Albany County
Town of Westerlo, NY: zoning for new construction
Residential lots in the Town of Westerlo run from a 0.75-acre minimum in Residential Hamlet up to 3 acres in Rural Development/Agricultural, 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 (518) 797-3111 before you rely on a figure.
Looking specifically at an accessory dwelling unit? See ADU rules for Westerlo →
Zoning districts
| District | Min lot | Setbacks F / S / R | Max height | ADU |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Light Industrial | 5 ac | 100 / 100 / 100 ft | 35 ft | No |
| Rural Development/Agricultural | 3 ac | 50 / 50 / 50 ft | 35 ft | As of right |
| Residential Hamlet | 0.75 ac | 50 / 30 / 30 ft | 35 ft | As of right |
Rural Development/Agricultural - A two- to four-unit attached dwelling is permitted by right here, as a one-family is, but starts from 5 acres rather than 3. Each unit above the second adds 40 sq ft of land for every square foot of that unit's finished living area.
- Every commercial use here needs site plan approval and a special use permit under § 8.40.3.c, so none of it is reachable by right.
- A commercial use so approved keeps the 3-acre minimum but takes 100 ft on the front, both sides and the rear, a 300 ft minimum width and a 30% building coverage cap.
- On top of that coverage cap, a further 20% of the gross land area must stay permanently green or natural, so the two together leave 50% of the lot outside both categories.
- A building of five or more units needs site plan approval and a special use permit under § 8.40.3.d, and is sized by the same land formula.
Residential Hamlet - Retail commercial, essential services and medical, educational or religious uses are available here only with site plan approval and a special use permit under § 8.50.3. None of them is reachable by right.
- A use approved that way keeps this district's lot minimum and its 50 ft front and 30 ft side and rear yards; only the frontage changes, to 150 ft rather than 100 ft.
Short-term rentals
No local short-term-rental law on record - which is not the same as permission. No local short-term rental law is on the books here, and the rule is not confirmed. That is not permission: confirm with the town before counting on renting a house short term.
Conditions the code attaches:
- New York State's 2025 short-term rental registry requires every host in the state to register the unit, whatever the local rules.
- Confirm with the Town of Westerlo at (518) 797-3111 before listing.
Good to know
- UtilityNational Grid territory.
- Zoning codeTown of Westerlo Zoning Law, Article 8 (§§ 8.40-8.60).
- Building dept(518) 797-3111
- Last reviewed2026-09-08
Working out a budget? A standard-finish build here runs $202–$265/sq ft , and a conforming lot adds about $4,084 on top - see the full cost to build a house in Westerlo, or what an ADU costs here.
Sizing up a specific parcel in Westerlo?
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 Albany County towns
All Albany County zoning: Albany (City) · Cohoes (City) · Watervliet (City) · Berne · Bethlehem · Coeymans · Colonie · Guilderland · Knox · New Scotland · Rensselaerville · Altamont (Village) · Colonie (Village) · Green Island (Village) · Menands (Village) · Ravena (Village) · Voorheesville (Village)
Zoning figures for Town of Westerlo are compiled from the municipal code (last reviewed 2026-09-08) 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) 797-3111 before relying on any number. Source: the Offsite / Aldo zoning dataset.