Bolthole Index

Ulster County, New York

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

The Town of Shandaken, Ulster County, New York has its own zoning law and requires a building permit from the Town Building Inspector for new construction12. Septic plans are reviewed by the Ulster County Department of Health, not the town3. Zoning, building permits and floodplain review all start at the town's Building & Zoning office4.

At a glance

Building permit
Required from the Town Building Inspector; small unheated sheds under 140 square feet are excepted2
Zoning
Yes, the town divides its land into zoning districts1
Septic
Ulster County Department of Health reviews and approves plans3
Mobile homes
Allowed on individual lots only in some districts; mobile-home parks prohibited5
Accessory apartments
Special use permit in most districts6
Floodplain
All development in the flood-fringe overlay needs special-permit review7
RV and tiny-home living
We could not confirm a rule; ask the Building & Zoning office4

Who to call

Building permits

Town of Shandaken Building & Zoning

Building permits, code enforcement, floodplain permits and zoning for land inside the Town of Shandaken

(845) 688-5008

bldgzoning@shandaken.gov

Septic permits

Ulster County Department of Health, Environmental Health Division

Septic (onsite wastewater) plan review, permits and construction inspection for Ulster County

(845) 340-3010

239 Golden Hill Lane, Kingston, NY 12401

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

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Does Shandaken have zoning, and what does it mean for RVs, tiny homes and mobile homes?

Yes. The Town of Shandaken, NY divides the town into eight zoning districts, and uses, buildings and land must conform to the district where they sit1. Zoning district boundaries are on the adopted Zoning District Map kept at the Town Clerk's office, and a flood-fringe overlay applies where mapped8.

Mobile homes on individual lots are permitted only in the R5, R3 and R1.5 districts and are prohibited in HR, HC, HB, CLI and FW; mobile-home parks are prohibited in every listed district5. Accessory apartments inside a single-family dwelling need a special use permit in R5, R3, R1.5, HR, HC and HB, and are prohibited in CLI and FW6.

We could not confirm a town rule on living in an RV or tiny home on private land, so ask the Building & Zoning office before you plan around either4.

Do you need a building permit in Shandaken, and who issues it?

Yes. Inside the Town of Shandaken, no one may construct, enlarge, alter, relocate or demolish a building, or install a solid-fuel heating appliance, without first getting a permit from the Building Inspector2. Residential storage sheds and other small structures under 140 square feet are excepted, but only if nobody lives, sleeps, eats or cooks in them2. Alterations to an existing building are excepted only if they cost less than $10,000 and meet each listed structural, fire-safety, electrical and solid-fuel condition2.

The Building & Zoning office takes permit applications; it lists a building line of (845) 688-5008 and asks you to call ahead for inspections4. Shandaken's code asks for plans prepared by a licensed architect or professional engineer, which the Building Inspector may waive for minor work9. We could not confirm the current fee amounts, so ask the office.

How do septic permits work inside Shandaken?

Septic plans for Shandaken are reviewed by the Ulster County Department of Health, which approves residential onsite wastewater systems across the county3. The county requires a design from a New York-licensed professional engineer or registered architect, with at least two copies of the drawings, and issues the permit only after the drawings are approved10. County field representatives check the installed system during construction11.

The order matters: Ulster County states that most townships require approved septic plans before issuing a building permit12. We could not confirm from the town's code exactly how Shandaken applies that step, so ask the Building & Zoning office. Septic review is a county function, so the town's permit office does not replace it3.

Building a home in Shandaken: the steps, in order

  1. Check the zoning district for your parcel on the Zoning District Map and confirm your use is allowed there8.
  2. Check whether the parcel touches the flood-fringe overlay, where all development needs special-permit review, or the floodway, where no development is permitted7.
  3. Have an engineer or architect design the septic system and submit it to the Ulster County Department of Health10.
  4. Apply to the Building Inspector for a building permit with your plans9.
  5. If the lot is new, new lots must conform to the town's Land Subdivision Regulations13.
  6. Schedule inspections before covering work, at each stage and at the end14.
  7. Get a certificate of occupancy after final inspection15.

What stays with Ulster County and the state (and what to check before you buy)?

Ulster County keeps septic plan review, and subdivisions also pass through county map-filing steps after local planning-board approval; the county says the map must be filed within 61 days of that approval16. A driveway onto a New York State highway needs a permit from the NYS Department of Transportation17. We could not confirm a town driveway permit rule, so ask the Highway Department or Building & Zoning.

For context, Ulster County's effective property tax rate is 1.9%18. Page-wide, county figures describe Ulster County, not Shandaken alone. For land outside the town, see the Ulster County page.

Watch-outs

  • We could not confirm a town rule on long-term RV living, temporary camping, tiny homes, minimum house size, private wells or short-term rentals; call the Building & Zoning office at (845) 688-5008 before buying4.
  • The town's own septic authority is unconfirmed; the Ulster County Department of Health reviews septic plans, so start there3.
  • Parcels in the flood-fringe overlay need special-permit review and the floodway allows no development7.

Sources

  1. Chapter 116: Zoning - Town of Shandaken, NY (Town of Shandaken), quoted and re-checked
  2. Chapter 64: Building Inspector; Building Permits - Town of Shandaken, NY (Town of Shandaken), quoted and re-checked
  3. Water & Wastewater Regulation — Ulster County, quoted and re-checked
  4. Town of Shandaken Building & Zoning (shandaken.gov)
  5. Article IV: Use Regulations - Town of Shandaken, NY (Town of Shandaken), quoted and re-checked
  6. Article IV: Use Regulations - Town of Shandaken, NY (Town of Shandaken), quoted and re-checked
  7. Article III: Establishment of Zoning Districts - Town of Shandaken, NY (Town of Shandaken), quoted and re-checked
  8. Article III: Establishment of Zoning Districts - Town of Shandaken, NY (Town of Shandaken), quoted and re-checked
  9. Chapter 64: Building Inspector; Building Permits - Town of Shandaken, NY (Town of Shandaken), quoted and re-checked
  10. Sewage Disposal System Application — Ulster County, quoted and re-checked
  11. Sewage Disposal System Application — Ulster County, quoted and re-checked
  12. Ulster County Department of Health, Environmental Health Division (ulstercountyny.gov)
  13. Article III: Establishment of Zoning Districts - Town of Shandaken, NY (Town of Shandaken), quoted and re-checked
  14. Chapter 64: Building Inspector; Building Permits - Town of Shandaken, NY (Town of Shandaken), quoted and re-checked
  15. Chapter 64: Building Inspector; Building Permits - Town of Shandaken, NY (Town of Shandaken), quoted and re-checked
  16. Make a Land Use Referral, quoted and re-checked
  17. Residential Driveway Permits (New York statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  18. Effective property tax rate: 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 Town of Shandaken

Town of Shandaken’s own rules

  • Building permitRequired

    Construction, enlargement, alteration, improvement, removal, relocation, demolition, and specified solid-fuel heating work inside Shandaken town.

    • Necessary repairs not materially affecting structural features are excepted.
    • Existing-building alterations are excepted only if they cost less than $10,000 and meet each listed structural, fire-safety, electrical, and solid-fuel exception.
    • Residential storage sheds and other small noncommercial structures under 140 square feet that are not used as living, sleeping, eating, or cooking quarters are excepted.

    small noncommercial structure threshold: < 140 square feet (Must not be intended or used as quarters for living, sleeping, eating, or cooking.)

    “Except as hereinafter provided, no person, firm, corporation, association or partnership shall commence the construction, enlargement, alteration, improvement, removal, relocation or demolition of any building or structure, or any portion thereof, or install a solid-fuel-burning heating appliance, chimney or flue in any dwelling unit, without first having obtained a permit from the Building Inspector.”
  • InspectionsRequired

    Work inside Shandaken town for which a building permit has been issued.

    • Owner, applicant, or agent must notify the Building Inspector and schedule inspection.
    • Inspection is required before enclosing or covering work, at each construction stage, and at final inspection.
    “Work for which a building permit has been issued hereunder shall be inspected for approval by the Building Inspector:”
  • Certificate of occupancyRequired

    Permitted work inside Shandaken town that has passed final inspection and conforms to applicable requirements.

    • The Building Inspector must refuse a certificate if work has not been properly completed.
    • Failure to act within 45 days after application constitutes approval and the building may then be occupied as though a certificate had issued.

    application action period: <= 45 days (Failure to act constitutes approval.)

    “When, after final inspection, it is found that the proposed work has been completed in accordance with the New York State Uniform Fire Prevention and Building Code, applicable building laws, ordinances and rules or regulations and also in accordance with the application, plans and specifications filed in connection with the issuance of a building permit, the Building Inspector shall issue a certificate of occupancy upon the form provided by him or her.”
  • Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

    Land inside the Town of Shandaken.

    • Uses, buildings, and land must conform to the regulations for the district in which located.
    “For the purposes of this chapter, the Town of Shandaken hereby establishes and divides the town into the following eight zoning districts:”
  • Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

    Land inside Shandaken town.

    • District boundaries are shown on the adopted Zoning District Map, kept up to date in the Town Clerk's office.
    • An FF-O overlay district also applies where mapped.
    “For the purposes of this chapter, the Town of Shandaken hereby establishes and divides the town into the following eight zoning districts:”
  • Manufactured homesLimited

    Mobile homes on individual lots inside Shandaken town.

    • Permitted in R5, R3, and R1.5 districts.
    • Prohibited in HR, HC, HB, CLI, and FW districts.
    • Mobile-home parks are prohibited in every listed district.
    “Mobile home on individual lot | P | P | P | X | X | X | X | X”
  • Accessory dwellingsLimited

    Accessory apartments within single-family dwellings inside Shandaken town.

    • A special use permit is required in R5, R3, R1.5, HR, HC, and HB.
    • The use is prohibited in CLI and FW.
    “Accessory apartment within single-family dwelling, as defined in § 116-4B | SP | SP | SP | SP | SP | SP | X | X”
  • Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

    Lots created after the zoning chapter's effective date inside Shandaken town.

    • New lots must meet chapter minimum requirements and be established in full conformance with the Town's Land Subdivision Regulations.
    “Yards or lots created after the effective date of this chapter shall meet the minimum requirements established by this chapter, with such lots established in full conformance with the requirements of the town's Land Subdivision Regulations.”
  • Permit processPublished (with conditions)

    Building-permit applications inside Shandaken town.

    • Application must provide sufficient information for Uniform Code compliance determination.
    • Application is signed by owner or authorized agent.
    • Three plan sets prepared by a licensed architect or professional engineer are required unless the Building Inspector waives plans for minor or otherwise unnecessary work.
    • Permit issues only after a complete conforming application and may contain conditions.

    plan sets: 3 sets (Building Inspector may waive plans and specifications for minor alterations or where otherwise unnecessary.)

    “The application for a building permit and its accompanying documents shall contain sufficient information to permit a determination that the intended work accords with the requirements of the Uniform Code.”

Rules another office applies inside Town of Shandaken

Town of Shandaken does not set these itself; the county, a health district or the state does, and they apply to every address inside its limits.

  • Building in a floodplainRequired

    Development in the FF-O Flood-Fringe Overlay District inside Shandaken town.

    • All development in FF-O is subject to special-permit review.
    • No development is permitted in the FW Floodway District.
    “The FF-O Flood-Fringe Overlay District has been designated by FEMA as a "floodplain area with special flood hazards that is likely to be flooded at least once every 100 years." All development within the FF-O District is subject to special permit review as provided in Article VII of this chapter.”

Still unanswered

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

  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-built residential construction inside Shandaken town.
  • Minimum dwelling size — Dwellings inside Shandaken town.
  • Living in an RV — Long-term RV occupancy on private land inside Shandaken town.
  • Camping on your land — Temporary camping on private land inside Shandaken town.
  • Tiny homes — Tiny-home occupancy inside Shandaken town.
9 more unanswered
  • Who permits septic
  • Septic permit
  • Septic inspection
  • Off-grid sanitation
  • Well permit
  • Agricultural exemption
  • Driveway access
  • Short-term rentals
  • Permit fees

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

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