R4A Zoning District — New York City
R4A is a contextual, low-density Detached Residence District (NYC Zoning Resolution § 11-122) in New York City.
R4A at a glance
It principally allows housing and community facilities. As of right, the maximum residential FAR is 1. 25,852 tax lots citywide carry R4A as their primary zoning designation.
Bulk rules for R4A
| Context | Residential FAR | Community facility FAR | Max lot coverage | Heights | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| As of right | 1 | 2 | 60% | Base 25 ft · Max 35 ft | NYC Zoning Resolution § 23-21, § 23-421, § 24-11 |
| Qualifying residential site | 1.5 | 2 | 60% | Base 35 ft · Max 45 ft | NYC Zoning Resolution § 23-21, § 23-424, § 24-11 |
Values from the NYC Zoning Resolution, verified 2026-10-06; site-specific overlays, special districts, and waterfront rules can modify them — run a full lookup for a specific lot.
About residential districts
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.
Contextual districts pair their floor-area ceilings with prescribed base and maximum building heights so new buildings mirror existing neighborhood form; non-contextual districts govern the envelope through more general height and setback rules, such as sky exposure planes. Commercial districts also allow residences under the rules of a residential-equivalent district, while manufacturing districts generally exclude new residences. Overlays and special purpose districts can modify any of this on a specific lot.
Example lots zoned R4A
- 3333 Giles Place19,722 sq ft lot · 3.83 built FAR · built 2021
- Silver Beach2,407,000 sq ft lot · 0.11 built FAR · built 1921
- 166-05 Highland Avenue96,550 sq ft lot · 2.06 built FAR · built 1952
- 3880 Orloff Avenue30,902 sq ft lot · 3.94 built FAR · built 2004
- 1800 Williamsbridge Road35,000 sq ft lot · 0.39 built FAR · built 1962
- 2894 Schurz Avenue228,100 sq ft lot · 0.13 built FAR · built 1971
- 3311 Giles Place32,692 sq ft lot · 3.1 built FAR · built 1962
- 7-07 Beach 9 Street39,096 sq ft lot · 2.14 built FAR · built 1970
- 28 Marine Avenue15,000 sq ft lot · 4.32 built FAR · built 1926
- 4320 Van Cortlandt Park E29,050 sq ft lot · 5.23 built FAR · built 1958
- 255 79 Street15,260 sq ft lot · 3.92 built FAR · built 1928
- 2426 Eastchester Road41,300 sq ft lot · 0.87 built FAR · built 1994
R4A — quick questions
- What is the maximum residential FAR in R4A?
- 1, as of right, per NYC Zoning Resolution § 23-21, § 23-421, § 24-11. Site-specific overlays, special districts, and waterfront rules can modify it — run a full lookup for a specific lot.
- Is R4A a contextual district?
- Yes. R4A is a contextual district — its bulk rules pair floor-area ceilings with prescribed base and maximum building heights intended to mirror existing neighborhood form.
- How many tax lots are zoned R4A?
- 25,852 tax lots citywide carry R4A as their primary zoning designation, per NYC municipal records as of 2026-10-20.
Keep learning
What do the R4A rules mean for 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 data: NYC municipal records (Department of City Planning) and the NYC Zoning Resolution. See our sources and methodology. Parcel data as of 2026-10-20.