Bolthole Index

Nassau County, New York

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

The Village of Thomaston, New York requires a building permit from its own code official for new buildings and structural work1. The village also administers its own zoning chapter2. Septic systems in Nassau County are permitted by the Nassau County Department of Health, not the village3.

At a glance

Building permit
Required from the village code official, except ordinary non-structural repairs1
Zoning
Village-run zoning (Chapter 203), with residence districts such as R-62
Minimum home size (R-6)
1,500 sq ft of floor area for a detached or semidetached dwelling4
Minimum lot (R-6)
7,000 sq ft of lot area and 35 ft of street frontage5
Certificate of occupancy
Required before a new building is used or occupied6
Septic
Nassau County Department of Health3

Who to call

Building permits

Village of Thomaston code official (building official) and building commission

Building permits and certificates of occupancy inside the village; the building commission approves them before issuance

Septic permits

Nassau County Department of Health, Bureau of Environmental Engineering

On-site sewage disposal system plan approval and SPDES permits for 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 Thomaston 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 Thomaston?

Yes. Inside the Village of Thomaston, a separate building permit from the village code official is required for each building or structure, except for ordinary repairs that are not structural1. New York's Uniform Code is applied locally through the village7. The village's building commission, made up of the mayor and two trustees, must approve permits before they are issued8. Applications need duplicate plans, a plot plan, a property survey and a recent tax bill9. The code official may inspect during and after the work10. A certificate of occupancy is required before a new building is used or occupied6. We could not confirm permit fee amounts; ask the village clerk's office.

Who issues building permits in the Village of Thomaston?

The village's own code official issues building permits inside Thomaston, not Nassau County8. The Town of Hempstead's Department of Buildings, which the Nassau County page lists, serves land under that town's jurisdiction, so it is the wrong counter for a Thomaston address11. We could not load the village's own website to confirm a phone number or counter hours, so call Village Hall using the contact on the village's site, villageofthomaston.org.

Does the Village of Thomaston have zoning?

Yes. The village administers its own zoning chapter, Chapter 203, with residence districts such as R-62. In R-6, the principal uses are detached single-family and semidetached dwellings12. A new detached or semidetached dwelling must have at least 1,500 square feet of floor area, not counting basements, attics, porches and garages4. Lots need at least 7,000 square feet and 35 feet of street frontage5. Front yards must be at least 25 feet deep13. Buildings may cover no more than 25% of the lot14, and detached dwellings may not exceed 2 1/2 stories or 30 feet15. Detached accessory buildings may not be used as residences12. These figures apply to R-6 only16; ask the village which district your parcel is in.

How do septic permits work in the Village of Thomaston?

The village code does not set septic rules that we could confirm. In Nassau County, on-site sewage disposal systems are administered by the Nassau County Department of Health, Bureau of Environmental Engineering3. The county also states that facilities in areas served by public sewers must connect to the sewer17. Whether a given Thomaston address is sewered is not something we could confirm, so ask the Bureau of Environmental Engineering at 516-227-969217 before assuming a septic system is an option.

Can you live in an RV or tiny home in the Village of Thomaston?

We could not confirm any village rule that allows an RV or tiny home as a residence. The R-6 district lists detached single-family residences as its principal use and sets a 1,500 square foot minimum floor area for new detached dwellings, which leaves little room for a tiny home there4. Detached accessory buildings may not be used for residence12. Ask the village code official before buying or parking anything intended for living space.

Building a home in the Village of Thomaston: the steps, in order

  1. Confirm your parcel's zoning district and its lot, setback and size limits under Chapter 2032.
  2. Apply to the village code official with duplicate plans, a plot plan, a survey and a recent tax bill9.
  3. Wait for building commission approval before the permit is issued8.
  4. Get septic or sewer-connection answers from the Nassau County Department of Health3.
  5. Build with inspections as the code official requires10.
  6. Obtain the certificate of occupancy before anyone moves in6.

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

Nassau County Department of Health handles on-site sewage disposal systems3. For land outside the village, see the Nassau County page. Before you buy, confirm sewer availability, the zoning district, and flood rules; the village has a flood damage prevention chapter that we did not review. Nassau County's effective property tax rate is 1.5%18.

Watch-outs

  • Do not use the Town of Hempstead building counter for a Thomaston address; the village issues its own building permits1.
  • Only the R-6 district's rules were reviewed, so lot sizes, setbacks and uses in other village districts may differ16.
  • We could not confirm village rules on RVs, tiny homes, wells, driveways or permit fees; ask the village code official8.

Sources

  1. Village of Thomaston Code Chapter 91: Fire Prevention and Building Construction (Village of Thomaston), quoted and re-checked
  2. Village of Thomaston Code Chapter 203 Zoning, Article VII Residence R-6 District (Village of Thomaston), quoted and re-checked
  3. On-Site Sewage Disposal System and SPDES Permit, quoted and re-checked
  4. Village of Thomaston Code Chapter 203 Zoning, Article VII Residence R-6 District (Village of Thomaston), quoted and re-checked
  5. Village of Thomaston Code Chapter 203 Zoning, Article VII Residence R-6 District (Village of Thomaston), quoted and re-checked
  6. Village of Thomaston Code Chapter 91: Fire Prevention and Building Construction (Village of Thomaston), quoted and re-checked
  7. Village of Thomaston Code Chapter 91: Fire Prevention and Building Construction (Village of Thomaston), quoted and re-checked
  8. Village of Thomaston code official (building official) and building commission (ecode360.com)
  9. Village of Thomaston Code Chapter 91: Fire Prevention and Building Construction (Village of Thomaston), quoted and re-checked
  10. Village of Thomaston Code Chapter 91: Fire Prevention and Building Construction (Village of Thomaston), quoted and re-checked
  11. Town of Hempstead - Building Department (2026 county census)
  12. Village of Thomaston Code Chapter 203 Zoning, Article VII Residence R-6 District (Village of Thomaston), quoted and re-checked
  13. Village of Thomaston Code Chapter 203 Zoning, Article VII Residence R-6 District (Village of Thomaston), quoted and re-checked
  14. Village of Thomaston Code Chapter 203 Zoning, Article VII Residence R-6 District (Village of Thomaston), quoted and re-checked
  15. Village of Thomaston Code Chapter 203 Zoning, Article VII Residence R-6 District (Village of Thomaston), quoted and re-checked
  16. Village of Thomaston Code Chapter 203 Zoning, Article VII Residence R-6 District (Village of Thomaston), quoted and re-checked
  17. Nassau County Department of Health, Bureau of Environmental Engineering (nassaucountyny.gov)
  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 Thomaston

Village of Thomaston’s own rules

  • Building permitRequired

    Erection, alteration, removal, demolition etc. of buildings inside Thomaston village

    • No permit required for ordinary repairs that are not structural in nature
    • Building commission (mayor and two trustees) must approve permits before issuance (§ 91-3b)
    “without first obtaining a separate building permit from the code official 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)

    All buildings inside Thomaston village

    • State Uniform Fire Prevention and Building Code is applied and administered locally by the village code official
    “the uniform fire prevention and building code of the state of new york shall be applicable in the village of thomaston.”
  • InspectionsRequired

    Buildings with a building permit application inside Thomaston village

    • Code official may also inspect during and upon completion of work
    “he or she may conduct such inspections as he or she deems appropriate from time to time during and upon completion of the work for which a building permit has been issued.”
  • Certificate of occupancyRequired

    New buildings and improvements inside Thomaston village

    • Certificate of completion applies to improvements
    • Temporary certificates addressed in § 91-25
    “no building hereafter erected shall be used or occupied, in whole or in part, until a certificate of occupancy shall have been issued by the code official.”
  • Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

    Land inside Thomaston village; the village administers its own zoning chapter (Ch. 203) with residence districts such as R-6

    • Only the R-6 article of Chapter 203 was opened; other districts not reviewed
    “in the r-6 district, the following regulations shall apply.”
  • Zoning districtsPartial

    Zoning districts inside Thomaston village

    • Only the R-6 residence district article was opened; other districts not reviewed
    “in the r-6 district, the following regulations shall apply.”
  • Minimum dwelling sizeSpecified

    Single-family detached or semidetached dwellings in the R-6 District

    • Floor area excludes cellar, basement, attic, unenclosed porches, terraces, steps, garages
    • Qualifying upper/attic floor needs 7 ft 6 in headroom, full flooring and permanent stairway

    minimum floor area: >= 1500 sq ft

    “no single-family detached or semidetached dwelling shall hereafter be erected unless it shall have a minimum floor area of 1,500 square feet.”
  • Minimum lot sizeSpecified

    R-6 Residence District inside Thomaston village

    • Minimum lot width 50 ft for detached single-family dwelling, 70 ft for other uses

    minimum lot area: >= 7000 sq ft · minimum street frontage: >= 35 ft · minimum lot width detached single-family: >= 50 ft (70 ft for all other uses)

    “no building shall hereafter be constructed on a lot having an area less than 7,000 square feet or having a street frontage less than 35 feet.”
  • SetbacksSpecified

    R-6 Residence District inside Thomaston village

    • Front yard never less than the average setback within 200 ft of each side of proposed residence
    • Rear yard reducible 6 inches per foot of lot depth under 100 ft, but not below 15 ft
    • Side-yard aggregate may be reduced for lots under 50 ft wide existing 11-28-1931, but no side yard under 5 ft
    • Buildings other than single-family detached need two side yards of at least 15 ft each

    front yard: >= 25 ft (not less than average setback within 200 ft each side) · rear yard: 25 ft plus 1/2 of lot depth in excess of 100 ft (not less than 15 ft) · side yards aggregate, single-family detached: >= 24 ft (neither side less than 10 ft)

    “there shall be a front yard, the depth of which shall not be less than 25 feet.”
  • Lot coverageSpecified

    R-6 Residence District inside Thomaston village

    • 35% applies to lots held in single and separate ownership on 12-10-1990 of 5,500 sq ft or less
    • Floor area ratio not to exceed 0.45

    maximum building area: <= 25 % of lot area (35% for lots of 5,500 sq ft or less held 12-10-1990) · floor area ratio: <= 0.45

    “the building area shall not exceed 25% of the lot area.”
  • Building heightSpecified

    Detached or semidetached dwellings in the R-6 District

    • Buildings other than dwellings: three stories or 30 ft, whichever is less
    • Dwelling over 30 ft on 12-10-1990 considered conforming

    maximum dwelling height: 2 1/2 stories or 30 feet, whichever is less

    “no detached or semidetached dwelling shall exceed a height of 2 1/2 stories or 30 feet, whichever is less.”
  • Accessory dwellingsLimited

    R-6 Residence District inside Thomaston village

    • Detached accessory buildings may not be used for residence
    • Only detached single-family and semidetached dwellings are principal uses
    • Other districts not reviewed; NY state-level ADU rules not checked
    “and further provided that detached accessory buildings not be used for either residence or business purposes.”
  • Permit processPublished (with conditions)

    Building permit applications inside Thomaston village

    • Duplicate plans, plot plan, property survey and recent tax bill required
    • Building commission approval before issuance
    “application for a building permit shall be made to the code official on forms provided by him or her 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 Thomaston or Nassau County directly.

  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builders inside Thomaston village
  • Living in an RV — RV occupancy inside Thomaston village
  • Camping on your land — Camping inside Thomaston village
  • Tiny homes — Tiny homes inside Thomaston village
  • Manufactured homes — Manufactured homes inside Thomaston village
12 more unanswered
  • 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

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 Thomaston publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Nassau County’s page lists the county offices to call.

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