One Village, Five Neighborhoods
The Town of Scarsdale and the Village of Scarsdale cover the same ground, and it is run as a village government. Its neighborhoods are Fox Meadow, Greenacres, Edgewood, Heathcote and Quaker Ridge.
In 1891 a development company laid out a subdivision of one-family houses here, which marked the community's change from rural to suburban. The housing stock that followed is largely single-family, and the Village regulates both how big a house can get and how an addition looks. Both questions get answered before a permit does.
Floor Area Ratio Comes First
Before an addition is designed, the question is how much floor area the lot has left. The Village zoning code sets a maximum floor area ratio for all single-family and two-family houses in its Residence A zones. The allowed ratio goes down as the lot gets bigger. It applies together with the Village's lot coverage rules.
This is the number that decides whether an addition is possible at all, and how large it can be. Smaller lots are allowed a higher ratio than larger ones. A floor plan drawn before anyone has checked the ratio is a floor plan that may not be buildable. The Building Department can answer for a specific lot.
The right first step for an addition in Scarsdale is a conversation about the property — what the lot allows — not a drawing of the room. We have that conversation with you at the estimate.
The Board of Architectural Review
The Village has a Board of Architectural Review with seven members. The Building Inspector sends it applications for new buildings and for any addition to, or reconstruction or alteration of, an existing building that would substantially change its exterior character and appearance.
The practical split matters here. A kitchen or bathroom remodel inside the existing walls does not change the exterior, so it does not go before the board. An addition, or any change that substantially changes the exterior character and appearance, does. We handle the review as part of pulling the permit when it applies. Read more on our permits and licensing page.
The Building Department
The Village of Scarsdale Building Department is at 1001 Post Road, (914) 722-1140. That is the Village'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 Village department. We do not start the work before the permit is in place.
What We Do in Scarsdale
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. 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. Scarsdale is one of the towns we serve.
Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
What is floor area ratio, and how does it limit an addition in Scarsdale?
Does a kitchen remodel go before the Board of Architectural Review?
Does an addition?
Who issues building permits in Scarsdale?
Do you take on small jobs in Scarsdale?
Nearby towns we work in: White Plains, Harrison.
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