Zoning, building permits and septic rules in the Village of Central Square, NY

At a glance

Zoning

Yes, the village code has its own zoning chapter (Chapter 250)¹

Building permit

Village code enforcement chapter applies; the state Uniform Code requires permits for covered work²⁵

Who to call

Village Code Enforcement Officer³

Septic

Plans reviewed by the Oswego County Health Department⁴

Subdivision

Regulated by the village code (Chapter 216)⁶

RV / tiny home

Not confirmed; ask the village (zoning chapter not read)¹

Who to call

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

Does the Village of Central Square, NY have zoning?

Yes. The Village of Central Square code contains its own zoning chapter, Chapter 250, so zoning inside village limits is set by the village and not by Oswego County¹. New York counties have no general zoning power over unincorporated land either, so the village's chapter is the rulebook that applies to a parcel inside the village⁷.

We could not read the chapter's districts, so we cannot tell you what it says about RVs, tiny homes, minimum lot size, setbacks or accessory dwellings. Ask the Code Enforcement Officer for the zoning district of the parcel and its use table before you make an offer³.

Do you need a building permit in the Village of Central Square, and who issues it?

The village code includes a Uniform Code enforcement chapter, Chapter 229, and the village Code Enforcement Officer enforces the building codes and zoning ordinances²³. Under state rules, a building permit is required for work that must conform to the New York State Uniform Code, with limited exemptions such as small detached sheds up to 144 square feet that a local program may choose to exclude⁵.

We could not read the village's permit application, fee schedule or exemption list, so confirm with the Code Enforcement Officer whether a project needs a permit and what it costs. Work done under a permit finishes with a certificate of occupancy or certificate of compliance⁸.

How do septic permits work in the Village of Central Square?

Septic systems are reviewed by the Oswego County Health Department, not by the village building office. A design engineer submits plans with a plan review fee, and the department sends an approval or rejection letter to the engineer with a copy to the property owner and the Code Enforcement Officer⁴. The fee is $125 for an individual on-site septic system⁴. Replacements and upgrades also need a licensed engineer's design and a local building permit⁹.

The village code has a sewer use chapter, and we could not confirm which addresses are on public sewer, so ask the village before you plan a septic system. Soils matter too: only a small share of Oswego County soils rate as not limited for conventional septic drain fields, so expect a site evaluation and possibly an engineered system¹⁰.

Can you live in an RV or tiny home in the Village of Central Square?

We could not confirm this. The answer sits in the village's zoning chapter, which we could not read in full¹. Do not rely on county or statewide camping rules: New York's campground rules cover state-run campgrounds, not living on your own lot¹¹.

Ask the Code Enforcement Officer in writing whether an RV, tiny home or manufactured home may be occupied on the parcel, and for how long³.

Building a home in the Village of Central Square: the steps, in order

1. Ask the Code Enforcement Officer for the parcel's zoning district and what the village's zoning chapter allows³¹.
2. If the land would be split, check the village's subdivision chapter first⁶.
3. Confirm sewer or septic. If septic, hire a licensed engineer and file plans with the Oswego County Health Department⁴.
4. Apply for the building permit and keep work exposed until inspected¹².
5. Finish with a certificate of occupancy before moving in⁸.

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

Septic plan review stays with the Oswego County Health Department even for village addresses⁴. Land outside the village lies in a town, and town rules differ from the village's, so use the Oswego County page for unincorporated land.

Before you buy, ask the village about flood rules, since the village code has a flood damage prevention chapter we could not read, and about driveways and utilities¹³. County-level property tax figures: the effective rate in Oswego County is about 2.6%¹⁴.

Watch-outs

• We could not read the text of the village's zoning, building code or subdivision chapters, so district rules, setbacks and permit exemptions are unconfirmed; ask the Code Enforcement Officer¹³.
• Village rules apply only inside village limits; land outside is governed by the surrounding town and the county for septic⁴.
• Search results for Central Square often show other places with that name; this village is in Oswego County, New York, and its own code is published on eCode360¹.

Sources

1. Village of Central Square, NY code of ordinances table of contents (eCode360) (Village of Central Square), quoted and re-checked
2. Village of Central Square, NY code of ordinances table of contents (eCode360) (Village of Central Square), quoted and re-checked
3. Village of Central Square Code Enforcement Officer (villageofcentralsquare.org)
4. Oswego County Health Department, Environmental Health Division (health.oswegocountyny.gov)
5. Part 1203 Uniform Code and the Energy Code: Minimum Standards for Administration and Enforcement (New York statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
6. Village of Central Square, NY code of ordinances table of contents (eCode360) (Village of Central Square), quoted and re-checked
7. documents.dps.ny.gov (New York statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
8. Part 1203 Uniform Code and the Energy Code: Minimum Standards for Administration and Enforcement (New York statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
9. Septic System Replacement Grant Application, quoted and re-checked
10. 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
11. Campground Rules and Regulations (New York statewide rule), 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. Floodplain Management - NYSDEC (New York statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
14. Effective property tax rate: 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.