Westchester County
City of Mount Vernon, NY: zoning for new construction
Residential lots in the City of Mount Vernon run from a 0.083-acre minimum in One-Family Residence up to 0.34 acres in Apartment House, across 19 zoning districts in all. Short-term rentals allowed with local rules. Power here is Con Edison territory. The district table below has the setbacks, height limits and coverage - confirm the specifics with the building department at (914) 665-2483 before you rely on a figure.
Looking specifically at an accessory dwelling unit? See ADU rules for Mount Vernon →
Zoning districts
| District | Min lot | Setbacks F / S / R | Max height | ADU |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| One-Family Residence | 0.16 ac | 25 / 7 / 20 ft | 35 ft | No |
| One-Family Residence | 0.083 ac | 20 / 5 / 20 ft | 35 ft | No |
| One-Family Residence | 0.1 ac | 20 / 5 / 20 ft | 35 ft | No |
| Multiple Family Residenence | 0.23 ac | 0 / 0 / 30 ft | 42 ft | No |
| Two-Family Residence | 0.1 ac | 20 / 5 / 20 ft | 35 ft | No |
| Multiple Family Residenence | 0.23 ac | 20 / 15 / 25 ft | 42 ft | No |
| Three-Family Residence | 0.15 ac | 20 / 7 / 20 ft | 35 ft | No |
| MVW - Hub (Non-Commercial) | 0.23 ac | 0 / 0 / 30 ft | 42 ft | No |
| MVW -C (Corridor) | — | 0 / 0 / 30 ft | — | No |
| Apartment House | 0.34 ac | 20 / 20 / 25 ft | 70 ft | No |
| Commercial Business | 0.17 ac | — | 30 ft | No |
| Downtown Business | 0.1 ac | — | 120 ft | No |
| Neighborhood Business | 0.1 ac | — | 30 ft | No |
| Office Business | 0.1 ac | — | 45 ft | No |
| General Industrial | 0.11 ac | — | 45 ft | No |
| Landscaped Industrial | 0.17 ac | 25 / 20 / 25 ft | 45 ft | No |
| Public Institutional | 0.11 ac | — | 120 ft | No |
| MVW - Hub | — | 0 / 0 / 30 ft | — | No |
| MVW - Transition | — | 0 / 0 / 30 ft | — | No |
One-Family Residence, One-Family Residence, One-Family Residence - An accessory structure must be at least 3 ft from the rear lot line.
Multiple Family Residenence, MVW - Hub (Non-Commercial) - The 30 ft setback applies only where a lot line abuts an RMF-10 or RMF-15 district. Along other common lot lines the setback is 0 ft, or 10 ft if a yard is provided (§ 267-19).
Two-Family Residence, Three-Family Residence - Each dwelling unit needs at least 2,250 sq ft of lot area.
- An accessory structure must be at least 3 ft from the rear lot line.
Multiple Family Residenence - Each dwelling unit needs at least 1,200 sq ft of lot area.
- An accessory structure must be at least 3 ft from the rear lot line.
MVW -C (Corridor) - A building must meet a build-to requirement along 100% of the lot's width on the primary street, rather than sit a fixed distance back (§ 267-19).
- The 30 ft setback applies only where a lot line abuts an RMF-10 or RMF-15 district. Along other common lot lines the setback is 0 ft, or 10 ft if a yard is provided.
Apartment House - The side yard is the more restrictive of 20 ft and 1/3 of the height of the highest principal building, so a tall building needs more than 20 ft.
- At least 2,250 sq ft of lot area per unit is required for the first two units, and 660 sq ft for each additional unit.
Commercial Business, Neighborhood Business - A parcel contiguous to a residence district must have a rear yard of at least 30 ft and a side yard of at least 20 ft.
- Height is also limited to 2 stories.
Downtown Business - A parcel contiguous to a residence district must have a rear yard of at least 30 ft and a side yard of at least 20 ft.
- Height is also limited to 10 stories.
Office Business, General Industrial - A parcel contiguous to a residence district must have a rear yard of at least 30 ft and a side yard of at least 20 ft.
- Height is also limited to 3 stories.
Landscaped Industrial - Where the lot is adjacent to a residence district, the side yard and the rear yard both rise to 40 ft.
- Height is also limited to 3 stories.
MVW - Hub, MVW - Transition - A building must meet a build-to percentage of 70% of the lot's primary-street frontage, rather than sit a fixed distance back from the street (§ 267-19).
- The 30 ft setback applies only where a lot line abuts an RMF-10 or RMF-15 district. Along other common lot lines the setback is 0 ft, or 10 ft if a yard is provided.
Short-term rentals
Short-term rentals allowed with local rules. Renting a home short term in Mount Vernon requires a permit from the City, under Article XV of Chapter 267 (Zoning), § 267-97 and § 267-98.
Conditions the code attaches:
- Confirm the permit terms with the City building department at (914) 665-2483 before counting on rental income.
Good to know
- UtilityCon Edison territory.
- Zoning codeCity of Mount Vernon Code, Chapter 267 Zoning, adopted 5-8-1963, amended in its entirety 3-14-2018, current through 11-25-2025, amended since on 5-27-2026
- Building dept(914) 665-2483
- Last reviewed2026-06-15
Working out a budget? A standard-finish build here runs $242–$318/sq ft - see the full cost to build a house in Mount Vernon, or what an ADU costs here.
Sizing up a specific parcel in Mount Vernon?
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 Westchester County towns
All Westchester County zoning: New Rochelle (City) · Peekskill (City) · Rye (City) · White Plains (City) · Yonkers (City) · Bedford · Cortlandt · Eastchester · Greenburgh · Lewisboro · Mamaroneck · Mount Pleasant · New Castle · North Castle · North Salem · Ossining · Pound Ridge · Somers · Yorktown · Harrison (Village) · Ardsley (Village) · Briarcliff Manor (Village) · Bronxville (Village) · Buchanan (Village) · Croton-on-Hudson (Village) · Dobbs Ferry (Village) · Elmsford (Village) · Hastings-on-Hudson (Village) · Irvington (Village) · Larchmont (Village) · Mamaroneck (Village) · Mount Kisco (Village) · Ossining (Village) · Pelham (Village) · Pelham Manor (Village) · Pleasantville (Village) · Port Chester (Village) · Rye Brook (Village) · Scarsdale (Village) · Sleepy Hollow (Village) · Tarrytown (Village) · Tuckahoe (Village)
Zoning figures for City of Mount Vernon are compiled from the municipal code (last reviewed 2026-06-15) 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 (914) 665-2483 before relying on any number. Source: the Offsite / Aldo zoning dataset.