Erie County
City of Tonawanda, NY: zoning for new construction
Residential lots in the City of Tonawanda run from a 0.092-acre minimum in R-2 General Residence District up to 0.172 acres in R-1 Single-Family Residence District, across 3 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) 695-1806 before you rely on a figure.
Looking specifically at an accessory dwelling unit? See ADU rules for Tonawanda →
Zoning districts
| District | Min lot | Setbacks F / S / R | Max height | ADU |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| R-1 Single-Family Residence District | 0.172 ac | 25 / 5 / 25 ft | 30 ft | Occupancy restricted |
| R-2 General Residence District | 0.092 ac | 25 / 5 / 25 ft | 30 ft | Occupancy restricted |
| R-C Residential-Restricted Business District | 0.138 ac | 25 / 5 / 25 ft | 30 ft | Occupancy restricted |
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 as of 2026-08-26. The City Code is on Municode and all 23 chapters were enumerated: there is no rental, lodging, tourist-home, transient-occupancy or short-term-rental chapter. Note the TOWN of Tonawanda is a separate jurisdiction and DOES regulate short-term rentals by name under § 215-24.7, so do not read one for the other. Absence of a found STR law is not permission. 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 City of Tonawanda at (716) 695-1806 before listing.
Good to know
- UtilityNational Grid territory.
- Building dept(716) 695-1806
- Last reviewed2026-08-06
Working out a budget? A standard-finish build here runs $204–$268/sq ft , and a conforming lot adds about $2,826 on top - see the full cost to build a house in Tonawanda, or what an ADU costs here.
Sizing up a specific parcel in Tonawanda?
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) · Alden · 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 City of Tonawanda 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) 695-1806 before relying on any number. Source: Offsite / Aldo zoning dataset, municipalData.js.