Bolthole Index

Erie County, New York

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

The Town of Sardinia, in Erie County, New York, requires a building permit for work covered by the state Uniform Code, and its Code Enforcement Officer enforces it1. The town also adopts its own zoning2. Septic permits for Sardinia addresses come from the Erie County Department of Health, not the town3.

At a glance

Building permit
Required for work under the NYS Uniform Code, with listed exemptions such as small sheds1
Who issues it
The Town of Sardinia Code Enforcement Officer45
Zoning
Town zoning under Chapter 115, with districts and a zoning map26
Septic
Erie County Department of Health issues construction permits37
RV living
Campgrounds (two or more occupied RVs) need a town license; single-RV occupancy not confirmed8
Owner-builder
New York allows a homeowner to act as general contractor on an owner-occupied 1–4 family home (form BP-1)9
Property tax (Erie County)
Effective rate 2.1%; median bill $4,525 a year1011

Who to call

Building permits

Town of Sardinia Code Enforcement Officer / Building and Fire Code Inspector

Building permits, inspections, certificates of occupancy and zoning enforcement inside the Town of Sardinia

716-496-8900

12320 Savage Rd. Sardinia, NY 14134

Septic permits

Erie County Department of Health — Division of Environmental Health

Septic (onsite wastewater treatment system) construction and repair permits countywide in Erie County, including inside the Town of Sardinia

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 Sardinia 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 Sardinia, NY?

Yes. The Town of Sardinia requires a building permit for any work that must conform to the New York State Uniform Code or the Energy Code1. The town's code lists exemptions, including a one-story detached shed or similar structure of no more than 144 square feet1.

Applications go in writing on a form from the Code Enforcement Officer, signed by the property owner or an authorized agent, and work may not begin until a permit is issued12. Construction must stay exposed until the Code Enforcement Officer inspects it13. A certificate of occupancy is required for any work that needed a building permit before the building is used14. The town board sets the fee schedule by resolution; we could not confirm the amounts, so ask the Code Enforcement Officer15.

Who issues building permits in Sardinia, and how do you reach them?

The Town of Sardinia administers and enforces the Uniform Code itself through its Code Enforcement Officer, not through Erie County4. The town's directory lists the Code Enforcement Officer / Building and Fire Code Inspector at Town Hall, 12320 Savage Rd., Sardinia, NY 14134, phone 716-496-89005.

Erie County does not issue building permits for Sardinia land; across the county, each town, village and city enforces the code in its own area16.

Does Sardinia have zoning, and what does it mean for lot size and setbacks?

Yes. The Town of Sardinia has its own zoning, Chapter 115 of the town code, adopted by the Town Board in 20052. The chapter sets zoning districts and includes a zoning map6. Erie County has no zoning authority of its own over town land; New York counties cannot adopt zoning for unincorporated areas17.

Dimensions depend on the district. The town's schedule of yard, bulk, lot area and height lists a 2 acre minimum lot area in the AR district and 1 acre in the HR district18. The same schedule sets front, side and rear yard depths, maximum building coverage and maximum building height by district19. Find your parcel's district on the town zoning map before you buy, and ask the Code Enforcement Officer which row of the schedule applies. We could not confirm minimum dwelling size, accessory dwelling or tiny-home rules, so ask before you plan one.

How do septic permits work in the Town of Sardinia?

Septic permits for Sardinia come from the Erie County Department of Health, Division of Environmental Health, not from the town3. A construction permit is required for new residential and commercial onsite wastewater systems in Erie County7. For a new home that needs an onsite system, the county requires you to hire a licensed design professional20.

Soil matters here: only 0.3% of Erie County soils rate as not limited for a conventional drain field, so expect a site evaluation and quite possibly an engineered system21. We could not confirm whether sewer is available at a given Sardinia address; if a county sanitary sewer district reaches you, connections need a county sewer permit22.

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

Sardinia's code treats two or more occupied recreational vehicles on a property as a campground, and a campground cannot operate without a town license8. That rule does not by itself answer whether one RV may be lived in on private land while you build, and we could not confirm that; ask the Code Enforcement Officer at 716-496-8900 before you move one onto a lot5.

We also could not confirm any tiny-home occupancy rule. A tiny home built as a dwelling would still need a building permit and certificate of occupancy under the town's construction code1.

Building a home in Sardinia: the steps, in order

  1. Find the parcel's zoning district on the town zoning map and check the lot area and yard schedule with the Code Enforcement Officer18.
  2. Contact the Erie County Department of Health about a septic site evaluation and hire a licensed design professional20.
  3. Apply in writing to the Code Enforcement Officer for a building permit12. If you will build the house yourself on an owner-occupied 1–4 family home, ask about form BP-19.
  4. If the driveway meets a state highway, a NYSDOT driveway permit is required23.
  5. Call the Code Enforcement Officer for each inspection and leave the work exposed until it is accepted13.
  6. Get the certificate of occupancy before moving in14.

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

Septic permits and septic inspections stay with the Erie County Department of Health24. For land outside Sardinia, the rules differ by town, so see the Erie County page.

Before buying, ask the town about flood rules: we could not confirm what Sardinia requires for building in a mapped floodplain, so ask the Code Enforcement Officer5. Also confirm the well situation, since we found no official well-permit rule. Property taxes in Erie County run at an effective rate of 2.1%, with a median bill of $4,525 a year1011. Typical home value in Erie County is $304,05225, and the nearest city of 100,000 or more is about 13 miles from the county center26.

Watch-outs

  • Zoning dimensions in Sardinia change by district, so the 2 acre and 1 acre lot minimums apply only to the AR and HR districts18.
  • We could not confirm whether a single RV, a tiny home or an accessory dwelling may be lived in on a Sardinia lot; ask the Code Enforcement Officer at 716-496-89005.
  • A homeowner acting as their own contractor must file form BP-1 with the building permit application9.
  • Septic permits are county-issued even though building permits are town-issued, so plan two separate applications3.

Sources

  1. Town of Sardinia Code, § 52-4: Building permits (Town of Sardinia), quoted and re-checked
  2. Town of Sardinia Code, Chapter 115: Zoning (Town of Sardinia), quoted and re-checked
  3. Septic and Onsite Wastewater Systems, quoted and re-checked
  4. Town of Sardinia Code, Chapter 52: Construction Codes, Uniform (Town of Sardinia), quoted and re-checked
  5. Town of Sardinia Code Enforcement Officer / Building and Fire Code Inspector (www4.erie.gov)
  6. Town of Sardinia Code, Chapter 115: Zoning (Town of Sardinia), quoted and re-checked
  7. Septic and Onsite Wastewater Systems, quoted and re-checked
  8. Town of Sardinia Code, Chapter 51: Campgrounds and Recreational Vehicles (Town of Sardinia), quoted and re-checked
  9. Workers’ Compensation Requirements for Government Issued Permits, Licenses and Contracts (2026 county census)
  10. Effective property tax rate: Bolthole Index county data
  11. Median property tax bill: Bolthole Index county data
  12. Town of Sardinia Code, § 52-4: Building permits (Town of Sardinia), quoted and re-checked
  13. Town of Sardinia Code, § 52-5: Construction inspections (Town of Sardinia), quoted and re-checked
  14. Town of Sardinia Code, § 52-7: Certificates of occupancy/certificates of compliance (Town of Sardinia), quoted and re-checked
  15. Town of Sardinia Code, Chapter 52: Construction Codes, Uniform (Town of Sardinia), quoted and re-checked
  16. NYS Department of State - Building Standards and Codes (2026 county census)
  17. documents.dps.ny.gov (New York statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  18. Town of Sardinia Code, Chapter 115: Zoning (Town of Sardinia), quoted and re-checked
  19. Town of Sardinia Code, Chapter 115: Zoning (Town of Sardinia), quoted and re-checked
  20. Erie County Department of Health — Division of Environmental Health (www3.erie.gov)
  21. 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
  22. Sanitary Sewer Connection Permits, quoted and re-checked
  23. Residential Driveway Permits (New York statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  24. Septic and Onsite Wastewater Systems, quoted and re-checked
  25. Typical home value (Zillow): Bolthole Index county data
  26. Straight-line distance from the county center to the nearest city of 100,000+ people: 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 Sardinia

Town of Sardinia’s own rules

  • Building permitRequired

    Work inside Sardinia that must conform to the Uniform Code or Energy Code, including construction, enlargement, alteration, improvement, removal, relocation, demolition, and specified solid-fuel appliances.

    • The listed § 52-4B exemptions apply, including a one-story detached shed or similar structure of no more than 144 square feet and other enumerated minor work.
    • parameters:[ ]
    “Building permits required. Except as otherwise provided in Subsection B of this section, a building permit shall be required for any work which must conform to the Uniform Code and/or the Energy Code”
  • Building code adoptedAdopted (with conditions)

    Buildings, structures, and premises inside the Town of Sardinia.

    • Except as otherwise provided in the Uniform Code, other state law, or Chapter 52, all buildings, structures, and premises regardless of use or occupancy are subject to Chapter 52.
    “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 Town.”
  • InspectionsRequired

    Permitted construction inside Sardinia where applicable.

    • The permit holder must notify the Code Enforcement Officer when an element is ready; listed inspection elements include the work site, foundation, framing, systems, Energy Code compliance, and final inspection.
    “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 inside Sardinia subject to a building permit and structures converted to another use or occupancy classification.

    • Use or occupancy of a building or portion for which a permit was issued is granted only by a certificate; issuance follows inspection and compliance with the Uniform and Energy Codes.
    “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 (with conditions)

    Land inside the Town of Sardinia.

    • Chapter 115 was adopted by the Town Board on 10-12-2005; amendments are noted where applicable.
    “Chapter 115 Zoning [...] [HISTORY: Adopted by the Town Board of the Town of Sardinia 10-12-2005 by L.L. No. 1-2005. Amendments noted where applicable.]”
  • Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

    Zoning districts inside Sardinia.

    • The complete district map is an attachment to Chapter 115.
    “Article III Zoning Districts and Map [...] § 115-14 Districts enumerated. § 115-15 Zoning Map.”
  • Camping on your landLimited

    Campgrounds with two or more recreational vehicles occupied for dwelling or sleeping purposes inside Sardinia.

    • A campground may not be established, maintained, or operated without the required Town license; the code defines a campground as two or more occupied recreational vehicles.

    occupied recreational vehicles: >= 2 vehicles (Triggers the code definition of campground.)

    “It shall be unlawful for any person to establish, maintain or operate or permit to be established, maintained or operated upon any property owned or controlled by him a campground within the Town of Sardinia without having first secured a license therefor in compliance with the provisions of this chapter.”
  • Permit feesVariable (with conditions)

    Construction-code permits and inspections inside Sardinia.

    • Fees are set by the Town Board; the fee schedule amount was not contained in the opened material.
    “A fee schedule shall be established by resolution of the Town Board of this Town. Such fee schedule may thereafter be amended from time to time by like resolution.”
  • Permit processPublished (with conditions)

    Building-permit applications inside Sardinia.

    • Applications must be in writing on an acceptable form, signed by the owner or authorized agent, and include the required documents; work may not begin unless a permit is issued.
    “Applications for a building permit shall be made in writing on a form provided by or otherwise acceptable to the Code Enforcement Officer. The application shall be signed by the owner of the property where the work is to be performed or an authorized agent of the owner.”

Rules another office applies inside Town of Sardinia

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

  • Minimum lot sizeDistrict specific (with conditions)

    Zoning districts inside Sardinia.

    • The adopted zoning chapter incorporates a schedule of yard, bulk, lot-area, and height controls; district-specific numerical values remain to be extracted.
    “Schedule of Yard, Bulk, Lot Area and Heights [...] District [...] Minimum Lot Area [...] AR 2 acres [...] HR 1 acre”
  • SetbacksDistrict specific (with conditions)

    Zoning districts inside Sardinia.

    • The adopted zoning chapter incorporates a schedule of yard, bulk, lot-area, and height controls; district-specific numerical values remain to be extracted.
    “District [...] Minimum Front Yard Depth (feet) [...] Minimum Side Yard Depth (feet) [...] Minimum Rear Yard Depth (feet)”
  • Lot coverageDistrict specific (with conditions)

    Zoning districts inside Sardinia.

    • The adopted zoning chapter incorporates a schedule of yard, bulk, lot-area, and height controls; district-specific numerical values remain to be extracted.
    “District [...] Maximum Building Coverage (percent) [...] HR [...] 35% [...] HB [...] 40%”
  • Building heightDistrict specific (with conditions)

    Zoning districts inside Sardinia.

    • The adopted zoning chapter incorporates a schedule of yard, bulk, lot-area, and height controls; district-specific numerical values remain to be extracted.
    “District [...] Maximum Building Height (feet)”

Still unanswered

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

  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-built residential construction inside Sardinia.
  • Minimum dwelling size — Residential zoning districts inside Sardinia.
  • Tiny homes — Tiny-home occupancy inside Sardinia.
  • Manufactured homes — Manufactured-home occupancy inside Sardinia.
  • Accessory dwellings — Accessory dwelling units inside Sardinia.
10 more unanswered
  • Who permits septic
  • Septic permit
  • Septic inspection
  • Off-grid sanitation
  • Well permit
  • Mandatory utility hookup
  • Subdividing land
  • 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 Sardinia publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Erie County’s page lists the county offices to call.

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