Columbia County
Town of Clermont, NY: zoning for new construction
Residential lots in the Town of Clermont run from a 1-acre minimum in Hamlet up to 5 acres in Low Density Residential, across 6 zoning districts in all. No local short-term-rental law on record - which is not the same as permission. Power here is Central Hudson territory. The district table below has the setbacks, height limits and coverage - confirm the specifics with the building department at (518) 537-6868 before you rely on a figure.
Looking specifically at an accessory dwelling unit? See ADU rules for Clermont →
Zoning districts
| District | Min lot | Setbacks F / S / R | Max height | ADU |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residential Agricultural | 2 ac | 50 / 30 / 50 ft | 35 ft | Special permit |
| Hamlet | 1 ac | 25 / 25 / 25 ft | 35 ft | Special permit |
| Residential Limited Business (3A) | 3 ac | 75 / 50 / 75 ft | 35 ft | Special permit |
| Low Density Residential | 5 ac | 75 / 50 / 100 ft | 35 ft | Special permit |
| Residential Limited Business (1A) | 1 ac | 50 / 20 / 30 ft | 35 ft | Special permit |
| Roe Jan Corridor | 5 ac | 50 / 50 / 50 ft | 35 ft | Special permit |
Residential Agricultural — Minimum ROAD FRONTAGE is 50 ft in every district and has no field. Setbacks are measured from property lines (note 2). An accessory structure may not stand in a front yard, nor within 10 ft of any side or rear property line (note 3). Wind energy conversion systems may reach 150 ft rather than the 35 ft building limit. The 35 ft height does not bind telecommunication towers, small WECS, church spires, belfries, monuments, tanks, bulkheads, smokestacks, solar equipment, satellite dishes, silos, barns or other farm structures and flagpoles (§ 4.5), and the Zoning Board of Appeals may approve above it. § 4.6 requires 700 sq ft of floor space per single-family dwelling unit in ALL districts, excluding the basement; it does NOT apply to apartment units, and an accessory apartment must simply be smaller than the unit it is accessory to. No single commercial building may exceed 20,000 sq ft of lot coverage (§ 4.6). § 3.22 preserves existing one-acre RA parcels in common ownership as one-acre lots. TWO PER-USE RULES THAT CHANGE NO FIGURE, which is why neither is a variant. § 4.14.17: the minimum lot area for a MULTIFAMILY dwelling is the same as for a single-family dwelling in the same district — multifamily needs no extra land here. § 4.14.10: converting an existing one-family residence to a two- or multifamily one keeps the existing lot area, by special permit, in every district but PID; it does not reach new construction.
Hamlet, Residential Limited Business (3A), Low Density Residential, Residential Limited Business (1A) — Minimum ROAD FRONTAGE is 50 ft in every district and has no field. Setbacks are measured from property lines (note 2). An accessory structure may not stand in a front yard, nor within 10 ft of any side or rear property line (note 3). Wind energy conversion systems may reach 150 ft rather than the 35 ft building limit. The 35 ft height does not bind telecommunication towers, small WECS, church spires, belfries, monuments, tanks, bulkheads, smokestacks, solar equipment, satellite dishes, silos, barns or other farm structures and flagpoles (§ 4.5), and the Zoning Board of Appeals may approve above it. § 4.6 requires 700 sq ft of floor space per single-family dwelling unit in ALL districts, excluding the basement; it does NOT apply to apartment units, and an accessory apartment must simply be smaller than the unit it is accessory to. No single commercial building may exceed 20,000 sq ft of lot coverage (§ 4.6). TWO PER-USE RULES THAT CHANGE NO FIGURE, which is why neither is a variant. § 4.14.17: the minimum lot area for a MULTIFAMILY dwelling is the same as for a single-family dwelling in the same district — multifamily needs no extra land here. § 4.14.10: converting an existing one-family residence to a two- or multifamily one keeps the existing lot area, by special permit, in every district but PID; it does not reach new construction.
Roe Jan Corridor — A Roe Jan Corridor lot must ALSO have 450 ft of STREAM FRONTAGE (schedule note 1) — a requirement with no field, additional to the lot width above. Minimum ROAD FRONTAGE is 50 ft in every district and has no field. Setbacks are measured from property lines (note 2). An accessory structure may not stand in a front yard, nor within 10 ft of any side or rear property line (note 3). Wind energy conversion systems may reach 150 ft rather than the 35 ft building limit. The 35 ft height does not bind telecommunication towers, small WECS, church spires, belfries, monuments, tanks, bulkheads, smokestacks, solar equipment, satellite dishes, silos, barns or other farm structures and flagpoles (§ 4.5), and the Zoning Board of Appeals may approve above it. § 4.6 requires 700 sq ft of floor space per single-family dwelling unit in ALL districts, excluding the basement; it does NOT apply to apartment units, and an accessory apartment must simply be smaller than the unit it is accessory to. No single commercial building may exceed 20,000 sq ft of lot coverage (§ 4.6). TWO PER-USE RULES THAT CHANGE NO FIGURE, which is why neither is a variant. § 4.14.17: the minimum lot area for a MULTIFAMILY dwelling is the same as for a single-family dwelling in the same district — multifamily needs no extra land here. § 4.14.10: converting an existing one-family residence to a two- or multifamily one keeps the existing lot area, by special permit, in every district but PID; it does not reach new construction.
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. Columbia County occupancy tax applies.
Good to know
- UtilityCentral Hudson territory.
- Zoning codeclermontny.gov/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Clermont-Zoning-Book.pdf
- Building dept(518) 537-6868
- Last reviewed2026-08-16
Working out a budget? A standard-finish build here runs $202–$265/sq ft , and a conforming lot adds about $21,228 on top - see the full cost to build a house in Clermont, or what an ADU costs here.
Sizing up a specific parcel in Clermont?
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 Columbia County towns
All Columbia County zoning: Hudson (City) · Ancram · Austerlitz · Canaan · Chatham · Claverack · Copake · Gallatin · Germantown · Ghent · Hillsdale · Kinderhook · Livingston · New Lebanon · Stockport · Stuyvesant · Taghkanic · Chatham (Village) · Kinderhook (Village) · Philmont (Village) · Valatie (Village)
Zoning figures for Town of Clermont are compiled from the municipal code (last reviewed 2026-08-16) 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) 537-6868 before relying on any number. Source: Offsite / Aldo zoning dataset, municipalData.js.