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

Town of Boston’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  Erection, construction, enlargement, alteration, improvement, removal, or demolition of a building or structure, and installation of woodburning equipment, inside Boston town.

  • No permit is required for necessary nonstructural repairs.
  • Specified alterations are exempt only when they do not materially affect structural features or fire-safety features, do not involve installation or extension of electrical systems, and do not include solid-fuel-burning appliances, chimneys, or flues.
  • Small noncommercial structures under 100 square feet are exempt only if not intended as living, sleeping, eating, or cooking quarters.
  • A complete application and Uniform Code conformity are required; a permit may contain conditions.
  • A permit remains effective only when work commences within 180 days and is completed within one calendar year of issuance.

  small noncommercial structure exemption threshold: < 100 square feet (Only if not intended for living, sleeping, eating, or cooking.) · permit commencement deadline: <= 180 days (Work must commence within this period.) · permit completion deadline: <= 1 calendar year (Measured from issuance.)

  “No person, firm, corporation, association or other organization shall commence the erection, construction, enlargement, alteration, improvement, removal or demolition of any building or structure, nor install woodburning equipment, without having applied for and obtained a permit from the Code Enforcement Officer.”

• InspectionsRequired

  Work inside Boston town for which a building permit has been issued.

  • Inspection approval is required before enclosing or covering work.
  • Foundation, rough work, insulation, fire-protection/detection systems, and exit features are listed inspection stages.
  • Final inspection is required before occupancy.
  • The owner, applicant, or agent must notify the Code Enforcement Officer 24 hours in advance to schedule an inspection.
  • No regular periodic inspections are required for occupied dwelling units, except invited or hazard-related inspections.

  inspection notice: >= 24 hours (Owner, applicant, or agent must inform the Code Enforcement Officer that work is ready.)

  “Work for which a building permit has been issued under this chapter shall be inspected for approval prior to enclosing or covering any portion thereof”

• Certificate of occupancyRequired

  Buildings subject to the Uniform Code and Chapter 57 inside Boston town.

  • A certificate is required before use or occupancy of a covered new building and covered enlargement, extension, alteration, or other work requiring a building permit.
  • A certificate is required for a change between general occupancy classifications.
  • A temporary certificate may be issued by Town Board resolution when sufficiently complete; it expires after six months and may thereafter be renewed only for good cause by Town Board resolution.
  • A certificate requires inspection showing no uncorrected deficiency or material Uniform Code violation in the intended area and payment of the appropriate fee.

  temporary certificate duration: 6 months (Renewal thereafter only for good cause by Town Board resolution.)

  “No building erected subject to the Uniform Code and this chapter shall be used or occupied, except to the extent provided in this section, until a certificate of occupancy has been issued.”

• Manufactured homesLimited

  Mobile/manufactured homes in mobile-home courts inside Boston town.

  • The Code regulates mobile homes in courts and requires mobile-home courts to be licensed by the Town Board.
  • The excerpt does not establish rules for every manufactured-home placement outside a court.

  “By the regulation of mobile homes in courts and the requirement that all mobile home courts be properly licensed by the Town Board.”

• Who permits septicCounty (with conditions)

  Septic systems supporting building-permit applications inside Boston town.

  • The Town requires an Erie County Health Department certificate of approval as part of the completed building-permit application.

  “Erie County Health Department certificate of approval for septic systems, or sewer tap permit from Erie County, Sewer District.”

• Mandatory utility hookupConditional

  New construction for which a building permit is sought inside Boston town.

  • Where a project uses a sewer connection instead of septic, the building-permit application must include a sewer tap permit from Erie County Sewer District.
  • The opened code did not establish a general distance-or-availability connection mandate.

  “Erie County Health Department certificate of approval for septic systems, or sewer tap permit from Erie County, Sewer District.”

• Permit processPublished (with conditions)

  Building-permit applications inside Boston town.

  • Application forms may be obtained from the Town Clerk and completed applications are delivered to the Code Enforcement Officer.
  • Required materials include deed, survey, plot plan, plans or drawings, insurance certificate, driveway culvert permit, septic approval or sewer tap permit, fee, signatures, and zoning documentation.
  • Plans over 1,500 gross habitable square feet or alterations over $10,000 require a New York registered architect's or engineer's seal; a residential energy survey is required.
  • Permit issuance requires completeness and Uniform Code conformity.

  architect/engineer plan-seal floor-area threshold: > 1500 square feet (Gross habitable area.) · architect/engineer plan-seal alteration-cost threshold: > 10000 USD (Alterations costing over this amount.)

  “Applications for a building permit may be obtained from the office of the Town Clerk. A completed application shall be delivered to the Code Enforcement Officer and must include:”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-built residential construction inside Boston town.
• Minimum dwelling size — Residential districts inside Boston town.
• Lot coverage — Land inside Boston town.
• Living in an RV — Long-term RV occupancy on private land inside Boston town.
• Camping on your land — Temporary camping on private land inside Boston town.

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 Boston 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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