Bolthole Index

Saratoga County, New York

Zoning, building permits and septic rules in the Village of South Glens Falls, New York

The Village of South Glens Falls, in Saratoga County, New York, requires a building permit for any work that must meet the state Uniform Code, issued by the village Code Enforcement Officer1. The village adopted its own zoning chapter2. Septic permits are not covered in the village code we reviewed; Saratoga County's health department points homeowners to the local building department3.

At a glance

Building permit
Required for work that must conform to the Uniform Code or Energy Code, from the village Code Enforcement Officer1
Zoning
Village zoning code (Chapter 153), amended in full in 20192
Inspections and certificate of occupancy
Required for permitted work45
Permit fees
Set by the Board of Trustees and can change during the year6
Floodplain
Separate floodplain development permit in mapped flood hazard areas7
Septic
Village rule not confirmed; ask the building inspector and Saratoga County Department of Health3
RV, tiny home, minimum home size
Village rule not confirmed; ask the Code Enforcement Officer8

Who to call

Building permits

Village of South Glens Falls Building Inspector and Code Enforcement Officer

Building permits, zoning questions and code enforcement inside the village

(518) 793-1455

46 Saratoga Avenue, South Glens Falls, NY 12803

Septic permits

Saratoga County Department of Health, Environmental Health

Onsite wastewater plan review for regulated facilities and realty subdivisions; refers homeowners elsewhere to the local building department

(518) 584-7460

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 Village of South Glens Falls means bringing your own water and power. The kit we’d start with:

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Do you need a building permit in South Glens Falls, NY?

Yes. The Village of South Glens Falls requires a building permit for any work that must conform to the New York State Uniform Code or the Energy Code1. The village code has listed exemptions, so ask before assuming a small project is excluded1.

The village enforces the Uniform Code through its own chapter on fire prevention and building code9. Permitted work is inspected, and the work must stay accessible until the inspector accepts it4. A certificate of occupancy is required for any work covered by a building permit5.

The application is made in writing on the village's form and signed by the owner or the owner's authorized agent10. Village permit fees are set at the Board of Trustees' annual organizational meeting and can be adjusted between meetings, so confirm the current amount with the village6.

Who issues building permits in South Glens Falls?

The village's own Building Inspector and Code Enforcement Officer handles building permits inside the village1. The office can be reached through the village municipal office at (518) 793-1455, 46 Saratoga Avenue, South Glens Falls, NY 128038.

Saratoga County does not issue these permits for village land; every town, city and village in the county runs its own building department11. Do not call the county planning counter for a village building permit.

Does South Glens Falls have zoning, and what does it mean for RVs, tiny homes and setbacks?

Yes. The Village of South Glens Falls has its own zoning chapter, Chapter 153, amended in its entirety in 20192. The village is divided into 8 zoning districts, with boundaries on the zoning map held by the Village Clerk12. Which district a parcel sits in decides what you can build, so look up the district before you buy.

We could not confirm the village's rules on living in an RV, tiny homes, accessory dwellings, manufactured homes or a minimum house size. Ask the Code Enforcement Officer, and check the district's use and dimensional tables in the zoning chapter2. Zoning appeals go to the village Zoning Board of Appeals.

How do septic permits work in South Glens Falls?

We could not confirm who issues septic permits inside the village; the village code chapters we reviewed do not say8. Much of the village may be on public sewer, but we could not confirm availability at a given address, so ask the village before assuming it.

For homeowners, the Saratoga County Department of Health says design and installation of residential onsite wastewater systems not part of a realty subdivision goes through the local building department3. The county itself reviews plans for regulated facilities and realty subdivisions13. Call the village Code Enforcement Officer first, then the county Environmental Health office at (518) 584-74603. Private wells are also unconfirmed in the village; ask the same two offices.

Building a home in South Glens Falls: the steps, in order

  1. Confirm the parcel's zoning district with the Village Clerk and Chapter 15312.
  2. Ask the Code Enforcement Officer about sewer connection or septic, and whether the lot is in a mapped flood hazard area8.
  3. Apply in writing for a building permit, signed by the owner or authorized agent10.
  4. In a mapped flood hazard area, also apply for a floodplain development permit; the application fee is $25, and the applicant reimburses additional review costs7.
  5. Keep work exposed until inspected, and call the Code Enforcement Officer when each stage is ready4.
  6. Get the certificate of occupancy before anyone moves in5.

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

The village decides zoning and building permits for land inside its limits; the county's rules for unincorporated land do not apply. For land outside the village, see the Saratoga County page. Saratoga County's health department handles regulated onsite wastewater facilities and realty subdivisions13.

A driveway onto a state highway needs a state permit14. Saratoga County's effective property tax rate is about 1.5%15, and the county's median property tax bill is about $4,843 a year16. Those are county figures, not village ones.

Watch-outs

  • We could not confirm village rules for septic, wells, RV or tiny-home occupancy, manufactured homes, accessory dwellings or minimum home size; ask the village Code Enforcement Officer before you buy8.
  • Building permit fees can change during the year, so confirm the current fee schedule with the village6.
  • Parcels in a mapped flood hazard area need a separate floodplain development permit7.

Sources

  1. Chapter 69 Fire Prevention and Building Code, Uniform - Village of South Glens Falls, NY (Village of South Glens Falls), quoted and re-checked
  2. Chapter 153 Zoning - Village of South Glens Falls, NY (Village of South Glens Falls), quoted and re-checked
  3. Saratoga County Department of Health, Environmental Health (saratogacountyny.gov)
  4. Chapter 69 Fire Prevention and Building Code, Uniform - Village of South Glens Falls, NY (Village of South Glens Falls), quoted and re-checked
  5. Chapter 69 Fire Prevention and Building Code, Uniform - Village of South Glens Falls, NY (Village of South Glens Falls), quoted and re-checked
  6. Chapter 67 Fees - Village of South Glens Falls, NY (Village of South Glens Falls), quoted and re-checked
  7. Chapter 73 Flood Damage Prevention - Village of South Glens Falls, NY (Village of South Glens Falls), quoted and re-checked
  8. Village of South Glens Falls Building Inspector and Code Enforcement Officer (villageofsgfny.gov)
  9. Chapter 69 Fire Prevention and Building Code, Uniform - Village of South Glens Falls, NY (Village of South Glens Falls), quoted and re-checked
  10. Chapter 69 Fire Prevention and Building Code, Uniform - Village of South Glens Falls, NY (Village of South Glens Falls), quoted and re-checked
  11. Town of Saratoga Ch. 199 Construction Codes, Uniform (2026 county census)
  12. § 153-4 Districts established - Village of South Glens Falls, NY (Village of South Glens Falls), quoted and re-checked
  13. Onsite Wastewater Treatment Systems, quoted and re-checked
  14. Residential Driveway Permits (New York statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  15. Effective property tax rate: Bolthole Index county data
  16. Median property tax bill: 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 Village of South Glens Falls

Village of South Glens Falls’s own rules

  • Building permitRequired

    Work in South Glens Falls village that must conform to the Uniform Code or Energy Code.

    • The listed exemptions in § 69-4B apply.
    • A person may not commence permit-required work before obtaining a building permit from the Code Enforcement Officer.
    “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 in South Glens Falls village.

    • Except as otherwise provided in the Uniform Code, other state law, or Chapter 69, all buildings, structures, and premises regardless of use or occupancy are subject to Chapter 69.
    “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

    Permit-authorized construction in South Glens Falls village.

    • The permit holder must notify the Code Enforcement Officer when an element identified in § 69-5B is ready for inspection.
    • The listed inspection elements apply 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 subject to a building permit and structures converted to another use or occupancy classification in South Glens Falls village.

    • Use or occupancy after a building permit is granted only by issuance of a certificate of occupancy/certificate of compliance.
    • The Code Enforcement Officer or authorized inspector must inspect before issuance.
    “A certificate of occupancy/certificate of compliance shall be required for any work which is the subject of a building permit”
  • Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

    Land within the Village of South Glens Falls.

    • Chapter 153 was amended in its entirety on November 20, 2019, with subsequent amendments noted where applicable.
    “[HISTORY: Adopted by the Board of Trustees of the Village of South Glens Falls Subsequent 6-12-1964; amended in its entirety 11-20-2019 by L.L. No. 3-2019. Subsequent amendments noted where applicable.]”
  • Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

    Zoning districts in South Glens Falls village.

    • District locations and boundaries are established on the Village zoning map and supplementary tax maps on file with the Village Clerk.

    district count: 8

    “For the purpose of this chapter, the Village of South Glens Falls is hereby divided into eight zones, differentiated according to use and building regulations, to be designated as follows:”
  • Building in a floodplainRequired

    Construction and other development in areas of special flood hazard within South Glens Falls village.

    • Applies only to areas of special flood hazard shown on the Flood Insurance Rate Map identified in § 73-6.
    • The application fee is $25; the applicant must reimburse additional review, inspection, and approval costs, and the local administrator may require a deposit of no more than $500.

    application fee: 25 USD (Additional review, inspection, and approval costs reimbursable; deposit may not exceed $500.)

    “Fees. All applications for a floodplain development permit shall be accompanied by an application fee of $25. In addition, the applicant shall be responsible for reimbursing the Village of South Glens Falls for any additional costs necessary for review, inspection and approval of this project. The local administrator may require a deposit of no more than $500 to cover these additional costs.”
  • Permit feesVariable (with conditions)

    Village permit and application fees.

    • Fees may be set at the annual organizational meeting and adjusted, revised, or added between annual organizational meetings.
    • The Board of Trustees may amend eligible fees by resolution.
    “The purpose of this chapter is to provide and confirm that a schedule of fees to be paid in the Village of South Glens Falls with respect to the submission of papers, applications, requests for permits, miscellaneous fees, etc., shall be set and established during the annual organizational meeting of the Board of Trustees and, between annual organizational meetings, may be adjusted, revised or added to as may be required from time to time.”
  • Permit processPublished (with conditions)

    Building-permit applications in South Glens Falls village.

    • The application must be signed by the property owner or the owner's authorized agent.
    • It must contain information sufficient for the Code Enforcement Officer to determine compliance with applicable Uniform Code and Energy Code requirements.
    “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 by an authorized agent of the owner.”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Village of South Glens Falls or Saratoga County directly.

  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-built residential construction in South Glens Falls village.
  • Minimum dwelling size — One-family dwellings in the R-1 Residential Zone, South Glens Falls village.
  • Living in an RV — Residential RV occupancy on private land in South Glens Falls village.
  • Camping on your land — Temporary camping on private land in South Glens Falls village.
  • Tiny homes — Tiny-home occupancy in South Glens Falls village.
12 more unanswered
  • 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
  • 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 South Glens Falls publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Saratoga County’s page lists the county offices to call.

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