Off-Grid Living in Cattaraugus County, New York

I'll be upfront: Cattaraugus County is one of the more fragmented places in New York to research off-grid rules, because the county itself does almost nothing. There's no countywide zoning code, and Cattaraugus is one of a small handful of NY counties (per the county Planning Division and NYS DOS) that opted out of enforcing the state's Uniform Fire Prevention and Building Code and Energy Code. That means the two biggest questions for off-gridders (can I put a home here, and what building rules apply) are answered at the town or village level, not by the county.

Zoning and raw land. The county Planning Division exists to support the county's 34 towns, nine villages, and two cities on land use, but it doesn't zone anything itself. Some towns have zoning ordinances, some don't, according to the county's own planning pages. You have to call your specific town.

Dwellings, tiny homes, RVs. No county rule exists. Since building code enforcement happens at the town/village level, each municipality (I found Little Valley's code as one example) adopts and enforces the state Uniform Code locally. That code sets the baseline for what counts as a legal dwelling; whether RVs or tiny homes on wheels qualify as permanent residences depends on the town.

Building permits. Apply through your town or village code enforcement office, not the county. The county government doesn't run a building department because it opted out of Uniform Code enforcement duties.

Septic. This is where the county actually steps in directly. The Cattaraugus County Health Department's Environmental Health Division requires a permit for any onsite wastewater system installation or repair, backed by NYS Sanitary Code and Public Health Law. You apply, then an inspector does a site visit and soil evaluation. Composting toilets aren't separately addressed in what I found; treat them as falling under the same wastewater oversight until you confirm otherwise with that office.

Greywater and rainwater. I found no county-specific rules for either. These likely fall under the same wastewater permitting umbrella if there's any discharge involved, but that's not confirmed, so check with Environmental Health directly.

Wells. Here the county is notably lighter-touch: no separate health department permit is needed to drill a private well, per the county's own water supply page. It gets folded into your building permit and is your local code office's job to check standards. The county is candid that private wells aren't routinely monitored for safety, that's on you as the owner, though the county Health Department recommends following NYS DOH separation-distance standards and offers optional lab testing for coliform and nitrates.

Utilities. No countywide requirement to hook up to the grid. Whether a permanent dwelling can go without electric or water hookups depends entirely on your town's zoning and building law, if it has one at all.

Bottom line: county government here is mostly hands-off except for septic and well guidance. Your town is where the real rules live.