Columbia County
Town of Ghent, NY: zoning for new construction
Residential lots in the Town of Ghent run from a 0.23-acre minimum in Village Residence up to 2 acres in Rural Residence Agriculture 2, across 9 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) 392-4644 before you rely on a figure.
Looking specifically at an accessory dwelling unit? See ADU rules for Ghent →
Zoning districts
| District | Min lot | Setbacks F / S / R | Max height | ADU |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rural Residence Agriculture 1 | 1 ac | 50 / 20 / 40 ft | 35 ft | As of right |
| Rural Residence Agriculture 2 | 2 ac | 75 / 40 / 40 ft | 35 ft | As of right |
| Village Residence | 0.23 ac | 30 / 10 / 30 ft | 35 ft | As of right |
| Hamlet Residence | 0.46 ac | 30 / 20 / 40 ft | 35 ft | As of right |
| Hamlet Business | 0.11 ac | 10 / 10 / 20 ft | 35 ft | No |
| Village Business | 0.46 ac | 20 / 20 / 20 ft | 35 ft | No |
| Commercial 1 | 0.92 ac | 40 / 15 / 80 ft | 35 ft | No |
| Commercial 2 | 0.92 ac | 40 / 15 / 80 ft | 35 ft | No |
| Commercial 3 | 0.92 ac | 40 / 25 / 20 ft | 35 ft | No |
Rural Residence Agriculture 1 — A SECOND DENSITY ROW APPLIES: besides the one-acre minimum lot, Appendix B sets a "Required minimum density per lot" of THREE ACRES in RRA-1. The two are different questions and only the lot minimum was recorded. Lot area with and without public sewage is the same one acre here. On a corner lot the side yard abutting the side street is 25 ft, a third figure distinct from both the single and the combined side yard above. Minimum FRONTAGE is 60 ft, separate from the lot width. Required setbacks are measured from a point 25 FT FROM THE CENTRE LINE of any town, county or subdivision roadway (note c), not from the property line. Parking is permitted within a required setback (note b). Accessory building dimensions are set by § 190-27A(3) (note d). Where public sewage is not available, no lot may be built upon that lacks space for a private sanitary waste disposal system (note a). Total lot coverage also applies to ground-mounted solar energy facilities under § 190-15E(2) (note e).
Rural Residence Agriculture 2 — A SECOND DENSITY ROW APPLIES: besides the two-acre minimum lot, Appendix B sets a "Required minimum density per lot" of FIVE ACRES in RRA-2. Lot area with and without public sewage is the same two acres here. On a corner lot the side yard abutting the side street is 50 ft, a third figure distinct from both the single and the combined side yard above. Minimum FRONTAGE is 60 ft, separate from the lot width. Required setbacks are measured from a point 25 FT FROM THE CENTRE LINE of any town, county or subdivision roadway (note c), not from the property line. Parking is permitted within a required setback (note b). Accessory building dimensions are set by § 190-27A(3) (note d). Where public sewage is not available, no lot may be built upon that lacks space for a private sanitary waste disposal system (note a). Total lot coverage also applies to ground-mounted solar energy facilities under § 190-15E(2) (note e).
Village Residence — THE BASE ROW ASSUMES PUBLIC SEWAGE. Appendix B prints two lot-area rows for the residential districts, with and without public sewage, and VR is the only district where they differ: 10,000 sq ft with, 20,000 without. On a corner lot the side yard abutting the side street is 30 ft, a third figure distinct from both the single and the combined side yard above. Minimum FRONTAGE is 60 ft, separate from the lot width. Required setbacks are measured from a point 25 FT FROM THE CENTRE LINE of any town, county or subdivision roadway (note c), not from the property line. Parking is permitted within a required setback (note b). Accessory building dimensions are set by § 190-27A(3) (note d). Where public sewage is not available, no lot may be built upon that lacks space for a private sanitary waste disposal system (note a). Total lot coverage also applies to ground-mounted solar energy facilities under § 190-15E(2) (note e).
Hamlet Residence — Lot area with and without public sewage is the same 20,000 sq ft in HR. On a corner lot the side yard abutting the side street is 50 ft, a third figure distinct from both the single and the combined side yard above. Minimum FRONTAGE is 60 ft, separate from the lot width. Required setbacks are measured from a point 25 FT FROM THE CENTRE LINE of any town, county or subdivision roadway (note c), not from the property line. Parking is permitted within a required setback (note b). Accessory building dimensions are set by § 190-27A(3) (note d). Where public sewage is not available, no lot may be built upon that lacks space for a private sanitary waste disposal system (note a). Total lot coverage also applies to ground-mounted solar energy facilities under § 190-15E(2) (note e).
Hamlet Business — Appendix B prints N/A for the combined side yard in HB — it publishes only the single-side figure. Maximum footprint of a single building 3,500 sq ft; maximum open land area of preserved vegetation or landscaping 20% of the lot. On a corner lot the side yard abutting the side street is 10 ft, a third figure distinct from both the single and the combined side yard above. Minimum FRONTAGE is 40 ft, separate from the lot width. Required setbacks are measured from a point 25 FT FROM THE CENTRE LINE of any town, county or subdivision roadway (note c), not from the property line. Parking is permitted within a required setback (note b). Accessory building dimensions are set by § 190-27A(3) (note d). Where public sewage is not available, no lot may be built upon that lacks space for a private sanitary waste disposal system (note a). Total lot coverage also applies to ground-mounted solar energy facilities under § 190-15E(2) (note e).
Village Business — Maximum footprint of a single building 20,000 sq ft; maximum open land area of preserved vegetation or landscaping 30% of the lot. On a corner lot the side yard abutting the side street is 20 ft, a third figure distinct from both the single and the combined side yard above. Minimum FRONTAGE is 50 ft, separate from the lot width. Required setbacks are measured from a point 25 FT FROM THE CENTRE LINE of any town, county or subdivision roadway (note c), not from the property line. Parking is permitted within a required setback (note b). Accessory building dimensions are set by § 190-27A(3) (note d). Where public sewage is not available, no lot may be built upon that lacks space for a private sanitary waste disposal system (note a). Total lot coverage also applies to ground-mounted solar energy facilities under § 190-15E(2) (note e).
Commercial 1, Commercial 2 — Maximum footprint of a single building 50,000 sq ft; maximum open land area 40% of the lot. On a corner lot the side yard abutting the side street is 15 ft, a third figure distinct from both the single and the combined side yard above. Minimum FRONTAGE is 60 ft, separate from the lot width. Required setbacks are measured from a point 25 FT FROM THE CENTRE LINE of any town, county or subdivision roadway (note c), not from the property line. Parking is permitted within a required setback (note b). Accessory building dimensions are set by § 190-27A(3) (note d). Where public sewage is not available, no lot may be built upon that lacks space for a private sanitary waste disposal system (note a). Total lot coverage also applies to ground-mounted solar energy facilities under § 190-15E(2) (note e).
Commercial 3 — C-3 SETBACKS STEP WITH LOT SIZE and the base row is the SMALL-LOT case. Appendix B gives C-3 a 40 ft front, 40 ft combined side, 20 ft corner side and 20 ft rear yard on a lot UNDER 2 acres, and 60 ft, 60 ft, 25 ft and 100 ft on a lot of 2 acres or more. The single side yard is 25 ft regardless. Lot size is not a condition axis, so the larger figures are stated here. Maximum footprint of a single building 100,000 sq ft; maximum open land area 40% of the lot. On a corner lot the side yard abutting the side street is 20 ft, a third figure distinct from both the single and the combined side yard above. Minimum FRONTAGE is 60 ft, separate from the lot width. Required setbacks are measured from a point 25 FT FROM THE CENTRE LINE of any town, county or subdivision roadway (note c), not from the property line. Parking is permitted within a required setback (note b). Accessory building dimensions are set by § 190-27A(3) (note d). Where public sewage is not available, no lot may be built upon that lacks space for a private sanitary waste disposal system (note a). Total lot coverage also applies to ground-mounted solar energy facilities under § 190-15E(2) (note e).
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. Town has a general rental property inspection chapter (Ch. 136) but no STR-specific permit or registration requirement.
Good to know
- UtilityCentral Hudson territory.
- Zoning codeecode360.com/10600582
- Building dept(518) 392-4644
- Last reviewed2026-06-02
Working out a budget? A standard-finish build here runs $202–$265/sq ft , and a conforming lot adds about $2,656 on top - see the full cost to build a house in Ghent, or what an ADU costs here.
Sizing up a specific parcel in Ghent?
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 · Clermont · Copake · Gallatin · Germantown · Hillsdale · Kinderhook · Livingston · New Lebanon · Stockport · Stuyvesant · Taghkanic · Chatham (Village) · Kinderhook (Village) · Philmont (Village) · Valatie (Village)
Zoning figures for Town of Ghent are compiled from the municipal code (last reviewed 2026-06-02) 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) 392-4644 before relying on any number. Source: Offsite / Aldo zoning dataset, municipalData.js.