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

At a glance

Building permit

Required for work that must conform to the Uniform Code; sheds up to 119 sq ft are exempt¹

Who issues it

Town of Chili code enforcement officer⁴

Zoning

Yes, Chapter 500 of the Town Code, with a planning board and zoning board of appeals²

Inspections and certificate of occupancy

Inspections required; certificate of occupancy required for permitted work⁵⁶

Septic

Monroe County Department of Public Health³

Who to call

Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on October 14, 2026.

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

Yes. Chili's town code states that "a building permit shall be required for any work which must conform to the uniform code and/or the energy code"¹. The exemptions are narrow: one-story detached tool or storage sheds and playhouses with a gross floor area of no more than 119 square feet, playground equipment, certain pools and listed minor repairs¹. An exemption does not excuse work that breaks the code¹.

The application is signed by the owner or an authorized agent and goes to the code enforcement officer⁴. The fee is paid when the permit is issued¹.

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

The Town of Chili issues its own building permits and enforces the New York State Uniform Code and Energy Code inside town limits⁷. The Town of Chili Building Department is at Chili Town Hall, 3333 Chili Avenue, Rochester, NY 14624, phone 585-889-6143⁸. Planning & Zoning is a separate line at 585-889-6174⁹.

Do not take a Chili address to the Monroe County planning counter for building permits: the county does not issue them or set local zoning¹⁰.

Does the Town of Chili have zoning, and what does it cover?

Yes. Chapter 500 of the Chili Town Code is the zoning law, and it provides for site plan approval, special permit uses, variances, a planning board and a zoning board of appeals². Its contents list manufactured homes, modular dwellings and special setbacks, so those topics are regulated locally².

We could not confirm the district-by-district minimum lot size, setbacks, minimum dwelling size, or whether you may live in an RV or tiny home on a Chili lot. Ask Chili Planning & Zoning before you buy, and check which district the parcel is in.

How do septic permits work in the Town of Chili?

Septic permits for Chili come from Monroe County, not the town. The Monroe County Department of Public Health administers onsite wastewater treatment and private sewage disposal systems under the county sanitary code³, and building, altering or repairing a private system requires a county permit¹¹. Inspection is required for new and repaired systems¹².

Where a public sanitary sewer is available and accessible, the county sanitary code bars a new private system on the property, apart from a temporary privy during construction¹³. Ask the county whether your lot has sewer access. The county health office is at 111 Westfall Road, Room 844, Rochester, phone 585-753-5060¹⁴.

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

1. Ask Chili Planning & Zoning which district the parcel is in and what it allows⁹.
2. Ask Monroe County Public Health about sewer availability or a septic permit³.
3. Apply for a building permit with the code enforcement officer⁴.
4. Call for inspections as work reaches each stage, such as footing and foundation, rough plumbing and rough framing⁵.
5. Get the certificate of occupancy, which is issued only if the work passed inspection⁶.

Watch-outs

• Owner-builder rules, permit fees, agricultural-building exemptions, driveway and floodplain requirements inside Chili were not confirmed; ask the Town of Chili Building Department at 585-889-6143⁸.
• Land close to Lake Ontario, Irondequoit Bay or the Genesee River and listed creeks may get Monroe County advisory review of land use and subdivision¹⁵.

Sources

1. Chili Code Ch. 210 Construction Codes, Uniform, Art. II Administration and Enforcement (Town of Chili), quoted and re-checked
2. Chili Code Chapter 500 Zoning (contents) (Town of Chili), quoted and re-checked
3. Monroe County Onsite Wastewater Treatment Systems, quoted and re-checked
4. Chili Code Ch. 210 Construction Codes, Uniform, Art. II Administration and Enforcement (Town of Chili), quoted and re-checked
5. Chili Code Ch. 210 Construction Codes, Uniform, Art. II Administration and Enforcement (Town of Chili), quoted and re-checked
6. Chili Code Ch. 210 Construction Codes, Uniform, Art. II Administration and Enforcement (Town of Chili), quoted and re-checked
7. Chili Code Ch. 210 Construction Codes, Uniform, Art. II Administration and Enforcement (Town of Chili), quoted and re-checked
8. Town of Chili Building Department (chiliny.gov)
9. Town of Chili Planning & Zoning (chiliny.gov)
10. Plan Forward: Why Plan?, quoted and re-checked
11. Monroe County Sanitary Code, Article IIA, Private Sewage Disposal Systems, quoted and re-checked
12. Monroe County, NY - Onsite Wastewater Treatment Systems, quoted and re-checked
13. Monroe County Sanitary Code, Article II-A, Private Sewage Disposal Systems, quoted and re-checked
14. Monroe County Department of Public Health, Bureau of Public Health Engineering (monroecounty.gov)
15. Development Review Guide, quoted and re-checked

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.