ADU · Columbia County

Can you build an ADU in Valatie, NY?

Village of Valatie has 6 districts. All districts prohibit ADUs. Check your address to confirm the district that applies to your parcel:

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What the Valatie code says

The Valatie zoning code lists no accessory dwelling unit use, and a use it does not list is prohibited in every district. A second unit can be built as a two-family dwelling, by right in R-2 and B-1 or with a Zoning Board of Appeals special use permit in B-2.

Conditions the code attaches:

A two-family dwelling is not allowed in R-1, which admits a one-family detached house and, where the Planning Board has allowed or required a cluster subdivision, a townhouse.
F and I allow no residential uses.
Multifamily dwellings and boardinghouses need a special use permit from the Zoning Board of Appeals in R-2, B-1 and B-2.
Building department: (518) 758-9806.

What the Valatie 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 1	0.46 ac	30 / 25 / 50 ft	35 ft	No
Residential 2	0.23 ac	30 / 15 / 30 ft	35 ft	No
Business 1	—	10 / - / - ft	35 ft	No
Business 2	0.46 ac	45 / 15 / 35 ft	35 ft	No
Light Industrial	0.46 ac	30 / 25 / 50 ft	35 ft	No
Industrial	0.92 ac	50 / 30 / 50 ft	35 ft	No

Residential 1 - The minimum lot area is set per dwelling unit.

The nonresidential minimum lot width is 126 ft against the 125 ft a residence needs, 1 foot wider, and the schedule means it: the figure is a full-height 126, not a 125 with a footnote marker.
The minimum lot area is 20,000 sq ft for both.
Buildings may be no more than 2 1/2 storeys, as well as no taller than 35 ft.

Residential 2 - The figures shown are for single- and two-family homes, and a nonresidential use takes the same 10,000 sq ft and 75 ft lot width.

A multifamily dwelling takes 0.0999 acres per dwelling unit on 125 ft of width, with a 26 ft side yard and a 50 ft rear yard.
Note 2 permits townhouses with no more than 8 units in any contiguous group, provided the overall density and coverage still hold.
A townhouse lot may then shrink to 2,000 sq ft and 20 ft of width, with a 30 ft front and rear yard and 25 ft side yards at the ends of the total structure only.
Buildings may be no more than 2 1/2 storeys, as well as no taller than 35 ft.

Business 1 - The figures shown are for nonresidential uses. A home in B-1 follows the R-2 district standards: 10,000 sq ft per dwelling unit, 75 ft of lot width, front, side and rear yards of 30, 15 and 30 ft, and 25% coverage.

For a nonresidential use, no side yard is required unless the lot abuts a residential district, and any side yard provided must be at least 12.5 ft.
Buildings may be no more than 2 1/2 storeys, as well as no taller than 35 ft.

Business 2 - The figures shown are for nonresidential uses. A home in B-2 follows the R-2 district standards instead.

A home in B-2 follows the R-2 standards: 10,000 sq ft of lot and per dwelling unit, on 75 ft of width, with a 30 ft front and rear yard, a 15 ft side yard and 25% coverage.
Buildings may be no more than 2 1/2 storeys, as well as no taller than 35 ft.

Light Industrial - No dwellings are permitted in F, so the figures shown are for nonresidential uses.

Buildings may be no more than 2 1/2 storeys, as well as no taller than 35 ft.

Industrial - No dwellings are permitted in I, so the figures shown are for nonresidential uses.

Buildings may be no more than 2 1/2 storeys, as well as no taller than 35 ft.

ADUs vs. short-term rentals in Valatie

No local short-term-rental law on record - which is not the same as permission for Village of Valatie. The Village of Valatie has no local short-term rental law, and that is not the same as permission. Confirm with the building department before counting on short-term rental income. 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 minimum0.23–0.46 ac — an ADU still has to fit the district's lot and setback envelope.
UtilityCentral Hudson territory.
Zoning codeecode360.com/38837960
Building dept(518) 758-9806

ADU FAQ — Valatie, NY

Are ADUs allowed in Valatie, NY?

Village of Valatie has 6 districts. All districts prohibit ADUs. Check your address with the free ADU checker, or confirm with the building department at (518) 758-9806.

Do I need a special permit for an ADU in Valatie?

No. No district in Village of Valatie permits an ADU, so there is no permit to apply for. Codes change, so verify with the building department at (518) 758-9806 before ruling it out.

Can I use an ADU as a short-term rental in Valatie?

No local short-term-rental law on record - which is not the same as permission for Village of Valatie. 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.

Run the free ADU check for your parcel →

What an ADU costs to build in Valatie

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 Valatie, priced by size.

How we know this

Sections analyzed: § 345-9 (Permitted uses; conditional uses) · § 345-27 · § 345-46
Districts confirmed: 6 of 6 — every mapped district.
Last reviewed: 2026-08-16
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 Valatie: Full zoning for new construction · ADU build cost · House build cost · ADU rules across Columbia County · All Columbia County towns

ADU information for Village of Valatie 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) 758-9806 before relying on any answer. Source: the Offsite / Aldo zoning dataset.