Clarkson · build cost
What it costs to build a house in Clarkson, NY
A standard-finish house in Clarkson runs about $204–268/sq ft all in, which on a 1,800 sq ft build works out to roughly $370k–480k with general-contractor margin already in it. The part people leave out is what you pay before that, because the smallest conforming residential lot in the Town of Clarkson is 0.2296 acres and vacant land here carries a median assessed value of $3,768 an acre, so the dirt alone is around $865 and the whole thing lands near $370k–480k. What the code will let you put on that lot is rarely the binding constraint, since even Residential Suburban — 10,000 sf (RS-10) — 10,000 sf (0.23 acres) with 75 ft of lot width, 40% maximum lot coverage and 35 ft maximum height. Front setback 40 ft on a minor road and 75 ft on a major road (table note 3); side 10 ft; rear 30 ft to a dwelling or attached garage and 10 ft to other structures (table note 1). This is Clarkson's densest district and carries the town's highest coverage allowance at 40%. THIS DISTRICT IS THE ONE PLACE IN THE TOWN THAT PERMITS MULTIFAMILY, AND IT DOES SO IN TWO TIERS THAT ARE EASY TO CONFLATE: a multifamily dwelling of UP TO 4 UNITS needs 20,000 sf with 100 ft of width, and a multifamily dwelling of OVER 4 UNITS needs a full ACRE with 100 ft of width — both at 40% coverage but at a raised 40 FT height rather than the 35 ft that applies to one- and two-family forms, and both governed additionally by § 140-23.17. So the recorded 10,000 sf is the single-family figure and sizing a small apartment building from it would understate the land requirement by two to four times. A two-family dwelling is permitted on the same 10,000 sf as a single-family. THE ADU RULE IS NARROWER HERE THAN ELSEWHERE IN THE TOWN: in RS-10 an accessory dwelling unit may only be located WITHIN THE PRIMARY STRUCTURE, whereas AR and RS-20 permit a detached ADU — so no backyard cottage on these lots, internal conversion only. The table is USE-KEYED throughout; the figures recorded are the single-family dwelling row., the tightest residential district here, allows a building footprint of roughly 4,001 sq ft on a conforming lot, which is more house than the budget above actually buys. The figures below come out of the same cost engine Aldo uses to price a real parcel, broken out by system and by what a harder site adds, so you can see where the money actually goes.
Land plus build: the real number in Clarkson
Build cost is the half everyone quotes. The other half is the lot, and in the Town of Clarkson the code will not let you build on less than 0.2296 acres in its most permissive residential district, so that is the smallest ticket into the town.
| Line | Amount |
|---|---|
| Minimum conforming residential lot (0.2296 ac at $3,768/ac) | $865 |
| House, 1,800 sq ft, standard finish, slab on a flat lot | $370k–480k |
| Land and build together | $370k–480k |
Land is roughly 0% of that total in Clarkson. The per-acre figure is the median assessed full market value of vacant residential land across 163 priced parcels here, which is a proxy for what dirt is worth and not an asking price - road-frontage lots that are ready to build on trade above it, and back land without access trades below.
Cost per square foot by finish level
All in, general-contractor margin included, for a slab-on-grade build on a flat and clear lot. The rate holds steady whether you build 1,200 or 2,500 sq ft, which is why the finish level moves a budget more than the size does.
| Finish level | $ / sq ft | 1,800 sq ft total |
|---|---|---|
| Standard | $204–$268 | $370k–480k |
| Custom | $272–$405 | $490k–730k |
| Luxury | $415–$717 | $745k–1.29M |
Standard — Builder-grade but solid - stock cabinetry, mid-range windows, standard fixtures. What most spec cabins and rental builds run.
Custom — Better envelope, upgraded windows and doors, semi-custom millwork and fixtures. The typical Hudson Valley owner-build.
Luxury — High-performance envelope, custom cabinetry, designer fixtures and specialty finishes. Architect-driven, no stock parts.
Where the money goes
A standard-finish build at Monroe County pricing, broken out by trade as dollars per square foot. Foundation and site work here are the slab and flat-lot baseline, so a harder site stacks on top of them.
| System | $ / sq ft |
|---|---|
| Site work | $7–$11 |
| Foundation | $16–$23 |
| Framing | $25–$32 |
| Envelope - roof, siding, windows | $32–$41 |
| Plumbing | $16–$20 |
| Electrical | $13–$16 |
| HVAC | $15–$18 |
| Insulation | $7–$9 |
| Interior finishes | $27–$36 |
| Millwork & cabinetry | $11–$16 |
What moves the number
The baseline assumes the easy case. Each of these stacks on top, per square foot, at Monroe County pricing:
- Crawlspace instead of slab+$13–20/sq ft
- Full basement instead of slab+$31–49/sq ft
- Moderately sloped or wooded lot+$8.7–16/sq ft
- Steep or ledge-rock site+$22–44/sq ft
- Winter foundation & site work+$2.8–4/sq ft
Whole-project totals
Standard finish, slab on a flat lot, all in and before land. A harder site or a higher finish moves these up.
| Home size | Estimated build cost | With a conforming lot |
|---|---|---|
| 1,200 sq ft | $245k–320k | $245k–320k |
| 1,800 sq ft | $370k–480k | $370k–480k |
| 2,500 sq ft | $510k–670k | $510k–670k |
How much house Clarkson actually lets you build
Every residential district caps how much of the lot the building can cover. Multiply that cap by the district's minimum lot size and you get the largest footprint the code permits on a conforming lot in the Town of Clarkson, which runs from about 4,001 sq ft in Residential Suburban — 10,000 sf (RS-10) — 10,000 sf (0.23 acres) with 75 ft of lot width, 40% maximum lot coverage and 35 ft maximum height. Front setback 40 ft on a minor road and 75 ft on a major road (table note 3); side 10 ft; rear 30 ft to a dwelling or attached garage and 10 ft to other structures (table note 1). This is Clarkson's densest district and carries the town's highest coverage allowance at 40%. THIS DISTRICT IS THE ONE PLACE IN THE TOWN THAT PERMITS MULTIFAMILY, AND IT DOES SO IN TWO TIERS THAT ARE EASY TO CONFLATE: a multifamily dwelling of UP TO 4 UNITS needs 20,000 sf with 100 ft of width, and a multifamily dwelling of OVER 4 UNITS needs a full ACRE with 100 ft of width — both at 40% coverage but at a raised 40 FT height rather than the 35 ft that applies to one- and two-family forms, and both governed additionally by § 140-23.17. So the recorded 10,000 sf is the single-family figure and sizing a small apartment building from it would understate the land requirement by two to four times. A two-family dwelling is permitted on the same 10,000 sf as a single-family. THE ADU RULE IS NARROWER HERE THAN ELSEWHERE IN THE TOWN: in RS-10 an accessory dwelling unit may only be located WITHIN THE PRIMARY STRUCTURE, whereas AR and RS-20 permit a detached ADU — so no backyard cottage on these lots, internal conversion only. The table is USE-KEYED throughout; the figures recorded are the single-family dwelling row. to 21,780 sq ft in Agricultural Residential (AR) — 2 acres with 200 ft of lot width, 25% maximum lot coverage and 35 ft maximum height. Front setback 40 ft on a MINOR road and 75 ft on a MAJOR road (table note 4); side 25 ft; rear 30 ft to a dwelling or attached garage and 10 ft to any other structure (table note 1). A TWO-FAMILY DWELLING IS ALLOWED AT IDENTICAL DIMENSIONS to the single-family row (2 acres, 200 ft, same setbacks, same 25% coverage, same 35 ft height), so a second unit costs no additional LAND — but it is a SPECIALLY PERMITTED use, not a right, and so is the accessory dwelling unit. Both sit under the 'Specially Permitted Uses' block of the § 140-20.3 table rather than the 'Permitted Uses' block, and the table carries no per-row P/SP marker, so the distinction is visible only in the section header above the row. AR therefore offers two routes to a second unit at no extra acreage, each requiring a special permit and neither available as of right. A detached ADU is allowed in AR (unlike RS-10, which is internal-only), which remains the district's real advantage. AGRICULTURAL OPERATIONS ARE A SEPARATE AND MUCH LARGER ROW: 5 acres with 250 ft of width, 100 ft front, 35 ft side and 60 ft rear, and their height cap does not apply to barns, silos, water towers or tanks, windmills or other farm buildings on active farmland (table note 3). THE TABLE IS USE-KEYED, NOT DISTRICT-KEYED, AND THAT IS THE CENTRAL READING HAZARD IN THIS TOWN: each district's table lists one row per permitted use, each with its own lot size, width, setbacks, coverage and height, so 'the AR minimum lot' is meaningless without naming the use. The 2 acres recorded here is the single-family dwelling row.. Worth checking before you assume zoning is what is limiting the house, because in most districts it is the budget that runs out first.
| District | Min lot | Lot coverage | Max footprint | Max height |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residential Suburban — 10,000 sf (RS-10) — 10,000 sf (0.23 acres) with 75 ft of lot width, 40% maximum lot coverage and 35 ft maximum height. Front setback 40 ft on a minor road and 75 ft on a major road (table note 3); side 10 ft; rear 30 ft to a dwelling or attached garage and 10 ft to other structures (table note 1). This is Clarkson's densest district and carries the town's highest coverage allowance at 40%. THIS DISTRICT IS THE ONE PLACE IN THE TOWN THAT PERMITS MULTIFAMILY, AND IT DOES SO IN TWO TIERS THAT ARE EASY TO CONFLATE: a multifamily dwelling of UP TO 4 UNITS needs 20,000 sf with 100 ft of width, and a multifamily dwelling of OVER 4 UNITS needs a full ACRE with 100 ft of width — both at 40% coverage but at a raised 40 FT height rather than the 35 ft that applies to one- and two-family forms, and both governed additionally by § 140-23.17. So the recorded 10,000 sf is the single-family figure and sizing a small apartment building from it would understate the land requirement by two to four times. A two-family dwelling is permitted on the same 10,000 sf as a single-family. THE ADU RULE IS NARROWER HERE THAN ELSEWHERE IN THE TOWN: in RS-10 an accessory dwelling unit may only be located WITHIN THE PRIMARY STRUCTURE, whereas AR and RS-20 permit a detached ADU — so no backyard cottage on these lots, internal conversion only. The table is USE-KEYED throughout; the figures recorded are the single-family dwelling row. | 0.2296 ac | 40% | 4,001 sq ft | 35 ft |
| Residential Suburban — 20,000 sf (RS-20) — 20,000 sf (0.46 acres) with 100 ft of lot width, 30% maximum lot coverage and 35 ft maximum height. Front setback 40 ft on a minor road and 75 ft on a major road (table note 3); side 10 ft; rear 30 ft to a dwelling or attached garage and 10 ft to other structures (table note 1). The district name states its own minimum lot, which makes this one of the few self-documenting districts in the county. A TWO-FAMILY DWELLING IS ALLOWED ON THE SAME 20,000 SF AT THE SAME SETBACKS AND COVERAGE as a single-family — no extra land is required for the second unit — and a DETACHED ADU is allowed on top of that under § 140-23.4. SO AN RS-20 LOT CAN REACH THREE UNITS ON THE MINIMUM ACREAGE, BUT NOT AS OF RIGHT: both the two-family and the ADU are SPECIALLY PERMITTED uses under the § 140-20.4 table, so each needs its own special permit. The land is free; the approvals are not. Note that the side setback drops to 10 ft here from AR's 25 ft while the rear holds at 30 ft, so the buildable envelope narrows far less than the lot does. The ADU carries its own 10 ft side and 10 ft rear setbacks and otherwise refers to the primary use for bulk. As everywhere in this chapter the table is USE-KEYED: the figures recorded are the single-family dwelling row, and other uses permitted in RS-20 state their own dimensions. | 0.4591 ac | 30% | 6,000 sq ft | 35 ft |
| Agricultural Residential (AR) — 2 acres with 200 ft of lot width, 25% maximum lot coverage and 35 ft maximum height. Front setback 40 ft on a MINOR road and 75 ft on a MAJOR road (table note 4); side 25 ft; rear 30 ft to a dwelling or attached garage and 10 ft to any other structure (table note 1). A TWO-FAMILY DWELLING IS ALLOWED AT IDENTICAL DIMENSIONS to the single-family row (2 acres, 200 ft, same setbacks, same 25% coverage, same 35 ft height), so a second unit costs no additional LAND — but it is a SPECIALLY PERMITTED use, not a right, and so is the accessory dwelling unit. Both sit under the 'Specially Permitted Uses' block of the § 140-20.3 table rather than the 'Permitted Uses' block, and the table carries no per-row P/SP marker, so the distinction is visible only in the section header above the row. AR therefore offers two routes to a second unit at no extra acreage, each requiring a special permit and neither available as of right. A detached ADU is allowed in AR (unlike RS-10, which is internal-only), which remains the district's real advantage. AGRICULTURAL OPERATIONS ARE A SEPARATE AND MUCH LARGER ROW: 5 acres with 250 ft of width, 100 ft front, 35 ft side and 60 ft rear, and their height cap does not apply to barns, silos, water towers or tanks, windmills or other farm buildings on active farmland (table note 3). THE TABLE IS USE-KEYED, NOT DISTRICT-KEYED, AND THAT IS THE CENTRAL READING HAZARD IN THIS TOWN: each district's table lists one row per permitted use, each with its own lot size, width, setbacks, coverage and height, so 'the AR minimum lot' is meaningless without naming the use. The 2 acres recorded here is the single-family dwelling row. | 2 ac | 25% | 21,780 sq ft | 35 ft |
Footprint is the ground-floor building area, so a second storey buys floor area this number does not constrain, subject to the height limit. Some municipalities write their coverage cap as impervious surface rather than building coverage, which counts the driveway, walks and patio against the same budget and leaves less of it for the house - check which one your district uses before you design to it.
Local rules that move a build budget in Clarkson
- UtilityRG&E territory. Service run and connection cost depends on distance to the line, which on a rural parcel can be the single largest site expense.
- Short-term rentalsShort-term rentals allowed with local rules. CLARKSON IS THE FIRST MONROE TOWN WITH A PURPOSE-BUILT SHORT-TERM RENTAL LAW INSIDE ITS ZONING CODE, and it is the clearest STR finding in the county so far. § 140-23.21 Short-term rentals (STRs) sits in Article 23 Additional Use Regulations alongside a separate § 140-23.9 Bed-and-breakfasts, so the two are regulated as distinct uses rather than conflated. The stated purpose is explicit that the Town 'welcomes visitors' but that OVERCONCENTRATION of STRs may disrupt the peace, quiet and enjoyment of residents, and the section is framed as a balance between owners who wish to offer STRs and neighbours who do not. Operational requirements read so far: no STR is permitted on any property in violation of the Zoning Code or the NYS Uniform Fire Prevention and Building Code; the use must accommodate its MINIMUM OFF-STREET PARKING REQUIREMENT ENTIRELY ON SITE; and there is a further restriction on where off-street parking may be placed. TREAT THE PERMIT QUESTION AS OPEN: strStatus is recorded as regulated rather than registration_required precisely because no registration or permit clause was confirmed. Note also that a keyword sweep of the 52-chapter Town Code TOC found NO separate rental-licensing chapter of the Gates Ch. 148 kind, so § 140-23.21 appears to be the whole regime, but that should be confirmed when the section is read in full. New York State's 2025 statewide short-term rental registry (Ch. 99 of the Laws of 2025) obliges every host to register regardless of local law. Confirm with the Building Department at (585) 637-1145.
- Districts mapped3 zoning districts in the Town of Clarkson.
- Building dept(585) 637-1145
- Zoning last reviewed2026-08-13
Sizing up a specific parcel in Clarkson?
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.
Building an accessory unit instead?
An 800 sq ft ADU in Clarkson runs about $200k–260k, and the per-square-foot rate is higher than a full house because the kitchen, bath, panel and heating plant cost the same either way. See what it costs to build an ADU in Clarkson, priced by size.
Cost to build in nearby towns
All Monroe County towns: Rochester (City) · Brighton · Chili · Gates · Greece · Hamlin · Henrietta · Irondequoit · Mendon · Ogden · Parma · Penfield · Perinton · Pittsford · Riga · Rush · Sweden · Webster · Wheatland · Town/Village of East Rochester (Village) · Brockport (Village) · Churchville (Village) · Fairport (Village) · Hilton (Village) · Honeoye Falls (Village) · Pittsford (Village) · Scottsville (Village) · Spencerport (Village) · Webster (Village)
More on Clarkson: Zoning for new construction · ADU rules · Monroe County build cost
Cost to build in Clarkson: common questions
How much does it cost to build a house in Clarkson, NY?
A standard-finish new build in Town of Clarkson runs about $204–268/sq ft all in, general-contractor margin included, which puts a 1,800 sq ft house at roughly $370k–480k. A full basement, a sloped or wooded site, or a winter foundation pour each add to that, and a custom or luxury finish level moves it up again. Land is on top: a minimum conforming lot of 0.2296 acres runs about $865 here, for a combined $370k–480k.
What is the cheapest way to build in Clarkson?
The three levers that move a budget most here are finish level, foundation and site. Standard finish on a slab, on a flat and already-cleared lot, in the warm season, is the floor - every step away from that combination is priced in the tables above. Square footage matters less than people expect, because the per-square-foot rate barely moves between a 1,200 and a 2,500 sq ft house; what changes is the total.
Do I need a bigger lot to build in Clarkson?
The smallest residential minimum lot size in Town of Clarkson is 0.2296 acres, and the more rural districts go up to 2 acres. Which minimum applies depends on the district your parcel sits in, so confirm the district before you assume a lot is buildable.
Does it cost more to build in winter in Clarkson?
Yes. Foundation and site work carry a winter premium because of frost protection, heating and ground conditions, and at Monroe County pricing that works out to about +$2.8–4/sq ft across the whole build. It is usually cheaper to wait for spring than to pay it, unless the schedule is already costing you more somewhere else.
Construction figures are modeled estimates from Offsite's cost engine in current 2026 dollars, general-contractor margin included, using the Monroe County regional index. They are planning numbers for decision-support only - not a bid, quote, or guarantee, and not architectural or engineering advice. Zoning figures for the Town of Clarkson come from the municipal code (last reviewed 2026-08-13) and can carry district exceptions and overlays this page does not show. Actual cost depends on the specific parcel, design, site conditions and market at the time you build; verify with the building department at (585) 637-1145 and get a real estimate before you commit. Sources: Offsite / Aldo cost engine (costEngine.js + constants.js); zoning dataset (municipalData.js) ; NYS statewide tax-parcel layer, vacant residential full market value per acre.