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

Town of Potter’s own rules

• Agricultural exemptionConditional

  Agricultural property-tax exemption applications in Potter.

  • The property must be 7 or more acres in agricultural production with gross sales of $10,000 per year or $20,000 over two years, or be seven acres rented to a qualified farmer with a minimum five-year lease.
  • The Town page says yearly renewals are required.

  minimum agricultural acreage: >= 7 acres (Alternative qualification applies to seven acres rented to a qualified farmer with a minimum five-year lease.) · gross sales: >= 10000 USD/year (Alternative threshold is $20,000 over two years.)

  “Must be 7 or more acres in Ag production with gross sales of $10,000/year or $20,000/2 years or 7 acres rented to a qualified farmer”

Rules another office applies inside Town of Potter

Town of Potter does not set these itself; the county, a health district or the state does, and they apply to every address inside its limits.

• Building permitRequired

  Work inside Potter that is required to conform to the New York Uniform Code.

  • Certain exceptions are permitted.

  “Building permits must be required [...] Certain exceptions are permitted.”

• Building code adoptedAdopted (with conditions)

  Construction inside the Town of Potter, which is in New York outside New York City.

  • The cited State FAQ identifies the 2025 Uniform Code and Energy Conservation Construction Code; local enforcement and project-specific compliance requirements remain applicable.

  “New York State has adopted the 2025 Uniform Code of New York State”

• InspectionsRequired

  Construction inside Potter subject to the New York Uniform Code enforcement program.

  • The cited State guidance specifies inspections of certain elements of the construction process.
  • Building-permit holders must keep work accessible and exposed until inspected and accepted by the municipality.

  “Inspections of certain specified elements [...] must be required.”

• Certificate of occupancyRequired

  Work inside Potter for which a building permit was required, and a change in a building's general occupancy classification.

  • A certificate of occupancy or certificate of compliance is required for all work for which a building permit was required and whenever the general occupancy classification changes.

  “A certificate of occupancy [...] must be required”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-built residential construction inside Potter.
• Local zoning — Land inside the Town of Potter, Yates County, New York.
• Zoning districts — Land inside Potter.
• Minimum dwelling size — Dwellings inside Potter.
• Minimum lot size — Lots inside Potter.

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.