Town of Geneseo, New York Building Permit Guide

In the Town of Geneseo outside the village, Code Enforcement Officer Jared Radesi and the Code Office in the Town Office Building handle building and zoning permits, by appointment. Applications go in through the town’s iWorQ portal, which accepts them only from contractors registered with the office, and fees are paid to the Town Clerk before the permit issues. The Village of Geneseo has its own code enforcement officer in the Geneseo Building on Main Street.

What requires a building permit in the Town of Geneseo?

The town’s one-page guide, “Do I Need a Building/Zoning Permit?”, draws the line between minor repairs and anything structural, mechanical or ground-disturbing.

Fences need a permit under the zoning chapter even though the building code chapter does not require one. Chapter 57 exempts fences 6 feet tall or under that are not part of a pool enclosure from the building permit, but section 106-45.11 says no fence may be installed unless the Code Enforcement Officer has issued a permit. Fences built for a farm operation the town recognizes are exempt, and a garden-screening fence no more than 4 feet high and no more than 50% opaque inside the required setback may be. A fence in a required front, side or rear yard needs a survey map showing where it goes; on Lakeshore Residential lots the map also shows the mean water line. In residential districts fences may not exceed 6 feet (12 feet around tennis or recreation courts), front-yard fences 4 feet, and front-yard fences may not be chain link; in the Lakeshore Residential district a fence between the water and the back of the house is limited to 4 feet and must be at least 60% see-through.

What the town decides and what the state holds

The construction standards are the state’s Uniform Code and Energy Code, and stricter local rules would need Code Council approval. The Town Board sets permit fees (section 57-16), adopts the zoning chapter, the erosion and sediment control law, the flood damage prevention law and recent laws on solar systems and battery energy storage, and authorizes the code officer to deputize the electrical inspection agencies the town accepts (ch. 52).

Town of Geneseo building department: who handles permitting

About three-quarters of the town’s 10,437 residents live in the Village of Geneseo, which runs its own code enforcement office, zoning map and Historic District zoning map from the Geneseo Building on Main Street (585-243-1177 ext. 104). The town Code Office covers the remaining area, home to about 2,700 people, and the two share a website but not permit staff, forms or fees. The town office also staffs the Planning Board and Zoning Board of Appeals for town land.

Village rules differ from the town’s in places. The village’s own permit guide, issued from the village offices at 119 Main Street, exempts floating decks under 30 inches high and fences under 6 feet (3 feet between the house and the road, finished side out), and requires a permit for replacing drywall or plaster beyond small repairs and for any new roof covering. The village registers and inspects rental housing, keeps a historic district with façade renovation guidelines, and posts its own January 2026 site plan, variance, sign, special use and subdivision packages and its own FOIL form.

Town of Geneseo permit types and filing

The town’s iWorQ portal carries separate applications for building/zoning, roofing, electrical, plumbing and mechanical work, demolition, land disturbance and erosion control, floodplain development, signs, cell towers, fireworks, fire safety and property maintenance, and short-term rentals, plus site plan, special use permit and subdivision applications. Contractors must register with the Code Office first; the portal links each application to a registered contractor and will not accept one whose license on file has expired.

Residential permits

The building/zoning application asks for the project type and cost, the zoning district, whether the lot is in a flood zone or the Conesus Lake watershed, the dimensions and square footage, and whether the property is under a Genesee Valley Conservancy easement (if so, upload the easement). Along with the online filing the town wants two full-size stamped plan sets, and a zoning plot sketch showing distances to the property lines for any new structure or exterior change; a deed drawing or architectural plans can stand in for the sketch. Pool permits need the alarm and barrier details and a $100 deposit, refunded if the pool is finished within 120 days.

Building or remodeling a home here? Alliance handles residential permit applications, so the crew isn't waiting on the counter.

Commercial permits

Commercial projects that need site plan or special use approval go to the Planning Board first, using the town’s 2026 application instructions, its agricultural data statement form and the state’s short environmental assessment form. The Code Office also issues fire safety and property maintenance permits and cell tower permits through the portal, and new buildings must show the Energy Code details the town lists as a common cause of delay.

For tenant improvements and new commercial builds, Alliance handles commercial building permits through issuance. More on this: commercial building permits explained.

What comes before the building permit

Zoning is checked with the building permit, and a denial points you to a variance. The Zoning Board charges $75, paid to the Town Clerk; you mail the legal notice by certified mail with return receipts to owners within 500 feet and stake the boundary and the proposed work at least 10 days before the hearing, or the hearing is cancelled. Planning Board public hearings cost $125, and applicants pay the town’s engineering and legal consultant costs; a final subdivision map must be filed with the Livingston County Clerk within 60 days of signing. Land disturbance needs its own erosion control permit: chapter 54 (2002) covers any development that uncovers 500 sq ft of soil or more, farming excepted, lets the code officer approve the controls for jobs under 10,000 sq ft, and sends anything of 10,000 sq ft or more to the Planning Board for an erosion control plan prepared by a certified professional. The zoning chapter, rewritten in full in 2016, measures lakeshore work from the mean Conesus Lake level of 817 feet. Beyond that, floodplain work needs its own floodplain permit, and a lot without sewer a septic permit from Livingston County Environmental Health, 2 Murray Hill Drive, Mount Morris (585-243-7280).

Town of Geneseo building permit fees

Section 57-16 leaves fees to the Town Board, and chapter 57 has them paid when the application is submitted; the town’s instructions add that work may not start until the permit is issued with its fees paid to the Town Clerk. The newest Code Enforcement Fee Schedule in the Town Board minutes was adopted on October 11, 2023 and took effect October 31, 2023. Most charges are a rate with a minimum.

Worked example from that schedule: a new 2,000 sq ft single-family house is $0.35 × 2,000 = $700 for the building permit (above the $150 minimum), and its final certificate of occupancy $0.05 × 2,000 = $100. Variance and Planning Board hearing charges, the town’s consultant costs and the county septic permit are separate, and Village of Geneseo properties pay the village’s own fees.

Trade permits and who may pull them

Geneseo does not license electricians or plumbers itself, but it controls who files: building, roofing, electrical, plumbing and mechanical applications come through registered contractors on the portal. New or replacement electrical, plumbing and HVAC systems, generators, geothermal and solar each need a permit, while like-for-like fixture, outlet and switch swaps with no new piping or wiring do not.

Electrical work is inspected by an agency the Code Enforcement Officer has deputized under chapter 52, which must issue a certificate of compliance under the National Electrical Code; the town lists missing third-party inspection reports as the first reason a certificate of occupancy is held up. Every application also needs the contractor’s insurance certificates and workers’ compensation coverage or a state exemption, which the instructions name as a common cause of delay.

How to apply for a Town of Geneseo building permit

Review, corrections and what causes delay

The town names its own top delays: missing zoning information and map, incomplete owner or contractor contact details, missing insurance or workers’ compensation proof, thin plan detail, and for new homes the Energy Code details. If the permit is declined the office contacts you with options, including a variance. A permit expires one year after issue and is void if work has not started within 12 months; it can be renewed on application and payment.

Town of Geneseo inspections and certificates

The required inspections are printed on the permit, and the approved plans and permit must stay on site. Book each one at least 48 hours ahead through the Code Office. No building may be used until a certificate of occupancy is issued, and an addition or alteration cannot be used until it has a certificate of compliance.

The two things the town says hold up a final certificate are missing third-party inspection reports, such as the electrical agency’s certificate, and missing specifications for the construction, materials or equipment used. Pools are checked for the required barrier and alarm, and the $100 deposit comes back when the project is completed within 120 days.

New York building code

New York builds on one statewide code, the Uniform Code, outside New York City; the 2025 edition and 2025 Energy Code took effect on 31 December 2025 (the all-electric provisions remain suspended by court order). Cities, towns and villages administer it, and local standards stricter than the code need Code Council approval. The Uniform Code in New York

Town of Geneseo permit FAQ

Does the town issue permits in the Village of Geneseo?

No. The village has its own code enforcement officer in the Geneseo Building on Main Street (585-243-1177 ext. 104), with its own zoning and historic district maps.

Can a homeowner apply directly?

The town portal links every building/zoning application to a registered contractor, so contractors must register with the Code Office before they can submit. Call the office at 585-991-5008 if you plan to do the work yourself.

Do I need a permit for a shed?

Not for a shed of 144 sq ft or less, though zoning setbacks still apply. A larger shed needs a building/zoning permit.

Do I need a permit for a fence in the town?

Yes, in most cases. Section 106-45.11 of the zoning chapter requires a fence permit from the Code Enforcement Officer, with a survey map for a fence in a required yard, even though chapter 57 exempts fences of 6 feet or less from the building permit. Farm fences are exempt, and a low, mostly open garden-screening fence may be.

Do I need a permit to replace my roof?

Yes. Tear-offs, replacements and new layers all need the town’s roofing permit.

Who issues septic permits?

Livingston County Environmental Health in Mount Morris issues septic permits and inspects the systems.

How much does a variance cost?

$75 to the Town Clerk, plus certified mailings to neighbors within 500 feet and any consultant costs the town incurs.

Is Geneseo in the flood insurance program?

Yes. FEMA lists both the Town and the Village of Geneseo as participating communities, with flood maps dated September 29, 1996; floodplain work needs the town’s floodplain permit.

Town of Geneseo permit search and official resources

The town’s iWorQ portal has a public Search Permits page for looking up existing permits. For older records, ask the Code Office or file a Freedom of Information Law request with the Town Clerk.

• Town of Geneseo Code Enforcement
• Building/zoning permit application (iWorQ)
• iWorQ permit search
• Do I need a building/zoning permit?
• Building/zoning permit instructions
• Planning Board public hearing procedure (2026)
• Zoning Board variance procedure
• Town of Geneseo Code (eCode360)
• Town Board minutes, Oct. 11, 2023 (fee schedule)
• Town Clerk
• Village of Geneseo Code Enforcement
• Livingston County Environmental Health
• NYS Uniform Code adoption notice

Simplify Town of Geneseo permitting with Alliance Permitting

Alliance Permitting is a permit documentation and submission company in New York. We prepare your paperwork, file it correctly and coordinate with the permitting authority through issuance. We are not a contractor and we do not perform licensed plan review or inspections; that work stays with your licensed team and the jurisdiction.

This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about Town of Geneseo permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.