Building permits are required for work in Ontario County, New York that must comply with the state Uniform Code or Energy Code, subject to any exclusions adopted by the local enforcing authority1. The applicable city, town or village normally handles permits and inspections; Ontario County enforces the codes for buildings and activities in county custody1. Zoning maps are municipal, and septic review depends on the property's location23.
At a glance
- Building permit
- Required for covered work; the applicable city, town or village normally administers the permit1
- Zoning
- Municipal zoning maps apply; verify the current map with the relevant city, town or village2
- Building inspections
- Required for permitted work, performed by the applicable code enforcement authority4
- Certificate of occupancy
- Required before occupying work that needed a building permit5
- Septic system approval
- Governed by state Department of Health rules; the exact local reviewer for Ontario County is unconfirmed36
- SPDES discharge permit for septic
- Not required for a typical home system under 1,000 gallons per day with no industrial waste7
Who to call
Health department
Ontario County Public Health Department
Public health functions for Ontario County, including environmental-health coordination; the department's own page says it keeps no in-house environmental health specialists and partners with the state district office for enforcement
3019 County Complex Drive, Canandaigua, NY 14424
Septic permits
New York State Department of Health - Geneva District Office
Primary state enforcement and investigative body for environmental health regulations in Ontario, Wayne and Yates counties, per Ontario County's own Environmental Health page
624 Pre-Emption Road, Geneva, NY 14456-1334
Planning & zoning
Ontario County Planning Department
Technical assistance to Ontario County's towns and villages on zoning maps, comprehensive plans and development-proposal review; does not adopt zoning or issue building permits itself
20 Ontario Street, 2nd Floor, Canandaigua, NY 14424
Roads & driveways
Ontario County Public Works - Bureau of Highways
Highway work permits for work within an Ontario County road right-of-way, including new driveways and driveway culvert replacements onto county roads
2962 County Road 48, Canandaigua, NY 14424
Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on September 29, 2026.
Do you need a building permit in Ontario County, New York?
Yes. Work in Ontario County that must conform to the New York Uniform Code or Energy Code requires a building permit1. A local code-enforcement program may exclude listed work, including a qualifying one-story detached tool shed, storage shed or playhouse of 144 square feet or less, but excluded work must still comply with the codes1. The applicable city, town or village is the enforcing authority for ordinary private projects, while Ontario County enforces the codes for buildings and activities in county custody1. Ask the relevant municipal code office which exclusions it has adopted before treating a small project as permit-free.
Who issues building permits in Ontario County, and how do you reach them?
For an ordinary private project, start with the code-enforcement office for the city, town or village containing the parcel; Ontario County's role as enforcing authority is limited to buildings and activities in county custody1. If you do not know the municipality, the Ontario County Planning Department supports municipalities with zoning maps and development-proposal review and can help orient your search8. Reach the Planning Department at 20 Ontario Street, 2nd Floor, Canandaigua, NY 14424, or 585-396-44558. The local permit application must provide enough information to show code compliance, including the work description, tax map number, street address, occupancy classification, any applicable special-inspection statement and acceptable construction documents; the enforcing authority may request more9.
Does Ontario County have zoning, and who sets the rules?
Ontario County publishes local municipal zoning maps and directs property owners to verify the current official map with the relevant city, town or village zoning office2. The original signed maps are kept by each municipality's clerk, so the county's online copy should not be the final word for a parcel2. We could not confirm from the available county material whether a separate countywide zoning ordinance exists. For minimum lot size, setbacks, building height, lot coverage, accessory dwellings or allowed uses, identify the municipality and zoning district first, then ask that zoning office for the current text. The Ontario County Planning Department provides municipalities technical support on zoning maps and development proposals8. Subdivisions may also go to the Ontario County Planning Board when property lies within 500 feet of specified boundaries, parks, rights-of-way, agricultural districts, channels or government-owned land, but the county board's action is advisory and the local board decides10.
How do septic permits work in Ontario County?
New York State regulates septic (onsite wastewater) systems statewide, and a project discharging less than 1,000 gallons per day of ordinary sewage to groundwater is exempt from the state's SPDES discharge permit, but that exemption does not by itself clear a system for construction7. The same state framework says approval before construction can still come from a city health department, a county health department, or a district office of the New York State Department of Health, depending on where the property sits3. Ontario County's own Environmental Health page says the Ontario County Public Health Department does not keep environmental health specialists on staff and instead partners with the New York State Department of Health's Geneva District Office, which covers Ontario, Wayne and Yates counties1112. That page does not spell out who reviews and permits a new septic system for a home outside a village in Ontario County, so call the Ontario County Public Health Department first and ask them to confirm the reviewing office before you design a system11. Soil matters too: only about 12.5% of Ontario County's soils rate anything better than "very limited" for a conventional septic drain field in the USDA soil survey, so plan for a site evaluation and budget for the possibility of an engineered or mound system on much of the county's land13.
Can you live in an RV or tiny home on your land in Ontario County?
We could not confirm one Ontario County-wide rule for living in an RV or occupying a tiny home. Ontario County publishes municipal zoning maps and tells readers to verify the current official version with the relevant city, town or village zoning office2. Before buying land or moving a unit onto it, ask that municipal office whether residential RV use, temporary RV occupancy during construction, tiny homes and the proposed utility arrangement are allowed in the parcel's zoning district. A tiny home used as a dwelling may also involve building-permit and occupancy review: work subject to a building permit requires inspections and a certificate of occupancy or compliance before covered space may be occupied45. The Ontario County Planning Department can help identify the municipality and available zoning map when the parcel's jurisdiction is unclear8.
Building a home in Ontario County: the steps, in order
- Identify the city, town or village containing the parcel; its code-enforcement office normally handles a private project's building permit1.
- Verify the zoning district and current official map with that municipality's clerk or zoning office2.
- Ask the code office for its application requirements; expect a work description, tax map number, street address, occupancy classification, applicable special-inspection statement and construction documents9.
- Line up septic review early by asking Ontario County Public Health to identify the reviewer for the parcel, and allow for site evaluation because only about 12.5% of county soils rate better than very limited for a conventional drain field1113.
- If the driveway connects to an Ontario County road, obtain a highway work permit for the new driveway or culvert work14.
- Keep permitted work accessible for required inspections, including applicable foundation, framing, systems and final inspections4.
- Obtain the required certificate of occupancy or compliance before occupying work covered by the building permit5.
What to check before you buy land in Ontario County
Water: if the parcel relies on a private well, testing is the owner's responsibility, and Ontario County's Environmental Health page points buyers to the Cornell Cooperative Extension's private well water program for sampling kits and lab guidance rather than running its own well-testing service11. Soils: only about 12.5% of the county's soil rates better than "very limited" for a conventional septic drain field, so a lot that looks buildable can still need an engineered system13. About 82.3% of Ontario County's land sits at a 15% slope or gentler, so steep terrain is the exception here rather than the rule15. Access: if you will cross an Ontario County road to reach the parcel, a new driveway needs a highway work permit from the county's Bureau of Highways before you cut a culvert or connect14. Taxes: Ontario County's effective property tax rate runs around 2.2%, and the median property tax bill is about $4,460 a year, both worth building into a rural-land budget1617. Location: the county seat, Canandaigua, sits near the middle of the county, and the nearest city of 100,000 or more people is about 30 miles from the county's center18.
Watch-outs
- New in 2026, Ontario County's Bureau of Highways moved highway work permits, including new driveways, onto an online DPW permit portal, though hauling permits still follow the county's regular paper process rather than the portal14.
- Ontario County's own Environmental Health page says its Public Health Department keeps no in-house environmental health specialists and refers enforcement to the state's Geneva District Office, so confirm who reviews a new septic system before you design one11.
- Ontario County's online zoning maps are municipal copies; verify the current official map with the relevant city, town or village zoning office before relying on a district boundary2.
Sources
- Administration and Enforcement of the Uniform Code, quoted and re-checked
- County and Community Maps, quoted and re-checked
- State Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (SPDES) Permit Program (New York statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
- Administration and Enforcement of the Uniform Code, quoted and re-checked
- Administration and Enforcement of the Uniform Code, quoted and re-checked
- State Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (SPDES) Permit Program (2026 county census)
- State Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (SPDES) Permit Program (New York statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
- Ontario County Planning Department (ontariocountyny.gov)
- Administration and Enforcement of the Uniform Code, quoted and re-checked
- Ontario County Planning Board, quoted and re-checked
- Ontario County Public Health Department (ontariocountyny.gov)
- New York State Department of Health - Geneva District Office (ontariocountyny.gov)
- Share of soils without severe limits for a conventional septic drain field (USDA SSURGO): Bolthole Index county data
- Ontario County Public Works - Bureau of Highways (ontariocountyny.gov)
- Share of land at 15% slope or less: Bolthole Index county data
- Effective property tax rate: Bolthole Index county data
- Median property tax bill: Bolthole Index county data
- Distance to the nearest metro area: Bolthole Index county data
Written September 29, 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.