Bolthole Index

Orange County, New York

Building permits, zoning and septic rules in the Town of New Windsor, New York

The Town of New Windsor in Orange County, New York requires a building permit from its own code enforcement officer for work that must meet the state Uniform Code1. The town also runs its own zoning districts, so land and buildings must fit the district where they sit2. Orange County does not zone3. We could not confirm who issues septic permits inside the town; ask the Orange County Department of Health.

At a glance

Building permit
Required for work that must meet the Uniform Code; issued by the town's code enforcement officer1
Zoning
Yes, the Town of New Windsor zones all land inside the town2
Building code
New York State Uniform Fire Prevention and Building Code, administered by the town4
Certificate of occupancy
Required for any work done under a building permit5
Inspections
Required; work must stay exposed until inspected6
Septic
Not confirmed for the town; ask the Orange County Department of Health7

Who to call

Building permits

Town of New Windsor Building Department

Building permits, sign permits, certificates of occupancy and compliance, and zoning information inside the Town of New Windsor

(845) 563-4618

555 Union Avenue, New Windsor, NY 12553

Septic permits

Orange County Department of Health, Sanitary Engineering

County review of sewage-disposal systems; ask what review an individual residential system needs in the town

845-360-6600

124 Main, Suite 3, Goshen, NY 10924

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 New Windsor 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 New Windsor, NY?

Yes. A building permit is required in the Town of New Windsor for any work that must conform to the state Uniform Code or Energy Code, and the permit must be in hand before work begins1. The town's own code adopts the New York State Uniform Fire Prevention and Building Code4.

A short list of work is exempt, including playground equipment, window awnings and some repairs that do not touch load-bearing or egress elements1. New York's model rules also let a town exempt a small one-story detached shed8; ask the Building Department whether New Windsor does and for what size, because we could not confirm it.

No owner-builder exemption appears in the town's exemption list1. Doing your own work does not remove the permit.

Who issues building permits in the Town of New Windsor?

The Town of New Windsor Building Department issues them. The department states that it administers and enforces the state building code and the town's zoning laws9. The town's code enforcement officer issues the building permit when the proposed work meets the Uniform Code and Energy Code10.

The department's address is 555 Union Avenue, New Windsor, NY 12553, and its phone is (845) 563-46189. It also handles sign permits, certificates of occupancy and zoning information9.

Orange County does not issue building permits for land inside the town; Orange County's own site says municipalities adopt and enforce zoning3, and the state's code is enforced locally11.

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

Yes. No building may be erected, moved, altered or enlarged, and no land used, except in conformity with the town's zoning regulations2. The town divides itself into zoning districts, with residential districts R-1 through R-5 plus commercial and other districts12.

The residential districts are R-1 Rural Residential, R-2 Open Space Residential, R-3 Suburban Residential, R-4 Suburban Residential without two-family use, and R-5 Multiple-Family Residential12. The zoning map is kept by the town clerk12.

Lot size, setbacks, building height and minimum dwelling size depend on the district, and we could not confirm those figures. RV, tiny-home and accessory-dwelling rules inside the town are also unconfirmed. Ask the Building Department for the bulk schedule for your parcel's district before you buy.

How do septic permits work in the Town of New Windsor?

We could not confirm who issues septic permits inside the Town of New Windsor. The Orange County Department of Health reviews sewage-disposal systems, but its materials do not establish a countywide permit requirement for every individual residential system7.

New York's statewide rule is that approval may still be required from the county health department or a state health district office before construction13. For a new system the design must meet Appendix 75-A14.

Where town sewer is available, a town sewer chapter may require connection; we did not confirm it. Call the Orange County Department of Health, Sanitary Engineering at 845-360-6600 and the Building Department before you buy a lot that is not on sewer15.

Soils matter too: about 1% of soils in Orange County rate "not limited" for a conventional drain field16, so expect a site evaluation or an engineered system.

Building a home in the Town of New Windsor: the steps, in order

  1. Confirm the parcel's zoning district with the Building Department and read the district's rules12.
  2. Ask the Orange County Department of Health what review a septic system or well needs for the lot15.
  3. File a building permit application with construction documents and pay the fee at submission10.
  4. Display the permit at the site and build to the accepted documents10.
  5. Keep work exposed until the code enforcement officer or an authorized inspector accepts it6.
  6. Obtain a certificate of occupancy or compliance before use5.

A permit becomes invalid if work does not start within six months and expires 18 months after issuance1.

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

Inside the town, the town sets zoning and issues building permits. Orange County has no zoning of its own3, but its Department of Health reviews sewage-disposal plans and subdivisions of 5 or more lots on under 5 acres17. The county's page for land outside the town is Orange County.

Check these before you buy:

  • Flood hazard: development in mapped flood areas needs a local floodplain permit18. We could not confirm the town's floodplain permit process.
  • Driveways: a residence on a state highway needs a NYSDOT permit to build or modify a driveway19.
  • Taxes: Orange County's effective property tax rate is 2.3%20.

Watch-outs

  • The town's septic, well, RV, tiny-home and minimum-lot-size rules are unconfirmed; ask the Building Department and the Orange County Department of Health before you rely on any of them7.
  • A new state code applies to building permit applications submitted from December 31, 2025 onward21.
  • Building permit fee amounts are set by the town board; ask the Building Department for the current schedule22.

Sources

  1. Chapter 107 Building Code Administration, Town of New Windsor (Town of New Windsor), quoted and re-checked
  2. Town of New Windsor, NY code of ordinances (eCode360) table of contents (Town of New Windsor), quoted and re-checked
  3. Map Resources | Orange County, NY, quoted and re-checked
  4. Chapter 107 Building Code Administration, Town of New Windsor (Town of New Windsor), quoted and re-checked
  5. Chapter 107 Building Code Administration, Town of New Windsor (Town of New Windsor), quoted and re-checked
  6. Chapter 107 Building Code Administration, Town of New Windsor (Town of New Windsor), quoted and re-checked
  7. Sanitary Engineering | Orange County, NY, 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. Town of New Windsor Building Department (newwindsor-ny.gov)
  10. Chapter 107 Building Code Administration, Town of New Windsor (Town of New Windsor), quoted and re-checked
  11. Administration and Enforcement of the Uniform Code, quoted and re-checked
  12. Chapter 300 Zoning, Article II Zoning Districts and Zoning Map, Town of New Windsor (Town of New Windsor), quoted and re-checked
  13. State Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (SPDES) Permit Program (New York statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  14. NYS Register March 18, 2015 Rule Making Activities — Part 75 authority and scope (New York statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  15. Orange County Department of Health, Sanitary Engineering (orangecountyny.gov)
  16. 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
  17. Environmental Health- a division of the Health Department, quoted and re-checked
  18. Floodplain Management - NYSDEC (New York statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  19. Residential Driveway Permits (New York statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  20. Effective property tax rate: Bolthole Index county data
  21. Legal Memorandum LG07: The Uniform Code and Local Authority, quoted and re-checked
  22. Chapter 107 Building Code Administration, Town of New Windsor (Town of New Windsor), 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.

Answers from the rulebook for Town of New Windsor

Town of New Windsor’s own rules

  • Building permitRequired

    Work requiring Uniform Code or Energy Code conformance inside the Town of New Windsor

    • Exemptions in § 107-4B include playground equipment, stage sets, window awnings, listed portable equipment, equipment replacement, and certain repairs that do not involve load-bearing, egress or similar changes.
    • Permit must be obtained from the code enforcement officer before work begins.
    • Permit becomes invalid if work is not commenced within six months and expires 18 months after issuance.
    “a building permit shall be required for any work which must conform to the uniform code and/or the energy code”
  • Building code adoptedAdopted

    Construction inside the Town of New Windsor

    • Incorporates the NY State Uniform Fire Prevention and Building Code and the State Energy Conservation Construction Code as amended from time to time.
    • Adopted 2-7-2007 by L.L. No. 2-2007.
    “this chapter provides for the administration and enforcement, in this town, of the amendments to the new york state uniform fire prevention and building code (the uniform code)”
  • InspectionsRequired

    Permitted construction inside the Town of New Windsor

    • Inspected elements include site, footing and foundation, slab, framing, building systems, fire-resistant construction, energy code compliance and a final inspection, where applicable.
    “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 under a building permit and changes of use or occupancy inside the Town of New Windsor

    • Also required for structures converted from one use or occupancy classification to another.
    “a certificate of occupancy/certificate of compliance shall be required for any work which is the subject of a building permit”
  • Local zoningPresent

    All land inside the Town of New Windsor

    • Land and buildings must conform to the regulations for the district in which they are located.
    “no building shall be erected, moved, altered, rebuilt or enlarged, nor shall any land or building be used, designed, arranged to be used, or modified, for any purpose or in any manner except in conformity with all regulations”
  • Zoning districtsPublished

    Zoning districts of the Town of New Windsor (R-1 through R-5, NC, LC, HC and others)

    • Districts are shown on the zoning map kept by the town clerk (§ 300-4).
    • § 300-3 was amended most recently 3-5-2025 by L.L. No. 2-2025.

    residential districts: R-1 Rural Residential; R-2 Open Space Residential; R-3 Suburban Residential (incl. two-family); R-4 Suburban Residential (excl. two-family); R-5 Multiple-Family Residential

    “there are hereby established, and the town of new windsor is divided into, classes of districts listed below and their purpose described below”
  • Permit feesVariable (with conditions)

    Building permit and code enforcement fees inside the Town of New Windsor

    • Fee amounts are set by the town board; schedule amounts not retrieved (see section 107-16 and Chapter 137 Fees).
    “to collect fees as set by the town board of this town”
  • Permit processPublished (with conditions)

    Building permit process inside the Town of New Windsor

    • Application with construction documents; fee paid at submission; permit displayed at site; work must follow accepted documents.
    “the code enforcement officer shall issue a building permit if the proposed work is in compliance with the applicable requirements of the uniform code and energy code.”

Still unanswered

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

  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption inside the Town of New Windsor
  • Minimum dwelling size — Minimum dwelling size inside the Town of New Windsor
  • Minimum lot size — Minimum lot size by district (R-1 to R-5) inside the Town of New Windsor
  • Setbacks — Setbacks by district inside the Town of New Windsor
  • Lot coverage — Lot coverage by district inside the Town of New Windsor
16 more unanswered
  • 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
  • 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 New Windsor publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Orange County’s page lists the county offices to call.

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