Steuben County, New York Building Permit Guide

Steuben County does not run a countywide building department. Its two cities, 32 towns and 13 villages each appoint a code enforcement officer, with one exception: the Towns of Addison, Campbell and Tuscarora have handed the job to the county, whose code enforcement official issues their permits through the Department of Public Works at 3 East Pulteney Square in Bath (607-664-2470). In those three towns a new house costs $200 for the first 1,500 square feet. Septic and well matters go to the state Health Department’s Hornell District Office, because the county health department does not provide environmental health services.

What requires a building permit in Steuben County?

For the three towns in the county program, the applications quote Steuben County Local Law 6 of 2006: a permit is needed for any work that must conform to the Uniform Code or the Energy Code, including building, enlarging, altering, moving or demolishing a structure and installing a solid-fuel appliance, chimney or flue in a home. The application form lists what that covers in practice, from sheds, pools, decks, fences, siding, roofs and replacement windows to septic systems, alarm and sprinkler systems, water heaters, electrical upgrades and portable storage units.

The other 44 municipalities each apply their own code-enforcement law, so the shed size, fence rule or roofing rule can differ from town to town; the Town of Bath guide and the City of Corning guide on this site set out two of them in full.

What the municipalities decide and what the state holds

Every office enforces the same 2025 Uniform Code and Energy Code. Each town or village board decides whether to run its own code enforcement or hand it to the county, what to charge and whether to have zoning; the county planning office’s map shows which municipalities have adopted zoning, and it keeps copies of the zoning maps it has been sent.

Steuben County building department: who handles permitting

The tables list every city, town and village the Census Bureau counts in the county. Apart from the three county-program towns, each one has its own code officer in the county’s posted directory of officials, and several officers serve two or more places; the directory’s names and phone numbers date from 2020, so call the town or village clerk for the current officer. A village is permitted by its own officer, not by the town around it.

In October 2026 the Town of Corning advertised for a full-time code enforcement officer, with applications due by October 31. In the Town of Campbell, every application is checked by the town zoning officer before it goes to the county, for a $25 surcharge payable to the town.

What Steuben County itself does

• Public Works: building permits, inspections and certificates for Addison, Campbell and Tuscarora; county roads (Commissioner’s office 607-664-2474).
• Planning Department, 3 East Pulteney Square, Bath (607-664-2268): reviews zoning laws, variances, special use permits and site plans referred under General Municipal Law 239-m when the land is within 500 feet of a state or county road or a municipal boundary, and offers exemption agreements for purely local actions.
• Environmental health: provided for Steuben and Schuyler Counties by the state Health Department’s Hornell District Office, 107 Broadway, Room 105, Hornell (607-324-8371).
• 911 addressing: new construction in the county-program towns must be filed with the county 911 Department (607-664-2991).

Steuben County permit types and applications

Residential permits

In the county-program towns there is one application per town. New construction, or any renovation over $20,000, needs plans stamped by a New York engineer or architect, as does an addition that takes the building over 1,500 sq ft; smaller jobs need a sketch showing joists, studs, rafters, footings, wiring, windows and the septic location. Manufactured homes need the installer’s state certification, the HUD plate details and stamped foundation plans, and heated buildings need energy-code paperwork.

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

Commercial permits

Commercial and multi-family work in the program towns is charged $200 per 1,000 sq ft and follows the same form, with stamped plans and an asbestos survey before demolition. Elsewhere, commercial projects go to the local code officer and usually to the town or village planning board for site plan review first.

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

• Zoning: local zoning approval where the municipality has zoning; Campbell’s zoning officer signs off on every application.
• County referral: actions within 500 feet of state or county roads or municipal boundaries go to the County Planning Department.
• Septic: in the program towns an engineer or architect designs the system, then inspects and certifies the installation.
• Flood plain: a $25 flood plain development permit in the program towns; all 47 municipalities take part in the National Flood Insurance Program.
• Digging: the county forms remind applicants to call the underground-utility line at least three days before excavating.

Building permit fees in Steuben County

Fees for the county program are printed on the last page of each town’s application. The Tuscarora and Campbell pages carry the same amounts, and the Addison form currently reproduces the page headed “Town of Campbell”; the only difference between them is the off-hours inspection rate ($25 an hour in Campbell, $27 in Tuscarora, two-hour minimum). Pay by check to the Steuben County Commissioner of Finance or in cash.

Worked example: a new 2,000 sq ft house in Tuscarora pays $200 for the first 1,500 sq ft plus $100 for the remaining 500 sq ft (a fraction of 1,000), so $300, and the sheet also lists a $25 zoning fee. Fees cover the county inspector’s inspections only; third-party electrical inspections are billed separately by the inspector. Every other municipality sets its own fees by board resolution.

Trade permits and who may pull them

Steuben County’s pages and forms show no county license for electricians, plumbers or home improvement contractors; the forms ask for the contractor’s name, phone, insurance documents and job quote. Electrical work in the program towns must be inspected by one of the approved electrical inspectors named on the application, whose report goes to the building inspector; gas piping is inspected by an inspector approved by the gas utility or propane supplier. Sprinkler and alarm installers must give the inspector a copy of their license. Applicants show workers’ compensation and disability coverage, or an owner’s notarized exemption affidavit, before a permit issues.

How to get a building permit in Steuben County

Review, corrections and what causes delay

The county’s code official has up to 30 days to review an application, and nothing is processed until all documents and fees are in. The usual causes of delay are missing stamped plans, a septic design that has not been engineered, missing insurance or exemption forms, and in Campbell an application sent to the county before the town zoning officer has signed it.

Inspections and certificates

In the program towns the inspector must be called at least 48 hours ahead (the Addison and Tuscarora forms give 607-542-2175). The listed stages run from footings, foundation and slab preparation through framing, insulation and energy code, electrical, plumbing, septic, heating and fire-resistant construction to the final inspection; work must stay exposed until it is accepted. Work must start within six months, the permit is good for one year, and no more than two extensions are allowed. The building cannot be used until the inspector issues the certificate of compliance. Other municipalities set their own inspection routines; the Bath and Corning guides describe theirs.

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

The county’s applications for Addison, Campbell and Tuscarora cite Steuben County Local Law 6 of 2006 as their permit rule; the other municipalities enforce the Uniform Code under their own local laws.

Steuben County permit FAQ

Does Steuben County issue building permits?

Only in the Towns of Addison, Campbell and Tuscarora. Every other city, town and village issues its own.

Who issues permits in the Village of Painted Post?

The village’s own code officer; the county directory lists the same officer for Painted Post, Riverside and the Town of Erwin.

How much is a permit for a new house in the county-program towns?

$200 for the first 1,500 sq ft plus $100 for each further 1,000 sq ft or part of it, so $300 for a 2,000 sq ft house, plus the $25 zoning fee.

Who approves a septic system in Steuben County?

The local code office. In the program towns the system must be designed by a New York engineer or architect, who also certifies the finished installation. The state Hornell District Office handles environmental health for the county.

Do I need a permit for a small shed?

In the program towns, a shed under 144 sq ft needs no building permit but does need $25 zoning approval; other towns set their own rule.

What if I start work without a permit?

In the program towns every fee is doubled, with a $50 minimum even where the normal fee would be zero, and the county law allows civil penalties of up to $200 a day.

How do I get copies of an old permit?

Ask the office that issued it; for the program towns, Public Works in Bath, through the county’s Freedom of Information Law process if needed.

Steuben County permit search and official resources

Permit records stay with the issuing office: Public Works for Addison, Campbell and Tuscarora, and the town, village or city clerk everywhere else. The county posts its FOIL rules and request form online.

• Steuben County building permit applications (Addison, Campbell, Tuscarora)
• Town of Tuscarora application and fee schedule
• Town of Campbell application and fee schedule
• Town of Addison application
• Steuben County Public Works
• Planning and zoning assistance and 239-m referrals
• Status of local planning and zoning maps
• Steuben County Planning Department
• Environmental services (state Hornell District Office)
• Steuben County directory of officials
• Steuben County Freedom of Information Law
• FEMA Community Status Book, New York
• NYS code adoption and enforcement updates

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