Custom Home Builder in Putnam Valley, NY

Westchester & Putnam Custom Home Building Service Serving Putnam Valley

New homes on wooded, rocky Putnam Valley lots and rebuilds of lakeside cottages around Oscawana Lake, Lake Peekskill and Roaring Brook Lake. Soil tests, septic design, rock and the Town’s environmental rules planned before we build.

Rock, Woods and Lakes

Putnam Valley is ridge country. Its roads follow narrow valleys between wooded hills, and the ground underneath is mostly shallow soil over hard bedrock. That makes for beautiful, private building sites, and for foundations, driveways and septic fields that take more planning than they would on a flat suburban lot.

The town’s lake communities add a second kind of project. Lake Peekskill was laid out as a summer colony starting in 1928, and Oscawana Lake and Roaring Brook Lake have their own clusters of older seasonal houses. Many owners now want to replace a cottage with a well-built, year-round home.

Where the Water Goes Matters

Unlike most of Putnam County, the bulk of Putnam Valley isn’t in the New York City water supply watershed. Its streams feed Peekskill Hollow Creek and reach the Hudson. Only the northern edge and the southeast corner drain to Croton reservoirs, so the East-of-Hudson setbacks for septic fields and the City’s stormwater rules apply to some lots and not others.

The Town has its own protections, too. A mapped Ground and Surface Water Protection overlay covers sensitive areas, and in it certain new septic systems need a Planning Board permit before the County Health application can go in. Steep slopes and wetlands are also regulated. We check the Town’s maps against your survey at the start so none of this is a surprise halfway through design.

A Putnam Valley Lot Evaluation

Deep holes & perc tests

Soil depth, groundwater and percolation rates, which decide where the septic system can go.

Well siting

A drilled well located to meet separation distances from your septic and your neighbors’.

Ledge

Where rock will meet the foundation and driveway, and whether removal needs a Town permit.

Watershed side

Peekskill Hollow Creek or Croton drainage, which changes the rules that apply.

Slopes & wetlands

Town steep-slope and wetland limits applied to the house, driveway and clearing.

Access

Driveway grade, turnaround and a route for concrete and lumber trucks.

How We Build Here

1. Test the land

Soil, perc and site investigation before the design is locked in.

2. Design to the site

House placement that works with the rock and slope instead of fighting them.

3. Permits in order

Town Planning Board permits where required, then County Health septic approval and the Town building permit.

4. Foundation & frame

Excavation, any rock work, foundation, framing and roof.

5. Systems & finish

Well, septic, electrical, plumbing and HVAC by licensed, insured subcontractors, then finishes and final inspections.

One Builder From Survey to Keys

We have built and remodeled across Putnam County since 1980. On a new house, a Guardian project manager runs the schedule, the subcontractors and the inspections, prices changes before they are made, and keeps you informed with regular site meetings. Our workmanship warranty covers general construction for one year and roofs for 10 years.

If a full rebuild isn’t the right answer, our Putnam Valley roofing and additions teams can help you improve the house you have.

Putnam Valley New Construction FAQs

Is Putnam Valley in the New York City watershed?

Only in part. According to the Town’s Natural Resources Inventory, most of Putnam Valley drains through Peekskill Hollow Creek to the Hudson. Smaller areas in the north, which drain toward Boyd Corners Reservoir, and in the southeast corner, which drain toward Amawalk Reservoir, are in the Croton system, and DEP rules apply there. We confirm which side of the line a lot is on before design.

How long is a septic permit good for?

A Putnam County Department of Health construction permit for a new septic system is valid for two years. The system has to be designed by a licensed professional from soil and percolation tests on the actual lot, so we schedule testing early.

Our lot has a lot of rock. Is that a problem?

It is common here. Much of the town has thin soil over very old bedrock along northeast-southwest ridges. Ledge affects the foundation, the septic location and the driveway, and blasting or rock removal brings its own Town permit, so we budget for it from the first site visit.

Can we replace a lake cottage with a new house?

Often, but small lake lots are the hardest to rebuild on. Setbacks, septic space and the distance to the water decide how big the new house can be. We start with a survey and the septic records and design to what the lot will support.

Nearby Towns

We also build in Mahopac, Carmel and Garrison.

Building in Putnam Valley?

Tell us about the lot or the house you want to replace. We’ll walk it with you and explain what the site needs.

Guardian Remodeling Corp · 143 Lake Shore Dr W, Carmel, NY 10512 · 914-912-0385 · Frank@guardianremodelingcorp.com