Bolthole Index

Suffolk County, New York

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

The Village of Dering Harbor, in Suffolk County, New York, adopted its own zoning law, and the village code bars living in trailers, house-cars or mobile homes12. Building permits are handled locally under the state Uniform Code3. Septic and sewage disposal follow Suffolk County Department of Health rules, not village rules4.

At a glance

Zoning
Yes, the village has its own zoning law with two districts, A Residential and B Residential15
Building permit
Required statewide for work under the Uniform Code, issued locally; village applications must include erosion and stormwater plans36
Septic
Suffolk County Department of Health regulations apply47
RV or trailer living
Prohibited2
Mobile homes
Prohibited for habitation8
Minimum home size
1,400 sq ft first floor and 2,000 sq ft total floor area9
Height limit
35 feet10
Driveways
Curb cut permit from the Building Inspector after Architectural Review Board approval11

Who to call

Building permits

Village of Dering Harbor, Village Clerk

Front door for the village's zoning, building permit and Architectural Review Board questions

631-749-0020

clerk@deringharborvillage.org

PO Box 3010 23 Locust Point Road Shelter Island Hts., NY 11965

Planning & zoning

Village of Dering Harbor Architectural Review Board

Architectural review of building and driveway applications

Septic permits

Suffolk County Department of Health Services, Office of Wastewater Management

Septic and sewage disposal permits and inspections, including inside villages

(631) 852-5700

360 Yaphank Avenue Suite 2C Yaphank, New York 11980

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

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Does Dering Harbor, NY have zoning, and what does it mean for RVs and tiny homes?

Yes. The Village of Dering Harbor adopted its own zoning law, Chapter 230, through its Board of Trustees, and it divides the village into A Residential and B Residential districts15. Suffolk County has no direct zoning power of its own, so the village law is the one that governs a lot inside the village12.

Living in a trailer is not an option here. The village code says no automobile or boat trailer, house-car or mobile home may be used for human habitation or parked in the open on private property28. We could not find a tiny-home provision in the village code, so ask the Village Clerk before planning one13.

How big and how tall can a house be in Dering Harbor?

In both the A Residential and B Residential districts, the first floor of a principal building must be at least 1,400 square feet, excluding porches, breezeways and attached accessory buildings, and total floor area must be at least 2,000 square feet, excluding basements and attics9. Total floor area of a principal building may not exceed 10,000 square feet, not counting accessory buildings9. No building may be taller than 35 feet10.

Those floors rule out small cabins and tiny homes as a principal dwelling. We could not confirm lot-size, setback or lot-coverage numbers for the two districts, so ask the Village Clerk for the district table before you buy.

Do you need a building permit in Dering Harbor, 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 them within its boundaries3. In Dering Harbor, that means the village, not Suffolk County. Village applications for a building permit must include plans for erosion and sediment control and stormwater management, which the village's Stormwater Management Officer may waive when construction does not add impervious surface or runoff6.

Driveways are separate: the Building Inspector issues the curb cut permit, but only after the Architectural Review Board reviews and approves the location11. The Architectural Review Board sits in front of both house and driveway applications, and in 2026 the village adopted a local law requiring a presubmission conference before the board for certain applications14. We could not confirm the village's own building permit fees or its owner-builder rules, so call the Village Clerk13.

How do septic permits work inside Dering Harbor?

Septic is a county matter even inside the village. The village code requires all sewage to be disposed of in compliance with the regulations of the Suffolk County Department of Health4. A new home needs a permit from the Suffolk County Department of Health Services' Office of Wastewater Management15. The county then requires an inspection after construction and before use16.

Soils make planning matter: only about 1% of Suffolk County soils are rated not limited for a conventional drain field, so expect a site evaluation and often an engineered or advanced system17. County rules set parcel-size thresholds for individual systems of 20,000 or 40,000 square feet depending on the groundwater management zone, unless you are in a sewer district or qualify for an exemption18. Confirm which applies to a specific lot with the Office of Wastewater Management before you offer on it.

What are the steps to build a home in Dering Harbor, in order?

  1. Ask the Village Clerk for the zoning district of the lot and the district's lot, setback and coverage rules13.
  2. Confirm with the Office of Wastewater Management that the lot can support an approved sewage system, and start the county permit15.
  3. Book the Architectural Review Board presubmission conference if your application falls under the new local law14.
  4. Prepare the village building permit application with erosion, sediment and stormwater plans6.
  5. Get Architectural Review Board approval for the house and the driveway curb cut, then the Building Inspector's permit11.
  6. Request the county septic inspection before use16.
  7. Ask the Village Clerk what certificate of occupancy or equivalent closes out the job13.

What stays with Suffolk County, and what should you check before buying in Dering Harbor?

Suffolk County, not the village, handles septic permits, and county rules cover private well testing and sewer connections719. If a lot fronts a county road, work in the county right-of-way needs a Highway Work Permit, and the village cannot issue its building permit until the county gives its approval20.

On cost, Suffolk County's effective property tax rate is 1.9% and the median bill is $10,001 a year2122. For land outside the village, see the Suffolk County page; county rules there do not apply the same way inside village limits.

Watch-outs

  • Dering Harbor adopted a local law in 2026 requiring a presubmission conference before the Architectural Review Board for certain applications, so confirm current procedure with the Village Clerk before filing14.
  • We could not confirm the village's building permit fees, owner-builder rules, lot-size and setback numbers, well rules or floodplain rules; ask the Village Clerk13.
  • Applicants to village boards must reimburse the village's costs of considering an application, and the village may require a deposit, so budget for professional and review fees on top of any permit fee23.

Sources

  1. Chapter 230: Zoning - Village of Dering Harbor, NY (Village of Dering Harbor), quoted and re-checked
  2. Article IV: Regulations Applicable to Both Districts - Village of Dering Harbor, NY (Village of Dering Harbor), quoted and re-checked
  3. Part 1203 Uniform Code and the Energy Code: Minimum Standards for Administration and Enforcement (New York statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  4. Article IV: Regulations Applicable to Both Districts - Village of Dering Harbor, NY (Village of Dering Harbor), quoted and re-checked
  5. Article II: Districts - Village of Dering Harbor, NY (Village of Dering Harbor), quoted and re-checked
  6. Article IV: Regulations Applicable to Both Districts - Village of Dering Harbor, NY (Village of Dering Harbor), quoted and re-checked
  7. Wastewater Management, quoted and re-checked
  8. Article IV: Regulations Applicable to Both Districts - Village of Dering Harbor, NY (Village of Dering Harbor), quoted and re-checked
  9. Article IV: Regulations Applicable to Both Districts - Village of Dering Harbor, NY (Village of Dering Harbor), quoted and re-checked
  10. Article IV: Regulations Applicable to Both Districts - Village of Dering Harbor, NY (Village of Dering Harbor), quoted and re-checked
  11. Article IV: Regulations Applicable to Both Districts - Village of Dering Harbor, NY (Village of Dering Harbor), quoted and re-checked
  12. Suffolk County Planning Commission Minutes: November 5, 2003, quoted and re-checked
  13. Village of Dering Harbor, Village Clerk (deringharborvillage.org)
  14. Village of Dering Harbor Architectural Review Board (deringharborvillage.org)
  15. Suffolk County Department of Health Services, Office of Wastewater Management (suffolkcountyny.gov)
  16. Wastewater Management, quoted and re-checked
  17. 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
  18. Suffolk County Sanitary Code – Article 6, quoted and re-checked
  19. Private Well Water Testing Program, quoted and re-checked
  20. Non-Utility Highway Work Permit, quoted and re-checked
  21. Effective property tax rate: Bolthole Index county data
  22. Median property tax bill: Bolthole Index county data
  23. Chapter 88: Fees - Village of Dering Harbor, NY (Village of Dering Harbor), 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 Dering Harbor

Village of Dering Harbor’s own rules

  • Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

    Land inside Dering Harbor village.

    • Chapter 230 was adopted by the Village Board of Trustees; district-specific provisions apply.
    “[HISTORY: Adopted by the Board of Trustees of the Village of Dering Harbor 8-22-1970 by L.L. No. 4-1970. Amendments noted where applicable.]”
  • Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

    Land inside Dering Harbor village.

    • A Residential District and B Residential District are the published districts.
    “For the purpose of this chapter, the Village is hereby divided into two districts designated as follows: A Residential. B Residential.”
  • Minimum dwelling sizeSpecified

    Principal buildings in both A Residential and B Residential Districts inside Dering Harbor village.

    • Porches, breezeways, and attached or semiattached accessory buildings are excluded from first-floor-area measurement.
    • Basements and attics are excluded from total-floor-area measurement.
    • The total floor area may not exceed 10,000 square feet exclusive of accessory buildings.

    minimum first-floor area: >= 1400 square feet (Excluding porches, breezeways, and attached or semiattached accessory buildings) · minimum total floor area: >= 2000 square feet (Excluding basements and attics)

    “Excluding porches, breezeways, and attached or semiattached accessory buildings, the area of the first floor of a principal building shall not be less than 1,400 square feet, and further excluding basements and attics, the total floor area shall not be less than 2,000 square feet. The total floor area of any principal building shall not exceed 10,000 square feet exclusive of accessory buildings.”
  • Building heightSpecified

    Buildings in both A Residential and B Residential Districts inside Dering Harbor village.

    maximum building height: <= 35 feet

    “No building shall exceed 35 feet in height.”
  • Living in an RVProhibited

    Human habitation in automobile or boat trailers and house-cars inside Dering Harbor village.

    “No automobile or boat trailer, house-cars or mobile homes shall be used for human habitation, nor shall they be permitted to be parked in the open on private property.”
  • Manufactured homesProhibited

    Human habitation in mobile homes inside Dering Harbor village.

    “No automobile or boat trailer, house-cars or mobile homes shall be used for human habitation, nor shall they be permitted to be parked in the open on private property.”
  • Who permits septicCounty (with conditions)

    Sewage disposal for land inside Dering Harbor village.

    • All sewage must comply with Suffolk County Department of Health regulations.
    “Sewage disposal. All sewage shall be disposed in compliance with the regulations of the Suffolk County Department of Health.”
  • Driveway accessRequired

    Curb cuts and driveway aprons serving properties inside Dering Harbor village.

    • The Building Inspector issues the permit only after Architectural Review Board review and approval.
    • New, expanded, relocated, or modified driveways require Architectural Review Board review.
    “The location of the curb cut and the apron required in Subsection A(6) shall be subject to a permit issued by the Building Inspector after review and approval of the Architectural Review Board.”
  • Permit feesVariable (with conditions)

    Applications to Dering Harbor village boards, including land-use applications.

    • Applicants must reimburse all Village costs and expenses listed in the provision.
    • The Village may require a deposit sufficient for expected costs before hearing or consideration.
    • Additional deposits may be required during processing; excess funds are refunded and deficiencies must be paid.
    “Applicants to the Village Boards of the Village of Dering Harbor shall be required to reimburse the Village of Dering Harbor for all costs and expenses of the Village of Dering Harbor in the consideration, hearing and decision on the application, including, but not limited to, stenography, consulting, professional, copying and processing expenses and fees.”
  • Permit processPartial

    Building-permit applications inside Dering Harbor village.

    • Building-permit applications must include erosion-and-sediment-control and stormwater-management plans.
    • The Stormwater Management Officer may waive a plan where the proposed construction does not increase impervious surfaces or stormwater runoff.
    “All applications for a building permit shall include plans for erosion and sediment control and stormwater management. The SMO may waive the requirement for the submission of a plan where it is determined that the proposed construction activity does not increase site impervious surfaces or otherwise cause an increase in stormwater runoff.”

Still unanswered

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

  • Building permit — Residential construction inside Dering Harbor village.
  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-built dwellings inside Dering Harbor village.
  • Building code adopted — Construction inside Dering Harbor village.
  • Inspections — Residential construction inside Dering Harbor village.
  • Certificate of occupancy — Residential construction or occupancy inside Dering Harbor village.
13 more unanswered
  • Minimum lot size
  • Setbacks
  • Lot coverage
  • Camping on your land
  • Tiny homes
  • Septic permit
  • Septic inspection
  • Well permit
  • Mandatory utility hookup
  • Agricultural exemption
  • Subdividing land
  • 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 Dering Harbor publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Suffolk County’s page lists the county offices to call.

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