A Village That Runs Its Own Permits
Port Chester is a village and the largest part of the Town of Rye. The Town of Rye has no building or planning department of its own; the villages handle that. So for a remodel in Port Chester, the Village is the municipality you deal with, and the Village issues the permits.
The Port Chester Village Building Department is at 222 Grace Church Street, (914) 939-5203. That is the Village's number, not ours — our number is (914) 474-1951. We pull the permits through the Village for the work we do, and we do not start the work before the permit is in place.
From Factory Town to Residential Village
The railroad arrived in 1849 and Port Chester became a manufacturing center. It has since shifted from an industrial center to a largely residential community — the former Life Savers factory is now a residential building. Named neighborhoods include Edgewood, Traphagen and Willett Estates.
What an older, built-up village means for a remodel is that the housing stock has layers. Houses have been worked on more than once over the years, and the lots are village lots — small, and built to the line. A remodel here is often a question of working within what is already there rather than starting fresh, and the estimate has to happen in the room to see what those layers are.
Zoning by Character District
The Village zoning code is organized around "character districts." For an addition, the first question is what the district allows on the lot — how close to the lines you can build and how much of the lot can be covered. The character district the house is in sets the rules.
We do not state a setback, a ratio or a rule here, because each district sets its own. The Building Department can tell you what your lot allows, and we start with that conversation before we talk about the finish.
Architectural Review: Ask First
The Village has an Architectural Review Board. Whether a one- or two-family house project goes before it depends on the district and the project. We will not tell you it does or does not without checking — the Building Department gives the answer for your address and your scope, and we ask early, as part of pulling the permit. A kitchen or bathroom remodel inside existing walls is usually a different path from an addition that changes the exterior.
The Building Department
The Port Chester Village Building Department is at 222 Grace Church Street, (914) 939-5203. That is the Village's number, not ours — our number is (914) 474-1951.
We hold Westchester County Home Improvement License number WC-33098-H20, and we pull the permits through the Village for the work we do. You can check our license with the Westchester County Department of Consumer Protection at (914) 995-2155.
Flood Zones
The Village requires a floodplain development permit for development in a special flood hazard area; the Building Inspector administers it. The Village uses the 50% substantial improvement rule. Port Chester sits near the Sound, so this comes up for some houses. We cover the flood rules in detail on our Westchester remodeling permits page.
What We Do in Port Chester
We do four things, all residential: 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. We are licensed in Westchester County and we pull the permits through the Village. The estimates are free, and the work carries a one-year warranty. Call us or request a free estimate.
Where We Work
We work in Westchester County, New York, and only there. Port Chester is one of the towns we serve.
Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
Who issues building permits in Port Chester - the Village or the Town of Rye?
Will my addition need Architectural Review Board approval?
Are you licensed to work in Port Chester?
What is the smallest project you take on?
Nearby towns we work in: Larchmont, Mamaroneck, Rye.
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