Bolthole Index

Nassau County, New York

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

The Village of Manorhaven in Nassau County, New York requires a village building permit for work covered by the state Uniform Code1, and the village runs its own zoning code2. Permits come from the village Building Department3. Septic permits and plan approvals sit with the Nassau County Department of Health, not the village4.

At a glance

Building permit
Required for work under the NYS Uniform Code or Energy Code; issued by the village1
Zoning
Village zoning code (Chapter 155) with residential, commercial, marine and other districts25
Inspections and certificate of occupancy
Required for permitted work67
Septic
Nassau County Department of Health for plan approvals and discharge permits; inside the village, confirm with the Building Department48
Permit fees
Set by a board-of-trustees fee schedule; ask the Building Department9

Who to call

Building permits

Village of Manorhaven Building Department

Administers the New York State and village codes for property, buildings and construction in Manorhaven; intake of applications and issuance of building, plumbing and rental permits; inspections and certificates

516-883-7000

33 Manorhaven Blvd., Port Washington, NY 11050

Septic permits

Nassau County Department of Health, Bureau of Environmental Engineering

Reviews on-site sewage disposal system plans and issues SPDES permits before discharge; reviews engineering plans for developments of 5 or more lots

516-227-9692

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

Off-grid gear

Going off-grid in Village of Manorhaven means bringing your own water and power. The kit we’d start with:

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Does Manorhaven, NY have zoning, and what does it mean for RVs, tiny homes and lot size?

Yes. The Village of Manorhaven has its own zoning code, Chapter 155 of the village code, adopted in 1986 and amended since2. The code lists residential districts R-1 to R-4, commercial districts C-1 to C-3, plus marine recreational, enterprise, governmental and marine preservation districts5. Zoning sits at the village level; Nassau County has no single countywide zoning ordinance and only reviews referred zoning changes10.

What we could not confirm: minimum lot size, setbacks, minimum home size, RV parking or occupancy, tiny homes and accessory dwellings in each district. Ask the village Building Department3 and check the parcel's district before you buy, because the rules differ by district.

Do you need a building permit in Manorhaven, and who issues it?

Yes, for work covered by the New York State Uniform Code or Energy Code. The village code says no person may start work that needs a building permit without first getting one from the village1. State rules require every local authority to require permits for that work, with listed exemptions such as a one-story detached shed of up to 144 square feet11. An exemption does not excuse work that breaks the code1.

The village Building Department takes applications and issues building, plumbing and rental permits3. Applications are made in writing on a form from the code enforcement officer12. Fee amounts come from a board-of-trustees schedule9, and the department notes that applying after work is done means triple permit fees3.

What happens after a Manorhaven building permit is issued?

Work must stay exposed until the code enforcement officer or an authorized inspector accepts it6. A certificate of occupancy or certificate of compliance is required for any work covered by a building permit7. A permit is invalid if work has not begun within 6 months and expires 12 months after issuance; construction hours run 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. on weekdays, with none on weekends or holidays1.

How do septic permits work inside Manorhaven?

Septic is not handled by the village Building Department's building permit. Nassau County's Department of Health has jurisdiction over septic systems for developments of 5 or more lots, and a home outside a new subdivision, or a renovation, is directed to the local building department for septic approval requirements4. Where the county health department approves an on-site system, a SPDES permit is needed before discharge to the ground13.

We could not confirm whether any lot in the village is on septic rather than public sewer, or what the village's own sewer chapter requires. Ask the Building Department3 and the county health department's Bureau of Environmental Engineering14 before you rely on a septic system.

Building a home in Manorhaven: the steps, in order

  1. Confirm the parcel's zoning district and what the code allows with the Building Department3.
  2. Submit a building permit application to the Building Department, which approves or denies it3.
  3. If the application is denied for not meeting the code or needing a variance, the denial letter goes with an application to the Zoning Board; then a site plan review by the Planning Board, then the Architectural Review Board unless the Building Department directs otherwise3.
  4. Once the boards have decided, submit the final approved plans to the Building Department to continue permitting3.
  5. Keep work exposed for inspection, then get the certificate of occupancy67.

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

Septic plan review and discharge permits stay with the Nassau County Department of Health4. A road opening or curb cut on a county-owned road also needs the Nassau County Department of Public Works, in addition to the village15. For land outside village limits, see the Nassau County page, because the village's rules apply only inside Manorhaven.

Before you buy, check zoning district, flood rules, sewer connection and driveway access; none of those village chapters were confirmed. Nassau County’s median property tax bill is $10,001 a year16.

Watch-outs

  • Village rules apply only inside Manorhaven; land in the surrounding unincorporated areas follows other towns' and the county's rules10.
  • Applying for a permit after the work is done costs triple permit fees, according to the village Building Department3.
  • We could not confirm minimum lot size, setbacks, RV or tiny-home rules, floodplain rules or the village's sewer requirements; ask the village Building Department3 before you buy.
  • The village zoning map page is marked under construction; ask the Building Department for your parcel's district3.

Sources

  1. Chapter 38: Building Code Administration - Village of Manorhaven, NY (eCode360) (Village of Manorhaven), quoted and re-checked
  2. Article I Title and Purpose, Chapter 155 Zoning - Village of Manorhaven, NY (eCode360) (Village of Manorhaven), quoted and re-checked
  3. Village of Manorhaven Building Department (manorhaven.gov)
  4. On Site Sewage Disposal, quoted and re-checked
  5. Chapter 155: Zoning - Village of Manorhaven, NY (eCode360) (Village of Manorhaven), quoted and re-checked
  6. Chapter 38: Building Code Administration - Village of Manorhaven, NY (eCode360) (Village of Manorhaven), quoted and re-checked
  7. Chapter 38: Building Code Administration - Village of Manorhaven, NY (eCode360) (Village of Manorhaven), quoted and re-checked
  8. Nassau County - On-Site Sewage Disposal System and SPDES Permit (2026 county census)
  9. Chapter 38: Building Code Administration - Village of Manorhaven, NY (eCode360) (Village of Manorhaven), quoted and re-checked
  10. Zoning Review, quoted and re-checked
  11. Part 1203 Uniform Code and the Energy Code: Minimum Standards for Administration and Enforcement (New York statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  12. Chapter 38: Building Code Administration - Village of Manorhaven, NY (eCode360) (Village of Manorhaven), quoted and re-checked
  13. On-Site Sewage Disposal System and SPDES Permit, quoted and re-checked
  14. Nassau County Department of Health, Bureau of Environmental Engineering (nassaucountyny.gov)
  15. Building and Zoning Permits, quoted and re-checked
  16. Median property tax bill: Bolthole Index county data

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.

Answers from the rulebook for Village of Manorhaven

Village of Manorhaven’s own rules

  • Building permitRequired

    Work subject to the Uniform Code or Energy Code inside Manorhaven village

    • Subsection b lists exempt categories of work; exemption is not authorization for non-compliant work.
    • Construction hours 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. weekdays; none on weekends or holidays.
    • Permit invalid if work not commenced within 6 months; expires 12 months after issuance.
    “no person shall commence any work for which a building permit is required without first having obtained a building permit from the village.”
  • Building code adoptedAdopted

    Construction inside Manorhaven village

    • Adopted 2-26-2025 by L.L. No. 4-2025, superseding former Chapter 38 of 2006.
    • Adopted pursuant to § 10 of the Municipal Home Rule Law.
    “this chapter provides for the administration and enforcement of the new york state uniform fire prevention and building code (the uniform code) and the state energy conservation construction code (the energy code) in this village.”
  • InspectionsRequired

    Permitted construction inside Manorhaven village

    • Inspected elements include footing and foundation, framing, service systems, and energy code items, where applicable.
    “work shall remain accessible and exposed until inspected and accepted by the code enforcement officer or by an inspector authorized by the code enforcement officer.”
  • Certificate of occupancyRequired

    Work under a building permit and use/occupancy changes inside Manorhaven village

    • Certificate of occupancy or certificate of compliance; temporary certificates also provided for.
    “a certificate of occupancy or certificate of compliance shall be required for any work which is the subject of a building permit”
  • Local zoningPresent

    Land inside Manorhaven village limits

    • Adopted 8-18-1986 by L.L. No. 2-1986, amended thereafter.
    “this chapter shall be known as the "zoning code of the incorporated village of manorhaven."”
  • Zoning districtsPublished

    Zoning districts inside Manorhaven village

    • Chapter lists residential R-1 to R-4, commercial C-1 to C-3, marine recreational, enterprise E-1, governmental G-1/G-2 and marine preservation districts by section title; district text not opened.
    “article iv establishment of districts § 155-7 list of districts. § 155-8 zoning map established.”
  • Permit feesVariable (with conditions)

    Building permit and certificate fees inside Manorhaven village

    • Fee amounts are in a board-of-trustees fee schedule not opened here; fees are due at application.
    “a fee schedule shall be established by resolution of the board of trustees of this village.”
  • Permit processPartial

    Building permit applications inside Manorhaven village

    • Application signed by owner or authorized agent; construction documents accepted before issuance; issued by code enforcement officer.
    “applications for a building permit shall be made in writing on a form provided by or otherwise acceptable to the code enforcement officer.”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Village of Manorhaven or Nassau County directly.

  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption inside Manorhaven village
  • Minimum dwelling size — Minimum dwelling size inside Manorhaven village
  • Minimum lot size — Minimum lot size in R-1 and R-2 districts inside Manorhaven village
  • Setbacks — Yard setbacks inside Manorhaven village
  • Lot coverage — Lot coverage inside Manorhaven village
17 more unanswered
  • Building height
  • Living in an RV
  • Camping on your land
  • Tiny homes
  • Manufactured homes
  • Accessory dwellings
  • Who permits septic
  • Septic permit
  • Septic inspection
  • Off-grid sanitation
  • Well permit
  • Mandatory utility hookup
  • Agricultural exemption
  • Subdividing land
  • Driveway access
  • Building in a floodplain
  • Short-term rentals

Each answer was extracted from an official source and independently re-checked against that source by a second reviewer. That is an evidence check, not legal advice. Rules change; confirm with the authority before you buy or build.

Unanswered questions are usually a sign that Village of Manorhaven publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Nassau County’s page lists the county offices to call.

← All of Nassau County: county rules, score and offices