Clay, NY Building Setbacks & Zoning: Setback Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- RA-100 front yard, residential/ag
- 75 ft minimum
- RA-100 front yard, nonresidential
- 100 ft minimum
- RA-100 side/rear yard, residential
- 25 ft minimum
- RA-100 side/rear yard, nonresidential
- 50 ft minimum
- RA-100 side/rear yard, agricultural
- greater of 25 ft or 1.5x height
- Accessory structure setback (res./nonres.)
- 25 ft side and rear
Summary
Clay's RA-100 dimensional table sets a 75-foot front yard for residential and agricultural principal structures, 100 feet for nonresidential ones, a 25-foot side and rear yard for residential uses, and, for agricultural structures, the greater of 25 feet or 1.5 times the building's height on the sides and rear.
Principal structure and attached accessory structures Front yard minimum 75 ft. 100 ft. 75 ft. Side yard minimum 25 ft. 50 ft. Greater of 25 ft. or 1.5 times the height Rear yard minimum 25 ft. 50 ft. Greater of 25 ft. or 1.5 times the height ... Accessory structures: detached, greater than 100 sq. ft. Front yard minimum 75 ft. 100 ft. 75 ft. Side yard setback 25 ft. 25 ft. Greater of 25 ft. or 1.5 times the height Rear yard setback 25 ft. 25 ft. Greater of 25 ft. or 1.5 times the height
Full Breakdown
Section 230-13's RA-100 dimensional table splits its yard requirements by use category: residential, nonresidential and agricultural. For a principal structure and its attached accessory structures, the front yard minimum is 75 feet for residential and agricultural uses and 100 feet for nonresidential uses. The side yard minimum is 25 feet for residential uses, 50 feet for nonresidential uses, and, for agricultural uses, the greater of 25 feet or 1.5 times the structure's height, a formula that pushes the setback out further as a barn or silo gets taller.
The rear yard minimum mirrors the side yard figures exactly: 25 feet residential, 50 feet nonresidential, and the same height-based formula for agricultural structures. Detached accessory structures larger than 100 square feet get their own, tighter, setbacks: a 75-foot front yard (100 feet nonresidential), a 25-foot side and rear setback for residential and nonresidential uses, and again the greater of 25 feet or 1.5 times height for agricultural accessory buildings. Section 230-10 backstops every one of these numbers townwide: no building may be erected with narrower or smaller yards than the district specifies, and no required yard may be counted twice to satisfy the setback for two different structures on the same lot.
Violations & Fines
Building or extending a structure into the required front, side or rear yard is a zoning violation under §§ 230-9 and 230-10: a fine up to $750, up to 15 days imprisonment, or both, plus possible injunctive relief ordering the encroaching structure removed or relocated, with each week of the encroachment a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
How far back from the road must my house sit in Clay's RA-100 district?
What's the side yard setback for a barn in Clay's agricultural zone?
Are accessory building setbacks the same as house setbacks in Clay?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Clay
New York rules heatmap·Compare Clay to another location·View the New York building setbacks & zoning overview
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