ADU · Columbia County
Can you build an ADU in Clermont, NY?
Town of Clermont has 6 districts. All districts allow ADUs with a special-use permit. Check your address to confirm the district that applies to your parcel:
What the Clermont code says
An accessory apartment is allowed in every Clermont district with a special use permit from the Zoning Board of Appeals. The owner must live in either the main house or the apartment, and there is no bar on renting the unit.
Conditions the code attaches:
- Size: at least 500 sf of net floor area, no more than 75% of the primary dwelling's square footage, and in no event more than 1,500 sf (§ 4.14.20).
- One accessory apartment per parcel, with no more than two bedrooms.
- The unit may be inside the single-family dwelling or in an accessory structure, created by internal conversion, an addition, or partial conversion of an accessory structure.
- Parking: two spaces for the principal unit plus one for the apartment, with no design that backs out onto the road.
- A Columbia County Board of Health approved septic system and potable water are required, with demonstrated capacity if the septic is shared.
- An accessory apartment does not require a minimum lot size, provided the setbacks for a single-family residence are met. A building permit and certificate of occupancy follow the permit.
What the Clermont code indicates by district
The table below shows how each district treats ADUs, alongside the lot and setback standards that govern a second unit. District boundaries and conditions vary, so treat this as a starting point and confirm the district that applies to your parcel.
| District | Min lot | Setbacks F / S / R | Max height | ADU |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residential Agricultural | 2 ac | 50 / 30 / 50 ft | 35 ft | Special permit |
| Hamlet | 1 ac | 25 / 25 / 25 ft | 35 ft | Special permit |
| Residential Limited Business (3A) | 3 ac | 75 / 50 / 75 ft | 35 ft | Special permit |
| Low Density Residential | 5 ac | 75 / 50 / 100 ft | 35 ft | Special permit |
| Residential Limited Business (1A) | 1 ac | 50 / 20 / 30 ft | 35 ft | Special permit |
| Roe Jan Corridor | 5 ac | 50 / 50 / 50 ft | 35 ft | Special permit |
Residential Agricultural - A multifamily dwelling needs no more land than a single-family one here, so the 2 acre minimum applies either way (§ 4.14.17). Every lot also needs at least 50 ft of road frontage.
- A manufactured home park is permitted in RA only, on at least 10 acres able to hold 20 homes, with each home lot at least 10,000 sq ft and nothing within 50 ft of the street or any property line.
- At least 10% of the park must be open space or recreation, and the perimeter carries two staggered rows of evergreens at least 6 ft high and no more than 16 ft apart.
- Existing one-acre RA parcels in common ownership are preserved as one-acre lots (§ 3.22), and converting a one-family residence to two-family or multifamily keeps the existing lot area.
- An accessory structure may not stand in a front yard, nor within 10 ft of any side or rear property line.
- Wind energy conversion systems may reach 150 ft, and the 35 ft limit does not bind silos, barns, church spires, solar equipment or telecommunication towers; the ZBA may approve above it (§ 4.5).
- The 700 sq ft floor minimum excludes the basement and does not apply to apartment units, and no single commercial building may exceed 20,000 sq ft of lot coverage (§ 4.6).
Hamlet - Every lot needs at least 50 ft of road frontage. A multifamily dwelling needs the same minimum lot area as a single-family dwelling in this district, so no extra land is required for it (§ 4.14.17).
- Converting an existing one-family residence to a two-family or multifamily one can keep the existing lot area by special permit (§ 4.14.10). That route does not reach new construction.
- An accessory structure may not stand in a front yard, nor within 10 ft of any side or rear property line.
- No single commercial building may exceed 20,000 sq ft of lot coverage (§ 4.6).
- The 700 sq ft floor space minimum applies per single-family dwelling unit, excluding the basement, and not to apartment units; an accessory apartment must be smaller than the unit it serves (§ 4.6).
- The 35 ft height limit does not bind telecommunication towers, church spires, silos, barns or other farm structures or flagpoles, and the Zoning Board of Appeals may approve above it (§ 4.5).
- Wind energy conversion systems may reach 150 ft rather than the 35 ft building limit. Setbacks are measured from property lines.
Residential Limited Business (3A) - Every lot needs at least 50 ft of road frontage, on top of the figures shown. A multifamily dwelling needs no more land than a single-family one in this district (§ 4.14.17).
- No single commercial building may exceed 20,000 sq ft of lot coverage (§ 4.6).
- Converting an existing one-family residence to a two-family or multifamily one keeps the existing lot area, by special permit (§ 4.14.10). It does not reach new construction.
- An accessory structure may not stand in a front yard, nor within 10 ft of any side or rear property line. Setbacks are measured from property lines.
- The 35 ft height limit does not bind church spires, telecommunication towers, silos, barns, solar equipment or flagpoles (§ 4.5), and the Zoning Board of Appeals may approve above it.
- Wind energy conversion systems may reach 150 ft rather than the 35 ft building limit.
- The 700 sq ft minimum floor space is per single-family dwelling unit, excluding the basement. It does not apply to apartment units (§ 4.6).
Low Density Residential - A multifamily dwelling needs no more land than a single-family house in the same district (§ 4.14.17). Every district also requires 50 ft of minimum road frontage, which the table does not show.
- Converting an existing one-family residence to a two-family or multifamily one keeps the existing lot area, by special permit (§ 4.14.10). It does not reach new construction.
- An accessory structure may not stand in a front yard, nor within 10 ft of any side or rear property line.
- The 700 sq ft of floor space is required per single-family dwelling unit and excludes the basement; it does not apply to apartment units (§ 4.6).
- An accessory apartment must be smaller than the unit it is accessory to.
- The 35 ft height limit does not bind silos, barns or other farm structures, church spires, solar equipment or flagpoles (§ 4.5), and the Zoning Board of Appeals may approve above it.
- Wind energy conversion systems may reach 150 ft rather than the 35 ft building limit.
Residential Limited Business (1A) - Every lot needs at least 50 ft of road frontage, on top of the figures shown. A multifamily dwelling needs no more land than a single-family one: the minimum lot area is the same in this district (§ 4.14.17).
- No single commercial building may exceed 20,000 sq ft of lot coverage (§ 4.6).
- Converting an existing one-family residence to a two-family or multifamily one keeps the existing lot area, by special permit; it does not reach new construction (§ 4.14.10).
- An accessory structure may not stand in a front yard, nor within 10 ft of any side or rear property line.
- The 700 sq ft minimum applies per single-family dwelling unit and excludes the basement. It does not apply to apartment units (§ 4.6).
- The 35 ft height limit does not bind church spires, silos, barns and other farm structures, solar equipment or flagpoles, and the Zoning Board of Appeals may approve above it (§ 4.5).
- Setbacks are measured from property lines.
Roe Jan Corridor - A lot here must also have 450 ft of stream frontage (schedule note 1), in addition to the lot width shown. Minimum road frontage is 50 ft.
- No single commercial building may exceed 20,000 sq ft of lot coverage (§ 4.6).
- The 700 sq ft floor area applies per single-family dwelling unit and excludes the basement; it does not apply to apartment units (§ 4.6).
- An accessory structure may not stand in a front yard, nor within 10 ft of any side or rear property line (schedule note 3).
- The minimum lot area for a multifamily dwelling is the same as for a single-family dwelling in this district (§ 4.14.17).
- Converting an existing one-family residence to a two-family or multifamily one keeps the existing lot area by special permit (§ 4.14.10); it does not reach new construction.
- Wind energy conversion systems may reach 150 ft, and the 35 ft limit does not bind telecommunication towers, church spires, silos, barns or other farm structures, solar equipment or flagpoles (§ 4.5).
ADUs vs. short-term rentals in Clermont
No local short-term-rental law on record - which is not the same as permission for Town of Clermont. No local short term rental rules are confirmed for Clermont. Treat that as an open question rather than permission, and confirm with the building department before counting on renting a home short term. These are separate questions from whether you can build an ADU — a unit you're allowed to add isn't automatically one you're allowed to rent nightly, so check both.
Good to know
- Residential lot minimum1–5 ac — an ADU still has to fit the district's lot and setback envelope.
- UtilityCentral Hudson territory.
- Zoning codeclermontny.gov/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Clermont-Zoning-Book.pdf
- Building dept(518) 537-6868
ADU FAQ — Clermont, NY
Are ADUs allowed in Clermont, NY?
Town of Clermont has 6 districts. All districts allow ADUs with a special-use permit. Check your address with the free ADU checker, or confirm with the building department at (518) 537-6868.
Do I need a special permit for an ADU in Clermont?
Yes. Every district in Town of Clermont requires a special-use permit for an ADU rather than allowing one as of right. Check the conditions attached to it before you design.
Can I use an ADU as a short-term rental in Clermont?
No local short-term-rental law on record - which is not the same as permission for Town of Clermont. ADU occupancy and short-term-rental rules are separate: an ADU you can build isn't automatically one you can rent nightly. Confirm both before you count on STR income.
What an ADU costs to build in Clermont
Permission is one question and budget is another. An 800 sq ft accessory unit here runs roughly $195k–260k at a standard finish, and the per-square-foot rate comes in above a full house because the kitchen, bath, panel and heating plant cost the same either way. See the full cost to build an ADU in Clermont, priced by size.
How we know this
- Sections analyzed
- Zoning Law § 3.21 Table of Scheduled Uses, Accessory Apartment and 2-Single-Family rows; § 4.14.20 Accessory Apartment standards
- Districts confirmed
- 6 of 6 — every mapped district.
- Last reviewed
- Not covered here
- Overlay districts, the zoning map, and any conditions attached to an individual parcel. Size limits and owner-occupancy terms sit in the code section above, not in this summary.
More on Clermont: Full zoning for new construction · ADU build cost · House build cost · ADU rules across Columbia County · All Columbia County towns
ADU information for Town of Clermont is compiled from the municipal code (last reviewed 2026-08-16) and provided for decision-support only — not legal or architectural advice. ADU eligibility, size, owner-occupancy and permit conditions vary by district and often carry exceptions; verify with the building department at (518) 537-6868 before relying on any answer. Source: the Offsite / Aldo zoning dataset.