Saratoga County
Town of Greenfield, NY: zoning for new construction
Residential lots in the Town of Greenfield run from a 1-acre minimum in Medium Density Residential 1 up to 4 acres in Low Density Residential, 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 (518) 893-7432 x304 before you rely on a figure.
Looking specifically at an accessory dwelling unit? See ADU rules for Greenfield →
Zoning districts
| District | Min lot | Setbacks F / S / R | Max height | ADU |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Low Density Residential | 4 ac | 75 / 50 / 75 ft | 35 ft | As of right |
| Medium Density Residential 1 | 1 ac | 40 / 25 / 50 ft | 35 ft | As of right |
| Medium Density Residential 2 | 2 ac | 75 / 35 / 75 ft | 35 ft | As of right |
| Town Center | 1 ac | 45 / 10 / 15 ft | 50 ft | As of right |
| Office Residential | 1 ac | 45 / 10 / 15 ft | 50 ft | As of right |
| Industrial Manufacturing | 2 ac | 50 / 25 / 40 ft | 50 ft | No |
| Parkland Recreational | 42.7 ac | 150 / 100 / 150 ft | 35 ft | As of right |
Low Density Residential - Without public sewer the minimum lot rises to 6 acres and the frontage to 250 ft. Greenfield is largely unsewered, so that is the pair that usually governs. Check service at the parcel before sizing anything.
- These figures are the single-family dwelling ones. Other uses carry their own lot sizes, frontages and yards.
- Ground-mounted solar at Levels I and II takes the same lot as a dwelling but is capped at 15 ft of height.
- A larger ground-mounted solar array needs at least 20 acres, with 100 ft yards on every side.
Medium Density Residential 1 - Without public sewer the minimum lot rises to 1.5 acres and the frontage to 150 ft. Greenfield is largely unsewered, so that is the pair that usually governs. Check service at the parcel before sizing anything.
- These figures are the single-family dwelling ones. Other uses carry their own lot sizes, frontages and yards.
- Ground-mounted solar at Levels I and II takes the same lot as a dwelling but is capped at 15 ft of height.
- A larger ground-mounted solar array needs at least 20 acres, with 100 ft yards on every side.
Medium Density Residential 2 - Without public sewer the minimum lot rises to 3 acres and the frontage to 200 ft. Greenfield is largely unsewered, so that is the pair that usually governs. Check service at the parcel before sizing anything.
- MDR2 is not a matched pair with MDR1. It carries the 75 ft front and rear yards and the coverage of Low Density Residential, so reading the two together overstates what MDR2 allows.
- These figures are the single-family dwelling ones. Other uses carry their own lot sizes, frontages and yards.
- Ground-mounted solar at Levels I and II takes the same lot as a dwelling but is capped at 15 ft of height. A larger ground-mounted array needs at least 20 acres with 100 ft yards on every side.
Town Center - Without public sewer the minimum lot rises to 2 acres and the frontage to 120 ft. Greenfield is largely unsewered, so that is the pair that usually governs. Check service at the parcel before sizing anything.
- These figures are the single-family dwelling ones. Other uses carry their own lot sizes, frontages and yards.
- Ground-mounted solar at Levels I and II takes the same lot as a dwelling but is capped at 15 ft of height. A larger ground-mounted array needs at least 20 acres with 100 ft yards on every side.
Office Residential - Without public sewer the minimum lot rises to 2 acres and the frontage to 120 ft. Greenfield is largely unsewered, so that is the pair that usually governs. Check service at the parcel before sizing anything.
- Office Residential and Town Center carry identical figures, so the two differ in what may be built rather than in the envelope, Office Residential admitting office activity alongside housing.
- These figures are the single-family dwelling ones. Other uses carry their own lot sizes, frontages and yards.
- Ground-mounted solar at Levels I and II takes the same lot as a dwelling but is capped at 15 ft of height. A larger ground-mounted array needs at least 20 acres with 100 ft yards on every side.
Industrial Manufacturing - A single-family dwelling is not an allowed use in Industrial Manufacturing, and the 2-acre minimum is the same with or without public sewer.
- Nearly every use here shares that standard: academic institutions, a boardinghouse, a contractor's storage yard, a Type 1 home occupation, hospitals, and a hotel, inn or motel.
- Ground-mounted solar at Levels I and II is capped at 15 ft of height. A larger ground-mounted array needs at least 20 acres with 100 ft yards on every side.
- A garage apartment needs a special use permit here, and no dimensional standard is published for it, so ask the building department what applies.
Parkland Recreational - A single-family dwelling needs at least 42.7 acres here, stated the same with or without public sewer, and a garage or in-law apartment repeats that 42.7 acres at 800 ft of frontage. Underwrite this district as parkland.
- These figures are the single-family dwelling ones. Other uses carry their own lot sizes, frontages and yards.
- Ground-mounted solar at Levels I and II takes the same lot as a dwelling but is capped at 15 ft of height. A larger ground-mounted array needs at least 20 acres with 100 ft yards on every side.
Short-term rentals
No local short-term-rental law on record - which is not the same as permission. The Town of Greenfield has no local short-term rental law, and that is not the same as permission. Confirm with the Building Department before counting on short-stay income.
Conditions the code attaches:
- Saratoga County requires any room or space in a dwelling let for under 30 consecutive days to be on the county registry, and charges a 3% occupancy tax.
- County registration runs two years. An unregistered host faces fines of up to $500, and the booking platform is separately liable for processing an unregistered listing.
- New York State has required every short-term rental host to register the unit with the State through the county registry since 2025.
- The short-stay uses the chapter does enumerate are all permit-gated: a bed-and-breakfast, a hotel, inn or motel, and a campground, which needs 10 acres in LDR.
- Building Department: (518) 893-7432 x304.
Good to know
- UtilityNational Grid territory.
- Zoning codeTown of Greenfield Zoning, Chapter 105, Appendix E Area Table
- Building dept(518) 893-7432 x304
- Last reviewed2026-07-31
Working out a budget? A standard-finish build here runs $204–$268/sq ft , and a conforming lot adds about $11,358 on top - see the full cost to build a house in Greenfield, or what an ADU costs here.
Sizing up a specific parcel in Greenfield?
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.
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Zoning figures for Town of Greenfield are compiled from the municipal code (last reviewed 2026-07-31) 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) 893-7432 x304 before relying on any number. Source: the Offsite / Aldo zoning dataset.