Plandome Heights, NY Zoning, Building Permits & Septic

The Village of Plandome Heights, in Nassau County, New York, adopts and administers its own zoning, and the whole village is a single residential district¹. Building permits are handled at the village's own office, which publishes building permit forms². Septic approval is a Nassau County Department of Health matter³.

At a glance

Zoning: Village zoning (Chapter 140), one district for the whole village¹⁴
Building permit: Required for work under the state Uniform Code; applications go to the village⁵²
Minimum lot: 1/4 acre (10,890 sq ft) with 90 ft of frontage⁶
Minimum dwelling size: 1,300 sq ft habitable first floor in a 1-story building⁷
Height limit: 2 1/2 stories and 30 ft for a single-family dwelling⁸
Septic: Nassau County Department of Health³

Who to call

Building permits

Village of Plandome Heights Village Hall

Village building permit applications, certificates of occupancy, Board of Zoning and Appeals and Architectural Review Board applications

516-627-1136

[email protected]

37 Orchard Street Manhasset, NY 11030

Septic permits

Nassau County Department of Health, Bureau of Environmental Engineering

Septic and sewage-disposal approvals for new realty subdivisions; guidance for other homes

(516) 227-9672

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

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Does Plandome Heights have zoning, and what does it mean for lot size and setbacks?

Yes. The Village of Plandome Heights adopts and administers its own Chapter 140 zoning, and the entire village is one "villa resident district"¹. Because there is only one district, the same dimensional rules apply on every lot.

A dwelling or other building needs a lot of at least 1/4 acre (10,890 square feet) with at least 90 feet of frontage⁶. A single-family dwelling may not exceed 2 1/2 stories or 30 feet⁸, and building area is capped at 25% of the lot area⁹. A one-story dwelling needs at least 1,300 square feet of habitable first floor⁷.

On an interior lot the front yard is at least 35 feet deep¹⁰. Side yards must be at least 15 feet each and 40 feet combined, with 20 feet each for buildings over 30 feet tall, and the rear yard is at least 30 feet¹¹.

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

New York requires building permits for work that must conform to the state Uniform Code, and each locality's code enforcement program administers that requirement⁵. Nassau County's own page says local building permits come from the applicable city, town or village¹².

In Plandome Heights, the village office publishes its own building permit forms, a certificate of occupancy application and a plumbing permit application on its forms page².

The Town of Hempstead Department of Buildings is not the permit office for addresses inside this village. We could not confirm the village's fee schedule or the exact list of work that is exempt, so ask Village Hall before you start.

How do septic permits work inside Plandome Heights?

Nassau County's Department of Health, not the village, has jurisdiction over septic systems for new residential subdivisions of 5 or more lots³. For a single home that is not part of such a subdivision, or for a renovation, the county tells applicants to contact the local building department about septic approval requirements¹³.

In practice, start with Village Hall, then the Department of Health at (516) 227-9672¹³. We could not confirm whether a lot inside the village is connected to public sewer or what the village itself requires for septic work.

Can you live in an RV or tiny home in Plandome Heights?

We could not confirm a village rule on living in an RV or a tiny home. What the village zoning does say is that a dwelling needs a habitable first floor of at least 1,300 square feet in a one-story building⁷ and sits on a lot of at least 1/4 acre⁶. A very small dwelling would not meet those standards on its face.

Before planning any RV, accessory dwelling or short-term rental, call Village Hall at 516-627-1136².

How do you build a home in Plandome Heights, step by step?

Confirm the lot meets the 1/4-acre and 90-foot frontage minimum⁶. Dividing a lot or changing lot lines needs planning board approval¹⁴.
Check the height, coverage and yard limits above against your plans⁸⁹.
Apply to the village for a building permit using its published forms².
Ask the Department of Health about septic approval if the site is not on public sewer¹³.
Get inspections as work proceeds and a certificate of occupancy when permitted work is finished¹⁵.

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

Nassau County has no single countywide zoning ordinance; zoning is set by each city, town and village¹⁶. The county keeps septic review for larger subdivisions³ and should be contacted about work on county-owned roads¹⁷. Land outside the village is covered on the Nassau County page.

For budgeting, Nassau County's effective property tax rate is 1.5%¹⁸ and the median property tax bill is about $10,001 a year¹⁹. These are county-level figures, not village-specific ones.

Watch-outs

Plandome Heights has one zoning district with a 1/4-acre minimum lot, 25% building-area cap and a 30-foot height limit, so many improvements are tightly constrained⁶⁹⁸.
Village Hall at 516-627-1136 is the first call for any building permit question inside the village².
We could not confirm village rules on permit fees, accessory dwellings, RV parking or driveways; ask Village Hall before you buy or build².

Sources

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.

Unanswered questions are usually a sign that Village of Plandome Heights publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Nassau County’s page lists the county offices to call.

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