Bolthole Index

Ulster County, New York

Zoning, building permits and septic rules in the Village of Ellenville, NY

The Village of Ellenville, New York, in Ulster County, has its own zoning ordinance, and building permits for work inside village limits come from the Village Code Enforcement Officer, not the county12. Septic permits for Ulster County are reviewed by the Ulster County Department of Health3; we could not confirm how that works for village lots, so ask the Health Department before you buy.

At a glance

Building permit
Required for work that must meet the NYS Uniform Code, issued by the Village Code Enforcement Officer2
Zoning
Yes, Village Zoning Chapter 227 divides the village into districts14
Certificate of occupancy
Required for work under a building permit5
Septic
Ulster County Department of Health reviews wastewater systems countywide; village-lot rules not confirmed3
Subdivision
Regulated by Village Chapter 2006
Permit fees
Set by resolution of the Village Board of Trustees7

Who to call

Building permits

Village of Ellenville Building Department

Building permits, code enforcement and inspections inside the Village of Ellenville

845.647.7080

2 Elting Ct Ellenville , NY 12428

Zoning

Village of Ellenville Zoning Board

Zoning board of the Village; zoning questions are routed through the Village office

845.647.7080

Village of Ellenville 2 Elting Court Ellenville , NY 12428

Septic permits

Ulster County Department of Health, Environmental Health Division

Septic (onsite wastewater treatment system) plan review and approval in Ulster County

(845) 340-3010

239 Golden Hill Lane Kingston, NY 12401

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 Ellenville means bringing your own water and power. The kit we’d start with:

These are affiliate links — we may earn a commission, at no cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, Bolthole Index earns from qualifying purchases.

Does Ellenville, NY have zoning?

Yes. The Village of Ellenville adopts and enforces its own zoning, Chapter 227 of the village code, which regulates the use, occupancy, location and construction of buildings and land inside the village1. The chapter divides the village into zoning districts and includes use schedules and an area-and-bulk schedule4.

What that means for RVs, tiny homes, minimum lot size, setbacks and accessory apartments depends on the district, and we could not confirm those numbers from the village's published material. Ask the Building Department which district a parcel is in and what the schedule allows before you make an offer. Ulster County itself does not zone: New York law gives zoning power to cities, towns and villages, not counties8.

Do you need a building permit in Ellenville, and who issues it?

Yes. The Village requires a building permit for work inside the village that must conform to the New York State Uniform Code or Energy Code, including construction, alteration, relocation and demolition, subject to listed exemptions2. The Village administers and enforces those codes itself9, so the Village Code Enforcement Officer issues the permit, not the county.

Applications are made in writing on a form the Code Enforcement Officer accepts, signed by the owner or an authorized agent, and work may not start until the permit is issued10. Fees are set by resolution of the Board of Trustees7. Call the Village Building Department11 to learn whether a specific project needs a permit.

Who inspects the work, and do you need a certificate of occupancy?

Permitted work stays open for inspection by the Code Enforcement Officer or an inspector the officer authorizes, and the permit holder must call for each inspection12. A certificate of occupancy is required for any work that has a building permit and for buildings converted to a different use or occupancy classification5. Plan on getting that certificate before anyone moves in.

How do septic permits work in Ellenville?

Septic approval in Ulster County runs through the Ulster County Department of Health, which reviews plans for residential, commercial and small community wastewater systems313. Where municipal sewer is unavailable, the county requires design drawings from a New York-licensed engineer or registered architect, and a permit is issued only after approved drawings14.

We could not confirm whether a given lot inside the village is on municipal sewer or needs its own system, or whether the village adds its own septic rules. Ask the Village Building Department about sewer service and the County Health Department about septic approval for the specific address. USDA soil ratings for Ulster County show few soils without limits for conventional drain fields, so expect a site evaluation and possibly an engineered system if sewer is not available15.

Can you live in an RV or tiny home in Ellenville?

We could not confirm a village rule on RV occupancy, temporary camping or tiny-home occupancy inside Ellenville, so do not assume any of them is allowed. The Village code addresses mobile homes and trailers, but we did not find the operative limits. New York's state code lets tiny houses built to the Residential Code and Appendix BB skip the occupancy-area provisions of the Property Maintenance Code, but local zoning and wastewater requirements still apply16. Ask the Building Department before parking or placing any dwelling on a lot.

Building a home in Ellenville: the steps, in order

  1. Ask the Village Building Department which zoning district the parcel is in and what Chapter 227 allows there411.
  2. Confirm sewer or septic with the Village and the Ulster County Department of Health3.
  3. Apply in writing for the building permit from the Code Enforcement Officer and pay the fee set by the Board of Trustees107.
  4. Keep work exposed for each inspection12.
  5. Obtain the certificate of occupancy5.

If you are dividing land, the Village's subdivision chapter applies6.

What stays with Ulster County, and what to check before you buy in Ellenville

Land outside the village is governed by its town, not by village rules; see the Ulster County page for the county-level picture. Septic review stays with the Ulster County Department of Health3. If the parcel fronts a state highway, a driveway needs a permit from the state transportation department17. Parcels in a mapped flood zone need a local floodplain development permit18. Ulster County's effective property tax rate is about 1.9%19.

Watch-outs

  • We could not confirm village rules on RV living, tiny homes, minimum lot size, setbacks, accessory apartments or short-term rentals; ask the Village Building Department at 2 Elting Court before you buy11.
  • Septic and well rules for village lots are unconfirmed; the Ulster County Department of Health reviews wastewater plans countywide3.
  • The county's rules for unincorporated land do not apply inside Ellenville, where the Village issues building permits9.

Sources

  1. Chapter 227 Zoning - Village of Ellenville, NY (Village of Ellenville), quoted and re-checked
  2. Chapter 70 Building Construction and Fire Prevention - Village of Ellenville, NY (Village of Ellenville), quoted and re-checked
  3. Water & Wastewater Regulation — Ulster County, quoted and re-checked
  4. Chapter 227 Zoning - Village of Ellenville, NY (Village of Ellenville), quoted and re-checked
  5. Chapter 70 Building Construction and Fire Prevention - Village of Ellenville, NY (Village of Ellenville), quoted and re-checked
  6. Chapter 200 Subdivision of Land - Village of Ellenville, NY (Village of Ellenville), quoted and re-checked
  7. Chapter 70 Building Construction and Fire Prevention - Village of Ellenville, NY (Village of Ellenville), quoted and re-checked
  8. documents.dps.ny.gov (New York statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  9. Chapter 70 Building Construction and Fire Prevention - Village of Ellenville, NY (Village of Ellenville), quoted and re-checked
  10. Chapter 70 Building Construction and Fire Prevention - Village of Ellenville, NY (Village of Ellenville), quoted and re-checked
  11. Village of Ellenville Building Department (villageofellenville.com)
  12. Chapter 70 Building Construction and Fire Prevention - Village of Ellenville, NY (Village of Ellenville), quoted and re-checked
  13. Ulster County Department of Health, Environmental Health Division (ulstercountyny.gov)
  14. Sewage Disposal System Application — Ulster County, quoted and re-checked
  15. Share of soils USDA rates "not limited" for a conventional septic drain field (SSURGO). A strict rating: the median county is about 6% and a tenth of counties are 0%, so a low figure means most lots need a site evaluation or an engineered system, not that septic is impossible. Cite it only with that caveat: Bolthole Index county data
  16. Notice of Adoption, quoted and re-checked
  17. Residential Driveway Permits (New York statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  18. Floodplain Management - NYSDEC (New York statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  19. Effective property tax rate: 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 Ellenville

Village of Ellenville’s own rules

  • Building permitRequired

    Work inside the Village that must conform to the Uniform Code or Energy Code, including construction, enlargement, alteration, improvement, removal, relocation, demolition, and specified solid-fuel appliances.

    • The listed exemptions in § 70-2.1B apply.
    • Exempt work is not authorized if it violates the Uniform Code or Energy Code.
    • Work may not begin until a permit is obtained from the Code Enforcement Officer.
    “Building permits required. 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”
  • Building code adoptedAdopted (with conditions)

    Buildings, structures, and premises inside the Village of Ellenville.

    • Except as otherwise provided in the Uniform Code, other state law, or Chapter 70.
    • The Village administers and enforces the Uniform Code and Energy Code.
    “This article 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 the Village.

    • Work must remain accessible and exposed until inspected and accepted.
    • The permit holder must notify the Code Enforcement Officer when an applicable work element is ready for inspection.
    • A fee is due before or at 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 Village building permit and structures converted to another use or occupancy classification inside the Village.

    • The work must comply with applicable Uniform Code and Energy Code provisions.
    • The building, structure, or work must be inspected before issuance.
    “A certificate of occupancy shall be required for any work which is the subject of a building permit and for all structures, buildings, or portions thereof, which are converted from one use or occupancy classification or subclassification to another.”
  • Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

    Land inside the Village of Ellenville.

    • Chapter 227 is the Village zoning ordinance.
    “This is a chapter regulating and restricting the use, occupancy, location, construction and alteration of buildings, structures and land use in the Village of Ellenville and for said purposes dividing the Village into zoning districts.”
  • Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

    Zoning districts inside the Village.

    • Chapter 227 contains a districts-established section, zoning-map section, use schedules, and an area-and-bulk schedule.
    “In order to fulfill the purpose of this chapter, the Village of Ellenville establishes and is hereby divided into the following zoning districts:”
  • Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

    Subdivision of land inside the Village.

    • Chapter 200 includes preliminary-layout and final-plat procedures, required submission documents, improvements and utilities, design standards, and administrative provisions.
    “[HISTORY: Adopted by the Board of Trustees of the Village of Ellenville 3-14-1974 as Appendix A of the Code of Ordinances. Sections 200-3I and 200-35A amended at time of adoption of Code; see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. I. Other amendments noted where applicable.]”
  • Permit feesVariable (with conditions)

    Village building permits and inspections.

    • Fees are set by the Village Board of Trustees.
    • The specified fee must be paid at building-permit application submission; inspection fees are due before or at the inspection.
    “A fee schedule shall be established by resolution of the Board of Trustees of this Village. Such fee schedule may thereafter be amended from time to time by like resolution.”
  • Permit processPublished (with conditions)

    Village building-permit applications.

    • The application must be in writing, on an acceptable form, and signed by the owner or authorized agent.
    • The Code Enforcement Officer examines compliance with the Uniform Code and Energy Code.
    • No work may 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.”

Still unanswered

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

  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-built residential construction inside the Village.
  • Minimum dwelling size — Single-family dwellings inside the Village.
  • Minimum lot size — Residential lots inside the Village.
  • Setbacks — Residential development inside the Village.
  • Lot coverage — Residential development inside the Village.
16 more unanswered
  • Building height
  • Living in an RV
  • Camping on your land
  • Tiny homes
  • Manufactured homes
  • Accessory dwellings
  • Who permits septic
  • Septic permit
  • Septic inspection
  • Off-grid sanitation
  • Well permit
  • Mandatory utility hookup
  • Agricultural exemption
  • Driveway access
  • Building in a floodplain
  • 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 Ellenville publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Ulster County’s page lists the county offices to call.

← All of Ulster County: county rules, score and offices