Yonkers, NY Building Setbacks & Zoning: Setback Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Absolute minimum side yard
- 3 feet, any lot
- Absolute minimum rear yard
- 15 feet, any lot
- Side yard reduction
- 1.5 in. per foot under 50 ft wide
- Rear yard reduction
- 3 in. per foot under 100 ft deep
- Side yard rule caps at
- 2.5 stories or 35 feet
- Amended
- 10-12-2004 by G.O. No. 6-2004
Summary
When a Yonkers residential lot is narrower than 50 feet or shallower than 100 feet, required side and rear yards shrink proportionally, but City Code § 43-33K and § 43-33L set hard floors: no side yard may drop below 3 feet and no rear yard may drop below 15 feet, no matter how substandard the lot.
Side yards of existing lots narrower than 50 feet. For each one foot by which a lot in a residential district is narrower than 50 feet, 1 1/2 inches may be deducted from the required minimum width of any side yard and three inches from the sum of the required widths of both side yards for buildings or structures not exceeding 2 1/2 stories or 35 feet; provided, however, that no side yard shall be narrower at any point than three feet in any case. [...] Rear yards of existing lots with less than 100 feet of lot depth. For each one foot by which a lot in a residence district is less than 100 feet deep, three inches may be deducted from the required minimum rear yard setback; provided, however, that no required rear yard shall be less than 15 feet deep in any case.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4745274; v31 updated 2025-10-28; through 10-28-2025).
Full Breakdown
Yonkers' base yard minimums for each zoning district sit in the Schedule of Dimensional Regulations, Table 43-3, but two supplementary rules in § 43-33 govern lots that predate those standards. Subsection K addresses narrow lots: for each one foot a residential lot is narrower than 50 feet, 1 1/2 inches may be deducted from the required minimum width of any side yard and three inches from the sum of both side yards' required widths, for buildings not exceeding 2 1/2 stories or 35 feet, provided no side yard is ever narrower than three feet.
A 40-foot-wide lot, ten feet under the standard, gets a 15-inch reduction off its required side yard width, but the yard can never legally shrink below 3 feet regardless of how narrow the lot gets. Subsection L does the same for lot depth: for each one foot a residence-district lot is less than 100 feet deep, three inches may be deducted from the required minimum rear yard setback, provided no required rear yard is ever less than 15 feet deep. An 80-foot-deep lot, 20 feet short, gets a 5-inch rear yard reduction, with 15 feet as the absolute floor.
O. No. 6-2004. These floors apply citywide in every residence district and exist specifically so pre-existing undersized lots can still be built on without a variance for every dimension.
Violations & Fines
Building outside even the reduced, floor-protected setback violates the Zoning Ordinance: § 43-153 makes it a Class II offense under City Code § 1-21, carrying a fine of $100 to $5,000 or up to 15 days in jail, plus a civil penalty of $250 to $5,000. The Commissioner of Housing and Buildings can refuse a certificate of occupancy, issue a stop-work order under § 43-154, and the Corporation Counsel may seek an injunction to force a noncompliant structure to be altered or removed.
Frequently Asked Questions
My lot is narrower than 50 feet. Does that shrink my required side yard?
Is there a limit to how small my side yard can get?
What happens if I build inside the required setback?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Yonkers
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