Issues filing for New Construction project

[Jon H.]

I’m planning out my first deal right now. Not looking to pull the trigger for another year or so but would like to research as much as possible in the meantime. I plan to buy vacant land (10,000-15,000 SF) and install a single family modular home (1,500-2,000 SF). This would be located in either Rockland County or Orange County, New York.

I work in the AEC industry and am familiar with the general structure of zoning regulations and permits. However, I have never personally gone through the filing process for a New Construction project. I’m confident that I can plan out the lot/house to by fully complaint with local codes but is that always sufficient to get approval?

I am worried about the municipality rejecting the New Construction proposal either because they don’t favor modular homes or they don’t want additional homes in that particular area. I’m assuming the municipality can reject proposals at their discretion. Is it a common occurrence for plans to be rejected despite the proposal being fully complaint with all local codes and regulations?

The proposal wouldn’t be made to the municipality until after I’ve already purchased the land and had the sewage system/foundation designed. I suppose I could appeal any rejection but would rather not go through that.

I’d appreciate any insight to this part of the process. I’m sure it varies greatly by municipality but would love to hear overall experiences.

Thank you!