MHI Renovation Services Inc is a licensed and insured general contractor in Yonkers that remodels homes in Scarsdale, New York. We handle kitchens, bathrooms, additions, basements, flooring and masonry for Scarsdale homeowners, and we work inside the village’s architectural review and permit rules. Call (914) 656-0885 to talk through your project.
Scarsdale’s 1920s Houses Set the Terms
Scarsdale stopped being farmland in 1891, when the Arthur Suburban Home Company bought a 150-acre farm and subdivided it into Arthur Manor. Growth arrived in the 1920s. Population tripled to 9,690 by the end of that decade, Fox Meadow and Crane-Berkley filled in, the Bronx River Parkway opened in 1924, and business leaders built the Village Center in Tudor Revival.
That timeline shows up inside the walls. A Fox Meadow Tudor or a Greenacres colonial from those years usually has plaster over wood lath, original casement windows, a cast iron waste stack, and an electrical service never sized for an induction range and two wall ovens. Quaker Ridge and Heathcote grew later, with Quaker Ridge School built in 1947 and Heathcote School in 1953, so those houses often give simpler structural paths for an open kitchen. Any Scarsdale house built before 1978 also falls under the federal Renovation, Repair and Painting Rule, and we work lead-safe on them.
The Board of Architectural Review Sets Your Schedule
The Board of Architectural Review considers exterior alterations to existing buildings, the exterior appearance of new buildings, signage and some fencing. An addition or alteration that substantially changes the exterior character of your house goes to the BAR.
The board meets every two to three weeks. Each meeting accepts a maximum of 18 applications on a first-come, first-served basis, and the submission deadline is the date of the prior meeting. The owner, the architect or the engineer has to attend and present. Miss a deadline and the project waits for the next cycle.
BAR approval is not a building permit. The Building Department still reviews the drawings for code compliance afterward. We schedule Scarsdale exterior work around that two-step sequence.
What the Scarsdale Building Department Wants
The Village of Scarsdale Building Department requires a permit for all work except ordinary maintenance. The village lists bathroom and kitchen alterations, patios and walkways, driveway paving and fences as permit work. Replacing roof shingles is a narrow exception; wood shingles are prohibited outright.
The department sits at 1001 Post Road and answers at 914-722-1140, with consultation hours from 9 to 10 a.m. and the counter open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Plans come from a licensed architect or engineer. Before the village issues a permit, your contractor must be on file with current general liability and workers compensation certificates plus a Westchester County Home Improvement License. Ask any contractor you consider for proof of all three, in writing, before work starts. We provide ours on request.
Two thresholds change how a larger Scarsdale job runs:
- Work costing more than $100,000, or work the Building Inspector expects to run past 14 calendar days, requires a construction management plan.
- Additions in the Residence A districts are capped by a floor area ratio limit. A house over its maximum FAR needs an area variance from the Zoning Board of Appeals, which adds months.
Drainage, Soil and Trees on Scarsdale Lots
Scarsdale lots run large: a Residence AA-1 lot is two acres, a Residence A-1 lot one acre. Disturb more than 500 square feet of ground on a lot larger than 7,500 square feet, or more than 200 square feet on a smaller lot, and the project needs a stormwater management and erosion control permit from the Village Engineer. That approval must land before the building permit. It catches a bluestone patio, a retaining wall, or footings for a rear addition.
Trees carry separate rules. You may remove trees 6 inches DBH or smaller, plus up to two larger trees per lot in any 12-month period, without a permit. Three or more needs a Village Engineer permit, and a tree 36 inches DBH or greater must be replaced. We map equipment access against those trees first.
Working Hours and Site Access in the Village
Scarsdale’s noise chapter sets tight working hours. Construction, repair and demolition work using tools and equipment is permitted 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, with Sundays and legal holidays closed to non-emergency work. That 10 a.m. Saturday start is later than many Westchester municipalities allow, and it reshapes weekend finish work. The rules sit in the Scarsdale Village Code.
Many Scarsdale streets are narrow, curved and heavily treed, with long private driveways and little spare curb space, so we settle dumpster placement, material drops and crew parking before day one. Scarsdale borders Yonkers, where our shop sits on Edgewood Avenue, so the trip is short.
Remodeling Services for Scarsdale Homes
Julian Martelly founded MHI Renovation Services in Yonkers in 2008 as a licensed and insured general contractor. We serve Scarsdale from Yonkers and keep no office in the village. Our work here covers kitchen remodeling, bathrooms, basement finishing and apartment conversion, flooring in hardwood, LVP and tile, masonry in brick, stone, concrete, chimneys and retaining walls, and home additions. Whole-house Scarsdale projects run under general contracting.
Scarsdale Renovation Questions
Do I need Board of Architectural Review approval for my Scarsdale renovation?
If the work substantially changes the exterior character of your house, yes. Additions, dormers, new window openings, siding changes and some fencing go to the BAR. An interior-only kitchen or bathroom remodel generally does not. The board meets every two to three weeks and caps each meeting at 18 applications, so submit drawings early.
How long does a Scarsdale building permit take?
Plan in weeks, not days, and longer when the BAR is involved. Applications go to the Building Department at 1001 Post Road for zoning and code review. Jobs over $100,000 or running past 14 calendar days also need a construction management plan. Any ground disturbance adds a stormwater permit from the Village Engineer first.
Does MHI Renovation Services work in Scarsdale?
Yes. We serve Scarsdale from 48 Edgewood Ave in Yonkers, and Scarsdale borders Yonkers directly. We take kitchens, bathrooms, basements, flooring, masonry and additions across Fox Meadow, Greenacres, Heathcote, Quaker Ridge and Edgewood. Call (914) 656-0885 or check our service areas for the rest of Westchester County.
Start Your Scarsdale Project
Tell us what you want to change and we will map the review path it triggers. Call MHI Renovation Services at (914) 656-0885 or request a quote. We answer Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM, and Saturday, 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM.