Erie County
Town of Elma, NY: zoning for new construction
Residential lots in the Town of Elma run from a 0.73-acre minimum in Residential C and Agricultural Zone up to 0.86 acres in Residential A Zone, across 7 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) 652-3260 before you rely on a figure.
Looking specifically at an accessory dwelling unit? See ADU rules for Elma →
Zoning districts
| District | Min lot | Setbacks F / S / R | Max height | ADU |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residential A Zone | 0.86 ac | 50 / 20 / 10 ft | — | No |
| Residential B Zone | 0.8 ac | 50 / 20 / 10 ft | — | No |
| Residential C and Agricultural Zone | 0.73 ac | 50 / 20 / 10 ft | — | No |
| Neighborhood Commercial District | 0.69 ac | 50 / 10 / 10 ft | 35 ft | — |
| Intermediate Commercial District | 0.69 ac | 50 / 10 / 10 ft | 35 ft | — |
| Major Commercial District | 0.69 ac | 50 / 10 / 10 ft | 45 ft | No |
| Industrial Zone | — | 50 / 20 / 20 ft | 40 ft | No |
Neighborhood Commercial District - The 70% coverage cap counts everything on the lot, not just buildings: every structure, parking area, driveway and other paving counts against it. The 10 ft side and rear yards apply between commercial lots.
- Next to a residential district, or a lot already in residential use whatever its zoning, a principal building takes 20 ft on each side and 30 ft at the rear
- An accessory building next to residential land takes 10 ft at the side and 20 ft at the rear
- An accessory building stops at 18 ft and one storey
- Lot width is measured at the street right-of-way
Intermediate Commercial District - The 75% coverage cap counts everything on the lot, not just buildings: every structure, parking area, driveway and other paving counts against it. The 10 ft side and rear yards apply between commercial lots.
- Next to a residential district, or a lot already in residential use whatever its zoning, a principal building takes 20 ft on each side and 30 ft at the rear
- An accessory building next to residential land takes 10 ft at the side and 20 ft at the rear
- An accessory building stops at 18 ft and one storey
- Lot width is measured at the street right-of-way
Major Commercial District - The 75% coverage cap counts everything on the lot, not just buildings: every structure, parking area, driveway and other paving counts against it. The 10 ft side and rear yards apply between commercial lots.
- Next to a residential district, or a lot already in residential use whatever its zoning, a principal building takes 20 ft on each side and 40 ft at the rear
- An accessory building next to residential land takes 10 ft at the side and 20 ft at the rear
- An accessory building stops at 18 ft and one storey
- Lot width is measured at the street right-of-way
Industrial Zone - No lot size is set here: the lot must be large enough for the principal and accessory buildings, all off-street parking, loading and stacking, landscaping, yards and open spaces, as the Planning Board recommends on site plan review and the Town Board approves.
- The 40% coverage cap may be exceeded by special permit of the Town Board
- The 20 ft side and rear yards rise to 100 ft against a residential district
- Where the Industrial Zone borders a residential district, a further 100 ft landscaped buffer must be reserved and maintained by the owner, unless the proposed use is commercial
- Every front, side and rear yard must be landscaped to screen the premises
- Wiring, feed lines and energy sources must go underground unless the Town Board waives it for topography or hardship
Short-term rentals
No local short-term-rental law on record - which is not the same as permission. The town has no local short-term rental law. That is not the same as permission, so confirm with the town before counting on renting a home short term.
Conditions the code attaches:
- New York State's 2025 short-term rental registry, Ch. 99 of the Laws of 2025, requires every host to register through the Erie County registry
- Confirm with the town at (716) 652-3260 before listing
Good to know
- UtilityNational Grid territory.
- Zoning codeTown of Elma Zoning, Ch. 144, districts at § 144-3 as amended 10-1-2008; residential standards in Article XI, the others in Articles VIII to X
- Building dept(716) 652-3260
- Last reviewed2026-09-10
Working out a budget? A standard-finish build here runs $204–$268/sq ft , and a conforming lot adds about $12,057 on top - see the full cost to build a house in Elma, or what an ADU costs here.
Sizing up a specific parcel in Elma?
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 · Amherst · Aurora · Boston · Brant · Cheektowaga · Clarence · Colden · Collins · Concord · Eden · 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 Elma are compiled from the municipal code (last reviewed 2026-09-10) 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) 652-3260 before relying on any number. Source: the Offsite / Aldo zoning dataset.