Barndominium Builders in Chemung County, New York
Chemung County runs from the county seat in Elmira out through towns such as Horseheads, Big Flats, Southport and Van Etten, and New York Barndominium Builders designs and builds barndominiums on land throughout it. The Chemung River valley holds most of the roads and utilities, while the hills north and south hold the farms and wooded parcels many of our clients are after. Before we sketch anything we find out which municipality the parcel is in, because the town, village or city there issues the building permit, and whether the land needs a septic system from the Chemung County Health Department. For owners ready to do part of the work, barndominium kits supply the frame and shell to finish with your own trades. A turnkey build takes the project from site work to move-in, and pole barn homes give you a wide clear span for a shop, hay or equipment next to the living space. Tell us about your parcel through the survey and we will start from there.
Chemung County at a glance
- County
- Chemung County
- Building permit
- The town, village or city where the land sits
- Local facts on this page
- 4, each linked to its source
Before you build in Chemung County
The local answers that shape a build here, each taken from the office or document that publishes it. Rules change, so we confirm them again against your parcel before drawing.
The town, village or city code enforcement office for the parcel
Building permits come from the municipality that contains the parcel. In the Town of Horseheads, for example, the Code Enforcement office handles building permits, enforces the New York State Fire Prevention and Building Codes and the town's zoning, and publishes its fee schedule, zoning map and a cross reference of parcels by address.
Source: Code Enforcement & Building Permits, Town of Horseheads (townofhorseheads.gov)
Chemung County Health Department, Environmental Health Services
For undeveloped land, a Public Health Sanitarian first does a site evaluation, with test holes dug by your contractor, and decides whether a perc test is needed. The construction permit is issued only to a contractor registered with the Health Department, unless the owner files the homeowner exemption to build the system personally.
Source: New Sewage Treatment Systems - Owners, Chemung County (chemungcountyny.gov)
Chemung County has one consolidated Agricultural District of about 47,971 acres in eleven towns, including Big Flats, Horseheads, Southport and Van Etten. Inclusion protects farm operations from unreasonably restrictive local rules; a house on district land still needs a permit.
Source: Agricultural & Farmland Protection Board, Chemung County (chemungcountyny.gov)
- No winter septic installs
- The Chemung County Health Department has a policy that there be no winter construction of new septic systems, and every new system must include an NSF-approved effluent filter. A septic construction permit is valid for one year and can be renewed.
- Flood zone information
- The Chemung County Planning Department keeps flood hazard zone information for property owners, developers, banks and real estate professionals, and makes individual flood status determinations for a fee. Nine municipalities in the county are working to keep FEMA Community Rating System premium reductions for their residents.
Source: Sewage Treatment, Chemung County (chemungcountyny.gov)
Source: National Flood Insurance Program, Chemung County (chemungcountyny.gov)
Building on land near Chemung County
Chemung County pairs the Chemung River valley, home to Elmira, Southport and the flats around Big Flats and Horseheads, with steeper hill country in Erin, Van Etten, Catlin and Veteran. Valley land is closer to roads, water and sewer but needs a flood zone check. Hill parcels bring views and privacy along with a private well and a septic system. Farmland in the county's Agricultural District can make a good barndominium site, but the house still needs a permit and must meet the code like any other home. For in-city lots see Elmira; many buyers also compare land in Steuben County and Tompkins County.
Where we build in this part of New York
Binghamton, Ithaca & the Southern Tier
- Binghamton
- Elmira
- Ithaca
- Broome County
- Chemung County
- Steuben County
- Tompkins County
Barndominium kits delivered to Chemung County
Kits, pole barn homes, custom plans and turnkey builds. The parcel decides the budget more than the floor area does, so we price against your land rather than a rate card.
Barndominium Kits
Barndominium kits NY: barndo kits and shell kits for New York land, steel or pole barn, sized to the snow at your address and delivered upstate.
Pole Barn Homes
Pole barn homes in New York: post-frame houses and barndominiums with footings below the frost line, trusses sized for snow, and conventional finishes.
Custom Plans
Custom barndominium plans for New York: your layout, your shop, drawn around the land, the snow and the approvals your town will ask for.
Have land in or near Chemung County? Tell us about the parcel and what you want to build, and we will check it against the local rules before anything is drawn.
Building in Chemung County: questions
Start the surveyHow much does it cost to build a barndominium in Chemung County?
Do I need a building permit for a barndominium in Chemung County?
Can I build a barndominium on land in Chemung County's Agricultural District?
Keep reading
What usually comes next once you know what Chemung County allows.
Barndominium Cost Guide
Sourced per-square-foot ranges by tier and size, and what moves the number on your land.
Read itIs a Barndominium Legal in New York?
Zoning, septic and who inspects, before you buy the land.
Read itHow Long Does It Take?
From parcel to move-in, and which steps set the clock.
Read itSources for this page
The published pages behind the Chemung County facts above. Rules change, so check the current version with the office before you rely on it.
- Code Enforcement & Building Permits, Town of HorseheadsBuilding permit authoritytownofhorseheads.gov
- New Sewage Treatment Systems - Owners, Chemung CountySeptic or sewerchemungcountyny.gov
- Sewage Treatment, Chemung CountyNo winter septic installschemungcountyny.gov
- National Flood Insurance Program, Chemung CountyFlood zone informationchemungcountyny.gov
- Agricultural & Farmland Protection Board, Chemung CountyAgricultural Districtchemungcountyny.gov
Barndominium builders near Chemung County
Nearby places we also build in. Across a city, town or county line the permit office, zoning and septic rules can change, so each has its own page.
Building in Chemung County?
Start with the survey. Tell us where the land is and what you want on it, and we will come back with which office permits it, what it will allow, and a plan to fit.