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

Town of Harrison’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  Work inside Harrison town limits that must conform to the Uniform Code or Energy Code.

  • Exemptions in § 105-4B apply.
  • The cited examples include construction, enlargement, alteration, improvement, removal, relocation, demolition, and specified solid-fuel equipment.

  “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, 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.”

• InspectionsRequired

  Permitted construction inside Harrison town limits.

  • Work must remain accessible and exposed until inspected and accepted.
  • Inspections apply where applicable.

  “Work shall remain accessible and exposed until inspected and accepted by the Building Inspector or by an Inspector authorized by the Building Inspector. The Permit Holder shall notify the Building Inspector when any element of work described in Subsection B of this section is ready for inspection.”

• Certificate of occupancyRequired

  Work subject to a building permit and conversion of a structure, building, or portion to another use or occupancy classification inside Harrison town limits.

  • The Building Inspector or authorized Inspector must inspect before issuance.
  • Issued work must comply with applicable Zoning Code, Uniform Code, and Energy Code provisions.

  “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 Harrison town limits.

  • Chapter 235 is subject to amendments noted in the official code.

  “Chapter 235 Zoning [HISTORY: Adopted by the Town Board of the Town of Harrison 11-18-1974. Amendments noted where applicable.]”

• Mandatory utility hookupSewer (with conditions)

  All new structures inside Harrison town limits receiving a Harrison building permit.

  • A permit is conditioned on a new sanitary sewer service lateral to the Town/Village sanitary sewer line.
  • Installation, coupling, and backfill must satisfy the Building Department, Town Engineer, and Department of Public Works.

  “Permits issued for all new structures shall be conditioned upon the installation of new sanitary sewer service laterals, from the structure connection to the Town/Village of Harrison sanitary sewer line, with installation, coupling and backfill completed to the satisfaction of the Building Department, the Town Engineer and the Department of Public Works.”

• Building in a floodplainRequired

  Construction or other development in an area of special flood hazard inside Harrison town limits.

  • Applies only in areas of special flood hazard shown on the enumerated Flood Insurance Rate Map.
  • Application may require plans showing nature, location, dimensions, elevations, structures, fill, storage, and drainage facilities.
  • An application fee and reimbursement/deposit for review, inspection, and approval costs apply.

  “A floodplain development permit is hereby established for all construction and other development to be undertaken in areas of special flood hazard in the Town of Harrison for the purpose of protecting its citizens from increased flood hazards and insuring that new development is constructed in a manner that minimizes its exposure to flooding.”

• Permit feesVariable (with conditions)

  Building Department applications and actions inside Harrison town limits.

  • The fee schedule is the most current Town Board resolution under § 137-1.
  • The code requires payment when submitting a building-permit, amended-permit, renewal, or Certificate of Occupancy application.

  “The fees shall be as set forth in the most current resolution of the Town Board fixing the fee pursuant to § 137-1 of the Town Code.”

• Permit processPublished (with conditions)

  Building-permit applications inside Harrison town limits.

  • Applications must contain information sufficient for the Building Inspector to determine Uniform Code and Energy Code compliance.
  • The cited application documentation includes a work description, Tax Map number, street address, occupancy classification, and, where applicable, special-inspection statement and four sets of construction documents.

  “The application shall include such information as the Building Inspector deems sufficient to permit a determination by the Building Inspector that the intended work complies with all applicable requirements of the Uniform Code and the Energy Code. The application shall include or be accompanied by the following information and documentation:”

Rules another office applies inside Town of Harrison

Town of Harrison 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, structures, and premises inside Harrison town limits.

  • Except as otherwise provided in the Uniform Code, other state law, or Chapter 105.

  “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 the Town of Harrison.”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-built residential construction inside Harrison town limits.
• Living in an RV — RV occupancy on private land inside Harrison town limits.
• Camping on your land — Temporary camping on private land inside Harrison town limits.
• Tiny homes — Tiny-home occupancy inside Harrison town limits.
• Manufactured homes — Manufactured-home occupancy inside Harrison town limits outside floodplain-specific regulation.

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.

Off-grid gear

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

• Water Crystal Quest Filter any source — well, rain, or creek — to drinking-clean.
• Power Bluetti Solar generators and home battery backup for living off the grid.
• Septic Soil percolation test kit Run your own perc test before paying an engineer — the first thing a septic office asks about.
• Water Well water test kit Bacteria, nitrates, hardness — know what the well on a parcel is really pumping.

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