Schoharie County, New York Building Permit Guide

Schoharie County is one of the twelve New York counties that the Department of State lists as having opted out of the enforcement of the Uniform and Energy codes, so it issues no building permits. Each of the 16 towns and six villages is responsible for its own code enforcement, and many towns post their applications on pages hosted by the county website. The county’s own permits cover what lies outside the building: the Department of Health issues the permit to construct every sewage treatment system, jointly with New York City in the watershed towns, and Public Works issues driveway, culvert and highway use permits on county roads.

What requires a building permit in Schoharie County?

Every town and village enforces the state code, but the details are local. Fulton requires a permit before construction, enlargement, improvement, removal or demolition of any building, and before installing heating equipment or a solid-fuel stove, but exempts structures of 144 sq ft or less; it also sets a one-acre minimum lot and 40-foot road setbacks. Cobleskill charges nothing for agricultural structures that meet the state code’s definition. Sharon works under its 2017 Building and Sanitary Regulations and Land Use Code, and Broome posts a Building Site Law among its town documents.

What the towns and villages decide and what the state holds

All 22 municipalities apply the 2025 Uniform Code and Energy Code; nothing stricter can be added without state approval. The opt-out means the county does not enforce the code in a town or village that has also opted out; there, the Department of State’s Code Inspection Unit provides code enforcement and administration in place of the local government and charges fees for it. The unit tells owners and contractors on private projects to contact their town or village office. Jefferson’s posted local laws include 1993 laws on enforcing the state building code.

Schoharie County building department: who handles permitting

All 22 municipalities are below. Each village sits inside the town of the same name, except Sharon Springs, which lies in the Town of Sharon; the town officer stops at the village line. Where a town’s forms are posted, the link goes to its page on the county website.

Call the town clerk to reach the code officer. For Seward, Summit, the Town of Schoharie and the villages of Richmondville and Sharon Springs, start with the clerk’s office, since their pages list no building contact.

What Schoharie County itself does

• Department of Health, Environmental Health (County Office Building, 284 Main Street, 3rd floor, Schoharie; 518-295-8705): issues permits for sewage disposal systems under Article 3 of the county Sanitary Code, inspects them, answers complaints and helps homeowners, contractors and designers.
• Public Works (518-295-2330): maintains 322 miles of county road and 91 bridges and issues driveway and culvert permits, highway use permits, and property and facility use permits.
• Planning & Zoning (Community Development): posts floodplain construction guidance, riparian buffer material and the county’s solar application fee resolution for towns.
• Real Property Tax Service (866-295-6229): assigns the 911 address that Fulton requires before a permit.

Schoharie County permit types and applications

Residential permits

Fulton’s 2025 instructions show what a town asks for: two sets of plans, sealed by a New York engineer or architect if a new house exceeds 1,500 sq ft or an alteration costs more than $10,000; a site plan showing lot lines, driveway, well and septic; the county-approved sewage design with its approval letter; and contractors’ workers’ compensation forms, or a homeowner exemption form. Gilboa posts a permit packet and a separate extension form. Jefferson’s fillable 2026 packet exempts non-habitable sheds and playhouses of 144 sq ft or less, makes permits valid for one year, sets houses back 75 feet from the road centerline and 25 feet from lot lines (10 feet for accessory buildings), and asks for a driveway sign-off letter from whoever owns the road: the state DOT, county Public Works or the town highway superintendent.

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

Commercial permits

Commercial work adds sealed plans and, where the town has zoning, site plan review; Cobleskill charges $125 for site plan approval and $35 for an operating permit. Cell towers in Cobleskill pay $2,500 to $5,000 by height on top of the building fee.

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

What comes before the building permit

• Sewage permit: a New York licensed engineer or architect prepares the design; the county issues the permit to construct after approving two stamped copies.
• Watershed: in most of Conesville and the southern parts of Gilboa and Jefferson, New York City’s Department of Environmental Protection witnesses the soil tests and reviews the plans with the county; its pre-application conference request and review application come from its Grahamsville office (845-985-2275), and perc holes there follow extra preparation rules.
• Road access: a county driveway or culvert permit for a county road.
• Zoning: town and village planning boards; Cobleskill village also has a Historic District Review Commission.
• Flood zones: all 22 municipalities participate in the National Flood Insurance Program; the county posts guidance on building in the floodplain.

Building permit fees in Schoharie County

Each town and village sets its own fees, and several post them with their applications (Blenheim, Conesville). The Town of Cobleskill’s schedule is the most detailed one posted.

Under Cobleskill’s residential rule, a $200,000 house costs $100 for the first $5,000 plus 0.2% of the remaining $195,000, or $390, for a total of $490. Its second valuation block, for other construction, does not chain cleanly ($100 up to $10,000, yet $175 for the first $10,000 above that), so ask the office for non-residential work. County sewage and highway permit fees are set by the county departments.

Cobleskill values a house it has to price itself at $85 per sq ft ($100 for commercial), includes a $50 non-refundable processing fee in every building permit, and allows one extra year for half the original fee. Fulton’s bands chain cleanly: a new 2,000 sq ft house is valued at 2,000 times $65, or $130,000, which falls in the $100,000 to $500,000 band, so the fee is $342 plus 30 times $1.50, or $387. Fulton’s schedule says projects over $1,000,000 are negotiated with the Town Board.

Trade permits and who may pull them

Schoharie County’s departments list no contractor or trade licensing program. Cobleskill posts a list of electrical inspectors. Workers’ compensation proof (or a state exemption) comes with every application, and Fulton lets homeowners use the state’s BP-1 exemption form. The county’s sewage permit packet includes engineer and contractor lists, and the contractor digs and pre-soaks the perc test holes.

How to get a building permit in Schoharie County

Review, corrections and what causes delay

The longest step is usually the sewage design: perc tests, engineer drawings and county review, plus DEP review in the watershed. Missing 911 numbers, unsealed plans for larger houses and part-time office hours slow local permits.

Inspections and certificates

The local code officer inspects the building and issues the certificate of occupancy or compliance. Fulton’s schedule is typical: the site before the permit, footing and foundation forms before concrete, waterproofing before backfill, rough framing, pressure-tested plumbing, an electrical inspection by a third-party inspector, insulation and fire-resistant penetrations, solid-fuel appliances and chimneys, then a final. The sewage system is checked by the design engineer before it is buried, under the county permit to construct. In Fulton a permit lasts a year and must be renewed for $75 a year until the project closes, and the certificate is not issued without the tax map number. Jefferson wants at least 48 hours’ notice for every inspection, may stop work that skipped one, and under Local Law 2 of 2024 treats building without a permit as a violation with a civil penalty of $1,000 a day. Its certificate is free for permitted work; otherwise it costs 20% of the improvements’ full market value, at least $500.

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

Schoharie County permit FAQ

Does Schoharie County issue building permits?

No. The county opted out of the enforcement of the Uniform and Energy codes; each town and village issues its own permits. The county issues sewage system and county road permits.

Who approves a septic system?

The county Department of Health, which issues a permit to construct after reviewing two sets of engineer- or architect-stamped plans; your engineer inspects the system before it is covered.

Is my land in the New York City watershed?

Most of Conesville and the southern parts of Gilboa and Jefferson are. There, New York City’s DEP witnesses the soil tests and reviews the sewage plans with the county.

Do small sheds need a permit?

It depends on the town. Fulton exempts structures of 144 sq ft or less; ask the code officer elsewhere.

How much is a building permit in Cobleskill?

$100 up to $5,000 of construction, then 0.2% of the rest; a $200,000 house costs $490 under the schedule revised March 10, 2025.

Do I need a county permit for a driveway?

Yes, if it joins a county road: Public Works issues driveway and culvert permits. Town and state roads have their own permits.

Where are old permit records kept?

With the town or village that issued the permit; Conesville posts a FOIL request form. Sewage permits are kept by the county Health Department.

Schoharie County permit search and official resources

There is no countywide permit search; ask the issuing town or village clerk, with a Freedom of Information Law request for copies.

• Schoharie County Environmental Health
• Schoharie County sewage system permit instructions
• Schoharie County Public Works (highway permits)
• Schoharie County Planning & Zoning documents
• Town of Cobleskill fee schedule (revised March 10, 2025)
• Town of Fulton building permit instructions (2025)
• NYS Department of State Code Inspection Unit (opted-out counties)
• FEMA Community Status Book, New York
• NYS code adoption and enforcement updates

Simplify Schoharie County 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 Schoharie County permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.