Bolthole Index

Suffolk County, New York

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

The Village of Westhampton Beach, New York requires a building permit from the Village Building Inspector for new construction, alterations, demolition and listed driveway and fill work1. The Village also writes its own zoning, with residence districts numbered 1 through 52. Septic enforcement inside the Village is delegated to Suffolk County health and public works departments3.

At a glance

Building permit
Required; issued by the Village Building Inspector1
Zoning
Village zoning (Chapter 197), not county zoning24
Septic
Suffolk County enforces its sanitary code inside the Village3
Second dwelling on a lot
Prohibited in Residence Districts 1 to 4 without a use variance5
Residence District 3 lot
At least 20,000 sq ft and 100 ft wide; 20% building coverage67
Floodplain
Separate floodplain development permit required8
Property tax
1.9% effective rate (Suffolk County)9

Who to call

Building permits

Village of Westhampton Beach Building & Zoning

Building permits, zoning applications and code questions inside the Village

(631) 288-3483

165 Mill Road Westhampton Beach, New York 11978

Septic permits

Suffolk County Department of Health Services, Office of Wastewater Management

Septic and wastewater approvals for new homes, countywide 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 Westhampton Beach means bringing your own water and power. The kit we’d start with:

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Does Westhampton Beach have zoning, and what does it mean for lot size and second dwellings?

Yes. The Village of Westhampton Beach publishes its own zoning districts in Chapter 197 of the Village Code, including Residence Districts 1 through 52. Suffolk County has no direct zoning power, so zoning inside the Village comes from the Village and not from the county4.

The rules differ by district. In Residence District 3, the lot area may not be less than 20,000 square feet and the lot width not less than 100 feet6. Building area lot coverage in Residence District 3 may not exceed 20% of the lot area, excluding land south of the crest of the northerly dune and State-designated tidal wetlands7. Buildings in Residence District 3 may not exceed two stories and 32 feet above the determined base flood elevation10.

In Residence Districts 1, 2, 3 and 4, a second building used for dwelling purposes on the same parcel as a single-family residence is a prohibited use unless it is nonconforming or the Zoning Board of Appeals grants a use variance5. Check your parcel's district on the Village zoning map before you plan a guest house or cottage.

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

Yes. The Village Building Inspector issues building permits for erecting, altering, demolishing or changing the occupancy of a building or structure, for constructing or replacing an access driveway or walkway, and for placing fill that raises any part of a lot by more than one foot1. The same code section says a separate zoning permit may also be required, so plan on two approvals for new construction1.

Building permits are issued by the Village, not by Suffolk County11. New York's Uniform Code applies everywhere outside New York City, and a certificate of occupancy or certificate of compliance is required for work that needed a building permit12.

A driveway must also be approved by the Village Department of Public Works13. Development in a flood zone needs a floodplain development permit under Chapter 91 of the Village Code8. We could not confirm an owner-builder permit exemption inside the Village, so ask the Building & Zoning office before you plan to pull a permit yourself.

Who do you call about building permits and zoning in Westhampton Beach?

Call the Village of Westhampton Beach Building & Zoning office at (631) 288-348314. The office is at 165 Mill Road Westhampton Beach, New York 11978 and is open Monday to Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.14

Use this office, not the Suffolk County planning or health counters, for building permits and zoning approval inside Village limits. The county's role is septic and wastewater approval, covered below.

The Building Inspector inspects work during construction, and may accept certified written inspection reports from recognized inspection bureaus15.

How do septic permits work inside Westhampton Beach?

Suffolk County, not the Village, handles septic. The Village delegates enforcement of the applicable Suffolk County Sanitary Code provisions inside Village limits to the Suffolk County Department of Health Services and the Department of Public Works3. The county's Office of Wastewater Management requires a permit for a new home or business16, and an inspection must be requested after construction and before use17. Reach that office at (631) 852-570018.

Parts of the Village's sewer system lie outside its service areas. Those nonservice areas are served by private on-site wastewater systems, and owners bear all of the cost19.

Parcel size matters. Outside Groundwater Management Zones III, V and VI, an individual septic system generally needs a parcel of at least 20,000 square feet, and inside those zones at least 40,000 square feet, with listed exceptions20. Soils are tight on the numbers: USDA rates only 1.2% of Suffolk County soils as not limited for a conventional drain field, so expect a site evaluation and often an engineered system21. We could not confirm any Village-specific septic or well rules beyond the county code, so ask the Building & Zoning office whether your parcel has any.

Can you live in an RV or tiny home on your land in Westhampton Beach?

We could not confirm a Village rule on living in an RV or a tiny home on private land in Westhampton Beach. Call the Village Building & Zoning office at (631) 288-3483 before you buy or park anything14.

Do not rely on the Suffolk County campground rules, which cover county campground sites only and set no rule for private land22. Any tiny home that is a building or structure would also need a building permit from the Village1, and a second dwelling beside a house is prohibited in Residence Districts 1 to 4 without a use variance5.

Building a home in Westhampton Beach: the steps, in order

  1. Confirm your parcel's zoning district and dimensional limits with the Village Building & Zoning office14.
  2. Check flood status. Development in a flood zone needs a floodplain development permit8.
  3. If the land would be split or sold in lots, expect Village subdivision review under Chapter 150 of the Village Code23 and Suffolk County Department of Health review of water supply and sewage disposal24.
  4. Get septic or wastewater approval from the Suffolk County Office of Wastewater Management before building25.
  5. Apply to the Village Building Inspector for a building permit, plus a zoning permit if required1.
  6. Get Department of Public Works approval for any new driveway13.
  7. Have inspections done as work proceeds, then obtain the certificate of occupancy before moving in12.

What stays with Suffolk County, and what should you check before you buy?

Septic and wastewater approvals stay with Suffolk County3. For land outside the Village, see the Suffolk County page, because the Village's rules end at its boundary.

Driveways onto a county road need a Suffolk County Highway Work Permit26. A driveway onto a state highway needs a permit from the NYS Department of Transportation27.

The county's private-well testing fee is $350 for a well serving new construction and $100 for an existing approved well or a residence with a valid certificate of occupancy28.

Budget for carrying costs. Suffolk County's effective property tax rate is 1.9%9, the median property tax bill is $10,001 a year29, and the typical home value is $726,69230.

Watch-outs

  • We could not confirm whether Westhampton Beach exempts owner-built homes from a building permit; ask the Village Building & Zoning office at (631) 288-348314.
  • We could not confirm Village rules on RV living, tiny homes, manufactured homes or short-term rentals; get the answer from Village Building & Zoning before you buy.14
  • A building permit is separate from the zoning permit and the floodplain development permit, and a parcel can need all three18.
  • Septic approval comes from Suffolk County, and parcel size and Groundwater Management Zone decide whether a conventional system is allowed20.

Sources

  1. Village Code, Chapter 70, Article II: General Provisions (Village of Westhampton Beach), quoted and re-checked
  2. Village Code, Chapter 197, Article II: District Regulations (Village of Westhampton Beach), quoted and re-checked
  3. Village Code, Chapter 141, Sewers (Village of Westhampton Beach), quoted and re-checked
  4. Suffolk County Planning Commission Minutes: November 5, 2003, quoted and re-checked
  5. Village Code, Chapter 197, Article II: District Regulations (Village of Westhampton Beach), quoted and re-checked
  6. Village Code, Chapter 197, Article II: District Regulations (Village of Westhampton Beach), quoted and re-checked
  7. Village Code, Chapter 197, Article II: District Regulations (Village of Westhampton Beach), quoted and re-checked
  8. Village Code, Chapter 91, Flood Damage Prevention (Village of Westhampton Beach), quoted and re-checked
  9. Effective property tax rate: Bolthole Index county data
  10. Village Code, Chapter 197, Article II: District Regulations (Village of Westhampton Beach), quoted and re-checked
  11. Village of Port Jefferson (Suffolk County) - Building Permit Application (2026 county census)
  12. Part 1203 Uniform Code and the Energy Code: Minimum Standards for Administration and Enforcement (New York statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  13. ecode360.com (Village of Westhampton Beach), quoted and re-checked
  14. Village of Westhampton Beach Building & Zoning (westhamptonbeach.gov)
  15. Village Code, Chapter 70, Article II: General Provisions (Village of Westhampton Beach), quoted and re-checked
  16. Wastewater Management, quoted and re-checked
  17. Wastewater Management, quoted and re-checked
  18. Suffolk County Department of Health Services, Office of Wastewater Management (suffolkcountyny.gov)
  19. Village Code, Chapter 141, Sewers (Village of Westhampton Beach), quoted and re-checked
  20. Suffolk County Sanitary Code – Article 6, quoted and re-checked
  21. 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
  22. Campground Rules and Regulations, quoted and re-checked
  23. Village Code, Chapter 150, Subdivision of Land (Village of Westhampton Beach), quoted and re-checked
  24. suffolkcountyny.gov, quoted and re-checked
  25. Suffolk County Sanitary Code Article 6, quoted and re-checked
  26. Non-Utility Highway Work Permit, quoted and re-checked
  27. Residential Driveway Permits (New York statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  28. Private Well Water Testing Program, quoted and re-checked
  29. Median property tax bill: Bolthole Index county data
  30. Typical home value (Zillow): Bolthole Index county data

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 Westhampton Beach

Village of Westhampton Beach’s own rules

  • Building permitRequired

    Erection, construction, alteration, demolition, occupancy changes, listed driveway or walkway work, and listed fill work inside the Village.

    • A separate zoning permit may also be required.
    • The fill trigger is an elevation increase of more than one foot.

    fill elevation increase: > 1 foot (Placement of soil, sand, or earth fill on a lot or parcel)

    “No person, firm or corporation shall commence the erection, construction, enlargement alteration, modification, removal, improvement, demolition, conversion or change in the nature of the occupancy of any building or structure, or construct, alter or replace any part of any access driveway or walkway, or place soil, sand or earth fill on any lot or parcel of land which will increase the elevation on any part of the lot or parcel of land by more than one foot, or cause the same to be done, without first obtaining a building permit separate and distinct from that required by Chapter 197, Zoning, from the Building Inspector for each such building or structure or driveway or walkway or placement of soil, sand or earth on any lot or parcel of land.”
  • InspectionsRequired

    Buildings and structures subject to Village building-code enforcement.

    • The Building Inspector may accept certified written reports from specified inspectors or recognized inspection bureaus.
    “He shall make all inspections which are necessary or proper for the carrying out of his duties, except that he may accept written reports of inspection from building inspectors or other employees of the Department of Buildings or from generally recognized and authoritative service and inspection bureaus, provided that the same are certified by a responsible official thereof.”
  • Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

    Village zoning districts.

    • The Chapter 197 table of contents publishes residential, business, marina, parks and conservation, multifamily, hotel, hamlet commercial/residential, and industrial district regulations.
    “§ 197-6 Residential District 1. § 197-7 Residential District 2. § 197-8 Residential District 3. § 197-9 Residential District 4. § 197-10 Residential District 5 (Pond Point).”
  • Off-grid sanitationLimited

    Village sewer-system nonservice areas.

    • Private on-site wastewater disposal systems serve nonservice areas.
    • Owners bear all costs of private on-site wastewater disposal systems.
    “Those areas of the sewer system which are outside of the service areas are designated herein as "nonservice areas." The nonservice areas shall be serviced by private on-site wastewater disposal systems. All costs relating to private on-site wastewater disposal systems shall be borne by the owners of those systems without any cost or expense to the Village.”
  • Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

    Subdivision proposals inside the Village.

    • The chapter includes minor-subdivision review, preliminary and final submission procedures, fees, required improvements, bonds, and inspections.
    “Chapter 150 Subdivision of Land [...] § 150-20 Minor subdivision review. [...] § 150-37 Final filing fee. [...] § 150-46 Improvements subject to inspection.”
  • Driveway accessRequired

    Construction, alteration, or replacement of access driveways inside the Village.

    • The driveway must conform with established local laws, regulations, and specifications.
    “The construction, alteration or replacement of any access driveway shall be approved by the Department of Public Works and shall be in conformance with established local laws, regulations and specifications.”
  • Building in a floodplainRequired

    Floodplain development inside the Village.

    • The cited code section expressly includes fees and additional costs.
    “§ 91-12 Floodplain development permit required; fees and additional costs.”

Rules another office applies inside Village of Westhampton Beach

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

  • Minimum lot sizeDistrict specific (with conditions)

    Residential District 3 inside the Village.

    • The code specifies where and how the lot width is measured.

    minimum lot area: >= 20000 square feet (Residential District 3) · minimum lot width: >= 100 feet (Residential District 3)

    “The lot area shall not be less than 20,000 square feet, and the lot width shall not be less than 100 feet. Said lot width shall be measured and shall apply at the front lot line, at the front of the nearest roofed portion of any structure closest to Dune Road and at the crest-of-dune line.”
  • Lot coverageDistrict specific (with conditions)

    Residential District 3 inside the Village.

    • Areas south of the crest of the northerly dune and State-designated tidal wetlands are excluded from the stated building-area calculation.

    maximum building area lot coverage: <= 20 percent (Residential District 3)

    “The building area lot coverage shall not exceed 20% of the lot area, exclusive of all areas south of the crest of the northerly dune and all areas designated as tidal wetlands by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation.”
  • Building heightDistrict specific (with conditions)

    Residential District 3 inside the Village.

    • The code provides limited pitched-roof exceptions in special flood-hazard areas subject to listed conditions, including Chapter 91 compliance.

    ordinary maximum height: <= 32 feet (Above determined base flood elevation) · special flood hazard maximum height: <= 40 feet (Above mean sea level, subject to listed exception)

    “No building shall exceed two stories and a height of 32 feet above the determined base flood elevation. All buildings in an area of special flood hazard, as defined by Chapter 91, Flood Damage Prevention, shall not exceed a height of 40 feet above mean sea level except as is set forth herein:”
  • Accessory dwellingsProhibited

    Residence Districts 1, 2, 3, and 4 inside the Village.

    • The prohibition does not apply to a defined nonconforming use or where the Zoning Board of Appeals grants a use variance.
    “In the Residence District 1, Residence District 2, Residence District 3, and Residence District 4, the use of any parcel of land for both a single-family residence and a separate building used or designed to be used in whole or in part for dwelling purposes [...] shall be a prohibited use, unless it is a nonconforming use [...] or a use variance shall have been granted therefor by the Zoning Board of Appeals.”
  • Who permits septicCounty (with conditions)

    Sewage-disposal and sewer-code enforcement inside the Village of Westhampton Beach.

    • The Village incorporates the cited Suffolk County provisions as amended from time to time.
    • The Village delegates enforcement of incorporated provisions to Suffolk County Department of Health Services and Suffolk County Department of Public Works.
    “The Village delegates to the Suffolk County Department of Health Services and the Suffolk County Department of Public Works authority to enforce within the corporate limits of the Village those provisions of the Suffolk County Sanitary Code and Suffolk County Code made applicable by Subsection A of this section.”

Still unanswered

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

  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-built residential construction inside the Village.
  • Living in an RV — Long-term recreational-vehicle occupancy on private land inside the Village.
  • Tiny homes — Tiny homes inside the Village.
  • Manufactured homes — Manufactured-home occupancy inside the Village.
  • Septic permit — Private on-site wastewater systems inside the Village.
4 more unanswered
  • Septic inspection
  • Well permit
  • Agricultural exemption
  • 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 Westhampton Beach publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Suffolk County’s page lists the county offices to call.

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