Bolthole Index

Westchester County, New York

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

The Village of Tuckahoe, New York, requires a building permit from the Village Building Inspector for nearly all construction, alteration or demolition1. The village also has its own zoning ordinance with set residence districts23. Septic approvals are not handled by the village building office; we could not confirm the village's septic rules, so ask the Westchester County Department of Health4.

At a glance

Building permit
Required from the Village Building Inspector; ordinary non-structural repairs are excepted1
Zoning
Village of Tuckahoe Zoning Ordinance of 2001, with eight districts23
Building code
NYS Uniform Fire Prevention and Building Code, enforced by the Village5
Minimum lot, Residence A-10
12,000 sq ft (10,000 for lots existing on or before July 1, 1999)6
Floodplain
Floodplain development permit required in mapped special flood hazard areas7
Septic
Not confirmed for the village; contact Westchester County Department of Health4
RV and tiny-home living
Not confirmed; ask the Building Department8

Who to call

Building permits

Village of Tuckahoe Building Department

Building permits, Uniform Code enforcement and the village zoning code inside the Village of Tuckahoe

914-961-8148

65 Main Street 2nd Fl, Room 200 Tuckahoe, NY 10707

Septic permits

Westchester County Department of Health, Septic System Management

County septic program: licenses septic contractors and runs septic repair programs

(914) 995-7285

148 Martine Avenue, White Plains, NY 10601

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

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Do you need a building permit in the Village of Tuckahoe, NY?

Yes. The Village of Tuckahoe requires a separate building permit from the Building Inspector for each building or structure before anyone erects, enlarges, alters, removes, demolishes or changes the occupancy of it1. Ordinary repairs that are not structural are the stated exception1. The village enforces the New York State Uniform Fire Prevention and Building Code, which applies in every village outside New York City59.

Applications go to the Building Inspector on forms the Inspector supplies10. Fees are set by Board of Trustees resolution, so ask the Building Department for the current list11. A certificate of occupancy or compliance is required for work that needed a building permit12.

Who issues building permits in Tuckahoe, and how do you reach them?

The Village of Tuckahoe Building Department, in Village Hall, issues building permits and enforces the village zoning code8. Call 914-961-81488. The department says appointments with the Building Inspector must be made by phone or in person8. Westchester County does not issue building permits for land inside the village; its planning department only reviews certain referred zoning actions13.

Does Tuckahoe have zoning, and what are the lot size and setback rules?

Yes. The Village of Tuckahoe Zoning Ordinance of 2001 divides the village into Residence A-10, Residence A-5, Residence B, Business/Residential, Apartment 3, Business, Industry and General Commercial districts23. Rules differ by district.

In Residence A-10, the minimum lot is 12,000 square feet, or 10,000 for lots that existed on or before July 1, 19996. Residence A-10 yards are 35 feet front, 20 feet side and 40 feet rear, with smaller figures of 25, 15 and 30 feet for those older lots14. Buildings may cover at most 25 percent of an A-10 lot15 and reach 35 feet in height16. In Residence A-5, the minimum lot is 10,000 square feet, or 5,000 for older lots17.

We could not confirm village rules on RV occupancy, tiny homes, accessory dwellings or manufactured homes, so ask the Building Department before planning any of them.

How do septic permits work in Tuckahoe, NY?

We could not confirm who approves on-site sewage systems inside the Village of Tuckahoe, and we found no village septic permit provision. Westchester County's Department of Health runs the county septic program, so start there4. Statewide, approval for septic systems may be needed from the city, county or state health department before construction, depending on the property's location18. The village is a dense, built-up place, so confirm with the Building Department whether your lot is on public sewer.

Building in Tuckahoe: the steps, in order

  1. Confirm your zoning district and the lot-size and yard rules with the Building Department8.
  2. Check whether the lot lies in a special flood hazard area, where a floodplain development permit is required7.
  3. Apply for a building permit on the Building Inspector's forms10.
  4. Keep work accessible and exposed until it is inspected and accepted19.
  5. Obtain a certificate of occupancy or compliance before using the building12.
  6. For septic or sewer questions, call the Westchester County Department of Health4.

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

Westchester County has no countywide zoning administrator; each city, town and village sets its own13. For land outside the village, use the Westchester County page. County-level figures: the effective property tax rate is 1.6 percent20 and the median property tax bill is $10,001 a year21. Westchester County has about 990,817 residents22.

Watch-outs

  • Septic, well, RV, tiny-home, accessory-dwelling and owner-builder rules inside Tuckahoe are unconfirmed; ask the Village Building Department at 914-961-81488.
  • The Building Department says it does not accept online payments or invoices, so call before sending anything8.

Sources

  1. Article III: Building Permits - Village of Tuckahoe, NY (Village of Tuckahoe), quoted and re-checked
  2. Appendix A: Zoning - Village of Tuckahoe, NY (Village of Tuckahoe), quoted and re-checked
  3. Article II: Zoning Ordinance and Zoning Map - Village of Tuckahoe, NY (Village of Tuckahoe), quoted and re-checked
  4. Westchester County Department of Health, Septic System Management (health.westchestercountyny.gov)
  5. Village of Tuckahoe, NY In General (Village of Tuckahoe), quoted and re-checked
  6. Village of Tuckahoe Schedule of Area and Bulk Requirements (Village of Tuckahoe), quoted and re-checked
  7. Chapter 8A: Flood Damage Prevention - Village of Tuckahoe, NY (Village of Tuckahoe), quoted and re-checked
  8. Village of Tuckahoe Building Department (tuckahoe.gov)
  9. Legal Memorandum LG03: NYS Uniform Fire Prevention and Building Code: What Elected Officials Need to Know, quoted and re-checked
  10. Article III: Building Permits - Village of Tuckahoe, NY (Village of Tuckahoe), quoted and re-checked
  11. Article III: Building Permits - Village of Tuckahoe, NY (Village of Tuckahoe), quoted and re-checked
  12. Legal Memorandum LG03: NYS Uniform Fire Prevention and Building Code: What Elected Officials Need to Know, quoted and re-checked
  13. Director of Code Enforcement, quoted and re-checked
  14. Village of Tuckahoe Schedule of Area and Bulk Requirements (Village of Tuckahoe), quoted and re-checked
  15. Village of Tuckahoe Schedule of Area and Bulk Requirements (Village of Tuckahoe), quoted and re-checked
  16. Village of Tuckahoe Schedule of Area and Bulk Requirements (Village of Tuckahoe), quoted and re-checked
  17. Village of Tuckahoe Schedule of Area and Bulk Requirements (Village of Tuckahoe), quoted and re-checked
  18. State Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (SPDES) Permit Program (New York statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  19. Legal Memorandum LG03: NYS Uniform Fire Prevention and Building Code: What Elected Officials Need to Know, quoted and re-checked
  20. Effective property tax rate: Bolthole Index county data
  21. Median property tax bill: Bolthole Index county data
  22. County population: 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 Tuckahoe

Village of Tuckahoe’s own rules

  • Building permitRequired

    Erection, construction, enlargement, alteration, removal, improvement, demolition, conversion, or occupancy change of a building or structure inside the Village.

    • A separate permit from the Building Inspector is required for each building or structure.
    • Ordinary repairs that are not structural in nature are excepted.
    “No person shall commence the erection, construction, enlargement, alteration, removal, improvement, demolition, conversion or change in the nature of the occupancy of any building or structure, or cause the same to be done, without first obtaining a separate building permit from the Building Inspector for each such building or structure; except that no building permit shall be required for the performance of ordinary repairs which are not structural in nature.”
  • Building code adoptedAdopted (with conditions)

    Buildings in the Village of Tuckahoe.

    • The New York State Uniform Fire Prevention and Building Code is applicable and enforced by the Village.
    “In accordance with the New York State Executive Law, the provisions of the New York State Uniform Fire Prevention and Building Code shall be applicable in and enforced by the Village of Tuckahoe.”
  • Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

    Land inside the Village of Tuckahoe.

    “This ordinance shall be known and may be cited as the "Village of Tuckahoe Zoning Ordinance of 2001."”
  • Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

    Land inside the Village of Tuckahoe.

    districts: Residence A-10; Residence A-5; Residence B; Business/Residential; Apartment 3; Business; Industry; General Commercial

    “The Village of Tuckahoe is hereby divided into the following districts: Residence A-10 Residence A-5 Residence B Business/Residential Apartment 3 Business Industry General Commercial”
  • Minimum lot sizeDistrict specific (with conditions)

    Residence A-10 District inside the Village of Tuckahoe.

    • The parenthetical 10,000-square-foot requirement applies to lots existing on or before July 1, 1999.

    minimum lot size: 12000 square feet (10,000 square feet for lots existing on or before July 1, 1999)

    “Residence A-10 § 4-1 12,000 (10,000) [...] 2 (Parentheses) indicate old area and bulk requirements, which apply to lots that existed on or before July 1, 1999.”
    One more reviewed finding on this topic
    • District specific (with conditions) — Residence A-5 District inside the Village of Tuckahoe.
      “Residence A-5 § 4-2 10,000 (5,000) [...] 2 (Parentheses) indicate old area and bulk requirements, which apply to lots that existed on or before July 1, 1999.”
  • SetbacksDistrict specific (with conditions)

    Residence A-10 District inside the Village of Tuckahoe.

    • Parenthetical yard dimensions apply to lots existing on or before July 1, 1999.
    • The schedule's listed projection exceptions apply.

    front yard: 35 feet (25 feet for lots existing on or before July 1, 1999) · side yard: 20 feet (15 feet or two times building height for lots existing on or before July 1, 1999) · rear yard: 40 feet (30 feet for lots existing on or before July 1, 1999)

    “Minimum Yards (feet) [...] Residence A-10 § 4-1 [...] 35 [a] (25) 20 [a] (15 or 2x building height) 40 [a] (30)”
  • Lot coverageDistrict specific (with conditions)

    Residence A-10 District inside the Village of Tuckahoe.

    maximum building coverage: <= 25 percent

    “Maximum Building [...] Coverage [...] Residence A-10 § 4-1 [...] 35 25% 0.4”
  • Building heightDistrict specific (with conditions)

    Residence A-10 District inside the Village of Tuckahoe.

    maximum height: <= 35 feet

    “Maximum Height [...] (feet/story) [...] Residence A-10 § 4-1 [...] 35 25% 0.4”
  • Building in a floodplainRequired

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

    • Applies only in areas of special flood hazard within Village jurisdiction.
    • A floodplain development permit is required before development in those areas.
    “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 § 8A-6, without a valid floodplain development permit.”
  • Permit feesVariable (with conditions)

    Village building-permit applications.

    • Fees are established by Board of Trustees resolution at a scheduled public meeting.
    • Separate fee categories may be set for new work, repairs and alterations; razing and demolition; and pools, fences and walls.
    • The fee list is maintained and posted by the Village Clerk and Building Department.
    “Upon the filing of an application for a building permit under this Article, a fee shall be payable as may be established by the Board of Trustees by resolution adopted at a scheduled public meeting of the Board of Trustees.”
  • Permit processPublished (with conditions)

    Village building-permit applications.

    • Application is made to the Building Inspector on forms supplied by the Inspector.
    • The listed application information and supporting documents are required.
    “Application for a building permit required by § 6-37 shall be made to the Building Inspector on forms provided by him and shall contain the following information:”

Still unanswered

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

  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-built construction inside the Village of Tuckahoe.
  • Inspections — Construction inside the Village of Tuckahoe.
  • Certificate of occupancy — Occupancy of buildings inside the Village of Tuckahoe.
  • Minimum dwelling size — Dwellings inside the Village of Tuckahoe.
  • Living in an RV — Long-term recreational-vehicle occupancy on private land inside the Village of Tuckahoe.
14 more unanswered
  • 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
  • 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 Tuckahoe publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Westchester County’s page lists the county offices to call.

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