Bolthole Index

Erie County, New York

Building permits, zoning and septic rules in the Town of Holland, New York

The Town of Holland, New York (Erie County) requires a building permit before construction starts, and the Town issues it1. Holland also has its own zoning districts2. Septic permits are not a Town matter: the Erie County Department of Health issues them for every address in the county3.

At a glance

Building permit
Required before construction; issued by the Town1
Zoning
Town zoning districts and a zoning map apply24
Building code
New York State Uniform Code controls construction5
Septic
Erie County Department of Health issues construction permits3
Septic permit fee
$300 application fee3
Certificate of occupancy
Required; needs Erie County Department of Health approval first6
Owner-builder
State BP-1 form may apply to owner-occupied 1–4 family homes7
Zoning districts
Zoning map and bulk schedule on file at Town offices4

Who to call

Building permits

Town of Holland Building & Zoning

Building permits, zoning enforcement, and inspections inside the Town of Holland

716-537-9443

47 Pearl Street, Holland, NY 14080-9722

Online permits →

Septic permits

Erie County Department of Health — Division of Environmental Health

Septic (onsite wastewater) construction permits countywide in Erie County

716-961-6800

sewage@erie.gov

ECDOH Building, 503 Kensington Avenue, Buffalo, NY 14214

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

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Do you need a building permit in the Town of Holland, NY?

Yes. The Town of Holland requires a building permit before construction begins1. The Town's building page says building permits are required in Holland8.

The Town code adopts the New York State Uniform Fire Prevention and Building Code as the controlling provisions for construction in Holland5. The Town lists items that people often overlook, including private garages, accessory tool sheds that sit on the ground (any size), fences, pools and wood stoves8. Building without the proper permit costs at least double the permit fee8.

Some minor work is excepted, such as replacement windows and doors and repairs that do not affect structural features, but excepted work must still meet the Uniform Code1.

Who issues building permits in the Town of Holland, and how do you reach them?

The Town of Holland's Building & Zoning department issues building permits, enforces zoning and conducts inspections inside the Town8. Call 716-537-9443 or visit Town Hall at 47 Pearl Street, Holland, NY 14080-97228.

Applications are submitted through the Town's online Cloudpermit portal, in person during office hours, or by mail8. The Town charges a permit fee when the application is filed, based on estimated construction cost and adjusted before the certificate of occupancy if actual costs are higher; the current fee schedule is kept at the Town offices9. Erie County does not run building permits for the Town, since each town, village and city administers the Uniform Code itself10.

Does the Town of Holland have zoning?

Yes. The Town of Holland divides its land into zoning districts, shown on a zoning map and an area, lot and bulk schedule kept as part of the zoning chapter4. The building permit application must give enough information for officials to confirm the work conforms to the Town's zoning chapter11.

We could not confirm the numeric lot sizes, setbacks, minimum home size or accessory dwelling rules for individual districts, or whether RVs, tiny homes or temporary camping are allowed on private land. Ask Holland's Building & Zoning department which district your parcel is in and what it allows before you buy8.

How do septic permits work in the Town of Holland?

Septic permits come from the Erie County Department of Health, not the Town12. A new home needing an onsite wastewater system requires a licensed design professional, an engineer's report and plans, an application and a $300 fee3. The Department issues the construction permit once the plans meet its regulations12.

Holland's certificate of occupancy cannot be issued until the Erie County Department of Health gives written approval6. Countywide, soils matter too: only about 0.3% of soils are rated not limited for a conventional drain field, so expect a site evaluation and possibly an engineered system13. Contact the Division of Environmental Health at 716-961-680014.

Can you live in an RV or tiny home in the Town of Holland?

We could not confirm a Town of Holland rule on living in an RV, a tiny home or temporary camping on private land. Because Holland has zoning districts2, the answer likely depends on your parcel's district. Call the Building & Zoning department at 716-537-9443 before parking or building anything to live in8.

A statewide rule covering camping at state campgrounds does not answer the question for your own land15.

Building a home in the Town of Holland: the steps, in order

  1. Ask Holland Building & Zoning which zoning district your parcel is in and what it allows8.
  2. If you are dividing land, the Town regulates subdivisions and requires written application before lots are offered for sale or a structure permit is sought16.
  3. Hire a licensed design professional and apply to the Erie County Department of Health for a septic construction permit3.
  4. Apply for the building permit through Cloudpermit8. If you are an owner-occupant of a one- to four-family home acting as your own contractor, ask the Town about the state's BP-1 workers' compensation form7.
  5. Keep work exposed until inspected17.
  6. Obtain the certificate of occupancy before using the building; occupying it more than 30 days after completion without one is not allowed6.

What stays with Erie County, and what to check before you buy in Holland

Erie County, not the Town, handles septic permits and property-transfer certification for homes on septic or a private well18. Driveways onto a New York state highway need a state permit19. We could not confirm Holland's rules for floodplain development, private wells or driveways on town roads, so ask the Town.

For land outside the Town, see the Erie County page. Erie County's effective property tax rate is 2.1%20.

Watch-outs

  • Holland's current building permit fee schedule is kept at the Town offices, so ask for it before budgeting9.
  • Building without a permit costs at least double the permit fee8.
  • We could not confirm Holland's district-by-district lot size, setback, RV, tiny-home or accessory-dwelling rules; ask Building & Zoning8.

Sources

  1. Chapter 55: Building Construction - Town of Holland, NY (Town of Holland), quoted and re-checked
  2. Article II: Districts; Zoning Map; Boundaries; Schedule; Planning Board - Town of Holland, NY (Town of Holland), quoted and re-checked
  3. Septic and Onsite Wastewater Systems, quoted and re-checked
  4. Article II: Districts; Zoning Map; Boundaries; Schedule; Planning Board - Town of Holland, NY (Town of Holland), quoted and re-checked
  5. Chapter 55: Building Construction - Town of Holland, NY (Town of Holland), quoted and re-checked
  6. Chapter 55: Building Construction - Town of Holland, NY (Town of Holland), quoted and re-checked
  7. Workers’ Compensation Requirements for Government Issued Permits, Licenses and Contracts, quoted and re-checked
  8. Town of Holland Building & Zoning (townofhollandny.com)
  9. Chapter 55: Building Construction - Town of Holland, NY (Town of Holland), quoted and re-checked
  10. NYS Department of State - Building Standards and Codes (2026 county census)
  11. Chapter 55: Building Construction - Town of Holland, NY (Town of Holland), quoted and re-checked
  12. Septic and Onsite Wastewater Systems, quoted and re-checked
  13. 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
  14. Erie County Department of Health — Division of Environmental Health (www3.erie.gov)
  15. Campground Rules and Regulations (New York statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  16. Chapter 104: Subdivision of Land - Town of Holland, NY (Town of Holland), quoted and re-checked
  17. Chapter 55: Building Construction - Town of Holland, NY (Town of Holland), quoted and re-checked
  18. Septic and Onsite Wastewater Systems, quoted and re-checked
  19. Residential Driveway Permits (New York statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  20. 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 Town of Holland

Town of Holland’s own rules

  • Building permitRequired

    Proposed construction inside the Town of Holland.

    • No permit is required for necessary repairs that do not materially affect structural features; replacement windows and doors; or alterations that do not materially affect structural features, affect fire-safety features, involve installation or extension of electrical systems, or include installation of solid-fuel-burning heating appliances and associated chimneys or flues.
    • Work excepted from the permit requirement must still comply with applicable New York Uniform Fire Prevention and Building Code provisions and may be inspected.
    • Permits expire after one year unless substantial construction has begun; construction must be completed within two years unless extended for good cause, but never longer than three years.

    permit expiration: 1 year from issuance (unless substantial construction has been initiated) · construction completion: 2 years from issuance (may be extended for good cause, but not longer than three years)

    “A permit is required prior to the commencement of construction in order to establish the mechanism whereby the Town receives notice that construction is contemplated for a certain piece of property.”
  • Building code adoptedAdopted (with conditions)

    Building construction in the Town of Holland.

    • The Town code identifies the New York State Uniform Fire Prevention and Building Code as controlling under Article 18 of the Executive Law.
    “Pursuant to Article 18 of the Executive Law, the New York State Uniform Fire Prevention and Building Code will be the controlling provisions in regard to building construction in the Town of Holland.”
  • InspectionsRequired

    Construction for which a building zoning permit has been issued in the Town of Holland.

    • The Town also conducts inspections before certificates of occupancy, periodic general inspections, and inspections responding to bona fide complaints.
    “When a building zoning permit has been issued, inspections are conducted during the course of construction for the purpose of observing the compliance of construction with the Code.”
  • Certificate of occupancyRequired

    New land uses and buildings erected, altered, extended, or changed in use inside the Town of Holland.

    • The certificate may not issue until written approval has been granted by the Erie County Department of Health.
    • A building enlarged, extended, altered, or subject to work requiring a building zoning permit may not remain occupied or used more than 30 days after completion without a certificate.
    • The Building Safety Inspector/Zoning Enforcement Officer issues the certificate after final inspection finds work compliant with applicable laws, ordinances, regulations, and the filed application, plans, and specifications.

    post-completion occupancy without certificate: <= 30 days (for work requiring a building zoning permit)

    “No use or occupancy of land shall be hereafter established, and no building hereafter erected, altered or extended shall be used or changed in use, until a certificate of occupancy shall have been issued by the Building Safety Inspector/Zoning Enforcement Officer in accordance with the provisions of the State Uniform Fire Prevention and Building Code.”
  • Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

    Land inside the Town of Holland, New York.

    • The Town's zoning map and district schedule govern the applicable district; municipal facilities deemed necessary and appropriate by the Town Board are exempt from the area and bulk requirements.
    “The Town of Holland is hereby divided into the following types of districts:”
  • Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

    Land inside the Town of Holland.

    • The amended zoning map dated February 11, 2004, with explanatory matter, is part of the zoning chapter and is on file in Town offices.
    • The area, lot, and bulk schedule is part of the chapter; municipal facilities deemed necessary and appropriate by the Town Board are exempt from its area and bulk requirements.
    “The Town of Holland is hereby divided into the following types of districts:”
  • Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

    Proposed subdivisions inside the Town of Holland.

    • The subdivider must apply in writing before offering lots for sale or obtaining a structure permit in the proposed subdivision.
    • For final plats, an application and required fee are required; the current fee schedule is on file at Town offices.
    • Water and sewer facility proposals require Erie County Department of Health endorsement and approval before official submission.
    • Required improvements must be completed or secured with a Town Board-approved performance bond before building permits issue.

    preliminary-plat action period: <= 62 days (may be extended by mutual consent of owner and Town Board) · conditional-final-plat period: 180 days (may be extended in additional 90-day periods)

    “Whenever any subdivision of land is proposed to be made and before any contract for the sale of or any offer to sell any lots in such subdivision or any part thereof is made, and before any permit for the erection of a structure in such proposed subdivision shall be granted, the subdivider or his duly authorized agent shall apply, in writing, for approval of such proposed subdivision in accordance with the procedures set forth in §§ 104-4 through 104-12.”
  • Permit feesVariable (with conditions)

    Building zoning permit applications inside the Town of Holland.

    • A permit fee is due when the application is filed.
    • The initial fee is based on estimated construction cost and is adjusted before certificate of occupancy if actual construction cost is greater.
    • The former code fee schedule was removed; the current fee schedule is on file in Town offices.
    “The Town requires a permit fee to be paid at the time that the application is filed. The fee charged is designed to cover the whole construction process. The initial fee is based on an estimated cost of construction, and if the actual construction costs are greater, the fee is adjusted to reflect the actual costs before issuing a certificate of occupancy.”
  • Permit processPublished (with conditions)

    Building zoning permits inside the Town of Holland.

    • The application must provide enough information for local officials to determine conformance with Chapter 120, Zoning.
    • The permit is reviewed for code compliance before construction begins.
    • The exceptions and expiration/completion periods stated in the Town code apply.
    “The application for a building zoning permit requires information sufficient to enable the local officials issuing the permit to make the determination that the proposed work will be in conformance with the requirements of Chapter 120, Zoning. Adoption of the permit system provides officials with an opportunity to review all proposed work for code compliance prior to the commencement of construction activity.”

Still unanswered

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

  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-built residential construction inside the Town of Holland.
  • Minimum dwelling size — Single-family residential districts inside the Town of Holland.
  • Minimum lot size — Residential districts inside the Town of Holland.
  • Setbacks — Residential districts inside the Town of Holland.
  • Lot coverage — Residential districts inside the Town of Holland.
14 more unanswered
  • Building height
  • Living in an RV
  • Camping on your land
  • Tiny homes
  • Accessory dwellings
  • Who permits septic
  • Septic permit
  • Septic inspection
  • Off-grid sanitation
  • Well permit
  • 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 Town of Holland publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Erie County’s page lists the county offices to call.

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