Dering Harbor, NY: No RVs or Mobile Homes

The Village of Dering Harbor, in Suffolk County, New York, adopted its own zoning law, and the village code bars living in trailers, house-cars or mobile homes¹². Building permits are handled locally under the state Uniform Code³. Septic and sewage disposal follow Suffolk County Department of Health rules, not village rules⁴.

At a glance

Zoning: Yes, the village has its own zoning law with two districts, A Residential and B Residential¹⁵
Building permit: Required statewide for work under the Uniform Code, issued locally; village applications must include erosion and stormwater plans³⁶
Septic: Suffolk County Department of Health regulations apply⁴⁷
RV or trailer living: Prohibited²
Mobile homes: Prohibited for habitation⁸
Minimum home size: 1,400 sq ft first floor and 2,000 sq ft total floor area⁹
Height limit: 35 feet¹⁰
Driveways: Curb cut permit from the Building Inspector after Architectural Review Board approval¹¹

Who to call

Building permits

Village of Dering Harbor, Village Clerk

Front door for the village's zoning, building permit and Architectural Review Board questions

631-749-0020

[email protected]

PO Box 3010 23 Locust Point Road Shelter Island Hts., NY 11965

Planning & zoning

Village of Dering Harbor Architectural Review Board

Architectural review of building and driveway applications

Septic permits

Suffolk County Department of Health Services, Office of Wastewater Management

Septic and sewage disposal permits and inspections, including inside villages

(631) 852-5700

360 Yaphank Avenue Suite 2C Yaphank, New York 11980

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

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Does Dering Harbor, NY have zoning, and what does it mean for RVs and tiny homes?

Yes. The Village of Dering Harbor adopted its own zoning law, Chapter 230, through its Board of Trustees, and it divides the village into A Residential and B Residential districts¹⁵. Suffolk County has no direct zoning power of its own, so the village law is the one that governs a lot inside the village¹².

Living in a trailer is not an option here. The village code says no automobile or boat trailer, house-car or mobile home may be used for human habitation or parked in the open on private property²⁸. We could not find a tiny-home provision in the village code, so ask the Village Clerk before planning one¹³.

How big and how tall can a house be in Dering Harbor?

In both the A Residential and B Residential districts, the first floor of a principal building must be at least 1,400 square feet, excluding porches, breezeways and attached accessory buildings, and total floor area must be at least 2,000 square feet, excluding basements and attics⁹. Total floor area of a principal building may not exceed 10,000 square feet, not counting accessory buildings⁹. No building may be taller than 35 feet¹⁰.

Those floors rule out small cabins and tiny homes as a principal dwelling. We could not confirm lot-size, setback or lot-coverage numbers for the two districts, so ask the Village Clerk for the district table before you buy.

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

New York requires building permits for work that must conform to the state Uniform Code or Energy Code, and each local authority administers them within its boundaries³. In Dering Harbor, that means the village, not Suffolk County. Village applications for a building permit must include plans for erosion and sediment control and stormwater management, which the village's Stormwater Management Officer may waive when construction does not add impervious surface or runoff⁶.

Driveways are separate: the Building Inspector issues the curb cut permit, but only after the Architectural Review Board reviews and approves the location¹¹. The Architectural Review Board sits in front of both house and driveway applications, and in 2026 the village adopted a local law requiring a presubmission conference before the board for certain applications¹⁴. We could not confirm the village's own building permit fees or its owner-builder rules, so call the Village Clerk¹³.

How do septic permits work inside Dering Harbor?

Septic is a county matter even inside the village. The village code requires all sewage to be disposed of in compliance with the regulations of the Suffolk County Department of Health⁴. A new home needs a permit from the Suffolk County Department of Health Services' Office of Wastewater Management¹⁵. The county then requires an inspection after construction and before use¹⁶.

Soils make planning matter: only about 1% of Suffolk County soils are rated not limited for a conventional drain field, so expect a site evaluation and often an engineered or advanced system¹⁷. County rules set parcel-size thresholds for individual systems of 20,000 or 40,000 square feet depending on the groundwater management zone, unless you are in a sewer district or qualify for an exemption¹⁸. Confirm which applies to a specific lot with the Office of Wastewater Management before you offer on it.

What are the steps to build a home in Dering Harbor, in order?

Ask the Village Clerk for the zoning district of the lot and the district's lot, setback and coverage rules¹³.
Confirm with the Office of Wastewater Management that the lot can support an approved sewage system, and start the county permit¹⁵.
Book the Architectural Review Board presubmission conference if your application falls under the new local law¹⁴.
Prepare the village building permit application with erosion, sediment and stormwater plans⁶.
Get Architectural Review Board approval for the house and the driveway curb cut, then the Building Inspector's permit¹¹.
Request the county septic inspection before use¹⁶.
Ask the Village Clerk what certificate of occupancy or equivalent closes out the job¹³.

What stays with Suffolk County, and what should you check before buying in Dering Harbor?

Suffolk County, not the village, handles septic permits, and county rules cover private well testing and sewer connections⁷¹⁹. If a lot fronts a county road, work in the county right-of-way needs a Highway Work Permit, and the village cannot issue its building permit until the county gives its approval²⁰.

On cost, Suffolk County's effective property tax rate is 1.9% and the median bill is $10,001 a year²¹²². For land outside the village, see the Suffolk County page; county rules there do not apply the same way inside village limits.

Watch-outs

Dering Harbor adopted a local law in 2026 requiring a presubmission conference before the Architectural Review Board for certain applications, so confirm current procedure with the Village Clerk before filing¹⁴.
We could not confirm the village's building permit fees, owner-builder rules, lot-size and setback numbers, well rules or floodplain rules; ask the Village Clerk¹³.
Applicants to village boards must reimburse the village's costs of considering an application, and the village may require a deposit, so budget for professional and review fees on top of any permit fee²³.

Sources

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.

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

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