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NYC Zoning Districts

Every tax lot in New York City carries a zoning district — a residence, commercial, or manufacturing code mapped by the Department of City Planning. The district determines what a lot may be used for and how much may be built on it: maximum floor area ratio (FAR), height and setback rules, yards, and parking. Pick a district below to see its bulk rules with Zoning Resolution citations and real example lots.

New to zoning? Start with What is FAR? or browse the zoning knowledge hub.

Residential districts (R)

Residence districts principally allow housing and community facilities. Bulk rules in the NYC Zoning Resolution (§ 23-) control how much floor area a lot can carry and how tall and close to lot lines a building may be.

Commercial districts (C)

Commercial districts allow retail, office, and service uses, and most also allow housing under the rules of a residential-equivalent district. Commercial bulk is governed by § 33- of the NYC Zoning Resolution.

Manufacturing districts (M)

Manufacturing districts allow industrial and many commercial uses; new residences are generally excluded. Manufacturing bulk is governed by § 43- of the NYC Zoning Resolution.

What's the zoning on a specific lot?

PearlAudit resolves the governing zoning for any NYC tax lot — district, overlays, special districts — and cites the Zoning Resolution section behind every rule claim.

District boundaries and parcel counts: NYC municipal records (Department of City Planning). Bulk rules on district pages come from the NYC Zoning Resolution. See our methodology. Data as of 2026-07-11.