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 is a contextual, low-density Detached Residence District (NYC Zoning Resolution § 11-122) in New York City. It principally allows housing and community facilities. As of right, the maximum residential FAR is 1. 25,853 tax lots citywide carry R4A as their primary zoning designation.
The oldest recorded stock in this bracket stands on lots carrying this designation: a median construction year of 1925, with 73% of buildings predating 1940 — the highest prewar share among the ten designations profiled here. Two-family homes lead the recorded building classes at 44%, ahead of one-family homes at 41%. These roughly 26,000 lots are 96% residential, holding 47,911 recorded homes, with 84% recording floor area below their allowance.
What actually stands in this district
The oldest recorded stock in this batch stands on lots carrying this designation: a median construction year of 1925, and 73% of buildings predating 1940 — the highest prewar share among the ten designations profiled here. The 1945-1975 postwar boom left a comparatively light mark, at just 16% of the stock, and only 5% of buildings have gone up since 2000, among the slower recent-construction paces recorded in this set. What stands is overwhelmingly what was built before the Depression.
Two-family homes lead the recorded building classes at 44%, just ahead of one-family homes at 41%, with walk-up apartment buildings adding 9%. Land use follows a similar pattern: one- and two-family use covers 85% of lots, multi-family walk-up use 9%, and vacant land 2%.
The designation is mapped across roughly 26,000 tax lots citywide, a smaller footprint than several of its neighbors in this batch. Overall 96% of lots are coded residential, and the file counts 47,911 homes across the designation.
Lots run a middle course in size: a median of 2,739 square feet, with the 90th percentile reaching 4,988 square feet. Buildings rise to a median of 2 stories, and 0% climb above 6 floors. Despite the stock's age, recorded headroom is wide: 84% of lots record floor area below their allowance, with a median residual of 0.4 FAR — one of the wider recorded margins in this batch for a stock this old. Flood exposure is modest, at 4% of lots. None carry historic-district status on record. The tables above carry the citation-backed specifics of what this designation permits in floor area and height; this page sticks to what its lots already show on record.
The 73% prewar share described above is the highest of any designation profiled in this batch, and it sits on a smaller footprint than most of its neighbors — roughly 26,000 lots, fewer than several of the other nine designations covered alongside it. That combination, an old stock concentrated on a comparatively modest lot count, differs from designations where age and scale move together elsewhere in this set; a genuinely old file does not also mean a genuinely large one here. Construction age and landmark status, which travel together on several other designations profiled in this batch, do not overlap on this one at all: none of these lots carry recorded historic-district status, despite the stock being among the oldest covered anywhere in this profile. That absence of any historic-district layer, combined with a flood share of just 4%, leaves construction era as the only real overlay figure recorded on this designation's file.
Bulk rules for R4A
| Context | Residential FAR | Community facility FAR | Max lot coverage | Heights | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| As of rightPer § 23-332(a): detached single/two-family residence requires two 5 ft side yards. | Per § 23-361(a): single/two-family residence on interior/through lot in R4. Corner lot 80%; multiple dwelling (where permitted) 80%/100%. | Per § 23-321(b), corner lots may reduce one front yard by 5 ft (min 5 ft). Per § 23-321(a), qualifying residential sites with lot width >= 150 ft may reduce by 5 ft. | Per § 23-342(a): detached and zero-lot-line buildings require 20 ft rear yard at or below 75 ft (30 ft above 75 ft where permitted). Semi-detached and attached buildings on lots <40 ft wide require 30 ft; on lots >=40 ft wide, 20 ft at or below 75 ft. Per § 23-342(b), shallow interior lots (<95 ft deep, existing pre-12/15/1961) may reduce by 6 in per ft below 95 (min 10 ft). | 1 | 2 | 60% | Base 25 ft · Max 35 ft | NYC Zoning Resolution § 23-21, § 23-421, § 24-11 |
| Qualifying residential sitePer § 23-21: 'Qualifying residential sites' FAR. Per § 23-333, on qualifying residential sites in R1-R5 no side yards are required (though 5 ft open area along side lot line if provided). Per § 23-321(a), front yard may be reduced by 5 ft on QRS with lot width >= 150 ft (min 5 ft). Per § 23-312(f), no parking permitted in front yard on QRS in R1-R5. | Per § 23-342(a): detached and zero-lot-line buildings require 20 ft rear yard at or below 75 ft (30 ft above 75 ft where permitted). Semi-detached and attached buildings on lots <40 ft wide require 30 ft; on lots >=40 ft wide, 20 ft at or below 75 ft. Per § 23-342(b), shallow interior lots (<95 ft deep, existing pre-12/15/1961) may reduce by 6 in per ft below 95 (min 10 ft). | 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 2026-06-12; 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 Place — 19,722 sq ft lot, 3.83 built FAR, built 2021
- Silver Beach — 2,407,000 sq ft lot, 0.11 built FAR, built 1921
- 166-05 Highland Avenue — 96,550 sq ft lot, 2.06 built FAR, built 1952
- 3880 Orloff Avenue — 30,902 sq ft lot, 3.94 built FAR, built 2004
- 1800 Williamsbridge Road — 35,000 sq ft lot, 0.39 built FAR, built 1962
- 2894 Schurz Avenue — 228,100 sq ft lot, 0.13 built FAR, built 1971
- 3311 Giles Place — 32,692 sq ft lot, 3.1 built FAR, built 1962
- 7-07 Beach 9 Street — 39,096 sq ft lot, 2.14 built FAR, built 1970
- 28 Marine Avenue — 15,000 sq ft lot, 4.32 built FAR, built 1926
- 4320 Van Cortlandt Park E — 29,050 sq ft lot, 5.23 built FAR, built 1958
- 255 79 Street — 15,260 sq ft lot, 3.92 built FAR, built 1928
- 2426 Eastchester Road — 41,300 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?
- 25,853 tax lots citywide carry R4A as their primary zoning designation, per NYC municipal records as of 2026-07-11.
- How old is the building stock recorded here?
- The oldest in this batch: a median construction year of 1925, with 73% of buildings predating 1940 and just 16% from the 1945-1975 postwar boom.
- What kind of housing does this designation cover?
- Two-family homes lead at 44%, one-family homes at 41%. 96% of lots are coded residential, holding 47,911 homes.
- Is there recorded room to build more, given how old this stock is?
- Yes, and widely: 84% of lots record floor area below their allowance, with a median residual of 0.4 FAR, despite the stock's age.
- How many lots carry this designation?
- Roughly 26,000 citywide, one of the smaller footprints in this batch.
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 2026-07-11.