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

Town of Waterford’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  Work inside the Town of Waterford that must conform to the Uniform Code or Energy Code, including residential construction, enlargement, alteration, improvement, removal, relocation, demolition, and specified heating work.

  • Exemptions include specified playground equipment, exterior-wall-supported window awnings, partitions or movable cases under five feet nine inches, finish work, and listed portable electrical, plumbing, heating, ventilation, or cooling equipment or appliances.
  • An exemption does not authorize noncompliant work.
  • The fee is due when the application is submitted.
  • A permit becomes invalid if authorized work is not begun within six months and expires 12 months after issuance unless renewed upon application, fee payment, and Code Enforcement Officer approval.

  “a building permit shall be required for any work which must conform to the Uniform Code and/or the Energy Code”

• Building code adoptedAdopted (with conditions)

  Buildings, structures, and premises inside the Town of Waterford.

  • Except as otherwise provided in the Uniform Code, other state law, or Chapter 61, all buildings, structures, and premises are subject to Chapter 61 regardless of use or occupancy.

  “This chapter provides for the continued and enhanced administration and enforcement of the New York State Uniform Fire Prevention and Building Code”

• InspectionsRequired

  Permitted construction inside the Town of Waterford.

  • Work must remain accessible and exposed until inspected and accepted.
  • The permit holder must notify the Code Enforcement Officer when an applicable listed element is ready for inspection.
  • Listed inspections include site, footing and foundation, slab preparation, backfill, framing, building systems, fire-resistant construction, fire-resistant penetrations, heating appliances and vents, Energy Code compliance, and final/final-grade inspection.
  • The applicable inspection fee must be paid before or at the time of each inspection.

  “Work shall remain accessible and exposed until inspected and accepted by the Code Enforcement Officer or by an inspector authorized by the Code Enforcement Officer.”

• Certificate of occupancyRequired

  Work subject to a building permit and structures converted between use or occupancy classifications inside the Town of Waterford.

  • Use or occupancy is granted only by a certificate of occupancy/certificate of compliance.
  • The work must comply with the Uniform Code and Energy Code.
  • The Code Enforcement Officer or authorized inspector must inspect before issuance.
  • Where applicable, structural-observation/special-inspection documentation and flood-hazard certifications must be supplied before issuance.

  “A certificate of occupancy/certificate of compliance shall be required for any work which is the subject of a building permit”

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

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

  • The zoning chapter was adopted by the Town Board on September 7, 2021, as Local Law No. 4-2021.

  “[HISTORY: Adopted by the Town Board of the Town of Waterford 9-7-2021 by L.L. No. 4-2021. Amendments noted where applicable.]”

• Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

  Land inside the Town of Waterford.

  • The zoning map accompanying the chapter shows the locations and boundaries of established zoning districts.
  • The listed waterfront overlay and planned-development districts may overlay or otherwise supplement base-district controls.

  districts: R-75; R-100; R-Rural; C-1; C-2; C-3; M-1; L-C; M-2; WO; PD

  “The Town of Waterford is hereby divided into the following zoning districts:”

• Permit processPublished (with conditions)

  Building-permit applications inside the Town of Waterford.

  • The application must be in writing on an acceptable form and signed by the owner or authorized agent.
  • It must contain information sufficient for a Uniform Code and Energy Code compliance determination.
  • It must include the specified description, tax-map number, street address, occupancy classification, applicable special-inspection statement, and at least two sets of construction documents.
  • Work may not begin unless a permit is issued.

  “Applications for a building permit shall be made in writing on a form provided by or otherwise acceptable to the Code Enforcement Officer.”

Rules another office applies inside Town of Waterford

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

• Minimum dwelling sizeDistrict specific (with conditions)

  One-family dwellings in the Town of Waterford R-75 Residence District.

  • The bulk-table row gives a 900-square-foot minimum floor area per unit.

  minimum floor area per unit: 900 square feet

  “R-75 1-family dwellings 11,250 square feet 75 30 900 per unit 50 40 10 25 30”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • District specific (with conditions) — One-family dwellings in the Town of Waterford R-Rural Residential District.

    “1-family dwelling and all other permitted uses and all other special permitted uses 2 acres 200 None None 50 40 25 50 30”

• Minimum lot sizeDistrict specific (with conditions)

  One-family dwellings in the Town of Waterford R-Rural Residential District.

  • The listed bulk-table standard applies to one-family dwellings and other permitted or special-permitted uses in R-Rural.

  minimum lot area: 2 acres · minimum frontage width: 200 feet

  “1-family dwelling and all other permitted uses and all other special permitted uses 2 acres 200 None None 50 40 25 50 30”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • District specific (with conditions) — One-family dwellings in the Town of Waterford R-75 Residence District.

    “R-75 1-family dwellings 11,250 square feet 75 30 900 per unit 50 40 10 25 30”

• SetbacksDistrict specific (with conditions)

  One-family dwellings in the Town of Waterford R-Rural Residential District.

  • Table 2 columns identify minimum yard dimensions in feet for front, one side, both sides, and rear.

  front yard: 40 feet · one side yard: 25 feet · both side yards: 50 feet · rear yard: 30 feet

  “1-family dwelling and all other permitted uses and all other special permitted uses 2 acres 200 None None 50 40 25 50 30”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • District specific (with conditions) — One-family dwellings in the Town of Waterford R-75 Residence District.

    “R-75 1-family dwellings 11,250 square feet 75 30 900 per unit 50 40 10 25 30”

• Lot coverageDistrict specific (with conditions)

  One-family dwellings in the Town of Waterford R-75 Residence District.

  • The listed bulk-table standard applies to one-family dwellings in R-75.

  maximum building coverage: 30 percent

  “R-75 1-family dwellings 11,250 square feet 75 30 900 per unit 50 40 10 25 30”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • District specific (with conditions) — One-family dwellings in the Town of Waterford R-Rural Residential District.

    “1-family dwelling and all other permitted uses and all other special permitted uses 2 acres 200 None None 50 40 25 50 30”

• Building heightDistrict specific (with conditions)

  One-family dwellings in the Town of Waterford R-Rural Residential District.

  • The listed bulk-table standard applies to one-family dwellings and other permitted or special-permitted uses in R-Rural.

  maximum building height: 50 feet

  “1-family dwelling and all other permitted uses and all other special permitted uses 2 acres 200 None None 50 40 25 50 30”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • District specific (with conditions) — One-family dwellings in the Town of Waterford R-75 Residence District.

    “R-75 1-family dwellings 11,250 square feet 75 30 900 per unit 50 40 10 25 30”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-built residential construction inside the Town of Waterford.
• Living in an RV — Long-term RV occupancy on private land inside the Town of Waterford.
• Camping on your land — Temporary camping on private land inside the Town of Waterford.
• Tiny homes — Tiny-home occupancy inside the Town of Waterford.
• Manufactured homes — Manufactured-home occupancy inside the Town of Waterford.

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.