Bolthole Index

Westchester County, New York

Building permits, zoning and septic rules in White Plains, New York

Building permits in White Plains, New York come from the city's Department of Building12. Zoning is the city's own ordinance, applied district by district3. Septic is not a city question we could confirm: Westchester County's Department of Health reviews and permits new subsurface sewage systems county-wide4.

At a glance

Building permit
Required; issued by the White Plains Department of Building51
Zoning
Yes, a city zoning ordinance with districts shown on the zoning map36
Lot size, setbacks, height
Set district by district in the zoning ordinance789
Subdivision
The Planning Board approves new lots10
Certificate of occupancy
Required before a new building is used or occupied11
Septic
New systems reviewed by Westchester County Department of Health4

Who to call

Building permits

City of White Plains Department of Building

Enforces the White Plains ordinances and the state building code inside city limits and issues building permits for the City of White Plains only

914-422-1269

70 Church St., White Plains, NY 10601

Septic permits

Westchester County Department of Health, Realty Subdivision and Land Development Review

Reviews and permits every subdivision plan and new subsurface sewage treatment system for commercial and residential use across Westchester County

148 Martine Avenue, White Plains, NY 10601

Septic permits

Westchester County Department of Health, Septic System Management

Licenses septic contractors and runs the county's Septic Management Program for the whole county

(914) 995-7285

148 Martine Avenue, White Plains, NY 10601

Planning & zoning

Westchester County Department of Planning, Land Use and Zoning Referrals

Reviews certain zoning and planning actions referred by Westchester's cities, towns and villages; does not itself set zoning or issue building permits

(914) 995-2000

148 Martine Avenue, White Plains, NY 10601

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

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Do you need a building permit in White Plains, NY?

Yes. New York State's Uniform Code applies in every part of the state outside New York City, and building permits must be required for work that has to conform to it, with certain exceptions12. Inside White Plains, the City Department of Building enforces the city's own Supplemental Building Code Ordinance along with county and state laws1.

To apply, complete the appropriate application form, get it notarized, and bring it to the Building Department13. Work done under a permit must be completed and inspected to the satisfaction of the Building Department, the Fire Department and any other agency with jurisdiction14. Fees for city building permits are not published in a schedule we could confirm, so ask the Department of Building for the amount before you apply.

Who issues building permits in White Plains, and how do you reach them?

The City of White Plains Department of Building issues building permits inside city limits2. Visit it at 70 Church St., White Plains, NY 10601, or call 914-422-12692.

The Westchester County Planning Department does not issue building permits or set zoning; it reviews certain actions that cities, towns and villages refer to it, and it sends people with local project questions back to the individual municipality15. A reader inside White Plains should start with the city, not the county planning counter.

Does White Plains have zoning, and what does it mean for lots and setbacks?

White Plains has its own zoning ordinance. The ordinance prescribes the uses of land in various districts throughout the City and sets the location of each district on the Zoning Map36. It also lists the principal, accessory and special permit uses allowed in each district and the dimensional requirements that apply there7.

Minimum lot size, setbacks, lot coverage and building height all depend on the district your parcel sits in8169. Look up the parcel on the zoning map first, then read that district's table. Creating a new buildable lot goes to the Planning Board, which is the subdivision approval agency10. Zoning questions go to the city's Planning Department.

We could not confirm White Plains rules on RV living, tiny homes, accessory dwelling units or manufactured homes, so ask the Department of Building before planning around any of them. Westchester County has no zoning of its own, because New York gives zoning power to cities, towns and villages, not counties17.

How do septic permits work inside White Plains?

New subsurface sewage treatment systems in Westchester County are reviewed and permitted by the county Department of Health's environmental engineers, who also make field site visits during construction4. The county Health Department also licenses the contractors who install and service septic systems18.

We could not confirm whether a particular White Plains address is on a septic system at all, or what the city itself requires for one. Call the County Department of Health's Septic System Management program at (914) 995-728518, and ask the City Department of Building whether public sewer is available at the lot. Statewide, new onsite systems must meet the Appendix 75-A standards, and alternative systems need plan approval from the State or county health department official having jurisdiction before construction19.

Building a home in White Plains: the steps, in order

  1. Find your zoning district on the city's zoning map and read the use and dimensional tables for it67.
  2. If you are creating a new lot, go to the Planning Board first10.
  3. Ask Westchester County's Department of Health about sewage disposal for any new system4.
  4. Complete the building permit application, get it notarized and bring it to the Department of Building13.
  5. Keep the work accessible for inspection, and finish it to the satisfaction of the Building and Fire Departments14.
  6. Obtain a certificate of occupancy before anyone uses or occupies the building11.

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

Septic review and contractor licensing stay with the Westchester County Department of Health418. For land outside the city, see the Westchester County page.

Westchester County also licenses home-improvement contractors, so check a contractor's county license before you hire20. Westchester County's effective property tax rate is about21% and its median property tax bill is $10,001 a year22. A typical home in the county is valued around $879,21923.

If your lot is on a state highway, driveway work needs a New York State Department of Transportation permit24. We could not confirm White Plains rules on floodplain development or private wells; ask the Department of Building.

Watch-outs

  • We could not confirm whether White Plains has an owner-builder exemption, so assume a permit and inspections are needed and ask the Department of Building14.
  • We could not confirm the City's building permit fee amounts; a certificate of occupancy fee does apply, so ask the Department of Building for the current schedule11.
  • Westchester County's rules about septic apply to every address in the county, city or not, so confirm with the county Department of Health before you design a system4.

Sources

  1. Building | White Plains, NY - Official Website (White Plains), quoted and re-checked
  2. City of White Plains Department of Building (cityofwhiteplains.com)
  3. Development Project Review | White Plains, NY - Official Website (White Plains), quoted and re-checked
  4. Westchester County Department of Health, Realty Subdivision and Land Development Review (health.westchestercountyny.gov)
  5. City of White Plains - Department of Building (2026 county census)
  6. Development Project Review | White Plains, NY - Official Website (White Plains), quoted and re-checked
  7. Development Project Review | White Plains, NY - Official Website (White Plains), quoted and re-checked
  8. Development Project Review | White Plains, NY - Official Website (White Plains), quoted and re-checked
  9. Development Project Review | White Plains, NY - Official Website (White Plains), quoted and re-checked
  10. Development Project Review | White Plains, NY - Official Website (White Plains), quoted and re-checked
  11. FAQs | White Plains, NY - Official Website (White Plains), quoted and re-checked
  12. Legal Memorandum LG03: NYS Uniform Fire Prevention and Building Code: What Elected Officials Need to Know, quoted and re-checked
  13. Building Permits & Applications | White Plains, NY - Official Website (White Plains), quoted and re-checked
  14. FAQs | White Plains, NY - Official Website (White Plains), quoted and re-checked
  15. Westchester County Department of Planning, Land Use and Zoning Referrals (planning.westchestercountyny.gov)
  16. Development Project Review | White Plains, NY - Official Website (White Plains), quoted and re-checked
  17. documents.dps.ny.gov (New York statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  18. Westchester County Department of Health, Septic System Management (health.westchestercountyny.gov)
  19. NYS Register March 18, 2015 Rule Making Activities — Standards for Individual Onsite Water Supply and Individual Onsite Wastewater Treatment Systems (New York statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  20. Consumer Alert: NYS Department of State’s Division of Consumer Protection Provides New Yorkers with Tips for Avoiding Home Improvement Scams (New York statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  21. Effective property tax rate: Bolthole Index county data
  22. Median property tax bill: Bolthole Index county data
  23. Typical home value (Zillow): Bolthole Index county data
  24. Residential Driveway Permits (New York statewide rule), quoted and re-checked

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 White Plains

White Plains’s own rules

  • Building code adoptedAdopted (with conditions)

    Structures in White Plains city limits.

    • The City Building Department enforces the White Plains Supplemental Building Code Ordinance and applicable county and state laws.
    “City Ordinances enforced by the department include the following: [...] White Plains Supplemental Building Code Ordinance”
  • InspectionsRequired

    Work under permits for a proposed project in White Plains city limits.

    • Inspection must satisfy the Building Department, Fire Department, and any other agency with jurisdiction.
    “All work done under all permits issued for the proposed project must be completed and inspected to the satisfaction of the Building Department, Fire Department, and any other departments or agencies having jurisdiction for the project.”
  • Certificate of occupancyRequired

    Existing buildings for which an updated or substitute certificate of occupancy is sought inside White Plains city limits.

    • Applicant must complete a Building Short Form, select Updated and Substitute CO type, pay the necessary fee, and undergo a compliance inspection.
    “No building or structure shall be used or occupied [...] until [...] issued a Certificate of Occupancy. [...] choose the Updated and Substitute CO type”
  • Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

    Land and structures inside White Plains city limits.

    • The City applies district-specific permitted, accessory, and special-permit uses.
    “The Zoning Ordinance prescribes the uses of land in various districts throughout the City, and establishes the location of each district on the Zoning Map.”
  • Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

    All zoning districts inside White Plains city limits.

    • District locations are established on the City zoning map.
    “establishes the location of each district on the Zoning Map.”
  • Minimum lot sizeDistrict specific (with conditions)

    Zoning districts inside White Plains city limits; parcel-specific minimums depend on the applicable district.

    • Consult the zoning map and the applicable district table for the parcel.
    “It also provides the list of uses (principal, accessory, and special permit) allowed in each district and the dimensional requirements applicable in each district.”
  • SetbacksDistrict specific (with conditions)

    Zoning districts inside White Plains city limits; setback requirements depend on the applicable district.

    • Consult the zoning map and the applicable district table for the parcel.
    “It also provides the list of uses (principal, accessory, and special permit) allowed in each district and the dimensional requirements applicable in each district.”
  • Lot coverageDistrict specific (with conditions)

    Zoning districts inside White Plains city limits; building-coverage limits depend on the applicable district.

    • Consult the zoning map and the applicable district table for the parcel.
    “It also provides the list of uses (principal, accessory, and special permit) allowed in each district and the dimensional requirements applicable in each district.”
  • Building heightDistrict specific (with conditions)

    Zoning districts inside White Plains city limits; height limits depend on the applicable district.

    • Consult the zoning map and the applicable district table for the parcel.
    “It also provides the list of uses (principal, accessory, and special permit) allowed in each district and the dimensional requirements applicable in each district.”
  • Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

    Creation of one or more new buildable lots inside White Plains city limits.

    • Planning Board is the subdivision approval agency.
    “The approval agency for subdivisions is the Planning Board.”
  • Permit processPublished (with conditions)

    Building permit applications inside White Plains city limits.

    • Applicant must use the appropriate form, have it notarized, and submit it during stated acceptance hours.
    “Complete the appropriate application form, get it notarized, and bring it to the Building Department.”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask White Plains or Westchester County directly.

  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-built residential construction inside White Plains city limits.
  • Minimum dwelling size — Residential dwellings inside White Plains city limits.
  • Living in an RV — Residential occupancy of recreational vehicles on private land inside White Plains city limits.
  • Camping on your land — Temporary camping on private land inside White Plains city limits.
  • Tiny homes — Occupancy of tiny homes inside White Plains city limits.
13 more unanswered
  • Manufactured homes
  • Accessory dwellings
  • Who permits septic
  • Septic permit
  • Septic inspection
  • Off-grid sanitation
  • Well permit
  • Mandatory utility hookup
  • Agricultural exemption
  • 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 White Plains publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Westchester County’s page lists the county offices to call.

← All of Westchester County: county rules, score and offices