Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Ithaca, New York

Ithaca’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  Work inside the City of Ithaca that must conform to the Uniform Code or Energy Code

  • Subject to exceptions in subsection b of § 146-5 (not reviewed).
  • Issued by the Department of Planning, Building, and Development.

  “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”

• Building code adoptedAdopted

  Construction inside the City of Ithaca

  • Uniform Code and Energy Code apply by NY Executive Law § 381; city adds the Ithaca Energy Code Supplement (Art. VII).

  “the purpose of this chapter is to provide for enforcement procedures in the city of ithaca for the new york state uniform fire prevention and building code (uniform code) and the new york state energy conservation construction code (energy code), which were heretofore made applicable in the city of ithaca by new york state executive law § 381, subdivision 2”

• InspectionsLimited

  Permitted projects inside the City of Ithaca

  • Mandatory inspection schedule is set at the code enforcement officer's discretion as a permit condition.

  “as a condition of the granting of any building permit herein, the code enforcement officer may, in his/her discretion, provide for a schedule of mandatory inspections of any project at such times during the course of construction”

• Certificate of occupancyRequired

  Newly constructed or converted buildings inside the City of Ithaca

  • Certificate of completion required for other permitted work (§ 146-8b).
  • Temporary certificates may be issued.

  “a certificate of occupancy shall be required for all structures, buildings, or portions thereof, which are newly constructed or are converted from one use or occupancy classification or subclassification to another use or occupancy or subclassification.”

• Local zoningPresent

  Land inside the City of Ithaca (Tompkins County)

  • Administered by the Director of Planning and Development or designee (Ch. 146 § 146-4f).

  “this chapter shall be known and may be cited as the "city of ithaca, new york, zoning ordinance."”

• Zoning districtsPublished

  Zoning districts inside the City of Ithaca

  • Districts include R-1a, R-1b, R-2a, R-2b, R-2c, R-3a, R-3aa, R-3b, R-U, B-1 to B-5, CBD, I-1, P-1, MH-1, C-SU, WEDZ-1, SW-1, CR-1 to CR-4, MU-1, MU-2 and others.

  “for the purposes specified in article i of this chapter, the city is hereby divided into the following districts: r-1a residential r-1b residential r-2a residential r-2b residential r-2c residential r-3a residential r-3aa residential r-3b residential r-u residential”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Ithaca or Tompkins County directly.

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builders inside the City of Ithaca
• Minimum dwelling size — R-1a district inside the City of Ithaca
• Minimum lot size — R-1a district inside the City of Ithaca
• Setbacks — R-1a district inside the City of Ithaca
• Lot coverage — R-1a district inside the City of Ithaca

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.