Greene County
Town of Greenville, NY: zoning for new construction
Residential lots in the Town of Greenville run from a 1-acre minimum in Hamlet District up to 5 acres in Rural Residential/Open Space District, across 5 zoning districts in all. No local short-term-rental law on record - which is not the same as permission. Power here is Central Hudson territory. The district table below has the setbacks, height limits and coverage - confirm the specifics with the building department at (518) 966-5055 before you rely on a figure.
Looking specifically at an accessory dwelling unit? See ADU rules for Greenville →
Zoning districts
| District | Min lot | Setbacks F / S / R | Max height | ADU |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hamlet District | 1 ac | 0 / 0 / 25 ft | 35 ft | Occupancy restricted |
| Low-Density Residential District | 2 ac | 35 / 25 / 25 ft | 35 ft | Occupancy restricted |
| Rural Residential/Open Space District | 5 ac | 50 / 50 / 75 ft | 35 ft | Occupancy restricted |
| General Commercial District | 0.5 ac | 35 / 10 / 25 ft | 35 ft | Occupancy restricted |
| Highway Commercial District | 1 ac | 35 / 15 / 25 ft | 35 ft | Occupancy restricted |
Hamlet District - The 1 acre minimum is for a lot without both sewer and water; with both it is 0.5 acre. The front yard is a build-to range of 0 to 25 feet or the block average, and the side yard may be zero or the average of the abutting structures on both sides.
- On a corner lot every side that abuts a street is a front yard, and the owner decides at building permit stage which of the remaining yards is the side yard and which the rear.
- Schedule B publishes no lot coverage limit for any district in this town.
- An unattached accessory structure must stand at least 12 feet from the principal building.
- A detached accessory structure is allowed inside a required rear or side yard.
Low-Density Residential District - Schedule B publishes no lot coverage limit for this district. On a corner lot every side that abuts a street counts as a front yard, which can leave a corner parcel with far less buildable area than the figures suggest.
- On a corner lot the owner decides at building permit stage which of the remaining yards is the required side yard and which the required rear yard.
- An unattached accessory structure must stand at least 12 feet from the principal building.
- A detached accessory structure is allowed inside a required rear or side yard.
Rural Residential/Open Space District - The side yard here is 50 feet, the same as the front, and the rear yard 75 feet. Schedule B publishes no lot coverage limit, and on a corner lot every side that abuts a street counts as a front yard.
- On a corner lot the owner decides at building permit stage which of the remaining yards is the required side yard and which the required rear yard.
- An unattached accessory structure must stand at least 12 feet from the principal building.
- A detached accessory structure is allowed inside a required rear or side yard.
General Commercial District - The 0.5 acre minimum applies whether or not the lot has sewer and water. Schedule B publishes no lot coverage limit, and on a corner lot every side that abuts a street counts as a front yard.
- On a corner lot the owner decides at building permit stage which of the remaining yards is the required side yard and which the required rear yard.
- An unattached accessory structure must stand at least 12 feet from the principal building.
- A detached accessory structure is allowed inside a required rear or side yard.
Highway Commercial District - The 1 acre minimum applies whether or not the lot has sewer and water. Schedule B publishes no lot coverage limit, and on a corner lot every side that abuts a street counts as a front yard.
- On a corner lot the owner decides at building permit stage which of the remaining yards is the required side yard and which the required rear yard.
- An unattached accessory structure must stand at least 12 feet from the principal building.
- A detached accessory structure is allowed inside a required rear or side yard.
Short-term rentals
No local short-term-rental law on record - which is not the same as permission. Greenville has no dedicated short-term rental law as of June 2026, and its 2024 zoning update, Local Law No. 2-2024, did not add a specific short-term rental permit. That is not the same as permission, so confirm with code enforcement first.
Conditions the code attaches:
- Building department: (518) 966-5055.
Good to know
- UtilityCentral Hudson territory.
- Zoning codeTown of Greenville Zoning Law, Schedule B: Dimensional Standards (adopted 9/21/2015)
- Building dept(518) 966-5055
- Last reviewed2026-10-05
Working out a budget? A standard-finish build here runs $197–$259/sq ft , and a conforming lot adds about $7,753 on top - see the full cost to build a house in Greenville, or what an ADU costs here.
Sizing up a specific parcel in Greenville?
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 Greene County towns
All Greene County zoning: Athens · Cairo · Catskill · Coxsackie · Halcott · Jewett · Lexington · New Baltimore · Athens (Village) · Catskill (Village) · Coxsackie (Village) · Hunter (Village) · Tannersville (Village)
Zoning figures for Town of Greenville are compiled from the municipal code (last reviewed 2026-10-05) 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) 966-5055 before relying on any number. Source: the Offsite / Aldo zoning dataset.