Three Hamlets, One Town
The Town of Bedford covers 39.3 square miles and takes in three hamlets: Bedford (commonly called Bedford Village), Bedford Hills and Katonah.
It is old ground. The Bedford Village Historic District covers most of the original 1680 hamlet and includes Greek Revival and Gothic Revival buildings. In 1897 more than 50 buildings in Katonah were moved from the old village site to the present one. One-family zoning in the Town runs from quarter-acre lots to four-acre lots.
What that means for a remodel is a town with a wide spread of lot sizes and a lot of old houses, some under historic review and some not. The first question on an old Bedford house is often not what to do but who has to approve it.
Historic Review: Three Commissions
Three historic review bodies exist under the Town code, and they do not overlap.
In the Bedford Village Historic District, no change to an exterior architectural feature may begin without a certificate of approval from the Bedford Village Historic District Review Commission.
Katonah has its own body, the Katonah Historic District Advisory Commission, for the Katonah Historic District.
Outside those two districts, the Historic Building Preservation Commission covers buildings on the Town's Survey of Historic Buildings. For the oldest ones, built before 1901 and substantially intact, its approval is needed for substantial exterior alterations.
The practical point for an old Bedford house is that the first question is whether it is in a district or on the Town's survey, because that decides who has to approve exterior work before it starts. An interior kitchen or bathroom remodel that does not change the exterior is not what these commissions review. An addition may be. Read more on our permits and licensing page.
Septic, Sewer and the Reservoirs
Town law requires a septic system to be inspected at least once every five years, to protect drinking water. Public sewer in the Town exists as sewer districts in Bedford Hills and Katonah. The sewer project there was built to protect the Muscoot and New Croton reservoirs, which are part of New York City's water supply.
Because Bedford has so much septic, this matters for an addition. Under Westchester County Health Department rules, when a house served by its own septic system gets an addition, the local building department refers it to the Health Department, which has to sign off that the existing system is adequate. We explain the full process on our permits and licensing page.
Wetlands, Slopes and Trees
A Town permit from the Wetlands Control Commission is required for regulated activity in a wetland or within the buffer, which extends 100 feet from the wetland or watercourse. A Town steep slope permit is required to disturb a steep slope.
Tree permits apply to large trees and to any tree in a Town historic district, a wetland or on a steep slope. On a wooded or sloping Bedford lot these rules decide where an addition can go.
The Building Department
The Town of Bedford building department is at 425 Cherry Street, Bedford Hills, (914) 666-8040. That is the Town's number, not ours — our number is (914) 474-1951.
We hold a Westchester County Home Improvement License, number WC-33098-H20, and we pull the permits for the work we do through the Town of Bedford.
What We Do in Bedford
We do four things, all residential, and we work in all three hamlets — Bedford, Bedford Hills and Katonah: kitchen remodeling, bathroom remodeling, home additions, and home remodeling. Our projects start at $40,000, and we do not do handyman work or small repairs.
Anthony Quattrone has more than 40 years of experience and is on the job himself. The estimates are free, and the work carries a one-year warranty. If your project is a full kitchen, a full bathroom, an addition, or a multi-room renovation, call us or request a free estimate.
Where We Work
We work in Westchester County, New York, and only there. Bedford is one of the towns we serve.
Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
Is my house in a historic district?
Can I renovate the kitchen of a house in the Bedford Village Historic District?
Who approves an addition to an old house outside the districts?
Is Katonah part of Bedford?
Is my house on sewer or septic?
Do you do repair work in Bedford?
Free Estimate
Request a Free Estimate
Call Anthony directly, or send the details below. We come to the house and give you a free estimate.
(914) 474-1951Monday–Friday 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM