Building permits, zoning and septic rules in the Village of Great Neck, New York

At a glance

Zoning

Yes. The village has its own zoning chapter in its code¹

Building permit

Required for work covered by the NYS Uniform Code; the village has adopted a construction-code chapter⁴²

Who issues building permits

The village Building Department at Village Hall³

Septic

Nassau County Department of Health, Bureau of Environmental Engineering⁵

Subdivision

Regulated by the village code⁶

RV and tiny-home living

Not confirmed; ask the Building Department¹

Who to call

Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on October 14, 2026.

Does the Village of Great Neck have zoning, and what does it mean for RVs, tiny homes and lot size?

Yes. The Village of Great Neck adopts its own zoning chapter in the village code, so zoning inside village limits is set by the village, not by Nassau County¹. Nassau County has no countywide zoning; each city, town and village administers its own⁷.

The village also keeps a Zoning Board of Appeals, a Planning Board and an Architectural Review Committee³.

We could not confirm what the village's zoning districts say about RV living, tiny homes, minimum lot size, setbacks or accessory dwellings. Do not assume any of these is allowed; ask the Building Department and read the village zoning chapter and zoning maps before you buy.

Do you need a building permit in the Village of Great Neck, and who issues it?

Yes, building permits are required in New York for work that must conform to the state Uniform Code, with limited exemptions⁴. The Village of Great Neck has its own construction-code chapter in its village code², and the village website lists a Building Department and building forms³.

A local authority may exempt one-story detached sheds and similar structures up to 144 square feet⁴, but whether Great Neck does so is unconfirmed. Ask before building any shed or outbuilding.

A certificate of occupancy or compliance is required for work that needed a building permit⁸.

How do septic permits work inside the Village of Great Neck?

Septic approvals are separate from village building permits. The Nassau County Department of Health, through its Bureau of Environmental Engineering, permits and regulates on-site sewage disposal in the county⁵⁹.

For a home that is not part of a new realty subdivision, or an existing home being renovated, the county tells applicants to contact the local building department about septic approval requirements¹⁰. For Great Neck, that means the village Building Department first, then the county Health Department.

The county notes that facilities in areas served by public sewers must connect to the sewer⁹. Which village streets are sewered, and what the village's sewer chapter requires, we could not confirm.

Building a home in Great Neck: the steps, in order

1. Call the village Building Department at Village Hall to confirm the zoning district, setbacks and any design review before you design³.
2. Check whether the property is sewered; if not, ask the Nassau County Department of Health about septic plan approval⁹.
3. If you are subdividing, expect village subdivision rules⁶ and, within 300 feet of a municipal boundary, review by the Nassau County Planning Commission¹¹.
4. Apply for the building permit from the village⁴.
5. Keep work accessible until inspected and accepted¹².
6. Obtain the certificate of occupancy before use⁸.

What stays with Nassau County, and what to check before you buy in Great Neck

Septic and sewage plan review stay with the Nassau County Department of Health⁹. Work on a county-owned road requires contacting both the municipality and the Nassau County Department of Public Works¹³. A residence on a state highway needs a New York State Department of Transportation permit to build or modify a driveway¹⁴.

Flood development in mapped flood hazard areas needs a local floodplain permit¹⁵; the village has a flood damage prevention chapter we did not read, so ask the Building Department.

County figures: typical home value is $859,544¹⁶ and the effective property tax rate is 1.5%¹⁷. For land outside the village, see the Nassau County page.

Watch-outs

• Zoning, building permits and septic come from three different offices here: the village for zoning and building permits¹, the county Health Department for septic⁵.
• We could not confirm village rules on RVs, tiny homes, lot size, setbacks or accessory dwellings; ask the village Building Department before buying¹.
• Nassau County's Special Groundwater Protection Areas limit residential density to one dwelling unit per 40,000 square feet of net area where individual septic systems are used¹⁸; ask the county Health Department whether a parcel falls inside one.

Sources

1. Village of Great Neck, NY Code (eCode360) table of contents (Village of Great Neck), quoted and re-checked
2. Village of Great Neck, NY Code (eCode360) table of contents (Village of Great Neck), quoted and re-checked
3. Village of Great Neck Building Department (greatneckvillage.org)
4. Part 1203 Uniform Code and the Energy Code: Minimum Standards for Administration and Enforcement (New York statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
5. Nassau County - On-Site Sewage Disposal System and SPDES Permit (2026 county census)
6. Village of Great Neck, NY Code (eCode360) table of contents (Village of Great Neck), quoted and re-checked
7. Zoning Review, quoted and re-checked
8. Part 1203 Uniform Code and the Energy Code: Minimum Standards for Administration and Enforcement (New York statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
9. Nassau County Department of Health, Bureau of Environmental Engineering (nassaucountyny.gov)
10. On Site Sewage Disposal, quoted and re-checked
11. Environmental Review, quoted and re-checked
12. Part 1203 Uniform Code and the Energy Code: Minimum Standards for Administration and Enforcement (New York statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
13. Building and Zoning Permits, quoted and re-checked
14. Residential Driveway Permits (New York statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
15. Floodplain Management - NYSDEC (New York statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
16. Typical home value (Zillow): Bolthole Index county data
17. Effective property tax rate: Bolthole Index county data
18. Nassau County Public Health Ordinance Article X: Groundwater Protection; Regulation of Sewage and Industrial Wastewater, quoted and re-checked

Written October 14, 2026 from the rules quoted below, each taken from an official source and re-checked by an independent reviewer. This is research, not legal advice: rules change, so confirm with the office before you buy or build.