Bolthole Index

Franklin County, New York

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

The Village of Saranac Lake, New York requires a building permit for any work that must conform to the state Uniform Code, and the village code enforcement officer issues it1. Zoning is set by the village itself and reviewed by its development board2. Septic approvals do not come from the village office; the state health department's Saranac Lake district office is the first contact3.

At a glance

Building permit
Required for work that must conform to the Uniform Code; issued by the village code enforcement officer41
Zoning
Village development code and zoning map; development board reviews site plans, special use permits and variances2
Shed exemption
One-story detached sheds and playhouses of 144 square feet or less4
Certificate of occupancy
Required for permitted work and changes of use5
Permit fees
Set by village board resolution6
Septic
State health department district office is the first contact; village rules unconfirmed3

Who to call

Building permits

Village of Saranac Lake Code Enforcement

Building permits, inspections and certificates of occupancy inside the village

518-891-4150

39 Main Street Saranac Lake, NY 12983

Zoning

Village of Saranac Lake Development Board

Site plans, special use permits, area and use variances and the village development code and zoning map

518-891-4150

39 Main Street, Suite 9 Saranac Lake, NY 12983

Septic permits

New York State Department of Health Saranac Lake District Office

Environmental health programs for Franklin County; first contact for residential wastewater approval

(518) 891-1800

saranaclake@health.ny.gov

41 St. Bernard Street, Saranac Lake 12983-1839

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 Saranac Lake 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 Village of Saranac Lake, NY?

Yes. Inside the Village of Saranac Lake, a building permit is required for any work that must conform to the Uniform Code or the Energy Code4. The village has adopted the New York State Uniform Fire Prevention and Building Code and the Energy Code and enforces them itself7. The village code states that no one may begin work that needs a building permit without first getting one from the code enforcement officer1.

The exemptions are narrow: one-story detached sheds and playhouses of 144 square feet or less, playground equipment, shallow above-ground pools, fences that do not enclose a pool, and some retaining walls4. A permit exemption never excuses work that violates the code8.

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

The Village of Saranac Lake's own code enforcement office issues building permits, not Franklin County9. The office is at 39 Main Street; phone 518-891-41509. It also performs construction inspections and issues the certificate of occupancy that closes out permitted work105.

Building permit fees are set by village board resolution, so ask the code enforcement office for the current schedule6.

Does Saranac Lake have zoning, and what does it mean for RVs, tiny homes and setbacks?

The village sets its own zoning through a development code and zoning map2. The village development board reviews site plans, special use permits, area variances, use variances and certain subdivision applications2. Franklin County does not zone unincorporated land in New York, so zoning questions inside the village go to the village, not the county11.

We could not confirm the village's rules on RV living, tiny homes, minimum dwelling size, lot size or setbacks. Those depend on the zoning district, so ask the village development board before you buy, and read the district's rules in the village development code.

How do septic permits work inside Saranac Lake?

We could not confirm how septic or sewer connection works for a given lot inside the village. The state's Saranac Lake district office of the Department of Health is the first contact for residential wastewater approval in Franklin County3. Septic in New York is handled by a mix of state and local health officials rather than the building department12.

The village also has sewer and water chapters in its code that we have not confirmed in detail, so ask the village whether the lot is on public sewer and water.

How do you build a home in Saranac Lake? The steps, in order

  1. Ask the village development board which zoning district the lot is in and whether the use needs site plan review, a special use permit or a variance2.
  2. Confirm sewer, water and septic with the village and the state health district office3.
  3. Apply for a building permit from the village code enforcement officer before any work starts1.
  4. Keep work accessible for inspections10.
  5. Obtain a certificate of occupancy before moving in5.

What stays with Franklin County, and what should you check before you buy?

Land outside the village falls under the town and county, not the village code. The county page covers Franklin County rules for unincorporated land. Franklin County's typical home value is about $182,17913 and its effective property tax rate is 1.9%14. Franklin County's soils rate poorly for conventional septic drain fields, with only 0.6% rated not limited, so expect a site evaluation and possibly an engineered system if the lot is not on sewer15.

Watch-outs

  • We could not confirm the village's rules on RVs, tiny homes, setbacks or minimum lot size; ask the development board2.
  • Inside the village, the village issues building permits and the county does not, so do not use county office contacts for permits9.
  • Permit fee amounts are set by village board resolution, so ask the code enforcement office for the current schedule6.

Sources

  1. Village of Saranac Lake Chapter 98 Construction Codes, Uniform (Village of Saranac Lake), quoted and re-checked
  2. Village of Saranac Lake Development Board (saranaclakeny.gov)
  3. New York State Department of Health Saranac Lake District Office (health.ny.gov)
  4. Village of Saranac Lake Chapter 98 Construction Codes, Uniform (Village of Saranac Lake), quoted and re-checked
  5. Village of Saranac Lake Chapter 98 Construction Codes, Uniform (Village of Saranac Lake), quoted and re-checked
  6. Village of Saranac Lake Chapter 98 Construction Codes, Uniform (Village of Saranac Lake), quoted and re-checked
  7. Village of Saranac Lake Chapter 98 Construction Codes, Uniform (Village of Saranac Lake), quoted and re-checked
  8. Part 1203 Uniform Code and the Energy Code: Minimum Standards for Administration and Enforcement (New York statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  9. Village of Saranac Lake Code Enforcement (saranaclakeny.gov)
  10. Village of Saranac Lake Chapter 98 Construction Codes, Uniform (Village of Saranac Lake), quoted and re-checked
  11. documents.dps.ny.gov (New York statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  12. NYS Register March 18, 2015 Rule Making Activities — Part 75 authority and scope (New York statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  13. Typical home value (Zillow): Bolthole Index county data
  14. Effective property tax rate: Bolthole Index county data
  15. 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

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 Saranac Lake

Village of Saranac Lake’s own rules

  • Building permitRequired

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

    • Exemptions in § 98-4B include one-story detached sheds/playhouses of 144 square feet or less, playground equipment, above-ground pools under 24 inches deep, fences not enclosing a pool, and retaining walls not supporting a surcharge

    exempt shed gross floor area: <= 144 sq ft (one-story detached accessory structures)

    “a building permit shall be required for any work which must conform to the uniform code and/or the energy code”
  • Building code adoptedAdopted

    All buildings inside Saranac Lake village

    • Adopted under Municipal Home Rule Law § 10; subject to exceptions in the Uniform Code and other state law
    “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 Saranac Lake village

    • Performed by the village code enforcement officer and inspectors
    “to conduct construction inspections, inspections to be made prior to the issuance of certificates of occupancy, temporary certificates and operating permits”
  • Certificate of occupancyRequired

    Work under a building permit and change of use/occupancy inside Saranac Lake village

    • Issued by the code enforcement officer when work conforms to the Uniform Code and Energy Code
    “a certificate of occupancy 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.”
  • Permit feesVariable (with conditions)

    Building permit and certificate of occupancy fees inside Saranac Lake village

    • Amounts set by village board resolution; schedule not retrieved
    “a fee schedule shall be established by resolution of the village board of this village.”
  • Permit processPartial

    Building permits inside Saranac Lake village

    • Permit must be obtained from the code enforcement officer before work begins
    “no person shall commence any work for which a building permit is required without first having obtained a building permit from the code enforcement officer.”

Still unanswered

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

  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption inside Saranac Lake village
  • Zoning districts — Zoning districts inside Saranac Lake village
  • Minimum dwelling size — Minimum dwelling size inside Saranac Lake village
  • Minimum lot size — Minimum lot size inside Saranac Lake village
  • Setbacks — Setbacks inside Saranac Lake village
18 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

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

← All of Franklin County: county rules, score and offices