Bolthole Index

Steuben County, New York

Building permits, zoning and septic rules in the Village of North Hornell, New York

The Village of North Hornell, in Steuben County, New York, requires a building permit for most construction work inside village limits1, and the village has its own zoning districts2. The village Code Enforcement Officer issues permits3. Where a public sewer is not available, private septic must meet state DEC requirements4; we could not confirm who issues the septic permit.

At a glance

Building permit
Required for work that must meet the state Uniform Code, with listed exemptions; issued by the village Code Enforcement Officer13
Zoning
Village zoning with agricultural, residential and commercial districts5
Inspections and occupancy
Inspections during construction and a certificate of occupancy are required67
Sewer
Connection to the village sewer is required after official notice when the sewer is within 100 feet of the property line8
Septic
Private system allowed only where public sewer is unavailable, and it must meet DEC septic requirements; permit issuer not confirmed4
RV and tiny-home living
Not confirmed; ask the village before you plan on it3
Contractor license
Contractors and plumbers working in the village need a village license3

Who to call

Building permits

Village of North Hornell Code Enforcement Officer

Building permits, village code enforcement and contractor licensing inside the Village of North Hornell; applications are picked up at Village Hall

607-542-2175

[email protected]

4 W. Maplewood Ave, North Hornell, NY 14843

Septic permits

New York State Department of Health, Hornell District Office

Environmental health protection, including onsite wastewater review, for Steuben County

607-324-8371

107 Broadway, Room 105, Hornell, NY 14843-0430

Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on October 24, 2026.

Off-grid gear

Going off-grid in Village of North Hornell means bringing your own water and power. The kit we’d start with:

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Do you need a building permit in the Village of North Hornell, NY?

Yes, for most work. Inside the Village of North Hornell, a building permit is required for any work that must conform to the state Uniform Code or Energy Code, including construction, enlargement, alteration, removal or demolition of a building or structure1. The village code lists exemptions, and an exemption never authorizes work that breaks the code1. Construction may not start until the Code Enforcement Officer issues the permit1.

The village's Code Enforcement Officer says permits can be picked up at Village Hall, and that starting work without a building permit results in an additional fee3. Call before assuming a small job is exempt. Village building permits apply only inside village limits; for land outside the village, see the Steuben County page.

Who issues building permits in North Hornell, and how do you reach them?

The Village of North Hornell runs its own code enforcement. The village code administers and enforces the New York State Uniform Fire Prevention and Building Code and the Energy Code inside the village9. Reach the Code Enforcement Officer at 607-542-2175 or [email protected], or visit Village Hall at 4 W. Maplewood Ave3.

Applications must be in writing on an approved form signed by the owner or an authorized agent, and the officer checks compliance with the Uniform Code, Energy Code and local code10. The fee is paid when the application is submitted11; we could not confirm a single dollar figure for a new house, so ask the office for the amount. Contractors and plumbers working in the village need a village license, which costs $10 per year3. Steuben County's own code-enforcement service covers only the Towns of Addison, Campbell and Tuscarora, not North Hornell12.

Does North Hornell have zoning, and what does it mean for RVs, tiny homes and setbacks?

Yes. The Village of North Hornell divides itself into zone districts through its own code2. The districts are AG Agricultural, R Residential and C Commercial, and the Official Zoning Map is filed with the Village Clerk5. Zoning here is a village function; New York counties do not zone, so Steuben County does not set these rules13.

We could not confirm the village's rules on living in an RV, tiny homes, accessory dwellings, minimum lot size, setbacks or building height. Ask the Code Enforcement Officer3 or the Village Clerk before you buy, and get the zoning map for the exact parcel.

How do sewer and septic work inside North Hornell?

In the village, public sewer comes first. An owner of occupied property abutting a street with a village public sanitary sewer must connect within 90 days after official notice, provided the sewer is within 100 feet of the property line8.

Where public sewer is not available, the building sewer lateral must connect to a private wastewater system that meets New York State Department of Environmental Conservation requirements for septic tanks, and the system must be abandoned and filled once public sewer becomes available4. We could not confirm which office issues the septic permit inside the village. Steuben County has no county health department; the state Department of Health's Hornell District Office handles environmental health for the county, so start there14. In New York, alternative systems need plan approval from the state or county health official before construction15.

Building a home in the Village of North Hornell: the steps, in order

  1. Call the Code Enforcement Officer to confirm your project needs a permit and your parcel's zoning district3.
  2. Check the sewer: ask Village Hall whether a public sewer serves the lot, since connection is required after notice when one is within 100 feet8.
  3. If no sewer is available, contact the Hornell District Office of the state Department of Health about the private system14.
  4. Submit the written building permit application on the approved form and pay the fee1011.
  5. Wait for the permit before starting; keep work exposed until it is inspected and call the officer when each stage is ready6.
  6. Get a certificate of occupancy before you move in7.

What to check before you buy land in North Hornell

Ask for the zoning district first, because the AG district is described as lying entirely within the flood boundary5. Floodplain development in New York needs a local permit, usually through the local code enforcement official16. If the lot fronts a state highway, a driveway needs a New York State Department of Transportation permit17; we could not confirm a village driveway rule.

County-level numbers: Steuben County's effective property tax rate is 2.5% and the median property tax bill is $3,245 per year1819. Steuben County's typical home value is about $174,26020.

Watch-outs

  • We could not confirm the village's rules on RVs, tiny homes, accessory dwellings, setbacks or minimum lot size; ask the Code Enforcement Officer before you buy3.
  • We could not confirm who issues private septic permits inside the village; call the state Department of Health's Hornell District Office14.
  • We could not confirm an owner-builder exemption in the village building code; ask the Code Enforcement Officer before doing your own work3.
  • The village's rules stop at its limits; land outside the village falls under a town's rules, so use the Steuben County page and ask the town2.

Sources

  1. Chapter 52: Fire Prevention and Building Construction - Village of North Hornell, NY (Village of North Hornell), quoted and re-checked
  2. Article II: Establishment of Districts; Zoning Map; Interpretation - Village of North Hornell, NY (Village of North Hornell), quoted and re-checked
  3. Village of North Hornell Code Enforcement Officer (northhornell.com)
  4. Chapter 96: Sewers - Village of North Hornell, NY (Village of North Hornell), quoted and re-checked
  5. Article II: Establishment of Districts; Zoning Map; Interpretation - Village of North Hornell, NY (Village of North Hornell), quoted and re-checked
  6. Chapter 52: Fire Prevention and Building Construction - Village of North Hornell, NY (Village of North Hornell), quoted and re-checked
  7. Chapter 52: Fire Prevention and Building Construction - Village of North Hornell, NY (Village of North Hornell), quoted and re-checked
  8. Chapter 96: Sewers - Village of North Hornell, NY (Village of North Hornell), quoted and re-checked
  9. Chapter 52: Fire Prevention and Building Construction - Village of North Hornell, NY (Village of North Hornell), quoted and re-checked
  10. Chapter 52: Fire Prevention and Building Construction - Village of North Hornell, NY (Village of North Hornell), quoted and re-checked
  11. Chapter 52: Fire Prevention and Building Construction - Village of North Hornell, NY (Village of North Hornell), quoted and re-checked
  12. Building Permit Applications, quoted and re-checked
  13. documents.dps.ny.gov (New York statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  14. New York State Department of Health, Hornell District Office (steubencountyny.gov)
  15. NYS Register March 18, 2015 Rule Making Activities — Standards for Individual Onsite Water Supply and Individual Onsite Wastewater Treatment Systems (New York statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  16. Floodplain Management - NYSDEC (New York statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  17. Residential Driveway Permits (New York statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  18. Effective property tax rate: Bolthole Index county data
  19. Median property tax bill: Bolthole Index county data
  20. Typical home value (Zillow): Bolthole Index county data

Written October 24, 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.

Answers from the rulebook for Village of North Hornell

Village of North Hornell’s own rules

  • Building permitRequired

    Work inside North Hornell village that must conform to the Uniform Code or Energy Code.

    • Listed exemptions in § 52-4B apply; the exemption does not authorize noncompliant work.
    • Construction may not commence until the Code Enforcement Officer issues the permit.
    “Except as otherwise provided in Subsection B of this section, 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 heating appliance, chimney or flue in any dwelling unit.”
  • Building code adoptedAdopted (with conditions)

    Buildings, structures, and premises inside North Hornell village.

    • Except as otherwise provided in the Uniform Code, other state law, or Chapter 52.
    “This chapter provides for the administration and enforcement of the New York State Uniform Fire Prevention and Building Code (the Uniform Code) and the State Energy Conservation Construction Code (the Energy Code) in this Village.”
  • InspectionsRequired

    Permitted construction work inside North Hornell village.

    • Work must remain accessible and exposed until inspected and accepted.
    • Inspections are required where applicable for the enumerated construction elements.
    “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. The permit holder shall notify the Code Enforcement Officer when any element of work described in Subsection B of this section is ready for inspection.”
  • Certificate of occupancyRequired

    Work inside North Hornell village subject to a building permit, and structures converted between use or occupancy classifications.

    • The Code Enforcement Officer or authorized inspector must inspect before issuance.
    • A temporary certificate may allow safe temporary occupancy, subject to the stated conditions and duration limits.
    “Certificates of occupancy/certificates of compliance required.”
  • Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

    Land inside North Hornell village limits.

    • Zoning controls are administered through the Village's adopted code and mapped districts.
    “the Village of North Hornell is hereby divided into the following zone districts:”
  • Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

    Land inside North Hornell village limits.

    • The Official Zoning Map is adopted by reference and filed with the Village Clerk.
    • AG is described as agricultural and all within the flood boundary.

    zoning districts: AG Agricultural; R Residential; C Commercial (The Official Zoning Map establishes boundaries.)

    “AG Agricultural (all within the flood boundary) R Residential C Commercial”
  • Off-grid sanitationLimited

    Private wastewater disposal inside North Hornell village where public sanitary sewer is unavailable under § 96-2D.

    • The private system must comply with DEC septic-installation requirements.
    • It must be abandoned, emptied sanitary, and filled when public sewer later becomes available under § 96-2D.
    “Where a public sanitary sewer is not available under the provisions of § 96-2D, the building sewer lateral shall be connected to a private wastewater disposal system complying with the requirements of the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation dealing with septic tank installations.”
  • Mandatory utility hookupSewer (with conditions)

    Occupied, employed, recreational, or public-purpose property inside North Hornell village abutting a way containing a Village public sanitary sewer.

    • Connection is required after official notice if the public sewer is within 100 feet of the property line.
    • The owner must connect within 90 days after official notice.
    • Initial 1971 hookups had a six-month notice period.

    public sewer distance from property line: <= 100 feet (Connection trigger applies when the property otherwise meets § 96-2D.) · connection deadline after official notice: <= 90 days (Initial 1971 hookups were allowed six months.)

    “The owner of any house, building or property used for human occupancy, employment, recreation or public purpose, situated within the village and abutting on any street, alley or right-of-way in which there is now located or may in the future be located a public sanitary sewer of the village, is hereby required, at his expense, to install suitable toilet facilities therein and to connect such facilities directly with the proper public sewer in accordance with the provisions of this chapter within 90 days after the date of official notice to do so, provided that said public sewer is located within 100 feet of the property line.”
  • Agricultural exemptionConditional

    Farm or garden operations involving otherwise prohibited placement or deposit of waste inside North Hornell village.

    • An owner or lessee must make a specific application.
    • The Village Board may impose conditions.
    “Exceptions may be granted by the Village Board to an owner or lessee acting in the normal course of farm or garden operations but only after specific application by such owner or lessee and upon such conditions as the Village Board may impose.”
  • Permit feesVariable (with conditions)

    Village building-permit applications and renewals.

    • The applicable fee must be paid at application submission.
    • The opened provision refers to § 52-17 for the fee amount or method; no dollar schedule was extracted.
    “The fee specified in or determined in accordance with the provisions set forth in § 52-17, Fees, of this chapter must be paid at the time of submission of an application for a building permit, for an amended building permit, or for renewal of a building permit.”
  • Permit processPublished (with conditions)

    Building-permit applications inside North Hornell village.

    • Application must be in writing on an approved form and signed by the owner or authorized agent.
    • Work may not commence unless a permit is issued.
    • The Code Enforcement Officer examines compliance with applicable Uniform Code, Energy Code, and local-code requirements.
    “Applications for a building permit shall be made in writing”

Still unanswered

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

  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-performed residential construction inside North Hornell village.
  • Minimum dwelling size — Dwellings in Village zoning districts.
  • Minimum lot size — Lots in Village zoning districts.
  • Setbacks — Structures in Village zoning districts.
  • Lot coverage — Lots in Village zoning districts.
11 more unanswered
  • Building height
  • Living in an RV
  • Camping on your land
  • Tiny homes
  • Manufactured homes
  • Accessory dwellings
  • Septic permit
  • Septic inspection
  • Well permit
  • Driveway access
  • Short-term rentals

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.

Unanswered questions are usually a sign that Village of North Hornell publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Steuben County’s page lists the county offices to call.

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