Bolthole Index

Chautauqua County, New York

Building permits, zoning and septic rules in the Village of Celoron, New York

The Village of Celoron, New York has its own zoning law and requires a village building permit for any work that must meet the state Uniform Code12. The village's code enforcement officer reviews applications and inspects the work3. Septic and well approvals are not the village's call: in Chautauqua County, the County Health Department approves onsite wastewater systems4.

At a glance

Building permit
Required from the village for work covered by the state Uniform Code, with some listed exemptions2
Zoning
Yes, the village has its own adopted zoning chapter and a zoning map1
Inspections
Footing, foundation and other listed work must stay exposed until the code enforcement officer accepts it5
Certificate of occupancy
Required for permitted work and for changes of use6
Septic
County Health Department approval, not the village4
Permit validity
Invalid if work is not started within 6 months; expires 12 months after issuance2

Who to call

Building permits

Village of Celoron Clerk's Office and Code Enforcement Officer

Village building permit applications, code enforcement, and the village zoning map and code book

716-487-4175

21 Boulevard Avenue PO Box 577 Celoron, New York 14720

Septic permits

Chautauqua County Health Department (Environmental Health Division)

Onsite wastewater (septic) permits and the Right To Connect letter for new construction, added bedrooms or a change of use

716-753-4312

3 N Erie Street, Mayville, NY 14757

Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on October 14, 2026.

Off-grid gear

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

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Does Celoron, NY have zoning, and what does it mean for RVs, tiny homes and lot size?

Yes. The Village of Celoron, in Chautauqua County, has its own adopted zoning chapter, and the village publishes a zoning map13. Chautauqua County itself does not zone: New York law gives zoning power to cities, towns and villages, not counties7.

We could not read the zoning chapter's district rules, so we cannot confirm what Celoron allows for RV living, tiny homes, accessory dwellings, minimum lot size or setbacks. Ask the village's code enforcement officer which district a parcel sits in before assuming anything, and do not rely on county-level answers, which apply to other places.

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

Yes. Inside the Village of Celoron, a building permit is required for any work that must conform to the Uniform Code or the Energy Code, including construction, enlargement, alteration, removal, relocation or demolition2. The village code lists some exemptions, such as temporary seasonal enclosures, but exempt work must still meet the code and setbacks2.

The village, not the county, enforces the code: its local law adopts the state Uniform Code and Energy Code for the village8. Applications are made in writing on a form provided by the code enforcement officer9. Contact the village clerk's office3.

What happens after the permit: inspections and certificate of occupancy in Celoron

Work under a Celoron building permit must stay accessible and exposed until the code enforcement officer or an authorized inspector accepts it5. A certificate of occupancy or certificate of compliance is required for any work covered by a building permit and when a building changes use or occupancy classification6. Plan the schedule around those inspections: covering a footing or foundation before it is accepted can mean opening it back up.

How do septic permits work in Celoron?

Septic approval in Chautauqua County comes from the County Health Department, not from the village4. When you apply for a village building permit for a new building, added bedrooms or a change of use, the village code enforcement officer requires a letter from the County Health Department confirming the onsite system is appropriate10. New or replaced systems need a county permit before construction begins11.

We could not confirm whether any given Celoron lot is on public sewer. Where a public sewer is accessible, county sanitary rules require an existing household system to be abandoned and the house connected12. Ask the county health office and the village which applies to a parcel.

Building a home in Celoron: the steps, in order

  1. Ask the village code enforcement officer which zoning district the parcel is in and what it allows3.
  2. Contact the County Health Department about septic or sewer and the required letter10.
  3. Apply in writing for the village building permit with construction documents9.
  4. Keep work exposed until inspected5.
  5. Obtain the certificate of occupancy before moving in6.

What stays with Chautauqua County, and what to check before you buy in Celoron

Septic and onsite wastewater approval stay with the County Health Department4. Land outside village limits is governed by the town where it sits, so use the Chautauqua County page for land outside Celoron.

County-level figures are not Celoron-specific: Chautauqua County's effective property tax rate is 2.4%13 and its median property tax bill is about $2,846 a year14. Fee amounts for village permits, flood-hazard rules and driveway access were not confirmed; ask the clerk's office.

Watch-outs

  • We could not read the village's zoning chapter, so RV, tiny home, setback and lot-size rules are unconfirmed; call the code enforcement officer before you buy1.
  • Village building permits expire if work does not start within 6 months, and a permit is valid for 12 months after issuance2.
  • A county health letter is required before a building permit for a new building, added bedrooms or a change of use, so start with the county health office10.

Sources

  1. Village of Celoron, NY code table of contents (eCode360) (Village of Celoron), quoted and re-checked
  2. Village of Celoron Code, Chapter 81: Construction Codes, Uniform (Village of Celoron), quoted and re-checked
  3. Village of Celoron Clerk's Office and Code Enforcement Officer (celoronny.org)
  4. Sewage and Wastewater, quoted and re-checked
  5. Village of Celoron Code, Chapter 81: Construction Codes, Uniform (Village of Celoron), quoted and re-checked
  6. Village of Celoron Code, Chapter 81: Construction Codes, Uniform (Village of Celoron), quoted and re-checked
  7. documents.dps.ny.gov (New York statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  8. Village of Celoron Code, Chapter 81: Construction Codes, Uniform (Village of Celoron), quoted and re-checked
  9. Village of Celoron Code, Chapter 81: Construction Codes, Uniform (Village of Celoron), quoted and re-checked
  10. Chautauqua County Health Department (Environmental Health Division) (chautauquacountyny.gov)
  11. Onsite Wastewater Treatment System (OWTS) Permit Application, quoted and re-checked
  12. Chautauqua County Sanitary Code, quoted and re-checked
  13. Effective property tax rate: Bolthole Index county data
  14. Median property tax bill: Bolthole Index county data

Written October 14, 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 Celoron

Village of Celoron’s own rules

  • Building permitRequired

    Work that must conform to the Uniform Code or Energy Code inside Celoron village

    • Subsection b lists exemptions (e.g., temporary seasonal enclosures Nov 1 to Apr 30); exempt work must still comply with the code and setbacks.
    • Permit invalid if work not started within 6 months; expires 12 months after issuance.
    “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”
  • Building code adoptedAdopted

    Construction inside Celoron village

    • Adopted by L.L. No. 4-2013 on 12-9-2013; later amended (L.L. 1-2022).
    “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 this village.”
  • InspectionsRequired

    Permitted construction inside Celoron village

    • Inspections of listed elements (footing, foundation, etc.) by the code enforcement officer.
    “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 under a building permit and use/occupancy conversions inside Celoron village

    “a certificate of occupancy/certificate of compliance 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

    Land inside Celoron village limits

    • Chapter 210 text itself was not opened; existence of the adopted chapter is from the code table of contents and the zoning cross-reference in Ch. 81.
    “chapter 210 zoning (§ 210-1 – § 210-76)”
  • Permit processPublished

    Building permit applications inside Celoron village

    • Application must include construction documents and, where applicable, a site plan per § 81-4d; the permit form asks for a copy of any health department permit.
    “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 Celoron or Chautauqua County directly.

  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builders inside Celoron village
  • Zoning districts — Zoning districts inside Celoron village
  • Minimum dwelling size — Dwellings inside Celoron village
  • Minimum lot size — Residential districts inside Celoron village
  • Setbacks — Residential districts inside Celoron village
19 more unanswered
  • Lot coverage
  • 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
  • Subdividing land
  • Driveway access
  • Building in a floodplain
  • Short-term rentals
  • Permit fees

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 Celoron publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Chautauqua County’s page lists the county offices to call.

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