Albany County
Town of Colonie, NY: zoning for new construction
Residential lots in the Town of Colonie run from a 0.413-acre minimum in Single-Family Residential up to 0.459 acres in Multi-Family Residential, across 15 zoning districts in all. Short-term rentals allowed with local rules. 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) 783-2706 before you rely on a figure.
Looking specifically at an accessory dwelling unit? See ADU rules for Colonie →
Zoning districts
| District | Min lot | Setbacks F / S / R | Max height | ADU |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Airport Business Area | 0.459 ac | 50 / 20 / 15 ft | 75 ft | Occupancy restricted |
| Airport Noise Overlay | — | — | — | — |
| Conservation Development Overlay | — | — | — | — |
| Cemetery | — | 50 / 25 / 25 ft | 40 ft | Occupancy restricted |
| Commercial Office | 0.459 ac | 20 / 20 / 15 ft | 75 ft | Occupancy restricted |
| Commercial Office Residential | 0.459 ac | 20 / 10 / 15 ft | 75 ft | Occupancy restricted |
| Highway Commercial Office Residential | 0.459 ac | 20 / 20 / 15 ft | 75 ft | Occupancy restricted |
| Historic Overlay | — | — | — | — |
| Industrial | 0.459 ac | 50 / 20 / 15 ft | 75 ft | Occupancy restricted |
| Land Conservation | — | — | — | Occupancy restricted |
| Multi-Family Residential | 0.459 ac | 20 / 10 / 30 ft | 50 ft | Occupancy restricted |
| Neighborhood Commercial Office Residential | 0.138 ac | 20 / 5 / 15 ft | 40 ft | Occupancy restricted |
| Office Residential | 0.459 ac | 20 / 10 / 15 ft | 40 ft | Occupancy restricted |
| Planned Development District | — | — | — | — |
| Single-Family Residential | 0.413 ac | 40 / 10 / 25 ft | 40 ft | Occupancy restricted |
Short-term rentals
Short-term rentals allowed with local rules. Local Law No. 1-2021 (enacted Jun 24, 2021), codified in Chapter 190, requires an annual STR permit from the Building Department. Annual inspections mandatory; advertising without a permit is prohibited.
Good to know
- UtilityNational Grid territory.
- Building dept(518) 783-2706
- Last reviewed2026-07-08
Working out a budget? A standard-finish build here runs $202–$265/sq ft , and a conforming lot adds about $7,670 on top - see the full cost to build a house in Colonie, or what an ADU costs here.
Sizing up a specific parcel in Colonie?
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) · Berne · Bethlehem · Coeymans · Guilderland · Knox · New Scotland · Rensselaerville · Westerlo · Altamont (Village) · Colonie (Village) · Green Island (Village) · Menands (Village) · Ravena (Village) · Voorheesville (Village)
Zoning figures for Town of Colonie 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) 783-2706 before relying on any number. Source: Offsite / Aldo zoning dataset, municipalData.js.