Saratoga County
Village of Ballston Spa, NY: zoning for new construction
Residential lots in the Village of Ballston Spa run from a 0.23-acre minimum in R-1 Residential up to 0.34 acres in R-2 Residential, across 5 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 before you rely on a figure.
Looking specifically at an accessory dwelling unit? See ADU rules for Ballston Spa →
Zoning districts
| District | Min lot | Setbacks F / S / R | Max height | ADU |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| R-1 Residential | 0.23 ac | 25 / 12 / 25 ft | 36 ft | No |
| R-2 Residential | 0.34 ac | 25 / 15 / 25 ft | 40 ft | No |
| CBD Central Business | 0.11 ac | 0 / 0 / 0 ft | 50 ft | No |
| C Commercial | 0.11 ac | 25 / 0 / 0 ft | 30 ft | No |
| M/CEE Industrial and Cultural-Economic Enhancement | 0.11 ac | 0 / 0 / 0 ft | 50 ft | No |
R-1 Residential - At least 30% of the lot must be landscaped, a floor that is separate from the 20% building coverage cap. The figures shown answer only for a one-family dwelling: every special permit use in R-1 must meet the R-2 standards for that use.
- Under those R-2 standards a church needs 30,000 sq ft and 100 ft of width, and a mobile home park 80,000 sq ft on 200 ft.
- Height binds in both stories and feet, so a design under 36 ft but over 2 1/2 stories fails.
- The building coverage cap is subject to the sanitary disposal and off-street parking regulations, which can pull it down.
R-2 Residential - The lot minimum grows with the number of units: 15,000 sq ft plus 2,500 sq ft for each additional dwelling unit, so a four-unit building needs 22,500 sq ft. At least 30% of the lot must be landscaped, separate from the building coverage cap.
- A mobile home park or cemetery takes the largest lot in the village, 80,000 sq ft on 200 ft of width, with the height cut to 30 ft; coverage stays at 30% and the yards at 25/15/25.
- The figures shown are for dwellings. A library, museum, boarding house or bed-and-breakfast needs 15,000 sq ft and may reach 45 ft.
- Lot area for other uses, in sq ft: at least 30,000 for a church, funeral home or school (a school at 20% coverage), and at least 80,000 for a mobile home park or cemetery.
- Height binds in both stories and feet, so a design must stay within each limit.
- The building coverage cap is subject to the sanitary disposal and off-street parking regulations, which can pull it down.
CBD Central Business - The 100% building coverage cap is subject to the sanitary disposal and off-street parking regulations, which can pull it down. No landscape coverage is required here.
- Height binds in both stories and feet, so a design must stay within each limit.
C Commercial - The 75% building coverage cap is subject to the sanitary disposal and off-street parking regulations, which can pull it down. Height binds in both stories and feet, so a design must stay within each limit.
M/CEE Industrial and Cultural-Economic Enhancement - There is no minimum lot width, so a parcel of any shape may be built on, up to the 50% building coverage cap. That cap is subject to the sanitary disposal and off-street parking regulations, which can pull it down.
- No landscape coverage is required here.
- Height binds in both stories and feet, so a design must stay within each limit.
Short-term rentals
No local short-term-rental law on record - which is not the same as permission. The Village of Ballston Spa has no local short-term rental law, and that is not the same as permission. Confirm in writing with the Village before counting on short-stay income.
Conditions the code attaches:
- A bed-and-breakfast and a boarding or rooming house are by-right uses in R-2 alone, on at least 15,000 sq ft, and are prohibited in R-1, CBD, C and M/CEE.
- In the historic district an owner-occupied bed-and-breakfast may also be approved by special permit, and the owner must live in the bed-and-breakfast building.
- New York State requires every short-term rental host to register the unit with the State through the county registry.
- Saratoga County charges a 3% occupancy tax and requires registration for any room or space in a dwelling let for under 30 consecutive days. Registration runs two years.
- An unregistered host faces fines of up to $500, and the booking platform is separately liable for an unregistered listing, so Airbnb and Vrbo will delist it.
Good to know
- UtilityNational Grid territory.
- Zoning codeVillage of Ballston Spa Zoning, Ch. 205, Schedule B Area and Bulk Regulations, Parts 1 and 2 and notes (a) to (c)
- Last reviewed2026-08-01
Working out a budget? A standard-finish build here runs $204–$268/sq ft - see the full cost to build a house in Ballston Spa, or what an ADU costs here.
Sizing up a specific parcel in Ballston Spa?
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Other Saratoga County towns
All Saratoga County zoning: Mechanicville (City) · Saratoga Springs (City) · Ballston · Charlton · Clifton Park · Corinth · Day · Edinburg · Galway · Greenfield · Halfmoon · Malta · Milton · Moreau · Northumberland · Providence · Saratoga · Stillwater · Waterford · Wilton · Corinth (Village) · Round Lake (Village) · Schuylerville (Village) · South Glens Falls (Village) · Stillwater (Village) · Victory (Village) · Waterford (Village)
Zoning figures for Village of Ballston Spa are compiled from the municipal code (last reviewed 2026-08-01) and provided for decision-support only - not legal, engineering, or architectural advice. Setback and dimensional standards often carry conditions and exceptions; verify with the municipality before relying on any number. Source: the Offsite / Aldo zoning dataset.