Rensselaer County
Town of Sand Lake, NY: zoning for new construction
Residential lots in the Town of Sand Lake run from a 0.34-acre minimum in Hamlet Mixed-Use up to 10 acres in Residential Mobile Home, across 6 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) 674-2026 before you rely on a figure.
Looking specifically at an accessory dwelling unit? See ADU rules for Sand Lake →
Zoning districts
| District | Min lot | Setbacks F / S / R | Max height | ADU |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rural Residential | 3 ac | 75 / 20 / 50 ft | 35 ft | Special permit |
| Agricultural/Residential | 2 ac | 75 / 20 / 50 ft | 35 ft | Special permit |
| Residential | 1 ac | 50 / 20 / 50 ft | 35 ft | Special permit |
| Residential Mobile Home | 10 ac | 75 / 20 / 50 ft | 35 ft | No |
| Hamlet Mixed-Use | 0.34 ac | 0 / 5 / 15 ft | 40 ft | Special permit |
| Hamlet Commercial | 0.23 ac | 0 / - / 10 ft | 40 ft | Special permit |
Short-term rentals
No local short-term-rental law on record - which is not the same as permission. The Town of Sand Lake has no local short-term rental law, and that is not the same as permission. Confirm with the building department before listing.
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 the unit through the Rensselaer County registry, regardless of local law.
- Call the building department at (518) 674-2026 before listing.
Good to know
- UtilityNational Grid territory.
- Zoning codeTown of Sand Lake Zoning, Ch. 250, § 250-20 Dimensional Table (Attachment 3)
- Building dept(518) 674-2026
- Last reviewed2026-08-05
Working out a budget? A standard-finish build here runs $200–$262/sq ft , and a conforming lot adds about $5,296 on top - see the full cost to build a house in Sand Lake, or what an ADU costs here.
Sizing up a specific parcel in Sand Lake?
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 Rensselaer County towns
All Rensselaer County zoning: Rensselaer (City) · Troy (City) · Berlin · Brunswick · East Greenbush · Hoosick · Nassau · North Greenbush · Poestenkill · Schaghticoke · Schodack · Stephentown · Castleton-on-Hudson (Village) · East Nassau (Village) · Hoosick Falls (Village) · Nassau (Village)
Zoning figures for Town of Sand Lake are compiled from the municipal code (last reviewed 2026-08-05) 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) 674-2026 before relying on any number. Source: the Offsite / Aldo zoning dataset.