Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Lewis County codes office: 2026 state code will bar fossil fuels in new buildings, raise snow-load and engineering requirements
Summary
The county codes office warned that New York State's 2026 code changes — including a ban on fossil-fuel systems in most new construction and higher snow-load calculations — will shift routine approvals toward engineered designs and increase workload for code staff.
Jonathan Rose, representing the Lewis County codes office, briefed the General Services Committee on pending New York State 2026 building-code updates and on local permit trends, saying the new rules will prohibit fossil‑fuel systems in most new construction and raise structural snow‑load requirements that are likely to require stamped engineering for many projects.
Rose said the codes office issued 244 building permits and 94 zoning permits from July through Sept. 30, collecting $54,940 in fees and recording roughly $16 million in construction valuation on permit applications. He said office staffing remains short and that new hires typically require six to nine months before they are certified and able to perform full duties.
Why this matters: The code changes will affect routine residential and small commercial projects across Lewis County, increasing the technical threshold for approvals and the volume of work for county inspectors. That may push some property owners to build without permits and will enlarge the county's…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
