Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Town of New Hartford, New York
Town of New Hartford is a town in Oneida County, New York. Town of New Hartford adopts its own zoning, so inside its limits Town of New Hartford’s rules apply, not the county’s. Septic permits inside Town of New Hartford come from the county and state together. 10 rules below are quoted from official sources and independently re-checked, most recently on October 29, 2026. Rules for unincorporated land are on the Oneida County page.
Answers from the rulebook for Town of New Hartford
Town of New Hartford’s own rules
Building code adoptedAdopted
Construction inside the Town of New Hartford under the NYS Uniform Fire Prevention and Building Code and the state energy code, as administered by the town under Chapter 65
Chapter 65 was adopted by the Town Board 5-6-2009 by L.L. No. 7-2009 (history line).
The uniform code is the New York State Uniform Fire Prevention and Building Code; the energy code is the state energy conservation construction code.
“administration and enforcement of the uniform code”
InspectionsRequired
Construction under a Town building/site grading permit, inspected by the Town Code Enforcement Officer
Inspection fee is due before or at each inspection (§ 65-5d).
Non-compliant work stays exposed until corrected and reinspected.
“work not in compliance with any applicable provision of the uniform code, energy code or code of the town of new hartford shall remain exposed until such work shall have been brought into compliance with all applicable provisions of the uniform code, the energy code, and the code of the town of new hartford, reinspected, and found satisfactory as completed.”
Certificate of occupancyRequired
Buildings, uses and structures erected, relocated or altered inside the Town of New Hartford, and new or repaired septic systems
Certificates are issued by the Code Enforcement Officer (§ 65-7).
Temporary certificates may be issued before completion under § 65-7i.
No person may occupy a residence until a septic certificate of compliance or certificate of occupancy is issued (Chapter 98).
“no building, use or structure hereafter erected, relocated or altered as to outside dimensions shall be used, changed in use or occupied until a certificate of occupancy or compliance shall have been issued by the code enforcement officer”
Local zoningPresent (with conditions)
Land inside the Town of New Hartford limits (Oneida County, NY), governed by the town's own Chapter 118 zoning code
Chapter 118 is cross-referenced from the town's Chapter 65 and its district names appear in its text; the zoning chapter was read only in part and its adoption date was not confirmed on an official page.
Use, dimensional and permit approvals under zoning are conditional on Codes Enforcement Office and Planning/Zoning Board review as stated in the town code.
“regulations herein specified for the district”
Zoning districtsPartial
Zoning districts of the Town of New Hartford under Chapter 118, as named in the excerpt: A, RA, LDR, MDR, HDR and MU
Only the district abbreviations were confirmed; district boundaries, the zoning map, and the district purpose sections were not opened.
Schedule A (permitted uses) and Schedule B (lot development standards) were not opened.
“lots of record at the time of adoption of this chapter which are less than the minimum lot size or lot frontage shall be deemed to meet the minimum size regulations of this chapter in the a, ra, ldr, mdr, hdr and mu districts”
Minimum lot sizeDistrict specific (with conditions)
Lots in each Chapter 118 zoning district (A, RA, LDR, MDR, HDR, MU); numeric minimum lot area per district is in Schedule B, not yet read
Lots of record smaller than the minimum may be used for a single-family residence and its accessory structures only, with reduced yards (Chapter 118 subsection b(1)).
Schedule B minimum lot frontage applies (see second evidence excerpt).
“for each district are specified in Schedule B”
Who permits septicMixed (with conditions)
Individual household sewage treatment systems (septic) on land inside the Town of New Hartford
The Town Codes Enforcement Officer issues the septic permit under Chapter 98.
Alternative or experimental systems must also be approved by the Oneida County Department of Environmental Health, or by the NYS Department of Health if county services are not available (county authority in the mix).
Chapter 98 applies the NYS waste treatment handbook for individual household systems and Oneida County health regulations for amendments (§ 98-6).
“shall also be submitted and approved by the oneida county department of environmental health”
Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)
Division of land inside the Town of New Hartford
Chapter 104 (Subdivision of Land) is cross-referenced; it was not opened, so procedures, fees and standards are unknown.
“general references unsafe buildings - see ch. 52. electrical standards - see ch. 59. flood damage prevention - see ch. 67. subdivision of land - see ch. 104. zoning - see ch. 118.”
Permit feesPublished
Building and/or site grading permits, certificates of occupancy and temporary certificates in the Town of New Hartford
Fee schedule is set by Town Board resolution and is located in the town code at § 118-140; the § 118-140 amounts were not opened.
Septic permit fees follow the same schedule (§ 98-2(e)).
“such fee schedule is set forth in the code of the town of new hartford at § 118-140 thereof.”
Permit processPartial
Building permit applications for land inside the Town of New Hartford
The Codes Department asks applicants to call or email for an appointment before applying.
Building and/or site grading permit applications must be in writing on a form accepted by the code enforcement officer and signed by the owner or authorized agent (Chapter 65 § 65-4(h)).
“anyone wishing to apply for a Building Permit needs to call or email”
Still unanswered
We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Town of New Hartford or Oneida County directly.
Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder work inside the Town of New Hartford
Minimum dwelling size — Minimum dwelling floor area in each Chapter 118 zoning district inside the Town of New Hartford
Setbacks — Front, side and rear setbacks in each Chapter 118 zoning district inside the Town of New Hartford
Lot coverage — Maximum lot coverage in each Chapter 118 zoning district inside the Town of New Hartford
Building height — Maximum building height in each Chapter 118 zoning district inside the Town of New Hartford
13 more unanswered
Living in an RV
Camping on your land
Tiny homes
Manufactured homes
Accessory dwellings
Septic inspection
Off-grid sanitation
Well permit
Mandatory utility hookup
Agricultural exemption
Driveway access
Building in a floodplain
Short-term rentals
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 New Hartford publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Oneida County’s page lists the county offices to call.
Off-grid gear
Going off-grid in Town of New Hartford means bringing your own water and power. The kit we’d start with:
