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

Town of Addison’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  Work in the Town of Addison that must conform to the Uniform Code or Energy Code, including listed construction, alteration, demolition, relocation, and solid-fuel work.

  • A permit is required only for work that must conform to the Uniform Code and/or Energy Code.
  • Work may not begin until the Code Enforcement Officer has issued the permit.
  • The application states that review may take up to 30 days.

  application review period: <= 30 days (Before a building permit is issued and work can be started.)

  “A Building Permit shall be required for any work which must conform to the Uniform Code and/or the Energy Code, including, but not limited to: the construction, enlargement, alteration, improvement, removal, relocation or demolition of any building or structure or any portion thereof; and the installation of a solid fuel burning device, heating appliance, chimney or flue in any dwelling unit, No Person shall commence any work for which a Building Permit is required without first having obtained a Building Permit from the Code Enforcement Officer.”

• Owner-builder exemptionConditional

  An owner-occupied one-, two-, three-, or four-family residence whose homeowner is the general contractor on the Addison building-permit application.

  • The homeowner must file Form BP-I.
  • The exemption conditions are self-performance without hiring or compensation, or an effective homeowners policy with paid individuals working less than 40 aggregate hours per week.
  • At 40 or more aggregate paid hours in a week, the homeowner may not file the affidavit and must provide appropriate coverage or have the general contractor provide the required proof.

  paid-worker aggregate hours: < 40 hours per week (Available only under the owner-occupied-residence conditions stated in the application.)

  “For homeowners of a 1, 2, 3 or 4 Family, Owner-occupied Residence, proof of their exemption from the mandatory coverage provisions of the Workers' Compensation Law when applying for a building permit is to file form BP-I”

• InspectionsRequired

  Work authorized by a Town of Addison building permit.

  • The permit holder or contractor must notify the Building Inspector at least 48 hours in advance.
  • Work must remain accessible and exposed until inspected and accepted.
  • The listed inspections include final inspection after permitted work is complete.

  inspection notice: >= 48 hours

  “You MUST notify the Building Inspector at least 48 hours in advance of any inspection at 607-542-2175 and Permit Holder or Contractor shall notify Building Inspector when work is ready for inspection. Work shall remain accessible and exposed until inspected and accepted by the Building Inspector!”

• Septic inspectionRequired

  New or modified on-site wastewater disposal systems submitted with a Town of Addison building-permit application.

  • The system must be designed by a New York State registered engineer or architect.
  • That professional must inspect the installation and certify it was installed as designed.
  • The applicant must supply the design print with the application and the certification letter after installation.

  “New or modified On-site Wastewater Disposal System (Septic): MUST BE designed by NYS Registered Engineer or Architect. They must also inspect installation and certify system was installed as per original design. You shall provide a copy of design print with application to the Building Inspector and copy of engineer's certification letter to the Building Inspector after installation is complete.”

Rules another office applies inside Town of Addison

Town of Addison 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)

  Buildings inside the Town of Addison, New York, which is outside New York City.

  • The Uniform Code is statewide except New York City; local administration may be performed by the county when a town has opted out.

  “The Uniform Code is applicable in every part of the State (except the City of New York, which was permitted to retain its own code). An individual city, town, or village is not required to “adopt” the Uniform Code or to take any other affirmative step to make the Uniform Code effective within the municipality.”

• Certificate of occupancyRequired

  Buildings or projects in Addison for which a building permit was required, and changes in general occupancy classification.

  • The state minimum standard requires a certificate of occupancy or certificate of compliance for all work requiring a building permit and for a general occupancy-classification change.
  • The Town application prohibits use until after final inspection and issuance of a certificate indicating compliance.

  “A certificate of occupancy or a certificate of compliance must be required (1) for all work for which a building permit was required and (2) whenever the general occupancy classification of a building is changed.”

• Who permits septicCounty (with conditions)

  On-site wastewater disposal systems included in the Town of Addison building-permit process.

  • The record establishes Steuben County's code-enforcement role for Town of Addison building permits; it does not establish a separate county-health-department septic program.

  “The Code Enforcement Official (CEO) in the Town of Addison, Town of Campbell, and Town of Tuscarora, on behalf of Steuben County, is Charles Cagle.”

Still unanswered

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

• Local zoning — Land inside the Town of Addison, Steuben County, excluding any separately incorporated village area.
• Zoning districts — Land inside the Town of Addison, excluding separately incorporated municipalities.
• Minimum dwelling size — Residential dwellings in Addison.
• Minimum lot size — Residential lots in Addison.
• Setbacks — Structures in Addison.

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.