Custom Home Builder in Pound Ridge, NY
Westchester Custom Home Building Service Serving Pound Ridge
New homes on Pound Ridge’s wooded, multi-acre lots, sited around wetlands, ledge, wells and septic, and taken through Planning Board site plan review by a builder who has worked in Westchester since 1980.
Pound Ridge Builds Around the Woods
Pound Ridge is one of the most rural towns in Westchester: three-acre and two-acre zoning, long driveways, rock outcrops, streams and wetlands threading through the woods, and Ward Pound Ridge Reservation on the town’s northern edge. Houses range from antique farmhouses to mid-century glass contemporaries.
A new house here is mostly a siting exercise. The best spot for views and sun has to work with the septic field, the well, the wetland buffer and the driveway grade. We walk the land with you and your architect before anything is drawn.
From Frame to Finish: Home Styles That Suit Pound Ridge, NY
Real Guardian Remodeling Corp project photos, from framing and roof sheathing to finished exteriors and interiors.
The Numbers That Shape a Pound Ridge House
R-3A district
Setbacks of 60 ft front, 50 ft side and 75 ft rear, plus a 20 ft buffer. Planning Board review above 4,500 sq ft of building coverage.
R-2A district
60 / 50 / 50 ft setbacks and a 15 ft buffer. Review above 3,600 sq ft of building coverage.
R-1A district
50 / 35 / 50 ft setbacks and a 10 ft buffer. Review above 2,600 sq ft of building coverage.
Lot coverage
Planning Board review above 12,000, 9,000 or 7,000 sq ft of total lot coverage, by district.
Slopes
Work on slopes over 25% also triggers site plan review.
Wetlands
Water Control Commission review within 150 ft of a wetland or watercourse.
From Raw Land to Certificate of Occupancy
1. Site walk
Survey, wetland flags, rock and the likely septic area located on the ground.
2. Soil tests
Deep holes and percolation tests to support an engineered septic design for the County.
3. Site plan
Planning Board review of the house, driveway, grading and buffers.
4. Wetland permit
Water Control Commission approval if work falls within 150 feet.
5. Building permit
Sealed plans, Energy Code compliance and the approvals above.
6. Construction
Foundation through finishes under one project manager, with Town inspections.
Teardowns and Older Houses
Some of the best-sited lots in Pound Ridge hold houses that have reached the end of their useful life. Because Pound Ridge treats a teardown needing a building permit as a site plan matter, a rebuild goes through the same review as a new house. The upside is that the review looks at the whole property, so drainage, driveway and septic problems can be fixed at the same time.
If you’d rather keep part of the house, our home additions team can compare a major addition with a full rebuild.
Pound Ridge New Home FAQs
When does a new Pound Ridge house need Planning Board approval?
The Town requires site plan approval from the Planning Board for new houses and teardowns that need a building permit. It also requires it when building coverage exceeds 4,500, 3,600 or 2,600 square feet in R-3A, R-2A and R-1A respectively, when lot coverage exceeds 12,000, 9,000 or 7,000 square feet, or when work involves slopes over 25%.
What are the setbacks?
In R-3A: 60 feet front, 50 feet side, 75 feet rear. In R-2A: 60, 50 and 50 feet. In R-1A: 50, 35 and 50 feet. Each district also has a vegetated buffer along the lot lines, from 20 feet in R-3A to 10 feet in R-1A.
We have a stream on the property. Can we still build?
Often, yes, but the Water Control Commission reviews work within 150 feet of a wetland or watercourse, and NYC watershed rules may add setbacks for the house, septic field and driveway. We locate those lines early and design around them.
Does Pound Ridge have town water or sewer?
Homes here are generally served by private wells and septic systems, so the Westchester County Department of Health’s approval of the septic design is a core part of any new house.
Related Pages
Have a Pound Ridge Lot in Mind?
Send us the address. We’ll look at the zoning district, wetlands and septic area and tell you what review to expect.
Guardian Remodeling Corp · 143 Lake Shore Dr W, Carmel, NY 10512 · 914-912-0385 · Frank@guardianremodelingcorp.com
