfield Code Ch. 250, Article V District Regulations (Town of Penfield), quoted and re-checked
  9. Town of Penfield Code Chapter 250 Zoning and Land Use (Town of Penfield), quoted and re-checked
  10. documents.dps.ny.gov (New York statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  11. Town of Penfield Code Ch. 250, Article V District Regulations (Town of Penfield), quoted and re-checked
  12. Part 1203 Uniform Code and the Energy Code: Minimum Standards for Administration and Enforcement (New York statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  13. Monroe County Sanitary Code, Article II-A, Private Sewage Disposal Systems, quoted and re-checked
  14. Onsite Wastewater Treatment Systems, quoted and re-checked
  15. Planning Development Review, quoted and re-checked
  16. Effective property tax rate: Bolthole Index county data
  17. 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
  18. Residential Driveway Permits (New York statewide rule), quoted and re-checked

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.

Answers from the rulebook for Town of Penfield

Town of Penfield’s own rules

  • Local zoningPresent

    Land inside Penfield town

    • Chapter 250 adopted 2-23-1981 and amended in its entirety 12-16-2015; amendments adopted 2026-04-01 and 2026-09-16 are listed as new laws.
    “[history: adopted by the town board of the town of penfield 2-23-1981; amended in its entirety 12-16-2015 by l.l. no. 3-2015.”
  • Zoning districtsPublished

    Zoning districts inside Penfield town

    • Districts are delineated on the official zoning map of the town.
    “the following use districts, which are delineated on the official zoning map of the town of penfield, are hereby established: (1) rural agricultural district ra-2.”
  • Minimum lot sizeDistrict specific (with conditions)

    Single-family residential district R-1-20 (and R-1-15, R-1-12, RR-1) inside Penfield town

    • Corner or flag lots in R-1-12, R-1-15 and R-1-20 must have minimum lot area 25% greater.
    • Other districts exist with separate rules.

    R-1-20 minimum lot area: >= 20000 sq ft · R-1-15 minimum lot area: >= 15000 sq ft · R-1-12 minimum lot area: >= 12000 sq ft · RR-1 minimum lot area: >= 43560 sq ft

    “ra-2 87,120 200 50 10 30 cr-2 87,120 200 50 10 30 rr-1 43,560 150 50 10 30 r-1-20 20,000 100 50 10 30 r-1-15 15,000 100 50 10 30 r-1-12 12,000 80 50 10 30”
    One more reviewed finding on this topic
    • District specific (with conditions) — Rural Agricultural district RA-2 (and Conservation Residential CR-2) inside Penfield town
      “ra-2 87,120 200 50 10 30 cr-2 87,120 200 50 10 30 rr-1 43,560 150 50 10 30 r-1-20 20,000 100 50 10 30 r-1-15 15,000 100 50 10 30 r-1-12 12,000 80 50 10 30”
  • SetbacksDistrict specific (with conditions)

    Single-family residential districts (R-1-20, R-1-15, R-1-12, RR-1, and RA-2/CR-2) inside Penfield town

    • Decks and patios, excluding covered or enclosed porches, have a minimum rear setback of 25 feet.
    • Corner lots: 40-foot front setback on one frontage and 50 feet on the other.
    • Rear yards fronting state/county roads require extra lot depth and buffer.

    front setback: >= 50 ft (40 ft on corner lot frontage determined as front) · side setback: >= 10 ft · rear setback: >= 30 ft (25 ft for decks and patios)

    “notes: * decks and patios, excluding covered or enclosed porches, shall have a minimum rear setback of 25 feet.”
  • Building heightDistrict specific (with conditions)

    Single-family residential districts RA-2, CR-2, RR-1, R-1-12, R-1-15, R-1-20 inside Penfield town

    • Farm buildings, silos and tanks no greater than 100 feet in height.

    maximum height: <= 35 ft or 2 stories, whichever is less

    “no barn, silo, water tower or tank or other farm building or structure on a farm shall be greater than 100 feet in height, or be located less than 100 feet from any property line.”
  • Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

    Subdivision of land inside Penfield town

    • Details of Article XI (§ 250-11.1 to 250-11.5) not reviewed.
    “article xi subdivision approval (§ 250-11.1 &ndash; § 250-11.5)”

Still unanswered

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

  • Building permit — Building permits inside Penfield town
  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption inside Penfield town
  • Building code adopted — Building code inside Penfield town
  • Inspections — Building inspections inside Penfield town
  • Certificate of occupancy — Certificates of occupancy inside Penfield town
19 more unanswered
  • Minimum dwelling size
  • Lot coverage
  • Living in an RV
  • Camping on your land
  • Tiny homes
  • Manufactured homes
  • Accessory dwellings
  • Who permits septic
  • Septic permit
  • Septic inspection
  • Off-grid sanitation
  • Well permit
  • Mandatory utility hookup
  • Agricultural exemption
  • Driveway access
  • Building in a floodplain
  • Short-term rentals
  • Permit fees
  • Permit process

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.

Unanswered questions are usually a sign that Town of Penfield publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Monroe County’s page lists the county offices to call.

← All of Monroe County: county rules, score and offices