Albany County
Town of Berne, NY: zoning for new construction
Residential lots in the Town of Berne run from a 1.5-acre minimum in Medium Density Residential up to 5 acres in Residential/Agricultural/Forestry, across 6 zoning districts in all. No local short-term-rental law on record - which is not the same as permission. Power here is National Grid territory. The district table below has the setbacks, height limits and coverage - confirm the specifics with the building department at (518) 872-1448 before you rely on a figure.
Looking specifically at an accessory dwelling unit? See ADU rules for Berne →
Zoning districts
| District | Min lot | Setbacks F / S / R | Max height | ADU |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Medium Density Residential | 1.5 ac | 40 / 50 / 100 ft | 35 ft | No |
| Neighborhood Commercial | 1.5 ac | 40 / 20 / 50 ft | 35 ft | No |
| Reforestation Area | — | — | — | No |
| Residential/Agricultural/Forestry | 5 ac | 70 / 100 / 100 ft | 35 ft | No |
| Traditional Neighborhood/Mixed Use 1 | 0.25 ac | 15 / 20 / 50 ft | 35 ft | No |
| Traditional Neighborhood/Mixed Use 2 | 0.25 ac | 15 / 20 / 50 ft | 35 ft | No |
Short-term rentals
No local short-term-rental law on record - which is not the same as permission. No local STR ordinance found as of Jun 2026. Rural Helderberg Hilltown. Hosts are subject to the 2025 NYS statewide STR registry law only.
Good to know
- UtilityNational Grid territory.
- Building dept(518) 872-1448
- Last reviewed2026-07-08
Working out a budget? A standard-finish build here runs $202–$265/sq ft , and a conforming lot adds about $5,874 on top - see the full cost to build a house in Berne, or what an ADU costs here.
Sizing up a specific parcel in Berne?
Aldo pulls the exact zoning district, setbacks, and build feasibility for any parcel — before you buy. Enter your email to open Aldo and run your free report.
Other Albany County towns
All Albany County zoning: Albany (City) · Cohoes (City) · Watervliet (City) · Bethlehem · Coeymans · Colonie · Guilderland · Knox · New Scotland · Rensselaerville · Westerlo · Altamont (Village) · Colonie (Village) · Green Island (Village) · Menands (Village) · Ravena (Village) · Voorheesville (Village)
Zoning figures for Town of Berne are compiled from the municipal code (last reviewed 2026-07-08) and provided for decision-support only - not legal, engineering, or architectural advice. Setback and dimensional standards often carry conditions and exceptions; verify with the building department at (518) 872-1448 before relying on any number. Source: Offsite / Aldo zoning dataset, municipalData.js.