Columbia County
Town of Hillsdale, NY: zoning for new construction
Residential lots in the Town of Hillsdale run from a 1-acre minimum in Hamlet up to 3 acres in Rural, across 3 zoning districts in all. Short-term rentals allowed with local rules. Power here is NYSEG territory. The district table below has the setbacks, height limits and coverage - confirm the specifics with the building department at (518) 325-5073 before you rely on a figure.
Looking specifically at an accessory dwelling unit? See ADU rules for Hillsdale →
Zoning districts
| District | Min lot | Setbacks F / S / R | Max height | ADU |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rural | 3 ac | 50 / 50 / 100 ft | 35 ft | Occupancy restricted |
| Hamlet | 1 ac | 25 / 30 / 20 ft | 35 ft | Occupancy restricted |
| Hamlet Business | 1 ac | 40 / 50 / 100 ft | 35 ft | Occupancy restricted |
Rural - Beyond lot area and width, a lot has to contain a square measuring at least 200 ft on a side. The front setback shown applies to a town or county road; it is 70 ft on a state road and 30 ft on a private road.
- A flexible lot subdivision under § 245-22 is barely the same district: the side yard falls from 50 ft to 10 ft, the rear from 100 ft to 20 ft, and the front from 50 ft to 40 ft on a town road.
- Maximum impermeable surface rises from 10% to 60%, the buildable square drops from 200 ft to 40 ft, and that column publishes no minimum lot size or town-road frontage; it is not available by right.
- Minimum road frontage is 200 ft on a town or county road, 300 ft on a state road and 100 ft on a private road.
- The coverage cap limits impermeable surface, not building footprint alone.
Hamlet - A lot here must contain a square of at least 100 ft in each dimension, a requirement separate from lot area and width, and needs 100 ft of road frontage on a town or county road, 200 ft on a state road.
- Clustering takes the side yard from 30 ft to 10 ft and the rear from 20 ft to 10 ft, and raises maximum impermeable surface from 20% to 80%; the cluster column publishes no minimum lot size.
- HM also sets a front-yard maximum: 40 ft on a town or county road and 80 ft on a state road.
- The front setback shown applies to a town or county road. On a state road the front setback is 40 ft.
- The coverage figure is a cap on impermeable surface, not on buildings alone.
- In the Hamlet District the Planning Board may permit more than one building or use on a single lot.
- Dimensional and setback requirements are applied in light of the siting guidelines in Appendixes I and II (§ 245-21), and supplementary dimensional regulations are in § 245-27.
Hamlet Business - Beyond the one acre minimum, a lot must also contain a square of at least 400 ft minimum dimension. The coverage figure shown is a cap on total impermeable surface, not on buildings alone.
- On a state road the front setback is 50 ft rather than the figure shown.
- Minimum road frontage is 100 ft on a town or county road and 400 ft on a state road.
- Lot size and density are further governed by § 245-26.
- Dimensional and setback requirements are applied in light of the siting guidelines in Appendixes I and II, and the guidelines are consulted where the two conflict (§ 245-21).
- See § 245-27 for supplementary dimensional regulations and § 245-66 for existing nonconforming lots.
Short-term rentals
Short-term rentals allowed with local rules. Renting a home for stays of under 30 days is regulated here. An owner needs a special permit from the ZBA and a certificate of occupancy from the building inspector before renting short term.
Conditions the code attaches:
- The special permit from the ZBA carries a $50 fee.
- The certificate of occupancy from the building inspector carries a $150 fee.
- The rules apply to transient rentals, meaning stays of under 30 days.
- The building department can confirm how the permit applies to a specific home: (518) 325-5073.
Good to know
- UtilityNYSEG territory.
- Zoning codeTown of Hillsdale Zoning Law, § 4.3, Dimensional Table (Conventional Subdivisions)
- Building dept(518) 325-5073
- Last reviewed2026-06-02
Working out a budget? A standard-finish build here runs $202–$265/sq ft , and a conforming lot adds about $12,419 on top - see the full cost to build a house in Hillsdale, or what an ADU costs here.
Sizing up a specific parcel in Hillsdale?
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 Columbia County towns
All Columbia County zoning: Hudson (City) · Ancram · Austerlitz · Canaan · Chatham · Claverack · Clermont · Copake · Gallatin · Germantown · Ghent · Kinderhook · Livingston · New Lebanon · Stockport · Stuyvesant · Taghkanic · Chatham (Village) · Kinderhook (Village) · Philmont (Village) · Valatie (Village)
Zoning figures for Town of Hillsdale are compiled from the municipal code (last reviewed 2026-06-02) 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) 325-5073 before relying on any number. Source: the Offsite / Aldo zoning dataset.