Saratoga County
Town of Charlton, NY: zoning for new construction
The Town of Charlton sets a residential minimum of about 4 acres in Rural, one of its 3 zoning districts. 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) 384-0152 before you rely on a figure.
Looking specifically at an accessory dwelling unit? See ADU rules for Charlton →
Zoning districts
| District | Min lot | Setbacks F / S / R | Max height | ADU |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rural | 4 ac | 60 / 15 / 50 ft | 30 ft | As of right |
| Agricultural | 4 ac | 60 / 40 / 50 ft | 30 ft | As of right |
| Historic Overlay | 2 ac | 30 / 15 / 50 ft | 30 ft | As of right |
Rural - The 4-acre minimum must include at least two acres of buildable land, so wetland, slope and floodplain can disqualify a parcel. Frontage must also be at least 400 ft, matching the width.
- All other non-agricultural uses are held to a deeper envelope on the same lot: 40 ft of height, a 100 ft front yard, a 50 ft minimum side yard and 100 ft for the two sides combined.
- Accessory buildings are capped at 5% of the lot. That cap applies to accessory buildings only, not to the house.
- Special permit uses take their dimensions from Article VII.
- Article VIII and the Subdivision Regulations set the cases where less than four acres, or less than 400 ft of frontage or width, may be permitted, so check them before ruling a smaller parcel out.
Agricultural - The 4-acre minimum must include at least two acres of buildable land, so wetland, slope and floodplain can disqualify a parcel. Frontage must also be at least 400 ft, matching the width.
- Accessory buildings are capped at 5% of the lot. That cap applies to accessory buildings only, not to the house.
- Special permit uses take their dimensions from Article VII.
- Article VIII and the Subdivision Regulations set the cases where less than four acres, or less than 400 ft of frontage or width, may be permitted, so check them before ruling a smaller parcel out.
Historic Overlay - Development here goes through design review by the Historic District Commission. The lot must be at least two acres with two acres of buildable land, and frontage at least 100 ft.
- Accessory buildings are capped at 10% of the lot. That cap applies to accessory buildings only, not to the house.
- Uses are the same as in R.
- Special permit uses take their dimensions from Article VII.
Short-term rentals
No local short-term-rental law on record - which is not the same as permission. The Town of Charlton has no local short-term rental law, and that is not the same as permission. Confirm in writing with the Zoning Enforcement Officer before counting on short-term rental income.
Conditions the code attaches:
- A bed and breakfast needs site plan review in all three districts. It must be owner-occupied or under resident management, with lodging incidental to the residential use and a limited number of rooms.
- A tourist home is expressly excluded from the definition of a dwelling.
- Zoning Enforcement Officer: (518) 384-0152.
- 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 codeTown of Charlton Zoning Law, adopted January 26, 2026, Table IV-2 Zoning Schedule and notes 1 to 3
- Building dept(518) 384-0152
- Last reviewed2026-08-01
Working out a budget? A standard-finish build here runs $204–$268/sq ft , and a conforming lot adds about $12,216 on top - see the full cost to build a house in Charlton, or what an ADU costs here.
Sizing up a specific parcel in Charlton?
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Other Saratoga County towns
All Saratoga County zoning: Mechanicville (City) · Saratoga Springs (City) · Ballston · Clifton Park · Corinth · Day · Edinburg · Galway · Greenfield · Halfmoon · Malta · Milton · Moreau · Northumberland · Providence · Saratoga · Stillwater · Waterford · Wilton · Ballston Spa (Village) · Corinth (Village) · Round Lake (Village) · Schuylerville (Village) · South Glens Falls (Village) · Stillwater (Village) · Victory (Village) · Waterford (Village)
Zoning figures for Town of Charlton 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 building department at (518) 384-0152 before relying on any number. Source: the Offsite / Aldo zoning dataset.