Day · build cost
What it costs to build a house in Day, NY
A standard-finish house in Day 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 Day is 3.2 acres and vacant land here carries a median assessed value of $29,600 an acre, so the dirt alone is around $94,720 and the whole thing lands near $460k–575k. What the code will let you put on that lot is rarely the binding constraint, since even Residential Moderate Density (rural residential neighbourhoods with moderate-size lots: a 3.2-ACRE minimum lot — the APA Moderate Intensity guideline — with 200 ft of lot width, a 75 ft front yard, 40 ft side and 50 ft rear yards, 25% coverage and 30 ft of height, plus a 75 ft stream setback and a 75 ft Great Sacandaga Lake shoreline setback. The district's purpose statement expressly encourages CONSOLIDATION OF VACANT UNDERSIZED LOTS to bring them into conformity — read with § 9.4, which lets any vacant nonconforming lot of record be built on for ONE single-family dwelling WITHOUT A VARIANCE provided it does not adjoin other lots in the same ownership (adjoining lots in one ownership are treated as a single lot) and provided it was also a vacant nonconforming lot of record as of MAY 22, 1973 or was created after that date in compliance with the Adirondack Park Agency Act. THAT 1973 DATE IS THE APA ACT'S OWN CUTOFF AND IT IS THE FIRST THING TO CHECK ON ANY UNDERSIZED DAY PARCEL. Agriculture is permitted by right; forestry is by right outside 528 ft of the South Shore Road centreline and by site plan within it. Minimum dwelling floor area 600 sq ft. THE LOT MINIMA IN THE THREE LARGER DISTRICTS ARE THE APA LAND-USE INTENSITY GUIDELINES, NOT LOCAL NUMBERS: 3.2 ACRES (Moderate Intensity), 8.5 ACRES (Low Intensity) and 42 ACRES (Rural Use / Resource Management). Those figures recur across every Adirondack town and are the tell that a code has been written to the Park's intensity classes rather than to local judgment. They are one-unit-per-lot minima, so on a Rural/Resource parcel the effective density is roughly one dwelling per 42 acres.), the tightest residential district here, allows a building footprint of roughly 34,848 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 Day
Build cost is the half everyone quotes. The other half is the lot, and in the Town of Day the code will not let you build on less than 3.2 acres in its most permissive residential district, so that is the smallest ticket into the town.
| Line | Amount |
|---|---|
| Minimum conforming residential lot (3.2 ac at $29,600/ac) | $94,720 |
| House, 1,800 sq ft, standard finish, slab on a flat lot | $370k–480k |
| Land and build together | $460k–575k |
Land is roughly 18% of that total in Day. The per-acre figure is the median assessed full market value of vacant residential land across 516 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 Saratoga 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 Saratoga 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 | $340k–415k |
| 1,800 sq ft | $370k–480k | $460k–575k |
| 2,500 sq ft | $510k–670k | $605k–765k |
How much house Day 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 Day, which runs from about 34,848 sq ft in Residential Moderate Density (rural residential neighbourhoods with moderate-size lots: a 3.2-ACRE minimum lot — the APA Moderate Intensity guideline — with 200 ft of lot width, a 75 ft front yard, 40 ft side and 50 ft rear yards, 25% coverage and 30 ft of height, plus a 75 ft stream setback and a 75 ft Great Sacandaga Lake shoreline setback. The district's purpose statement expressly encourages CONSOLIDATION OF VACANT UNDERSIZED LOTS to bring them into conformity — read with § 9.4, which lets any vacant nonconforming lot of record be built on for ONE single-family dwelling WITHOUT A VARIANCE provided it does not adjoin other lots in the same ownership (adjoining lots in one ownership are treated as a single lot) and provided it was also a vacant nonconforming lot of record as of MAY 22, 1973 or was created after that date in compliance with the Adirondack Park Agency Act. THAT 1973 DATE IS THE APA ACT'S OWN CUTOFF AND IT IS THE FIRST THING TO CHECK ON ANY UNDERSIZED DAY PARCEL. Agriculture is permitted by right; forestry is by right outside 528 ft of the South Shore Road centreline and by site plan within it. Minimum dwelling floor area 600 sq ft. THE LOT MINIMA IN THE THREE LARGER DISTRICTS ARE THE APA LAND-USE INTENSITY GUIDELINES, NOT LOCAL NUMBERS: 3.2 ACRES (Moderate Intensity), 8.5 ACRES (Low Intensity) and 42 ACRES (Rural Use / Resource Management). Those figures recur across every Adirondack town and are the tell that a code has been written to the Park's intensity classes rather than to local judgment. They are one-unit-per-lot minima, so on a Rural/Resource parcel the effective density is roughly one dwelling per 42 acres.) to 34,848 sq ft in Residential Moderate Density (rural residential neighbourhoods with moderate-size lots: a 3.2-ACRE minimum lot — the APA Moderate Intensity guideline — with 200 ft of lot width, a 75 ft front yard, 40 ft side and 50 ft rear yards, 25% coverage and 30 ft of height, plus a 75 ft stream setback and a 75 ft Great Sacandaga Lake shoreline setback. The district's purpose statement expressly encourages CONSOLIDATION OF VACANT UNDERSIZED LOTS to bring them into conformity — read with § 9.4, which lets any vacant nonconforming lot of record be built on for ONE single-family dwelling WITHOUT A VARIANCE provided it does not adjoin other lots in the same ownership (adjoining lots in one ownership are treated as a single lot) and provided it was also a vacant nonconforming lot of record as of MAY 22, 1973 or was created after that date in compliance with the Adirondack Park Agency Act. THAT 1973 DATE IS THE APA ACT'S OWN CUTOFF AND IT IS THE FIRST THING TO CHECK ON ANY UNDERSIZED DAY PARCEL. Agriculture is permitted by right; forestry is by right outside 528 ft of the South Shore Road centreline and by site plan within it. Minimum dwelling floor area 600 sq ft. THE LOT MINIMA IN THE THREE LARGER DISTRICTS ARE THE APA LAND-USE INTENSITY GUIDELINES, NOT LOCAL NUMBERS: 3.2 ACRES (Moderate Intensity), 8.5 ACRES (Low Intensity) and 42 ACRES (Rural Use / Resource Management). Those figures recur across every Adirondack town and are the tell that a code has been written to the Park's intensity classes rather than to local judgment. They are one-unit-per-lot minima, so on a Rural/Resource parcel the effective density is roughly one dwelling per 42 acres.). 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 Moderate Density (rural residential neighbourhoods with moderate-size lots: a 3.2-ACRE minimum lot — the APA Moderate Intensity guideline — with 200 ft of lot width, a 75 ft front yard, 40 ft side and 50 ft rear yards, 25% coverage and 30 ft of height, plus a 75 ft stream setback and a 75 ft Great Sacandaga Lake shoreline setback. The district's purpose statement expressly encourages CONSOLIDATION OF VACANT UNDERSIZED LOTS to bring them into conformity — read with § 9.4, which lets any vacant nonconforming lot of record be built on for ONE single-family dwelling WITHOUT A VARIANCE provided it does not adjoin other lots in the same ownership (adjoining lots in one ownership are treated as a single lot) and provided it was also a vacant nonconforming lot of record as of MAY 22, 1973 or was created after that date in compliance with the Adirondack Park Agency Act. THAT 1973 DATE IS THE APA ACT'S OWN CUTOFF AND IT IS THE FIRST THING TO CHECK ON ANY UNDERSIZED DAY PARCEL. Agriculture is permitted by right; forestry is by right outside 528 ft of the South Shore Road centreline and by site plan within it. Minimum dwelling floor area 600 sq ft. THE LOT MINIMA IN THE THREE LARGER DISTRICTS ARE THE APA LAND-USE INTENSITY GUIDELINES, NOT LOCAL NUMBERS: 3.2 ACRES (Moderate Intensity), 8.5 ACRES (Low Intensity) and 42 ACRES (Rural Use / Resource Management). Those figures recur across every Adirondack town and are the tell that a code has been written to the Park's intensity classes rather than to local judgment. They are one-unit-per-lot minima, so on a Rural/Resource parcel the effective density is roughly one dwelling per 42 acres.) | 3.2 ac | 25% | 34,848 sq ft | 30 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 Day
- UtilityNational Grid 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 rentalsNo local short-term-rental law on record - which is not the same as permission. NO SHORT-TERM-RENTAL PROVISION EXISTS IN THE TOWN OF DAY ZONING LAW. A full-text read of the 81-page law returns no 'short-term rental' and no 'vacation rental', and the Town's published list of local laws shows no rental enactment. Recorded 'unknown' rather than 'prohibited': whole-house rental of a permitted single-family dwelling is arguably the residential use itself, and absence of a found provision is NOT permission. WHAT IT DOES REGULATE IS THE OLDER TRANSIENT LADDER. BED AND BREAKFAST is a SITE PLAN use in LR, NC, RMD and RLD (not RRC), and § 8.20 confines it to NOT MORE THAN FIVE ROOMS offered for rent for transient occupancy, with meals — if offered at all — SERVED ONLY TO REGISTERED LODGERS. Appendix D defines it as 'a private dwelling in which at least one (1) and not more than five (5) rooms are offered for rent for transient occupancy'. TOURIST ACCOMMODATION is a separate site-plan use in NC, RMD and RLD, and a TOURIST ATTRACTION in RMD, RLD and RRC. CAMPGROUNDS AND RECREATIONAL VEHICLE PARKS are a site-plan use in every district under § 8.21 on a 10-ACRE minimum, at no more than 10 campsites per acre with a 2,500 sq ft minimum campsite, a 50 FT GREEN SPACE BUFFER around the whole facility, no campsite within 75 ft of the mean high water mark of any navigable water, and NYS Department of Health compliance. Parking is one space per guest sleeping room for a boarding home or tourist accommodation. Get a written answer from the Code Enforcement Officer at (518) 696-3789 before underwriting short-term rental income on a Sacandaga parcel. Separately, New York State has required every short-term-rental host to register the unit with the State through the county registry since 2025 regardless of what the municipality allows, and Saratoga County HAS adopted a county-level short-term-rental programme: a 3% occupancy tax and a MANDATORY county registry, covering any room or space in a dwelling let for under 30 consecutive days. Registration runs two years, an unregistered host faces fines of up to $500, and the booking platform is separately liable for processing an unregistered listing — so Airbnb and Vrbo will delist. The City of Saratoga Springs runs its own registry alongside it.
- Districts mapped5 zoning districts in the Town of Day.
- Building dept(518) 696-3789
- Zoning last reviewed2026-08-03
Sizing up a specific parcel in Day?
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 Day 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 Day, priced by size.
Cost to build in nearby towns
All Saratoga County towns: Mechanicville (City) · Saratoga Springs (City) · Ballston · Charlton · Clifton Park · Corinth · Edinburg · Galway · Greenfield · Halfmoon · Malta · Milton · Moreau · Northumberland · Providence · Saratoga · Stillwater · Waterford · Wilton · Ballston Spa (Village) · Corinth (Village) · Round Lake (Village) · Schuylerville (Village) · South Glens Falls (Village) · Stillwater (Village) · Victory (Village) · Waterford (Village)
More on Day: Zoning for new construction · ADU rules · Saratoga County build cost
Cost to build in Day: common questions
How much does it cost to build a house in Day, NY?
A standard-finish new build in Town of Day 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 3.2 acres runs about $94,720 here, for a combined $460k–575k.
What is the cheapest way to build in Day?
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 Day?
The smallest residential minimum lot size in Town of Day is 3.2 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 Day?
Yes. Foundation and site work carry a winter premium because of frost protection, heating and ground conditions, and at Saratoga 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 Saratoga 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 Day come from the municipal code (last reviewed 2026-08-03) 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 (518) 696-3789 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.