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

Town of Babylon’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  Construction or alteration of buildings, structures, accessory buildings, and accessory structures inside Babylon town.

  • Emergency repairs may be made before application only when a building inspector gives oral or written permission because the structure is in danger of collapse.
  • A permit expires after 180 days unless an extension is duly obtained.

  permit duration: 180 days (unless an extension is duly obtained)

  “unless a permit [...] shall have been issued”

• InspectionsRequired

  Work authorized by a Town of Babylon building permit.

  • The Building Department describes the permit as subject to various Town inspections.

  “subject to various inspections by the Town”

• Certificate of occupancyRequired

  Buildings erected, enlarged, extended, or altered inside Babylon town.

  • Where occupancy or use continues during alteration, it may not continue more than 30 days after completion unless a certificate has issued.

  continued occupancy after alteration completion: <= 30 days (unless a certificate has been issued)

  “until a certificate [...] shall have been issued”

• Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

  Zoning districts inside Babylon town.

  • The Town's current zoning chapter lists A, AA, B, C, D, floating-home, multiple-residence, business, industrial, and other district articles.

  “Article VII A Residence District [...] Article VIII B Residence District [...] Article IX C Residence Districts”

• Living in an RVLimited

  Mobile dwellings, including house trailers and residential vehicles designed for year-round occupancy, outside incorporated villages within Babylon town.

  • A mobile dwelling may be operated only within a duly authorized mobile-dwelling park.
  • A park is prohibited in A, B, and C Residence Districts; in D Residence or E Business it requires Town Board special permission after a public hearing.

  “No mobile dwelling may be [...] operated unless it is within a duly authorized mobile dwelling park.”

• Manufactured homesLimited

  Mobile homes and other covered mobile dwellings outside incorporated villages within Babylon town.

  • The code definition excludes modular homes.
  • A covered mobile dwelling may be erected, established, maintained, or operated only in a duly authorized mobile-dwelling park.

  “MOBILE DWELLING Includes, but is not necessarily limited to, a house trailer, mobile home or any other residential structure or vehicle originally designed, built, constructed or manufactured to be conveyed upon highways or streets, whether the same is situated or located upon wheels, jacks, foundations (temporary or permanent), slabs or otherwise, and/or whether or not added to or made a part of another building or structure, and which does not come within the definition of a modular home, but is suitable for year-round occupancy and containing the same water supply, waste disposal and electrical conveniences as in immobile housing.”

• Permit feesVariable (with conditions)

  Town of Babylon building permits.

  • A building-permit fee is doubled when the application is filed after work has commenced.
  • For commercial permits filed after work has commenced, the fee is tripled.

  solar permit fee: 100 USD (solar energy construction, modifications, or alterations)

  “A fee shall be charged for every building permit issued. The amount of such fee shall be as may be determined from time to time by the Town Board, and commencing February 1, 2000, shall be doubled for every permit application filed after the work which is the subject of the permit has commenced. The amount of such fee for commercial permits shall be tripled for every permit filed after the work which is the subject of the permit has commenced.”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption from Babylon building-permit requirements.
• Building code adopted — Building-code adoption inside Babylon town.
• Minimum dwelling size — Residential zoning districts inside Babylon town.
• Minimum lot size — Residential zoning districts inside Babylon town.
• Setbacks — Residential zoning districts inside Babylon 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.