Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Village of Kenmore, New York

Village of Kenmore’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  Construction work by contractors inside Kenmore village limits.

  • Contractors must apply and be approved before starting work.

  “ALL CONTRACTORS MUST APPLY FOR A PERMIT AND BE APPROVED PRIOR TO STARTING WORK”

• Owner-builder exemptionConditional

  Plumbing work at an owner-occupied single-family dwelling inside Kenmore village limits.

  • The homeowner must own the owner-occupied single-family dwelling and perform the work.

  “Permits will only be issued to licensed plumbers. Please note that homeowners can only obtain a permit for plumbing work if they own “owner occupied single family dwelling” and will be performing the work.”

• InspectionsRequired

  Permitted construction work inside Kenmore village limits.

  • The applicant authorizes the Building Inspector, deputy, or assistants to enter at reasonable times to perform required inspections.

  “Applicant hereby affirms that all work shall be performed in accordance with applicable codes and regulations and authorizes the Building Inspector, his deputy or assistants to enter the premises listed herein at any reasonable time to perform all required inspections of the permitted work.”

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land inside Kenmore village limits.

  • Use and bulk requirements are administered through the Village zoning ordinance and may require a variance.

  “This chapter shall be known as the Zoning Ordinance of the Village of Kenmore, New York.”

• Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

  Zoning districts within Kenmore village limits.

  • The zoning map dated March 6, 2018 establishes district locations and boundaries and is part of Chapter 25.

  districts: Residential Use District Nos. 1, 2, and 3; Restricted Business; General Business; Industrial; Professional Office; Planned Unit Development; Educational

  “The village is hereby divided into the following use districts: (1) Residential use district no. 1; (2) Residential use district no. 2; (3) Residential use district no. 3; (4) Restricted business use district; (5) General business use district; (6) Industrial use district; (7) Professional office use district; (8) Planned unit development districts; (9) Educational use district.”

• Driveway accessRequired

  Driveways inside Kenmore village limits.

  • A survey copy is required; driveways must be pitched so as not to drain onto adjacent property.

  “A permit is required for a driveway. A copy of a survey is required. All driveways must be properly pitched so as not to drain onto the adjacent property.”

• Permit processPublished (with conditions)

  Building-permit applications for additions and new buildings inside Kenmore village limits.

  • Plans must be stamped/certified by a licensed professional engineer or architect; three copies of a property survey are required; electrical and plumbing permits may also be required; commercial additions and new buildings require prior site-plan approval.

  “To secure a building permit, the applicant must submit plans, stamped/certified by a licensed professional engineer or architect, and three (3) copies of a property survey. Electrical and plumbing permits may be required as well. Commercial additions and new buildings require prior site plan approval.”

Rules another office applies inside Village of Kenmore

Village of Kenmore 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)

  Building construction inside Kenmore village; New York City is excepted, not Kenmore.

  • The State Uniform Code prescribes minimum standards; local governments may adopt more restrictive construction standards as authorized by state law.

  “The Uniform Code, which took effect on January 1, 1984, prescribes the minimum standards for building construction in New York. It is applicable in every part of the State with the exception of New York City, which is currently permitted to retain its own code.”

Still unanswered

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

• Certificate of occupancy — Occupancy of buildings inside Kenmore village limits.
• Minimum dwelling size — Residential districts inside Kenmore village limits.
• Minimum lot size — Residential districts inside Kenmore village limits.
• Setbacks — Residential districts inside Kenmore village limits.
• Lot coverage — Residential districts inside Kenmore village limits.

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 Village of Kenmore 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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