Clarkson, NY Zoning, Building Permits & Septic Rules

The Town of Clarkson, in Monroe County, New York, adopts its own zoning code¹ and runs its own Building Department, which issues building permits². Septic permits are a county matter: the Monroe County Department of Public Health handles them³. A single-family home in the town's Agricultural Residential district needs at least 2 acres⁴.

At a glance

Zoning: Town of Clarkson Chapter 140 zoning applies to all land in the town¹
Building permits: Issued by the Town of Clarkson Building Department²
Residential districts: AR, RS-20 and RS-10⁵
Minimum lot, AR district: 2 acres for a single-family dwelling⁴
Septic permits: Monroe County Department of Public Health³
Subdivision: Regulated by Town Code Chapter 116⁶

Who to call

Building permits

Town of Clarkson Building Department

Building permits, building inspections, zoning enforcement, and applications to the Planning Board and Zoning Board of Appeals

585-637-1145

3710 Lake Road PO Box 858 Clarkson, NY 14430

Septic permits

Monroe County Department of Public Health, Bureau of Public Health Engineering

Permits and inspections for private onsite wastewater (septic) systems under the Monroe County Sanitary Code

585-753-5060

111 Westfall Road, Room 844, Rochester, NY 14620

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

These are affiliate links — we may earn a commission, at no cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, Bolthole Index earns from qualifying purchases.

Does the Town of Clarkson, NY have zoning?

Yes. The Town of Clarkson enforces its own zoning code, Chapter 140, which covers all land inside the town¹. Monroe County itself has no zoning authority, so the town, not the county, decides what can be built where⁷.

The town's residential districts are AR (Agricultural Residential), RS-20 and RS-10⁵. Mixed-use and special-purpose districts also exist, and the town's published zoning map shows which one covers a given parcel².

Whether an RV, tiny home or manufactured home may be lived in on a lot is not something we could confirm; ask the Town of Clarkson Building Department before you buy.

How big a lot do you need to build a house in Clarkson?

The answer depends on the district. In the AR district, a single-family dwelling needs a lot of at least 2 acres with at least 200 feet of width⁴. In RS-20, the minimum is 20,000 square feet with 100 feet of width⁸. In RS-10, it is 10,000 square feet with 75 feet of width⁹.

Maximum height for a single-family dwelling is 35 feet in each of the three districts¹⁰¹¹¹². Maximum lot coverage is 25% in AR¹³, 30% in RS-20¹⁴ and 40% in RS-10¹⁵; site plan review can adjust the coverage requirement.

In RS-20 and RS-10, side setbacks are 10 feet and front setbacks are 40 feet, or 75 feet on major-road lots¹⁶¹⁷.

Do you need a building permit in the Town of Clarkson, and who issues it?

Yes, for work that must conform to the New York State Uniform Code, a building permit is required, and local governments administer it¹⁸. In Clarkson, the Town of Clarkson Building Department handles the enforcement of state and town building and zoning codes and issues building permits². The same department takes applications for the Planning Board and the Zoning Board of Appeals².

New York lets a town exempt small one-story sheds and playhouses of 144 square feet or less from the permit requirement, but excluded work must still meet the code¹⁸. Whether Clarkson uses that exemption is something we could not confirm; ask the Building Department.

A certificate of occupancy is required for work done under a building permit¹⁹.

How do septic permits work inside the Town of Clarkson?

The Monroe County Department of Public Health runs the septic program under the Monroe County Sanitary Code³²⁰. Building a private sewage disposal system requires a permit from the county health director or a representative²¹.

The county sends a representative to inspect new installations, and the county page says inspections will be completed within 48 hours of request²⁰. Nothing may be backfilled before the inspection²².

Where a public sanitary sewer is available and accessible, the county code does not allow a new private system²³. Whether public sewer or water reaches a given Clarkson lot is not something we confirmed; ask the Town of Clarkson Building Department.

Building a home in Clarkson: the steps, in order

Find the zoning district for the parcel on the town's zoning map and check the lot size and setbacks above⁵.
Call the Town of Clarkson Building Department to confirm the permit steps and fees².
If you are dividing land, ask about the town's subdivision chapter⁶.
Apply to Monroe County Department of Public Health for a septic permit where no public sewer is available²¹.
Get the building permit, keep work exposed until inspected, and obtain the certificate of occupancy²⁴¹⁹.

What stays with Monroe County, and what to check before you buy

Monroe County keeps septic permits for every address in the town³. Land within a quarter mile of Lake Ontario or Irondequoit Bay, or in the listed 100-year floodplains, also gets county advisory review of land-use and subdivision actions²⁵.

A driveway onto a Monroe County road needs a county highway permit²⁶; a driveway onto a state highway needs a NYSDOT permit²⁷.

For land outside the town, see the Monroe County page. Monroe County's effective property tax rate is 2.8%²⁸.

Watch-outs

We could not confirm Clarkson's rules on RVs, tiny homes, manufactured homes, minimum dwelling size, or permit fees; call the Town of Clarkson Building Department at 585-637-1145 before you buy².
The town adopted its current zoning code and zoning map on October 28, 2025, so older copies and summaries may be out of date¹.
Zoning lot-coverage figures are subject to site plan review, so the table number is a ceiling, not a guarantee¹⁴.

Sources

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.

Unanswered questions are usually a sign that Town of Clarkson publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Monroe County’s page lists the county offices to call.

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