Bolthole Index

Nassau County, New York

Building permits, zoning and septic rules in the Village of North Hills, New York

The Village of North Hills in Nassau County, New York requires a building permit for work covered by the state Uniform Code or Energy Code, and the village's own code enforcement officer issues it1. The village also adopts its own zoning districts2. Septic and sewer questions run through the Nassau County Department of Health3.

At a glance

Building permit
Required for work that must meet the state Uniform Code or Energy Code; issued by the village code enforcement officer1
Zoning
Yes, set by the village, with a groundwater protection overlay on top of the base districts24
Inspections and certificate of occupancy
Inspections during construction and a certificate of occupancy for permitted work56
Septic and sewer
Nassau County Department of Health handles sewage disposal permits; village-specific septic rules not confirmed37
Where to apply
Village Building Department online portal; new applications must be submitted online8
Sewer connection
Buildings in areas of Nassau County served by public sewers must connect to the sewer9

Who to call

Building permits

Village of North Hills Building Department

Building permit applications, inspections and certificates of occupancy inside the village; applications go through the online portal

Online permits →

Also useful

Village of North Hills Village Hall (Building Department phone and email)

Village hall; the Building Department can be reached at the listed phone and email

(516) 627-3690

[email protected]

One Shelter Rock Road, North Hills, NY 11576

Septic permits

Nassau County Department of Health, Bureau of Environmental Engineering

On-site sewage disposal plan approvals and SPDES permits; the sewer connection and septic abandonment rule where public sewers are available

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 North Hills 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 North Hills, NY?

Yes, for work that has to conform to the state Uniform Code or Energy Code. The Village of North Hills code says a building permit is required for any such work, subject to a list of exemptions, and the permit is issued by the village's code enforcement officer1. The village adopted the state code through its own local law and enforces the Energy Code as well10.

The state Uniform Code applies everywhere in New York outside New York City, and each local government administers it within its own borders11. In North Hills that local government is the village, not Nassau County and not a surrounding town. Permitted work then needs inspections, and the work has to stay accessible until the inspector accepts it5. A certificate of occupancy follows for any work done under a building permit6.

We did not read the village's list of permit exemptions, so confirm with the Building Department before skipping a permit for a small project.

Who handles building permits in North Hills, and how do you reach them?

The Village of North Hills Building Department handles building permit applications, and new applications must be submitted online through its portal8. Its phone line is (516) 627-3690, and village hall sits at One Shelter Rock Road, North Hills, NY 1157612.

Do not send a North Hills project to the Town of Hempstead building department. That office serves property under Town of Hempstead jurisdiction, and the village runs its own code enforcement10. Nassau County's own page says local building permits come from the applicable city, town or village13.

If the lot fronts a Nassau County-owned road, the county also asks you to contact the Nassau County Department of Public Works in addition to the village14.

Does North Hills have zoning, and what does it cover?

Yes. The Village of North Hills divides itself into use districts under Chapter 215 of its village code2. The published districts include several residential districts, two commercial districts and an educational training services district, with a groundwater protection overlay that applies in addition to the underlying district4.

Because zoning is local in Nassau County, no single county zoning ordinance governs the village. The county's Planning Commission reviews certain zoning actions that municipalities refer to it, and makes recommendations rather than deciding for the village15.

Minimum lot size, setbacks, minimum house size, accessory dwellings, RVs and tiny homes depend on the district, and we could not confirm those numbers. The village's zoning map is on file at the village office, so call the Building Department with the parcel's address before you plan a layout4.

How do septic and sewer permits work in North Hills?

Nassau County, not the village, regulates on-site sewage disposal. The Nassau County Department of Health approves on-site system plans and requires a SPDES permit before sanitary waste is discharged into the ground16. In parts of the county served by public sewers, residential and commercial buildings must connect to the sewer9.

For a single home that is not part of a new subdivision, or for a renovation, the county directs applicants to the local building department for septic requirements7. In North Hills that points to the village Building Department. The county Health Department itself takes plans for residential developments of 5 or more lots17.

We could not confirm whether a given North Hills parcel is on sewer or what the village requires for a septic system or private well. Ask the village Building Department first, then the county Bureau of Environmental Engineering9.

What are the Special Groundwater Protection Area rules near North Hills?

Parts of Nassau County are designated Special Groundwater Protection Areas, and the county's rules there limit new single-family development on individual sewerage systems to one dwelling unit per 40,000 square feet of net area, where the site is outside a public sewer service area and soils suit the system18. The county's ordinance names areas in the Town of North Hempstead and the Town of Oyster Bay18.

North Hills also has its own groundwater protection overlay district in its zoning code2. We did not confirm whether a specific North Hills lot falls inside a county-designated area, so ask the Nassau County Department of Health before assuming either way9.

Building a home in North Hills: the steps, in order

  1. Call the village Building Department at (516) 627-3690 with the parcel address to confirm the zoning district, the overlay and any exemptions12.
  2. Ask the Department of Health whether the parcel is on public sewer or needs an on-site system, and what approval applies9.
  3. Submit the building permit application online through the village portal8.
  4. Keep work accessible and call for each required inspection5.
  5. Obtain the certificate of occupancy before using the building6.

What stays with Nassau County, and what to check before you buy in North Hills?

Septic and sewer approvals, county road work and subdivision health review stay with Nassau County agencies, not the village314. For land outside the village, see the Nassau County page.

Cost context is county-level: Nassau County's typical home value is $859,54419 and its effective property tax rate is 1.5%20. Ask the Building Department about architectural review, since the village has an architectural review board, and confirm sewer service and the groundwater overlay before closing.

Watch-outs

  • The county's septic guidance sends single homes and renovations to the local building department, so a North Hills buyer needs the village Building Department's answer before relying on any septic assumption7.
  • Permits exempted from the village building permit requirement are listed in the village code but we did not confirm them; do not assume a small project is exempt1.
  • Many search results for building permits in Nassau County lead to the Town of Hempstead; North Hills is a village with its own Building Department and online portal8.

Sources

  1. Village of North Hills Code, Chapter 108 Building Code Enforcement (Village of North Hills), quoted and re-checked
  2. Village of North Hills Code, Chapter 215 Zoning, Article III Zoning Districts (Village of North Hills), quoted and re-checked
  3. On-Site Sewage Disposal System and SPDES Permit, quoted and re-checked
  4. Village of North Hills Code, Chapter 215 Zoning, Article III Zoning Districts (Village of North Hills), quoted and re-checked
  5. Village of North Hills Code, Chapter 108 Building Code Enforcement (Village of North Hills), quoted and re-checked
  6. Village of North Hills Code, Chapter 108 Building Code Enforcement (Village of North Hills), quoted and re-checked
  7. On Site Sewage Disposal, quoted and re-checked
  8. Village of North Hills Building Department (northhillsny.gov)
  9. Nassau County Department of Health, Bureau of Environmental Engineering (nassaucountyny.gov)
  10. Village of North Hills Code, Chapter 108 Building Code Enforcement (Village of North Hills), quoted and re-checked
  11. Uniform Fire Prevention and Building Code, quoted and re-checked
  12. Village of North Hills Village Hall (Building Department phone and email) (northhillsny.gov)
  13. Building and Zoning Permits, quoted and re-checked
  14. Building and Zoning Permits, quoted and re-checked
  15. Zoning Review, quoted and re-checked
  16. On-Site Sewage Disposal System and SPDES Permit, quoted and re-checked
  17. On Site Sewage Disposal | Nassau County, NY, quoted and re-checked
  18. Nassau County Public Health Ordinance Article X: Groundwater Protection; Regulation of Sewage and Industrial Wastewater, quoted and re-checked
  19. Typical home value (Zillow): Bolthole Index county data
  20. 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 North Hills

Village of North Hills’s own rules

  • Building permitRequired

    Work subject to the Uniform Code or Energy Code inside North Hills village

    • Subsection b lists exemptions (not reviewed in detail).
    • Permit issued by the code enforcement officer.
    “except as otherwise provided in subsection b of this section, a building permit shall be required for any work which must conform to the uniform code and/or the energy code”
  • Building code adoptedAdopted

    Construction inside North Hills village

    • Adopted by L.L. No. 2-2013 on 1-16-2013; also enforces the State Energy Conservation Construction Code.
    “this chapter provides for the administration and enforcement of the new york state uniform fire prevention and building code (the uniform code) and the state energy conservation construction code (the energy code) in this village.”
  • InspectionsRequired

    Permitted construction inside North Hills village

    • Inspection of footing/foundation, framing, building systems and other listed elements.
    “work shall remain accessible and exposed until inspected and accepted by the code enforcement officer or by an inspector authorized by the code enforcement officer.”
  • Certificate of occupancyRequired

    Work under a building permit and use/occupancy conversions inside North Hills village

    • Fee must be paid at application for certificate.
    “a certificate of occupancy or certificate of compliance shall be required for any work which is the subject of a building permit and for all structures, buildings, or portions thereof, which are converted from one use or occupancy classification or subclassification to another.”
  • Local zoningPresent

    Land inside North Hills village

    • Overlay R-GP groundwater protection district applies in addition to underlying districts.
    “a. the village is hereby divided into the following use districts:”
  • Zoning districtsPublished

    North Hills village zoning districts

    • Districts: R-1, R-3, R-5, R-7, R-7A, R-NH, C-1, C-1A, ETS plus R-GP groundwater protection overlay; map by LiRo GIS Inc. January 2025 on file at village office.
    “(1) residential r-1. (2) residential r-3. (3) residential r-5. (4) residential r-7. (5) residential r-7a. (6) residential r-nh. (7) commercial c-1. (8) commercial c-1a. (9) educational training services ets.”

Still unanswered

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

  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder work inside North Hills village
  • Minimum dwelling size — Residential districts inside North Hills village
  • Minimum lot size — Residential districts inside North Hills village
  • Setbacks — Residential districts inside North Hills village
  • Lot coverage — Residential districts inside North Hills village
19 more unanswered
  • Building height
  • 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
  • Subdividing land
  • 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 North Hills 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