Bolthole Index

Nassau County, New York

Building permits, zoning and land rules in the Village of Kensington, New York

The Village of Kensington, in Nassau County, New York, sets its own zoning through Chapter 151 of the village code, with five districts1. New York State requires a building permit for work that must meet the Uniform Code, enforced by the local authority2. Septic and sewage rules in Nassau County come through the Nassau County Department of Health3.

At a glance

Zoning
Yes: the village's own Chapter 151, five districts14
Building permit
Required under the state Uniform Code, enforced locally2
Minimum lot (Residence A)
8,000 sq ft5
Minimum lot (Residence B)
7,500 sq ft6
Maximum height
35 feet or less in Residence A7
Septic
Nassau County Department of Health for subdivisions; ask the local building department for single homes3

Who to call

Zoning

Village of Kensington, Village Clerk's office

Keeps the village building zone map; the starting point for zoning questions in Kensington

Septic permits

Nassau County Department of Health, Bureau of Environmental Engineering

Reviews on-site sewage disposal plans and issues 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 Kensington means bringing your own water and power. The kit we’d start with:

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Does Kensington, New York have zoning, and what does it allow?

Yes. The Village of Kensington adopted its own zoning, and the village code divides the village into five districts1. The districts are Residence A, B, C, D and a Special Office district, and the building zone map is on file with the Village Clerk4.

In the Residence A District, a building may not go on a lot under 8,000 square feet, and Residence B sets 7,500 square feet56. Residence A also requires 100 feet of street frontage5.

Zoning is a village matter, not a county one: Nassau County's Planning Commission reviews referred zoning changes but does not replace the village as decision-maker8.

What are the setback, height and lot-coverage rules in Kensington?

In Residence A, the front yard may never be nearer than 30 feet to the street line, side yards must be at least 10 feet each except on corner lots, and the rear yard must be at least 15 feet9.

Buildings may not exceed three stories or 35 feet, whichever is less, and accessory structures are limited to 16 feet7. All buildings together may not cover more than 35% of the lot10. The floor area ratio may not exceed 0.4, and paved areas are limited to 30% of the front yard and 25% of the rear yard10.

The permitted principal use in Residence A is a dwelling for not more than one family; the village code in the sections we read says nothing specific about tiny homes, so ask the Village Clerk before planning one4.

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

New York State requires building permits for work that must conform to the Uniform Code, and each local authority administers and enforces that requirement within its boundaries2. A local authority may exempt a few small categories, such as detached sheds of 144 square feet or less2.

We could not confirm which office takes building permit applications inside Kensington, or the village's fees. The Village Clerk is the place to ask. A certificate of occupancy is required for work that needed a building permit11.

Nassau County does not issue local building permits; they come from the applicable city, town or village12.

How do septic permits work in Kensington?

Nassau County's Department of Health has jurisdiction over septic systems in realty subdivisions of 5 lots or more; for a home outside a new subdivision, or a renovation, the county directs applicants to the local building department for septic approval requirements3.

A SPDES permit from the Nassau County Department of Health is required before sanitary waste is discharged into the ground from an approved on-site system13. Areas served by public sewers must connect to the sewer14. We could not confirm whether a given Kensington address is sewered; ask the Village Clerk or the Bureau of Environmental Engineering at 516-227-969214.

Can you live in an RV or tiny home in Kensington?

We could not confirm a village rule on RV occupancy, camping or tiny homes in Kensington. The residence districts permit one-family dwellings4, but the village's provisions on trailers and vehicles were not confirmed. Ask the Village Clerk before parking or living in an RV on a lot.

Building a home in Kensington: the steps, in order

  1. Confirm the lot's district with the Village Clerk, who holds the building zone map4.
  2. Check lot area, frontage, yards, height and coverage against the district rules59.
  3. Ask whether the lot is sewered or needs county septic approval from the Nassau County Department of Health3.
  4. Apply for a building permit through the local authority that enforces the Uniform Code2.
  5. Keep work exposed for inspection, then obtain a certificate of occupancy1511.

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

Septic review and SPDES permits stay with the Nassau County Department of Health13. Dividing a lot is regulated by the village's code, and no division may leave either portion below minimum size, frontage or yard rules16. County Planning Commission review also applies to subdivisions within 300 feet of a municipal boundary17.

For the rest of Nassau County outside the village, see the Nassau County page. Nassau County's effective property tax rate is 1.5%18.

Watch-outs

  • We could not confirm which Kensington office issues building permits, the permit fees, or rules on floodplain, driveways, wells and accessory dwellings; call the Village Clerk; state rules apply meanwhile2.
  • Zoning limits differ by district; Residence B and C rules are not identical to Residence A6.

Sources

  1. Village of Kensington Code, Chapter 151 Zoning, Article III Zoning Districts (Village of Kensington), quoted and re-checked
  2. Part 1203 Uniform Code and the Energy Code: Minimum Standards for Administration and Enforcement (New York statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  3. On Site Sewage Disposal, quoted and re-checked
  4. Village of Kensington Code, Chapter 151 Zoning, Article III Zoning Districts (Village of Kensington), quoted and re-checked
  5. Village of Kensington Code, Chapter 151 Zoning, Article III Zoning Districts (Village of Kensington), quoted and re-checked
  6. Village of Kensington Code, Chapter 151 Zoning, Article III Zoning Districts (Village of Kensington), quoted and re-checked
  7. Village of Kensington Code, Chapter 151 Zoning, Article III Zoning Districts (Village of Kensington), quoted and re-checked
  8. Zoning Review, quoted and re-checked
  9. Village of Kensington Code, Chapter 151 Zoning, Article III Zoning Districts (Village of Kensington), quoted and re-checked
  10. Village of Kensington Code, Chapter 151 Zoning, Article III Zoning Districts (Village of Kensington), quoted and re-checked
  11. Part 1203 Uniform Code and the Energy Code: Minimum Standards for Administration and Enforcement (New York statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  12. Building and Zoning Permits, quoted and re-checked
  13. On-Site Sewage Disposal System and SPDES Permit, quoted and re-checked
  14. Nassau County Department of Health, Bureau of Environmental Engineering (nassaucountyny.gov)
  15. Part 1203 Uniform Code and the Energy Code: Minimum Standards for Administration and Enforcement (New York statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  16. Village of Kensington Code, Chapter 151 Zoning, Article III Zoning Districts (Village of Kensington), quoted and re-checked
  17. Environmental Review, quoted and re-checked
  18. Effective property tax rate: 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 Kensington

Village of Kensington’s own rules

  • Local zoningPresent

    All land inside Kensington village

    • Village has Chapter 151 Zoning with five districts and a building zone map on file with the Village Clerk
    “for the purpose of this chapter, the village of kensington is hereby divided into five districts designated as follows:”
  • Zoning districtsPublished

    Zoning districts inside Kensington village

    • Districts: Residence A, B, C, D and Special Office
    • Building zone map is on file in the office of the village clerk
    “residence a district residence b district residence c district residence d district special office district”
  • Minimum lot sizeDistrict specific (with conditions)

    Residence A District inside Kensington village

    • Minimum street frontage 100 feet
    • Residence B district minimum is 7,500 sq ft; Residence C 8,000 sq ft

    minimum lot area: >= 8000 sq ft

    “no building shall be erected, altered or used on a lot having an area of less than 8,000 square feet.”
    One more reviewed finding on this topic
  • SetbacksDistrict specific (with conditions)

    Residence A District inside Kensington village (Residence B repeats rear and front yard rules)

    • Front yard never nearer than 30 feet to the street line
    • Side yards at least 10 feet each, except corner lots
    • Corner lots have two front yards and two rear yards

    rear yard: >= 15 feet · side yard: >= 10 feet (except corner lots) · front yard: >= 30 feet (line-of-existing-buildings rule applies)

    “the minimum distance between the rear line of the lot and the rear wall of the principal building at any point shall not be less than 15 feet.”
  • Lot coverageDistrict specific (with conditions)

    Residence A and B Districts inside Kensington village

    • Floor area ratio may not exceed 0.4
    • Paved areas limited to 30% of front yard and 25% of rear yard

    building area: <= 35 percent of lot

    “no principal building or use, together with all accessory buildings or uses, shall occupy in the aggregate more than 35% of the area of the lot.”
  • Building heightDistrict specific (with conditions)

    Residence A District inside Kensington village (Residence B and C refer to Residence A height)

    • Accessory structures limited to 16 feet

    maximum height: <= 35 feet (or three stories, whichever is less)

    “no building shall be erected, altered or used any part of which is higher than three stories exclusive of cellar or higher than 35 feet, whichever is less.”
  • Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

    Division of lots inside Kensington village

    • No division that leaves either portion below minimum size, frontage, yards or height rules unless merged with adjoining lot
    • Minimum frontage required on listed streets
    “no lot shall be sold, divided, set off, leased or conveyed in such a manner that either the portion sold divided, set off, leased or conveyed or the portion remaining:”

Still unanswered

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

  • Building permit — Building permits inside Kensington village
  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builders inside Kensington village
  • Building code adopted — Building construction inside Kensington village
  • Inspections — Inspections inside Kensington village
  • Certificate of occupancy — Certificates of occupancy inside Kensington village
18 more unanswered
  • Minimum dwelling size
  • 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 Kensington 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