Bolthole Index

Rockland County, New York

Zoning, building permits and septic rules in the Village of New Hempstead, NY

The Village of New Hempstead, in Rockland County, New York, has its own zoning code and requires a village building permit for construction, moving, demolition and structural alteration12. Septic and wastewater approvals come from the Rockland County Department of Health, not the village3. Land outside village limits follows different offices.

At a glance

Building permit
Required from the village for construction, demolition and structural alteration; ordinary repairs excluded2
Zoning
Village zoning (Chapter 290) applies inside village limits1
Septic
Rockland County Department of Health regulates wastewater disposal3
Certificate of occupancy
Required before a permitted building is used or occupied4
Subdivision
Planning Board approval and county filing of the plat5
Floodplain
Floodplain development permit in mapped flood hazard areas6
RV, tiny home, ADU
We could not confirm; ask village hall1

Who to call

Building permits

Village of New Hempstead Village Hall (building and zoning matters)

Village building permits, zoning, and the village boards that review applications

845.354.8100

108 Old Schoolhouse Road, New City, NY 10956

Septic permits

Rockland County Department of Health, Environmental Health

Wastewater disposal, septic plan review and installation inspection countywide

845-364-2656

Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on October 24, 2026.

Off-grid gear

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

These are affiliate links — we may earn a commission, at no cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, Bolthole Index earns from qualifying purchases.

Does New Hempstead, NY have zoning, and what about RVs and tiny homes?

Yes. The Village of New Hempstead adopted its own zoning chapter (Chapter 290) in 1984, and it applies to land inside village limits1. Rockland County does not zone land; each town and village does its own7.

We could not confirm village rules for RV occupancy, temporary camping, tiny homes, accessory dwelling units or short-term rentals1. Do not assume any of them is allowed; ask Village Hall8 before buying or placing anything on a lot.

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

Yes. A village building permit is required to construct, reconstruct, move, demolish or structurally alter a building, to change its use, or to make nonstructural alterations beyond ordinary repairs2. Interior walls, enlarged windows and extended plumbing, heating or electrical systems count as nonstructural alterations2.

The Village Building Inspector normally approves or denies within 20 days, unless the Board of Trustees, Planning Board or Architectural Review Board must review first9. Fees are due before the permit is issued9. Work must also meet the New York State Uniform Code10. Contact Village Hall at 845.354.81008.

Outside village limits, Rockland County towns issue their own building permits; the Town of Clarkstown page shows the county does not run one office11. See the Rockland County page for land elsewhere in the county.

How do septic permits work inside New Hempstead?

The village does not approve septic systems. The Rockland County Department of Health regulates wastewater disposal, including inside New Hempstead3. The Department reviews and approves system plans and inspects installation12. County code bars building or altering a private sewage system until the Commissioner of Health approves a plan13.

Soils are a factor: only about 4.3% of Rockland County soils rate as not limited for a conventional drain field, so expect a site evaluation and possibly an engineered system14. Call 845-364-265612. We could not confirm a private-well permit rule or a public sewer connection rule for the village; ask Village Hall.

Building a home in New Hempstead: the steps, in order

  1. Confirm the lot's zoning district and any use limits in Chapter 290 with Village Hall1.
  2. If you are dividing land, get Planning Board approval and file the plat with the Rockland County Clerk; no building permit issues in a proposed subdivision before that5.
  3. Get Rockland County Department of Health approval for any septic or wastewater plan3.
  4. Apply for the village building permit on Building Inspector forms9.
  5. If the site is in a mapped flood hazard area, get a floodplain development permit first6.
  6. Pass the Building Inspector's inspections and get a certificate of occupancy before moving in154.

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

Septic and wastewater stay with the Rockland County Department of Health3. Realty subdivisions of 3 or more lots need county review as well12. If the home sits on a state highway, a driveway permit from NYSDOT is required16.

County figures: Rockland County's typical home value is about $765,90817, and its effective property tax rate is 1.8%18. The county has about 1,965 people per square mile19, so this is suburban land, not remote acreage.

Watch-outs

  • We could not confirm village rules on RV occupancy, tiny homes, accessory dwellings or short-term rentals; ask Village Hall at 845.354.81008.
  • A change in use of a building generally needs a certificate of occupancy, except a change to a primarily agricultural use; that is not an exemption from other village or state rules20.
  • New Hempstead is in the Town of Ramapo; do not use the Clarkstown or other town offices for village building permits2.

Sources

  1. Chapter 290: Zoning - Village of New Hempstead, NY (Village of New Hempstead), quoted and re-checked
  2. Article VII: Administration and Enforcement - Village of New Hempstead, NY (Village of New Hempstead), quoted and re-checked
  3. Wastewater | Rockland County, NY (Village of New Hempstead), quoted and re-checked
  4. Article VII: Administration and Enforcement - Village of New Hempstead, NY (Village of New Hempstead), quoted and re-checked
  5. Chapter 255: Subdivision of Land - Village of New Hempstead, NY (Village of New Hempstead), quoted and re-checked
  6. ecode360.com (Village of New Hempstead), quoted and re-checked
  7. General Municipal Law, quoted and re-checked
  8. Village of New Hempstead Village Hall (building and zoning matters) (villageofnewhempstead.gov)
  9. Article VII: Administration and Enforcement - Village of New Hempstead, NY (Village of New Hempstead), quoted and re-checked
  10. Legal Memorandum LG03: NYS Uniform Fire Prevention and Building Code: What Elected Officials Need to Know (New York statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  11. Town of Clarkstown - Building Permits (2026 county census)
  12. Rockland County Department of Health, Environmental Health (rocklandcountyny.gov)
  13. Rockland County Sanitary Code, Article IV – Waste Facilities and Disposal, quoted and re-checked
  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
  15. Article VII: Administration and Enforcement - Village of New Hempstead, NY (Village of New Hempstead), quoted and re-checked
  16. Residential Driveway Permits (New York statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  17. Typical home value (Zillow): Bolthole Index county data
  18. Effective property tax rate: Bolthole Index county data
  19. Population density: Bolthole Index county data
  20. Article VII: Administration and Enforcement - Village of New Hempstead, NY (Village of New Hempstead), quoted and re-checked

Written October 24, 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 New Hempstead

Village of New Hempstead’s own rules

  • Building permitRequired

    Construction, reconstruction, moving, demolition, structural alteration, use changes, and nonordinary nonstructural alterations inside New Hempstead village limits.

    • Ordinary repairs are excluded.
    • Nonstructural alterations include interior walls, window enlargement, and extensions of plumbing, heating, or electrical systems or facilities.
    “A building permit is required for the construction, reconstruction, moving, demolition or structural alteration or change in the use of a building or a structure or for nonstructural alterations thereto other than ordinary repairs.”
  • InspectionsRequired

    Buildings, structures, and sites for which a building permit application is filed inside New Hempstead village limits.

    • The Building Inspector may conduct additional inspections during and upon completion of permitted work.
    “Before issuing a certificate of occupancy, the Building Inspector shall examine or cause to be examined all buildings, structures and sites for which an application has been filed for a building permit to construct, enlarge, alter, repair, remove, demolish or change the use or occupancy, and he may conduct such inspections as he deems appropriate from time to time during and upon completion of the work for which a building permit has been issued.”
  • Certificate of occupancyRequired

    Any building, structure, or portion with a Village-issued building permit inside New Hempstead village limits.

    • Continued use or occupancy must conform to the issued certificate of occupancy.
    • Changes in use or occupancy also require a certificate, except a change to a use primarily agricultural.
    “No building or structure or portion thereof for which a building permit has been issued shall be used or occupied in whole or in part until a certificate of occupancy shall have been issued by the Building Inspector.”
  • Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

    Land inside New Hempstead village limits.

    • Chapter 290 was adopted by the Village Board of Trustees; amendments are noted where applicable.
    “[HISTORY: Adopted by the Board of Trustees of the Village of New Hempstead 3-1-1984 by L.L. No. 11-1984. Amendments noted where applicable.]”
  • Agricultural exemptionConditional

    Changes in land or building use to a use primarily agricultural inside New Hempstead village limits.

    • This is an exception only to the cited certificate-of-occupancy requirement for a change in use; it is not an exemption from all other Village or state requirements.
    “No change shall be made in the use or type of occupancy of an existing building or structure or in the use of land, except to any use which is primarily agricultural, unless a certificate of occupancy authorizing such change in use shall have been issued by the Building Inspector.”
  • Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

    Subdivision of land inside New Hempstead village limits.

    • Planning Board approval is required under the Village regulations.
    • The approved plat must be filed with the Rockland County Clerk.
    • No building permit may issue in a proposed subdivision before approval and filing.
    “Land within the Village of New Hempstead may be subdivided into lots, blocks or sites, with or without streets or highways, only if approved by the Planning Board in accordance with the procedures and requirements as set forth in these regulations and only if the approved plat is duly filed in the office of the County Clerk of Rockland, New York.”
  • Building in a floodplainRequired

    Construction and other development in Village areas of special flood hazard.

    • Development shown on the referenced Flood Insurance Rate Map requires a valid floodplain development permit.
    • Application fee is set by Board resolution; applicant reimburses additional review, inspection, and approval costs; a deposit of no more than $500 may be required.

    maximum additional-cost deposit: <= 500 USD (to cover additional review, inspection, and approval costs)

    “It shall be unlawful to undertake any development in an area of special flood hazard, as shown on the Flood Insurance Rate Map enumerated in § 154-7, without a valid floodplain development permit.”
  • Permit processPublished (with conditions)

    Village building-permit applications inside New Hempstead village limits.

    • Application is on Building Inspector forms and requires the specified application information and documents.
    • Normally the Building Inspector decides within 20 days of receipt, except where board review is required; with required board approval, action is due within 10 days after written approval.
    • Fees must be received before permit issuance.

    ordinary review decision deadline: <= 20 days (except where review by the Board of Trustees, Planning Board, or Architectural Review Board is required) · post-board-approval decision deadline: <= 10 days (after receipt of written board approval)

    “The Building Inspector shall examine or cause to be examined all applications for permits and the plans, specifications and documents filed therewith. Within 20 days of receipt of the same, except where review by the Board of Trustees, Planning Board or Architectural Review Board is required, he shall approve or disapprove the permit.”

Rules another office applies inside Village of New Hempstead

Village of New Hempstead does not set these itself; the county, a health district or the state does, and they apply to every address inside its limits.

  • Who permits septicCounty (with conditions)

    Wastewater disposal, including septic matters, inside New Hempstead village limits as part of Rockland County.

    • The source describes county health-department regulation of wastewater disposal throughout Rockland; municipal sewer systems may be maintained locally.
    “The Rockland County Department of Health (RCDOH) regulates all phases of wastewater disposal in the Rockland, including:”

Still unanswered

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

  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builders of residences inside New Hempstead village limits.
  • Minimum dwelling size — One-family residence districts inside New Hempstead village limits.
  • Living in an RV — RV occupancy on private land inside New Hempstead village limits.
  • Camping on your land — Temporary camping on private land inside New Hempstead village limits.
  • Tiny homes — Tiny-home occupancy inside New Hempstead village limits.
7 more unanswered
  • Manufactured homes
  • Accessory dwellings
  • Septic inspection
  • Well permit
  • Mandatory utility hookup
  • Driveway access
  • 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 New Hempstead publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Rockland County’s page lists the county offices to call.

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