Bolthole Index

Nassau County, New York

Zoning, building permits and septic rules in the Village of Matinecock, New York

The Village of Matinecock, in Nassau County, New York, adopts its own zoning code (Chapter 195) and runs its own building department, so building permits and zoning approval come from the village, not the county12. New York requires a building permit for work covered by the state Uniform Code3. Septic and cesspool systems fall under the Nassau County Department of Health4.

At a glance

Building permit
Required for work under the NYS Uniform Code; the village has its own building department32
Zoning
Village zoning code, Chapter 195, with a schedule of uses and dimensional standards15
Subdivision
Regulated under village Chapter 1626
Septic
Nassau County Department of Health4
Certificate of occupancy
Required for work that needed a building permit7

Who to call

Building permits

Incorporated Village of Matinecock Building Department

Building permits and zoning administration inside the village; forms are on the village's printable forms page

516-801-6000

147 Forest Avenue, Locust Valley, NY

Septic permits

Nassau County Department of Health, Bureau of Environmental Engineering

On-site sewage disposal plan review and SPDES permits in Nassau County

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 Matinecock means bringing your own water and power. The kit we’d start with:

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Does the Village of Matinecock have zoning?

Yes. The Village of Matinecock adopts its own zoning in Chapter 195 of the village code, which covers districts, use and area regulations, signs, nonconformities, administration and slopelands1. The code includes a schedule of uses for rural and residence districts, a separate schedule for the business district, and a schedule of area, yard and other dimensional standards5. Those schedules are where RV, tiny home, lot size and setback answers live, and we could not confirm the specific figures, so ask the village building department before you plan a structure or a stay in an RV. Nassau County itself does not zone; zoning is set by each city, town and village8.

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

New York requires building permits for work that must conform to the state Uniform Code or Energy Code, and each local authority administers that requirement within its own boundaries3. In Matinecock the village's own building department is the office to call; it is open Monday, Wednesday and Friday2. A certificate of occupancy is required for work that needed a building permit7. We could not confirm the village's permit fees or inspection schedule, so ask the building department.

How do septic permits work inside Matinecock?

Septic is a county matter, not a village one. The Nassau County Department of Health, Bureau of Environmental Engineering, regulates on-site sewage disposal systems for the whole county49. Plans for a commercial system with a design flow of 1,000 gallons per day or more need department approval before construction, and a SPDES permit is required before discharge10. We could not confirm the exact residential septic steps inside Matinecock, so call the Bureau at 516-227-96929.

Building a home in Matinecock: the steps, in order

  1. Call the village building department and ask which zoning district your lot is in and what Chapter 195 allows12.
  2. Use the village's printable building application and checklist from its forms page2.
  3. If you are subdividing, the village's Chapter 162 applies6.
  4. Take septic or cesspool plans to the Nassau County Department of Health9.
  5. Get inspections under the permit and a certificate of occupancy7.

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

Nassau County's Department of Health handles septic systems and review of residential subdivisions of five or more lots11. Countywide figures: the typical home value is $859,54412 and the effective property tax rate is 1.5%13. Only about 11.5% of Nassau County soils rate as not limited for a conventional drain field, so expect a site evaluation and possibly an engineered system14. For land outside the village, see the Nassau County page.

Watch-outs

  • We could not confirm Matinecock's setbacks, minimum lot size, RV rules or permit fees; ask the village building department at 516-801-6000 before you buy2.
  • Village rules apply only inside Matinecock; they are not the rules for neighboring Nassau County land1.

Sources

  1. Village of Matinecock Code, Chapter 195 Zoning (eCode360) (Village of Matinecock), quoted and re-checked
  2. Incorporated Village of Matinecock Building Department (matinecockvillage.org)
  3. Part 1203 Uniform Code and the Energy Code: Minimum Standards for Administration and Enforcement (New York statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  4. Nassau County - On-Site Sewage Disposal System and SPDES Permit (2026 county census)
  5. Village of Matinecock Code, Chapter 195 Zoning (eCode360) (Village of Matinecock), quoted and re-checked
  6. Village of Matinecock Code, Chapter 195 Zoning (eCode360) (Village of Matinecock), quoted and re-checked
  7. Part 1203 Uniform Code and the Energy Code: Minimum Standards for Administration and Enforcement (New York statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  8. Zoning Review, quoted and re-checked
  9. Nassau County Department of Health, Bureau of Environmental Engineering (nassaucountyny.gov)
  10. On-Site Sewage Disposal System and SPDES Permit, quoted and re-checked
  11. On Site Sewage Disposal, quoted and re-checked
  12. Typical home value (Zillow): Bolthole Index county data
  13. Effective property tax rate: Bolthole Index county data
  14. Share of soils USDA rates "not limited" for a conventional septic drain field (SSURGO). A strict rating: the median county is about 6% and a tenth of counties are 0%, so a low figure means most lots need a site evaluation or an engineered system, not that septic is impossible. Cite it only with that caveat: 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 Matinecock

Village of Matinecock’s own rules

  • Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

    Land inside Matinecock village

    • Chapter 195 has eight articles including districts, use and area regulations, signs, nonconformities, administration and slopelands.
    “article iii use and area regulations § 195-9 applicability; interpretation. § 195-10 general regulations.”
  • Zoning districtsPartial

    Zoning districts inside Matinecock village

    • Only the chapter outline was read from the official site; district names and dimensions were not read from an official page.
    “§ 195-12 schedule of uses for all rural and residence districts. § 195-13 schedule of uses for the business district. § 195-14 schedule of area, yard and other dimensional standards.”
  • Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

    Subdivision of land inside Matinecock village

    • Governed by Chapter 162; text not read.
    “planning board — see ch. 130. stormwater management — see ch. 157. subdivision of land — see ch. 162.”

Still unanswered

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

  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builders inside Matinecock village
  • Building code adopted — Building code inside Matinecock village
  • Inspections — Inspections inside Matinecock village
  • Minimum dwelling size — Minimum dwelling size inside Matinecock village
  • Minimum lot size — Minimum lot size inside Matinecock village
20 more unanswered
  • Setbacks
  • Lot coverage
  • 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
  • Driveway access
  • Building in a floodplain
  • Short-term rentals
  • Permit fees
  • Permit process

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 Matinecock 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