Erie County
Town of Amherst, NY: zoning for new construction
Residential lots in the Town of Amherst run from a 0.083-acre minimum in Multifamily Residential District Five up to 5 acres in AG Agricultural District, across 25 zoning districts in all. Short-term rentals allowed with registration. 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) 631-7080 before you rely on a figure.
Looking specifically at an accessory dwelling unit? See ADU rules for Amherst →
Zoning districts
| District | Min lot | Setbacks F / S / R | Max height | ADU |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rural Residential District | 3 ac | 50 / - / - ft | 35 ft | Occupancy restricted |
| Suburban Agricultural District | 1 ac | 50 / - / - ft | 35 ft | Occupancy restricted |
| Residential District One | 0.5 ac | 30 / 8 / 35 ft | 35 ft | Occupancy restricted |
| Residential District Two | 0.264 ac | 30 / 8 / 35 ft | 35 ft | Occupancy restricted |
| Residential District Three | 0.194 ac | 30 / 5 / 30 ft | 35 ft | Occupancy restricted |
| Cluster Residential District Three-A | 0.115 ac | 25 / - / 30 ft | 35 ft | Occupancy restricted |
| Traditional Single-Family Residential District | 0.103 ac | 25 / 5 / 25 ft | 35 ft | No |
| Residential District Four | 0.134 ac | 30 / 8 / 30 ft | 35 ft | Occupancy restricted |
| Multifamily Residential District Four-A | 0.138 ac | 25 / 5 / 20 ft | 35 ft | Occupancy restricted |
| Multifamily Residential District Five | 0.083 ac | — | 35 ft | Occupancy restricted |
| Multifamily Residential District Six | 0.138 ac | 25 / - / - ft | 35 ft | Occupancy restricted |
| Multifamily Residential District Seven | 0.138 ac | — | — | No |
| Manufactured Home Residential District Eight | 0.092 ac | 30 / 15 / 15 ft | — | No |
| Office Building District | — | 20 / - / - ft | — | No |
| Neighborhood Business District | 1 ac | - / 10 / 15 ft | 30 ft | No |
| General Business District | — | 20 / - / - ft | 65 ft | No |
| Commercial Service District | 1 ac | 20 / 10 / 10 ft | 40 ft | No |
| Motor Service District | — | 20 / 10 / 25 ft | 65 ft | No |
| Shopping Center District | 10 ac | 25 / 50 / 50 ft | 65 ft | No |
| Research and Development District | 1 ac | 20 / - / - ft | 65 ft | No |
| Science Technology District | 2 ac | 20 / - / - ft | 45 ft | No |
| General Industrial District | 1 ac | 20 / - / - ft | 65 ft | No |
| AG Agricultural District | 5 ac | 50 / 30 / 30 ft | 35 ft | No |
| TND Traditional Neighborhood Development District | — | - / 15 / 15 ft | 50 ft | No |
| LW-1 Live-Work District 1 | — | 25 / 5 / 25 ft | 35 ft | No |
Short-term rentals
Short-term rentals allowed with registration. A short-term rental requires Town registration. § 44-3 of Chapter 44, Rental Unit Registration, makes it unlawful to let a dwelling unit unless the owner has first obtained EITHER a short-term rental dwelling unit registration certificate OR an ordinary rental dwelling unit registration — so the short-term case has its own certificate. § 44-2 defines SHORT TERM RENTAL, and § 44-7 sets the registration term. The requirement is outside the zoning chapter. New York State's 2025 short-term rental registry (Ch. 99 of the Laws of 2025) separately requires every host statewide to register the unit regardless of local law. Confirm with Town of Amherst at (716) 631-7080 before listing.
Good to know
- UtilityNational Grid territory.
- Building dept(716) 631-7080
- Last reviewed2026-08-06
Working out a budget? A standard-finish build here runs $204–$268/sq ft , and a conforming lot adds about $3,901 on top - see the full cost to build a house in Amherst, or what an ADU costs here.
Sizing up a specific parcel in Amherst?
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) · Alden · 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 Amherst 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) 631-7080 before relying on any number. Source: Offsite / Aldo zoning dataset, municipalData.js.