Bolthole Index

Suffolk County, New York

Building permits, zoning and septic rules in the Town of Riverhead, New York

The Town of Riverhead, in Suffolk County, New York, requires a building or demolition permit before new construction, additions, alterations or a change of occupancy1. The town, not Suffolk County, sets zoning through Chapter 301 of its code23. Septic approval comes from the Suffolk County Department of Health Services4.

At a glance

Building permit
Required from the Town of Riverhead for new construction, additions, alterations and demolition1
Zoning
Town zoning under Chapter 301; Suffolk County has no direct zoning power23
Septic
Suffolk County Department of Health Services approves; the Town Building Department also signs off in wetland areas45
Lot size (APZ district)
80,000 square feet, 15% maximum impervious surface, 35 feet maximum residential height678
Driveways
Town building permit review covers driveway aprons; a county road frontage needs a Suffolk County Highway Work Permit910

Who to call

Building permits

Town of Riverhead Building Department

Building and demolition permits, inspections and code enforcement inside the Town of Riverhead

631-727-3200

4 West Second Street Riverhead, NY 11901

Planning & zoning

Town of Riverhead Planning Department

Planning, site plan review and subdivision applications reviewed with the Planning Board

631-727-3200

4 West Second Street Riverhead, NY 11901

Septic permits

Suffolk County Department of Health Services - Office of Wastewater Management

Permits to construct, alter or repair onsite sewage disposal systems countywide

(631) 852-5800

360 Yaphank Avenue, Suite 2B, Yaphank, NY 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 Town of Riverhead 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 Town of Riverhead, NY?

Yes. The Town of Riverhead requires a building or demolition permit before anyone starts work that adds to, renovates, alters or demolishes a building, builds a new one, or changes how it is occupied1. Exemptions exist for ordinary repairs, reroofing, replacement siding and retaining walls below four feet, but an exemption never authorizes work that violates the Uniform Code or Town Code, and a separate permit may still be required under Chapters 241 and 3011.

The rule rests on New York's Uniform Fire Prevention and Building Code, which applies in every town outside New York City; a town cannot exclude itself from it11. The Building Inspector inspects construction as it goes and may accept certified reports from recognized inspection bureaus12. We could not confirm the town's permit fee schedule or its certificate-of-occupancy rule, so ask the Building Department for both.

Who issues building permits in the Town of Riverhead, and how do you reach them?

The Town of Riverhead Building Department issues building permits for land inside the town13. The department works from Town Hall at 4 West Second Street, Riverhead, NY 11901, and takes calls at 631-727-320013. Planning and site plan questions go to the Planning Department at the same address14.

Suffolk County does not issue building permits for private homes. Its role here is septic and wells, a county highway work permit when a lot fronts a county road, and review of town zoning actions41015.

Does the Town of Riverhead have zoning?

Yes. Riverhead's Chapter 301 divides the town into residence, agricultural, commercial, industrial, overlay and planned-development districts2. Suffolk County has no direct power over zoning or general land use, so the town alone decides what you can build on a given lot3.

Dimensional rules differ by district. In the Agricultural Protection (APZ) district, the schedule lists 80,000 square feet per unit of agricultural worker housing yield, a 15% maximum impervious surface and a 35-foot maximum height for residential buildings678. Look up your parcel's district before relying on those numbers. We could not confirm a town rule on minimum dwelling size, RV living, tiny homes, manufactured homes or short-term rentals; the Building Department can tell you what applies to your lot.

How do septic permits work in the Town of Riverhead?

Septic approval inside Riverhead comes from the Suffolk County Department of Health Services, Office of Wastewater Management, not from the town4. A permit is required to build a new home that needs county wastewater approval, and the approval to construct must be followed by a requested inspection before use1617. Permits last 3 years from approval, with one 3-year extension possible16.

In the town's wetland jurisdiction, a building permit for a one- or two-family home requires approval from both the county health department and the Town Building Department5. Outside sewer districts, single-family lots using individual systems generally need at least 20,000 square feet, or 40,000 square feet in Groundwater Management Zones III, V and VI, unless an exemption applies1819. Only 1.2% of Suffolk County's soils rate as not limited for a conventional drain field, so expect a site evaluation and possibly an engineered system20. Call the Office of Wastewater Management before you buy to learn which rule applies to your parcel21.

Can you live in an RV or tiny home on your land in the Town of Riverhead?

We could not confirm a Riverhead rule on long-term RV occupancy, temporary camping or tiny homes, so do not assume any of them is allowed. The town's code includes a chapter on mobile-home and travel-trailer parks, but we did not find an operative provision for living in an RV on private land. Because the town zones its own land, the Building Department is the office to ask before you park or place anything you intend to sleep in2. For land outside the town, see the Suffolk County page.

Building a home in the Town of Riverhead: the steps, in order

  1. Find your parcel's zoning district and its dimensional limits in Chapter 3012.
  2. Ask the Planning Department whether a subdivision or site plan review applies; subdivisions are checked against a standard yield plan22.
  3. Get county wastewater approval from the Office of Wastewater Management23.
  4. Apply to the Town Building Department for a building permit1.
  5. If the lot fronts a county road, obtain a Suffolk County Highway Work Permit; the town cannot issue the building permit until the county gives its approval10.
  6. Build the driveway apron to the town standard9, and request septic and building inspections as work proceeds1712.

What stays with Suffolk County, and what to check before you buy in Riverhead

Septic permits, private well testing and highway work permits on county roads stay with Suffolk County, whichever town the lot is in42410. Testing a primary drinking well costs $100 for an approved well or one with a certificate of occupancy, and $350 for new construction24. Floodplain development in mapped flood zones needs a local permit25.

Across Suffolk County, the median property tax bill is $10,001 a year at an effective rate of 1.9%2627, and the typical home value is $726,69228. For land outside the Town of Riverhead, see the Suffolk County page.

Watch-outs

  • We could not confirm Riverhead's building permit fee schedule, certificate-of-occupancy rule or owner-builder rules; ask the Town Building Department before budgeting1.
  • Riverhead's Town Code states it may be more restrictive than Suffolk County or the State Uniform Building Code in wetland areas5.
  • We could not confirm a town rule on private wells, off-grid sanitation, RV living or tiny homes; call the Building Department and the county Office of Wastewater Management4.

Sources

  1. Part 1: Administration and Enforcement of Uniform Code - Town of Riverhead, NY (Town of Riverhead), quoted and re-checked
  2. Chapter 301: Zoning and Land Development - Town of Riverhead, NY (Town of Riverhead), quoted and re-checked
  3. Suffolk County Planning Commission Minutes: November 5, 2003, quoted and re-checked
  4. Suffolk County Sanitary Code Article 6, quoted and re-checked
  5. Part 1: Administration and Enforcement of Uniform Code - Town of Riverhead, NY (Town of Riverhead), quoted and re-checked
  6. Town of Riverhead Residence Districts Schedule of Dimensional Regulations (Town of Riverhead), quoted and re-checked
  7. Town of Riverhead Residence Districts Schedule of Dimensional Regulations (Town of Riverhead), quoted and re-checked
  8. Town of Riverhead Residence Districts Schedule of Dimensional Regulations (Town of Riverhead), quoted and re-checked
  9. Part 1: Administration and Enforcement of Uniform Code - Town of Riverhead, NY (Town of Riverhead), quoted and re-checked
  10. Non-Utility Highway Work Permit, quoted and re-checked
  11. Legal Memorandum LG03: NYS Uniform Fire Prevention and Building Code: What Elected Officials Need to Know (New York statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  12. Part 1: Administration and Enforcement of Uniform Code - Town of Riverhead, NY (Town of Riverhead), quoted and re-checked
  13. Town of Riverhead Building Department (townofriverheadny.gov)
  14. Town of Riverhead Planning Department (townofriverheadny.gov)
  15. Suffolk County Planning Commission, quoted and re-checked
  16. Wastewater Management, quoted and re-checked
  17. Wastewater Management permit approval process, quoted and re-checked
  18. Article 6 of the Suffolk County Sanitary Code, amended 2020.12.01, quoted and re-checked
  19. Article 6 of the Suffolk County Sanitary Code, amended 2020.12.01, quoted and re-checked
  20. Share of soils USDA rates "not limited" for a conventional septic drain field (SSURGO). A strict rating: the median county is about 6% and a tenth of counties are 0%, so a low figure means most lots need a site evaluation or an engineered system, not that septic is impossible. Cite it only with that caveat: Bolthole Index county data
  21. Suffolk County Department of Health Services - Office of Wastewater Management (suffolkcountyny.gov)
  22. Article LIII: Subdivision Regulations - Town of Riverhead, NY (Town of Riverhead), quoted and re-checked
  23. Suffolk County Sanitary Code Article 6, quoted and re-checked
  24. Private Well Water Testing Program, quoted and re-checked
  25. Floodplain Management - NYSDEC (New York statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  26. Median property tax bill: Bolthole Index county data
  27. Effective property tax rate: Bolthole Index county data
  28. Typical home value (Zillow): Bolthole Index county data

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.

Answers from the rulebook for Town of Riverhead

Town of Riverhead’s own rules

  • Building permitRequired

    Building additions, renovations, demolitions, alterations, roof-deck replacements, new construction, and changes of occupancy inside Riverhead town.

    • A separate permit may be required under Chapters 241 and 301.
    • Listed exemptions include ordinary repairs, reroofing, roof re-covering, replacement siding, retaining walls below four feet, specified construction trailers, and certain Chapter 301 accessory buildings or structures.
    • An exemption does not authorize work violating the Uniform Code or Town Code.

    retaining-wall exemption threshold: < 4 feet (Retaining walls less than four feet in height are exempt unless a separate Chapter 241 or 301 requirement applies.)

    “No person, owner, firm, agent, contractor or corporation shall commence any work to be done which may cause an addition, renovation, demolition, alteration, roof deck replacement, new construction or change of occupancy, as defined herein, of any building or structure upon any premises thereof without first obtaining a building or demolition permit,”
  • InspectionsRequired

    Construction for which Riverhead's Building Inspector receives an application or issues a permit.

    • The Building Inspector may accept certified written inspection reports from generally recognized authoritative service and inspection bureaus.
    “He shall make all inspections which are necessary or proper for the carrying out of his duties, except that he may accept written reports of inspection from generally recognized and authoritative service and inspection bureaus, provided the same are certified by a responsible official thereof.”
  • Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

    Zoning districts inside Riverhead town.

    • Chapter 301 includes multiple residence, agricultural, commercial, industrial, overlay, planned-development, and other zoning-use districts.
    “Article VII Agriculture Protection (APZ) Zoning Use District (§ 301-35 – § 301-42)”
  • Who permits septicMixed (with conditions)

    One- and two-family dwellings and accessory structures in Riverhead's tidal or freshwater wetland jurisdiction where the cited renovation/addition triggers apply.

    • Approval is by both Suffolk County Department of Health Services and the Town Building Department before issuance of a building permit.
    • For specified increases, County Wastewater Management and Town Building Department permits are required.
    • The Town states it may be more restrictive than Suffolk County or the State Uniform Building Code in these circumstances.
    “the owner or applicant shall require approval by the Suffolk County Department of Health Services and Town of Riverhead Building Department prior to the issuance of a building permit.”
  • Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

    Subdivisions of land inside Riverhead town.

    • The standard yield plan must conform to Chapter 301 dimensional requirements, the Zoning Use District Schedule, and the subdivision article.
    • A stormwater pollution prevention plan is required for final subdivision plat approval.
    “A standard yield plan shall be submitted to the Planning Board in its consideration of all subdivisions of land in order to determine the appropriate number of building lots which can be created from the subject tract. The standard yield plan shall conform in all respects to both the dimensional requirements set forth in this chapter and the Zoning Use District Schedule, as well as the provisions of this article.”
  • Driveway accessRequired

    Development of a lot in a residential or agricultural zoning use district, or within the stated wetland buffers, when considered for a Riverhead building permit.

    • The Building Department may waive or modify the cited minimum standards under appropriate conditions when the Town Engineer determines special circumstances warrant it.

    driveway apron below finished-floor elevation: >= 1.5 feet (Applies to the required driveway apron.)

    “The required driveway apron shall be a minimum of 1 1/2 feet below the elevation of the finished floor of the proposed structure.”

Rules another office applies inside Town of Riverhead

Town of Riverhead does not set these itself; the county, a health district or the state does, and they apply to every address inside its limits.

  • Minimum lot sizeDistrict specific (with conditions)

    Agricultural Protection (APZ) Zoning Use District inside Riverhead town.

    • The residence-district schedule identifies agricultural worker housing development yield as no more than one unit per 80,000 square feet of real property.

    minimum lot area: 80000 square feet

    “Agricultural Protection (APZ)3 4 80,000 175 15% 35 60 30 65 60 75”
  • Lot coverageDistrict specific (with conditions)

    Agricultural Protection (APZ) Zoning Use District inside Riverhead town.

    • The schedule states a maximum impervious-surface standard rather than a separately labeled building-coverage standard.

    maximum impervious surface: <= 15 percent

    “Maximum Impervious Surface (%) [...] Agricultural Protection (APZ)3 4 80,000 175 15% 35 60 30 65 60 75”
  • Building heightDistrict specific (with conditions)

    Agricultural Protection (APZ) Zoning Use District inside Riverhead town.

    maximum height of residential buildings: <= 35 feet

    “Maximum Height of Residential Buildings (feet) [...] Agricultural Protection (APZ)3 4 80,000 175 15% 35 60 30 65 60 75”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Town of Riverhead or Suffolk County directly.

  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builders inside Riverhead town.
  • Certificate of occupancy — Occupancy of buildings inside Riverhead town.
  • Minimum dwelling size — Dwellings inside Riverhead town.
  • Living in an RV — Long-term occupancy in a recreational vehicle on private land inside Riverhead town.
  • Camping on your land — Temporary camping on private land inside Riverhead town.
10 more unanswered
  • Tiny homes
  • Manufactured homes
  • Septic inspection
  • Off-grid sanitation
  • Well permit
  • Mandatory utility hookup
  • Agricultural exemption
  • 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 Town of Riverhead publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Suffolk County’s page lists the county offices to call.

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