The Biggest Town in America, House by House
The Town of Hempstead covers most of southern and central Nassau. Population north of 790,000. It has 22 villages inside its borders plus unincorporated hamlets like Uniondale and East Meadow. Every one of them has a slightly different housing stock, but the permit process runs through the same town building department on Washington Street in the village of Hempstead.
We have been pulling permits at that office since 2013. We know the desk, we know the turnaround, and we know which applications get kicked back for what. Average turnaround on a residential door permit is 10-15 business days. We account for that in every T/H quote.
What Town of Hempstead Homes Need From a Door Installation Contractor
Levittown-era capes and ranches (Levittown, East Meadow, Uniondale). Post-war 1948-1955 construction. 900-1,400 sqft capes, ranches, and splits. Often with asbestos shingle originals or 1970s aluminum overlay. Insulated fiberglass is the sweet spot for these.
1960s-70s splits and hi-ranches (East Meadow, Franklin Square, Elmont, West Hempstead). Mid-century tract homes on deeper lots. Monogram 46 fiberglass or premium Plank.
Larger 1970s-80s colonials (Rockville Centre, Garden City South, parts of Merrick). Two-story, 2,200-3,000 sqft, center hall layouts. premium territory.
Older pre-war homes (Village of Hempstead, Rockville Centre village). Some 1920s-30s colonials and Victorians in the older village cores. Real cedar or Therma-Tru for historic-character preservation.
Coastal homes (Atlantic Beach, Long Beach side). Salt air exposure. premium or Therma-Tru required. See our Long Beach page.
T/H Things We Think About on Every Job
Village overlays. If your house is inside an incorporated village (Garden City, Rockville Centre, Freeport, Lynbrook, etc.), the village has its own building department and permit rules on top of the town. We pull both where required. Most unincorporated addresses only need the town permit.
Historic character in older villages. Some villages (Rockville Centre, Lynbrook) have conservation overlays that influence color and material. We know which ones.
Asbestos shingle doors. Very common on pre-1975 T/H homes, especially in Uniondale, Westbury, and the older parts of East Meadow. We use licensed abatement. Adds $3,500-$6,500.
Wall insulation. Most pre-1980 T/H homes were insulated to old code. Insulated fiberglass gives measurable heating bill savings. We quote insulated vs standard as a comparison on every cape and ranch.
Dumpster permits. The T/H requires a street dumpster permit if the dumpster cannot fit in the driveway. We pull them. Adds $50-$150 depending on duration.
Recent T/H Jobs
Cape on Myrtle Avenue, Westbury, 2024. Full Andersen CedarBoards insulated fiberglass in Colonial White with black shutters. 1,300 sqft exterior. 9 working days. $25,500.
Hi-ranch on Roxbury Road, East Meadow, 2024. Full Monogram 46 in Granite Gray. 2,000 sqft exterior. 10 working days. $22,500. Customer was the second neighbor on the street we had done.
1970s colonial on Harding Avenue, Merrick, 2023. Full Therma-Tru Plank in Timber Bark. 2,600 sqft exterior. 15 working days. $53,000.
Asbestos tear-off on Elmont Road, Elmont, 2024. 1950s cape, licensed abatement, then CedarBoards insulated fiberglass. 1,200 sqft exterior. 12 working days total. $29,000 including abatement.
Storm repair on Carman Avenue, East Meadow, 2025. Large limb through a gable during a spring nor'easter. Emergency tarp same day, full repair in 3 days. $2,800, covered by insurance.
T/H Building Permits
The Town of Hempstead building department is at 200 North Franklin Street in the village of Hempstead. Doors permits for all unincorporated T/H addresses are pulled here. Villages inside the town have their own building departments in addition.
Typical turnaround: 10-15 business days. Fees are project-value based, typically $275-$725 for a residential door installation job. We include the permit fee in every quote.
We pull every permit. You sign the application, we handle everything else.
Reviews from Town of Hempstead customers
Review 1: "James and his crew resided our East Meadow hi-ranch last summer. They pulled the permit, handled the dumpster street permit, and cleaned up the yard every night before leaving. The finished house looks great and the neighbors keep asking for their number." — Patricia N., East Meadow · Monogram 46 · 2024
Review 2: "Our Elmont cape had asbestos shingles we had been putting off for years. James explained the abatement process, brought in the right specialist, and had premium up on the house in 12 days. The quote was firm, the cleanup was perfect, and the house looks brand new." — Victor M., Elmont · Therma-Tru · 2024