Erie County
Town of Alden, NY: zoning for new construction
Residential lots in the Town of Alden run from a 0.459-acre minimum in R-1 Residential District up to 1.837 acres in R-A Rural Agricultural District, across 4 zoning districts in all. No local short-term-rental law on record - which is not the same as permission. 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 (716) 937-6969 before you rely on a figure.
Looking specifically at an accessory dwelling unit? See ADU rules for Alden →
Zoning districts
| District | Min lot | Setbacks F / S / R | Max height | ADU |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| R-A Rural Agricultural District | 1.837 ac | 35 / 10 / 30 ft | 30 ft | No |
| R-1 Residential District | 0.459 ac | 35 / 10 / 30 ft | 30 ft | No |
| R-2 Residential District | 0.459 ac | 35 / 10 / 30 ft | 30 ft | No |
| R-3 Residential District | 0.459 ac | 35 / 10 / 30 ft | 30 ft | No |
Short-term rentals
No local short-term-rental law on record - which is not the same as permission. No local short-term-rental law found for the Town of Alden as of 2026-08-06; absence of a found law is not permission. New York State's 2025 STR registry (Ch. 99 of the Laws of 2025) separately requires every host statewide to register through the Erie County registry. Confirm with the building department at (716) 937-6969 before listing.
Good to know
- UtilityNational Grid territory.
- Building dept(716) 937-6969
- Last reviewed2026-08-06
Working out a budget? A standard-finish build here runs $204–$268/sq ft , and a conforming lot adds about $4,875 on top - see the full cost to build a house in Alden, or what an ADU costs here.
Sizing up a specific parcel in Alden?
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 Erie County towns
All Erie County zoning: Buffalo (City) · Lackawanna (City) · Tonawanda (City) · Amherst · Aurora · Boston · Brant · Cheektowaga · Clarence · Colden · Collins · Concord · Eden · Elma · Evans · Grand Island · Hamburg · Holland · Lancaster · Marilla · Newstead · North Collins · Orchard Park · Sardinia · Tonawanda · Wales · West Seneca · Akron (Village) · Alden (Village) · Angola (Village) · Blasdell (Village) · Depew (Village) · East Aurora (Village) · Farnham (Village) · Gowanda (Village) · Hamburg (Village) · Kenmore (Village) · Lancaster (Village) · North Collins (Village) · Orchard Park (Village) · Sloan (Village) · Springville (Village) · Williamsville (Village)
Zoning figures for Town of Alden are compiled from the municipal code (last reviewed 2026-08-06) 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 (716) 937-6969 before relying on any number. Source: Offsite / Aldo zoning dataset, municipalData.js.