Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Town of Northumberland, New York

Town of Northumberland’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  Work covered by the Town of Northumberland building-permit application.

  • Work may not begin before issuance of Building and Zoning Permits.
  • The permit must be visibly displayed until authorized work is completed.

  “The work covered by this application may not be commenced prior to the issuance of the Building and Zoning Permits.”

• InspectionsRequired

  Work subject to the Town of Northumberland building-permit requirements.

  • A 24-hour advance notice is required for required inspections.
  • The schedule includes site, footing/foundation, slab, framing, systems, fire-resistance, heating-appliance, Energy Code, and final inspections.

  inspection advance notice: >= 24 hours (For all required inspections.)

  “The Building Department requires that inspections be made according to the following schedule and a 24-hour advance notice is required for all required inspections.”

• Certificate of occupancyRequired

  Buildings inside Northumberland town subject to the Town building-permit process.

  • No building may be occupied or used, in whole or part, until the Building Department grants a Certificate of Occupancy.

  “No building shall be occupied or used, in whole or in part for any purpose whatever until a Certificate of Occupancy is granted by the Building Department.”

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land inside the Town of Northumberland, Saratoga County, New York.

  • Use and dimensional controls depend on the zoning district and map location.

  “For the purpose of this Ordinance, the Town of Northumberland is hereby divided into the following zoning districts:”

• Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

  Land inside Northumberland town.

  • The Town zoning map establishes district locations and boundaries and is kept up to date by the Town Clerk.

  “The locations and boundaries of each zoning district listed as part of this Ordinance are hereby established as shown on the map entitled "Zoning Map of the Town of Northumberland". Said map, together with all explanatory matter thereon and all amendments thereto, is hereby adopted and declared to be a part of this Ordinance, and may be amended in the same manner as any other part of this Ordinance. Said map shall be kept up to date by the Town Clerk and shall be located in the Town Clerk's Office for the use and benefit of the public.”

• Who permits septicLocal (with conditions)

  Septic-system building-permit and inspection administration listed by the Northumberland Building Department.

  • The source establishes the Town Building Department's septic application service; it does not itself establish a general septic-permit trigger.

  “Septic System Building Permit and Inspection Application”

• Septic inspectionRequired

  Septic systems included in a Town building-permit application.

  • The system must be inspected and certified by a licensed professional.
  • An as-built drawing is required.

  “Septic System to be inspected and certified by a Licensed Professional with as-built drawing”

• Driveway accessRequired

  Town building-permit applications requiring driveway access.

  • The driveway permit application must be signed by the Town Highway Superintendent.

  “Driveway Permit Application must be filled out and signed by the Town Highway Superintendent.”

• Permit feesPublished (with conditions)

  Northumberland Building Department applications.

  • Fees vary by the applicable Town fee schedule; no fee amount was extracted from the opened official page.

  “Additional Forms General Building Permit Application Mobile Home: New or Replacement Swimming Pool, Spa, or Hot Tub Building Application Septic System Building Permit and Inspection Application Logging Permit Application Building Permit Fee Schedule”

• Permit processPublished (with conditions)

  Northumberland building-permit applicants.

  • A stamped and certified plat by a design professional showing the house and other structures is required with the complete building packet.

  “Complete Building Packet include the following 7 topics, 11 total pages make a complete packet. Applications maybe used indivdually. A Stamped and certified plat by design professional showing house location on the lot and any other structures must also be submitted.”

Rules another office applies inside Town of Northumberland

Town of Northumberland does not set these itself; the county, a health district or the state does, and they apply to every address inside its limits.

• Building code adoptedAdopted (with conditions)

  Building construction inside Northumberland town, which is outside New York City.

  • New York City is excepted from statewide applicability.
  • Local governments may adopt standards higher or more restrictive than the Uniform Code.

  “The Uniform Code, which took effect on January 1, 1984, prescribes the minimum standards for building construction in New York. It is applicable in every part of the State with the exception of New York City, which is currently permitted to retain its own code.”

• Minimum lot sizeDistrict specific (with conditions)

  Single-family dwellings in the Agricultural Protection District.

  minimum lot size: >= 5 acres (Single Family Dwelling in APD.) · minimum lot frontage: >= 300 feet (Single Family Dwelling in APD.)

  “Size Frontage Front Side Rear Coverage Height (acres) (ft) Permitted Principal Uses Farms 10 300 NA NA NA 10% 35 (1) Single Family Dwelling 5 300 50 25 25 10% 35”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • District specific (with conditions) — Single-family dwellings in the R-3 Residential District.

    “Size Frontage Front Side Rear Coverage Height (acres) (ft) Permitted Principal Uses Farms 5 300 NA NA NA 20% 35 (1) Single Family Dwelling 3 200 50 25 25 20% 35”

• SetbacksDistrict specific (with conditions)

  Single-family dwellings in the Agricultural Protection District.

  front setback: >= 50 feet (Single Family Dwelling in APD.) · side setback: >= 25 feet (Single Family Dwelling in APD.) · rear setback: >= 25 feet (Single Family Dwelling in APD.)

  “Size Frontage Front Side Rear Coverage Height (acres) (ft) Permitted Principal Uses Farms 10 300 NA NA NA 10% 35 (1) Single Family Dwelling 5 300 50 25 25 10% 35”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • District specific (with conditions) — Single-family dwellings in the R-3 Residential District.

    “Size Frontage Front Side Rear Coverage Height (acres) (ft) Permitted Principal Uses Farms 5 300 NA NA NA 20% 35 (1) Single Family Dwelling 3 200 50 25 25 20% 35”

• Lot coverageDistrict specific (with conditions)

  Single-family dwellings in the Agricultural Protection District.

  maximum coverage: <= 10 percent (Single Family Dwelling in APD.)

  “Size Frontage Front Side Rear Coverage Height (acres) (ft) Permitted Principal Uses Farms 10 300 NA NA NA 10% 35 (1) Single Family Dwelling 5 300 50 25 25 10% 35”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • District specific (with conditions) — Single-family dwellings in the R-3 Residential District.

    “Size Frontage Front Side Rear Coverage Height (acres) (ft) Permitted Principal Uses Farms 5 300 NA NA NA 20% 35 (1) Single Family Dwelling 3 200 50 25 25 20% 35”

• Building heightDistrict specific (with conditions)

  Single-family dwellings in the Agricultural Protection District.

  maximum height: <= 35 feet (Single Family Dwelling in APD.)

  “Size Frontage Front Side Rear Coverage Height (acres) (ft) Permitted Principal Uses Farms 10 300 NA NA NA 10% 35 (1) Single Family Dwelling 5 300 50 25 25 10% 35”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • District specific (with conditions) — Single-family dwellings in the R-3 Residential District.

    “Size Frontage Front Side Rear Coverage Height (acres) (ft) Permitted Principal Uses Farms 5 300 NA NA NA 20% 35 (1) Single Family Dwelling 3 200 50 25 25 20% 35”

• Manufactured homesLimited

  Farm employee dwelling units in Northumberland's Agricultural Protection District.

  • The dwelling must be on a farm of at least 25 acres.
  • It may be temporary manufactured housing only for paid farm employees.
  • It must be removed when farm employees no longer occupy it.

  minimum farm area: >= 25 acres (Farm employee dwelling unit.)

  “Farm employee dwelling units: a. To be located on a farm of at least twenty- five (25) acres; b. May utilize a mobile home or other temporary manufactured housing; c. Can be used only to house paid farm employees; d. Must be removed when farm employees no longer occupy the dwelling unit”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Minor and major subdivisions located in the Agricultural Protection District.

  • Conservation subdivision design techniques are required.
  • The design must conform to the cited standards and receive Town Planning Board approval.

  “In addition, all minor and major subdivisions of property located within the APD shall be required to utilize "conservation subdivision design" techniques which conform to the siting and design standards contained in Section E, subject to the approval ofthe Town Planning Board.”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-built residential work inside Northumberland town.
• Minimum dwelling size — Dwelling units inside Northumberland town.
• Living in an RV — Long-term RV occupancy on private land inside Northumberland town.
• Camping on your land — Temporary camping on private land inside Northumberland town.
• Tiny homes — Tiny-home occupancy inside Northumberland town.

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.