Albany County
City of Watervliet, NY: zoning for new construction
Residential lots in the City of Watervliet run from a 0.092-acre minimum in Residential 1 up to 0.23 acres in Residential 1A, across 10 zoning districts in all. Short-term rentals allowed with local rules. 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 (518) 270-3800 before you rely on a figure.
Looking specifically at an accessory dwelling unit? See ADU rules for Watervliet →
Zoning districts
| District | Min lot | Setbacks F / S / R | Max height | ADU |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Business | — | 0 / 0 / 20 ft | 40 ft | — |
| Light Industrial | — | 25 / 10 / 25 ft | 50 ft | — |
| Mixed Use 1 | 0.092 ac | 10 / 3 / 15 ft | 40 ft | As of right |
| Mixed Use 2 | 0.092 ac | 10 / 3 / 15 ft | 40 ft | As of right |
| Planned Mixed Use District | — | — | — | — |
| Residential 1 | 0.092 ac | 10 / 3 / 15 ft | 35 ft | As of right |
| Residential 1A | 0.23 ac | 25 / 10 / 30 ft | 35 ft | As of right |
| Residential 2 | 0.092 ac | 10 / 3 / 15 ft | 35 ft | As of right |
| Residential 3 | 0.12 ac | 10 / 5 / 15 ft | 45 ft | As of right |
| Waterfront Conservation | 0.46 ac | 25 / 10 / 30 ft | 35 ft | — |
Business - No dwelling of any type is permitted in B under Schedule A, so the district is for nonresidential building. The front setback is also a ceiling: a building stands between 0 ft and 20 ft from the front lot line.
- There is no minimum lot area in B: Schedule B publishes none.
- The coverage figure is maximum impervious surface, so driveways and parking count against it, not the building footprint alone.
Light Industrial - No dwelling of any type is permitted in LI under Schedule A. Where a side lot line adjoins a residential district, the yard on that side is 20 ft rather than 10 ft.
- Schedule B publishes no minimum lot area for LI.
- The coverage figure is maximum impervious surface, so driveways and parking count against it, not the building footprint alone.
Mixed Use 1, Mixed Use 2 - Residential lot area is the greater of 4,000 sq ft or 1,500 sq ft per dwelling unit, and both bind, so the unit count sets the land needed. A building must also reach two storeys, a minimum sitting alongside the 40 ft and 3.5 storey maximum.
- The front setback is 10 ft or the average of prevailing setbacks, whichever is lesser, and a building stands no more than 20 ft from the front lot line.
- Schedule A permits single-family, two-family and multifamily dwellings here, and Schedule B gives them one shared set of figures.
- The coverage figure is maximum impervious surface, so driveways and parking count against it, not the building footprint alone.
Planned Mixed Use District - Schedule B publishes no dimensional figure for PMUD. Its row points to Article VI, Planned Development Districts, and the standards are set in each approved development plan.
Residential 1 - The 10 ft front setback is a floor, not a fixed figure: a building sits back 10 ft or the average of prevailing setbacks on the block, whichever is greater. Schedule A permits only single-family dwellings in R-1.
- The coverage figure is maximum impervious surface, so driveways and parking count against it, not the building footprint alone.
Residential 1A - The 25 ft front setback is a floor an established streetscape can raise: a building sits back 25 ft or the average of prevailing setbacks, whichever is greater. Schedule A permits only single-family dwellings in R-1A, no two-family and no multifamily.
- Prevailing is defined as the average of improved lots whose setbacks differ by no more than 10 ft, which drops outliers.
- The coverage figure is maximum impervious surface, so driveways and parking count against it, not the building footprint alone.
Residential 2 - The 10 ft front setback is a floor: a building sits back 10 ft or the average of prevailing setbacks, whichever is greater. Schedule A permits single-family and two-family dwellings in R-2, and both take the same set of figures.
- Multifamily dwellings are not permitted in R-2.
- The coverage figure is maximum impervious surface, so driveways and parking count against it, not the building footprint alone.
Residential 3 - The lot must clear the greater of 5,000 sq ft or 2,000 sq ft per dwelling unit, so both bind. The 80% is a cap on impervious surface rather than on the building footprint, so driveways and parking count against it.
- Floor area ratio is capped by lot size: 2.0 below 5,999 sq ft, 3.0 from 6,000 to 7,499 sq ft, and 4.0 above 7,500 sq ft.
- A multifamily building needs 1,500 sq ft of land per dwelling unit, with 10 ft side yards and 30 ft for the two combined.
- The front setback is 10 ft or the prevailing average, whichever is less, and a 20 ft front maximum also applies.
- A minimum of two storeys applies as well as the 45 ft and 3.5 storey maximum.
- A nonresidential lot is a flat 5,000 sq ft, without the per-unit step a home takes.
Waterfront Conservation - Schedule A permits no residential use in WC. Single-family, two-family and multifamily dwellings are all left blank for this district.
- The coverage figure is maximum impervious surface, so driveways and parking count against it, not the building footprint alone.
Short-term rentals
Short-term rentals allowed with local rules. Every short-term rental must be entered on the city registry with Code Enforcement before it operates, under Chapter 176, Article V, added by Local Law No. 3-2025 and effective September 4, 2025.
Conditions the code attaches:
- The annual fee is $250 for each building plus $100 for each unit.
- Building Department: (518) 270-3800.
Good to know
- UtilityNational Grid territory.
- Zoning codeCity of Watervliet, Chapter 272 (Zoning), Schedule A (Permitted Principal Uses) and Schedule B (Lot Development Standards).
- Building dept(518) 270-3800
- Last reviewed2026-09-19
Working out a budget? A standard-finish build here runs $202–$265/sq ft - see the full cost to build a house in Watervliet, or what an ADU costs here.
Sizing up a specific parcel in Watervliet?
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.
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Zoning figures for City of Watervliet are compiled from the municipal code (last reviewed 2026-09-19) 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 (518) 270-3800 before relying on any number. Source: the Offsite / Aldo zoning dataset.