Irvington · ADU cost
What it costs to build an ADU in Irvington, NY
An 800 sq ft accessory dwelling unit in Irvington runs roughly $235k–310k, or about $296–388/sq ft, and that per-square-foot figure sits deliberately above the $242–318/sq ft a full house costs here. An ADU still needs one whole kitchen, one whole bath, its own service panel and its own heating plant no matter how small you draw it, and those costs do not shrink with the floor plan, so they land on half the square footage and push the rate up. Whether the village will let you build one is a separate question from what it costs, and it gets answered parcel by parcel rather than townwide, since the Village of Irvington maps 13 districts that treat accessory units differently from one another, so read the table below as a starting point rather than a verdict.
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ADU cost by size in Irvington
Standard finish, slab on grade, on a flat and clear part of the lot, general-contractor margin included. These are structure costs at Westchester County pricing, before the service and septic work a second dwelling can trigger.
| Size | Type | $ / sq ft | Estimated total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 400 sq ft | Studio | $392–$514 | $155k–205k |
| 600 sq ft | One bedroom | $328–$430 | $195k–260k |
| 800 sq ft | One bedroom, larger | $296–$388 | $235k–310k |
| 1,000 sq ft | Two bedroom | $277–$362 | $275k–360k |
400 sq ft — One room plus a bath. Garage conversions and small backyard cottages land here.
600 sq ft — The most common detached build - a real bedroom, full kitchen, one bath.
800 sq ft — Room for a proper living area. Still a single bath and one kitchen.
1,000 sq ft — About as large as most codes allow an accessory unit to go.
Why the rate is higher than a house
The systems below are priced for an 800 sq ft unit. The middle column is what each system would cost if it simply shrank with the floor plan; the left column is what it actually costs once you account for the equipment a dwelling needs one of regardless of size. The gap between the two columns is the whole reason small builds price the way they do.
| System | $ / sq ft in an ADU | If it scaled with floor area | Fixed per unit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Site work | $9–$13 | $9 | — |
| Foundation | $19–$27 | $19 | — |
| Framing | $30–$38 | $30 | — |
| Envelope - roof, siding, windows | $38–$49 | $38 | — |
| Plumbing | $33–$40 | $19 | 55% |
| Electrical | $22–$28 | $15 | 35% |
| HVAC | $27–$34 | $17 | 45% |
| Insulation | $9–$11 | $9 | — |
| Interior finishes | $38–$51 | $32 | 15% |
| Millwork & cabinetry | $22–$33 | $13 | 55% |
The fixed-per-unit share is a modeling assumption, not a figure from the code: it is our estimate of how much of each system's budget buys equipment a dwelling needs exactly one of - a kitchen rough-in, a bath group, a service panel, a heating plant - and therefore does not shrink when the unit does. Site work, foundation, framing, envelope and insulation are treated as scaling straight with floor area, which understates the premium slightly, because a small building carries more envelope per square foot of floor than a large one.
What the Irvington code says about accessory units
Whether you can build one, and how large, is decided by the district your parcel sits in rather than by the town as a whole. The table shows how each mapped district treats ADUs alongside the lot and setback standards a second unit still has to fit inside. District boundaries and conditions vary, so treat it as a starting point and confirm the district that applies to your parcel.
| District | Min lot | Setbacks F / S / R | Max height | ADU |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| One-Family Residence District | 0.46 ac | 35 / 15 / 35 ft | 35 ft | Occupancy restricted |
| One-Family Residence District | 0.92 ac | 50 / 25 / 40 ft | 35 ft | Occupancy restricted |
| One-Family Residence District | 1.38 ac | 60 / 30 / 60 ft | 35 ft | Occupancy restricted |
| One-Family Residence District | 1.84 ac | 75 / 50 / 75 ft | 35 ft | Occupancy restricted |
| One-Family Residence District | 0.23 ac | 30 / 15 / 30 ft | 35 ft | Occupancy restricted |
| One-Family Residence District | 0.11 ac | 30 / 10 / 30 ft | 35 ft | Occupancy restricted |
| Two-Family Residence District | 0.11 ac | 30 / 10 / 30 ft | 35 ft | Occupancy restricted |
| Multifamily Residence District | 4 ac | 100 / 50 / 30 ft | 35 ft | Occupancy restricted |
| Business District | — | 0 / 0 / 0 ft | 35 ft | Occupancy restricted |
| Railroad District | — | — | 22 ft | No |
| Recreation District | 30 ac | 50 / 50 / 50 ft | 35 ft | No |
| Multifamily/Office District | 1.84 ac | 75 / 50 / 50 ft | 35 ft | — |
| Waterfront District | — | 0 / 0 / 0 ft | 35 ft | — |
One-Family Residence District - A dwelling built without a garage must add 12 ft to one side yard (§ 224-11B(3)).
- All principal and accessory buildings together may cover 16% of the first 20,000 sq ft of the lot plus 6% of the area above that, and driveways are not counted (§ 224-13A).
- In a cluster subdivision a detached one-family lot may drop to 0.2296 acre, 85 ft wide and 100 ft deep, with front and rear yards of 30 ft, and the cluster keeps a 30 ft buffer (§ 224-88D(2)(a)).
- No building, wall or parking space may stand within 50 ft of the Broadway right of way, or 30 ft of the Croton Aqueduct property, and 125 ft and 50 ft respectively on a new or rebuilt lot (§ 224-51).
- On a vacant lot the dwelling count is the net buildable area divided by 20,000 sq ft, after taking out watercourses, wetland and floodplain and part of any land on slopes of 15% or more (§ 224-80).
- Floor area for a house follows a villagewide scale keyed to lot size, 0.20 at 20,000 sq ft, and any house over 10,000 sq ft of gross floor area needs a variance (§ 224-136).
- Front and side yard minimums may be reduced by 20% where a building's walls meet the street or side line at an angle of 25° or more.
One-Family Residence District - A dwelling built without a garage must add 12 ft to one side yard (§ 224-11B(3)).
- All principal and accessory buildings together may cover 12% of the first 40,000 sq ft of the lot plus 4% of the area above that, and driveways are not counted (§ 224-13).
- In a cluster subdivision a detached one-family lot may drop to 0.4591 acre, 100 ft wide and 125 ft deep, with a side yard of 15 ft and front and rear yards of 35 ft (§ 224-88D(2)(a)).
- No building, wall or parking space may stand within 50 ft of the Broadway right of way, or 30 ft of the Croton Aqueduct property, and 125 ft and 50 ft respectively on a new or rebuilt lot (§ 224-51).
- On a vacant lot the dwelling count is the net buildable area divided by 40,000 sq ft, after taking out watercourses, wetland and floodplain and part of any land on slopes of 15% or more (§ 224-80).
- Floor area for a house follows a villagewide scale keyed to lot size, 0.1625 at 40,000 sq ft, and any house over 10,000 sq ft of gross floor area needs a variance (§ 224-136).
- Front and side yard minimums may be reduced by 20% where a building's walls meet the street or side line at an angle of 25° or more.
One-Family Residence District - Front and side yard minimums may be reduced by 20% where a building's walls meet the street or side line at an angle of 25° or more (§ 224-11B(1)).
- All principal and accessory buildings together may cover 8.33% of the first 60,000 sq ft of the lot plus 2% of the area above that, and driveways are not counted (§ 224-13).
- In a cluster subdivision a detached one-family lot may drop to 0.6887 acre, 150 ft wide and 150 ft deep, with a side yard of 20 ft and front and rear yards of 50 ft (§ 224-88D(2)(a)).
- No building, wall or parking space may stand within 50 ft of the Broadway right of way, or 30 ft of the Croton Aqueduct property, and 125 ft and 50 ft respectively on a new or rebuilt lot (§ 224-51).
- On a vacant lot the dwelling count is the net buildable area divided by 60,000 sq ft, after taking out watercourses, wetland and floodplain and part of any land on slopes of 15% or more (§ 224-80).
- Floor area for a house follows a villagewide scale keyed to lot size, 0.125 at 60,000 sq ft and above, and any house over 10,000 sq ft of gross floor area needs a variance (§ 224-136).
- The minimum lot depth may be reduced by 15% where the lot's average depth still meets the minimum (§ 224-10C).
One-Family Residence District - Front and side yard minimums may be reduced by 20% where a building's walls meet the street or side line at an angle of 25° or more (§ 224-11B(1)).
- All principal and accessory buildings together may cover 6.75% of the first 80,000 sq ft of the lot plus 2% of the area above that, and driveways are not counted (§ 224-13).
- In a cluster subdivision a detached one-family lot may drop to 0.9183 acre, 200 ft wide and 150 ft deep, with a side yard of 30 ft and front and rear yards of 50 ft (§ 224-88D(2)(a)).
- No building, wall or parking space may stand within 50 ft of the Broadway right of way, or 30 ft of the Croton Aqueduct property, and 125 ft and 50 ft respectively on a new or rebuilt lot (§ 224-51).
- On a vacant lot the dwelling count is the net buildable area divided by 80,000 sq ft, after taking out watercourses, wetland and floodplain and part of any land on slopes of 15% or more (§ 224-80).
- Floor area for a house follows a villagewide scale keyed to lot size, 0.125 at 60,000 sq ft and above, and any house over 10,000 sq ft of gross floor area needs a variance (§ 224-136).
- The minimum lot depth may be reduced by 15% where the lot's average depth still meets the minimum (§ 224-10C).
One-Family Residence District - A dwelling built without a garage must add 12 ft to one side yard (§ 224-11B(3)).
- All principal and accessory buildings together may cover 20% of the first 10,000 sq ft of the lot plus 12% of the area above that, and driveways are not counted (§ 224-13A).
- In a cluster subdivision a detached one-family lot may drop to 0.1722 acre, 60 ft wide and 100 ft deep, with a side yard of 10 ft and front and rear yards of 30 ft (§ 224-88D(2)(a)).
- No building, wall or parking space may stand within 50 ft of the Broadway right of way, or 30 ft of the Croton Aqueduct property, and 125 ft and 50 ft respectively on a new or rebuilt lot (§ 224-51).
- On a vacant lot the dwelling count is the net buildable area divided by 10,000 sq ft, after taking out watercourses, wetland and floodplain and part of any land on slopes of 15% or more (§ 224-80).
- Research and development laboratories and several kinds of office use are open by special permit on a lot fronting Broadway (§ 224-8D(4)).
- Front and side yard minimums may be reduced by 20% where a building's walls meet the street or side line at an angle of 25° or more.
One-Family Residence District - Front and side yard minimums may be reduced by 20% where a building's walls meet the street or side line at an angle of 25° or more (§ 224-11B(1)).
- All principal and accessory buildings together may cover 24% of the first 5,000 sq ft of the lot plus 16% of the area above that, and driveways are not counted (§ 224-13A).
- In a cluster subdivision a detached one-family lot may drop to 0.0918 acre, 40 ft wide and 100 ft deep, with a side yard of 5 ft and front and rear yards of 30 ft (§ 224-88D(2)(a)).
- No building, wall or parking space may stand within 50 ft of the Broadway right of way, or 30 ft of the Croton Aqueduct property, and 125 ft and 50 ft respectively on a new or rebuilt lot (§ 224-51).
- On a vacant lot the dwelling count is the net buildable area divided by 5,000 sq ft, after taking out watercourses, wetland and floodplain and part of any land on slopes of 15% or more (§ 224-80).
- Only one parking space per dwelling is required here, and it may sit in a side yard (§ 224-14).
- The minimum lot depth may be reduced by 15% where the lot's average depth still meets the minimum (§ 224-10C).
Two-Family Residence District - 2F is held to every requirement of the 1F-5 district (§ 224-16).
- On a vacant lot a two-family house needs 10,000 sq ft of net buildable land even though the lot minimum is 5,000 sq ft (§ 224-80).
- A two-family dwelling is permitted provided the whole lot stays in one ownership for the life of the building (§ 224-15B).
- Building coverage follows the 1F-5 rule, 24% of the first 5,000 sq ft of the lot plus 16% of the area above that, with driveways not counted (§ 224-13).
- A fair and affordable two-family unit may sit on a lot of 75% of the two-family minimum (§ 224-179B).
Multifamily Residence District - A three-or-more-family dwelling is permitted only on a lot fronting Broadway or the New York Central Railroad right of way, and the whole lot must stay in one ownership for the life of the building (§ 224-17C).
- A one-family or two-family house here takes the 1F-10 standards, a lot 85 ft wide and 100 ft deep with a 15 ft side yard and 30 ft front and rear yards (§ 224-19A).
- Building coverage for a house follows the 1F-10 rule, 20% of the first 10,000 sq ft of the lot plus 12% of the area above that (§ 224-20A).
- An attached one-family development may cover 18% of the lot, and coverage from reusing a locally significant historic building is left out of the count, though total may never exceed 20% (§ 224-20D).
- A use needing a Planning Board special permit is open only on a lot fronting Broadway or the railroad right of way, may cover 15% of the lot and owes 100 ft side and rear yards (§ 224-20C).
- Buildings stand at least 60 ft apart, no building runs longer than 180 ft, and no building holds more than 15 dwelling units (§ 224-21).
- Building coverage is 10% of the lot, and the Planning Board may allow another 5% for accessory garages where parking under the principal building is impractical (§ 224-20B).
Business District - No yard is required in B unless the Planning Board requires one, but a lot adjoining a residence district boundary needs a 10 ft yard on that side (§ 224-37).
- Any yard that is required or provided must be at least 4 ft wide.
- Dwelling units are allowed only on the second and higher floors, above ground floor retail or service space (§ 224-36A(15)(b)).
- A building on Main Street may rise no higher than the average height of the existing structures on the two neighbouring lots, measured from the lowest street level (§ 224-38A).
- On a lot carrying dwelling units an existing building may cover 70% of the lot, and buildings, parking and driveways together 80%; on new construction only the 80% total applies (§ 224-36A(15)(c)).
- A building abutting a public parking lot must keep unobstructed space on its own lot for loading two vehicles, each at least 10 ft by 30 ft (§ 224-52).
Railroad District - Yards are required only if the Planning Board imposes one, and any such yard must be at least 4 ft wide (§ 224-46B(4)).
- A Planning Board special permit for land on the east side of the tracks between Main and Bridge Streets opens a wider set of uses, with front, side and rear yards of 0 ft (§ 224-46B(4)).
- Under that permit principal buildings may cover 14% of the lot, accessory buildings another 10%, and buildings with parking and driveways together 80% (§ 224-46B(5)).
- The chapter states no lot area and no lot width for this district (§ 224-47).
- A change of occupancy or use here needs Planning Board approval (§ 224-54.1).
Recreation District - A building must stand at least 50 ft from any street line, and from every other property line at least the greater of 50 ft or three times its height (§ 224-47.4).
- A buffer of at least 40 ft runs around the whole perimeter, and no structure, pool, green, fairway or tee may sit in it (§ 224-47.3C).
- The 200 ft is both the minimum lot width and the minimum length of street line frontage (§ 224-47.3B).
- Principal and accessory uses are barred from the required front yard (§ 224-47.4).
- All principal and accessory buildings together may cover 3.5% of the lot, with driveways not counted (§ 224-47.5).
- A public playground or park, including a golf, tennis or swimming club, is available on a Planning Board special permit that requires a traffic study (§ 224-47.2B).
Multifamily/Office District - Every use in this district needs a Planning Board special permit, and nothing may be built, parked or placed within 250 ft of the Broadway right of way unless the Board of Trustees waives that distance for a significant public interest (§ 224-47.9B(2)).
- The side and rear yards rise to 75 ft where the lot abuts a one-family district, and two properties do not abut if a street runs between them (§ 224-47.9B(1)).
- Between 250 and 300 ft of Broadway nothing may exceed two stories or 25 ft, and beyond 300 ft the limit is three stories or 35 ft, with underground parking not counted as a storey (§ 224-47.9E).
- No new lot may be created with less than 80,000 sq ft (§ 224-47.9A).
- Coverage is measured against the net buildable site area rather than the gross lot, and where the floor area limit and the coverage limit disagree the smaller building controls (§ 224-47.9G).
- On a special permit for senior citizen housing each unit counts 2,000 sq ft of land instead of 3,000, and it does not qualify for the density bonuses (§ 224-85.1).
- A development providing the full number of moderate-income units earns 5% more coverage and 0.05 more floor area (§ 224-47.9D(4)).
Waterfront District - No yard is required, but any yard provided must be at least 4 ft wide, and where the lot adjoins a residence district boundary a yard of at least 10 ft is required along that boundary (§ 224-41).
- Multifamily dwellings are available in buildings on the east side of the Railroad District on a Board of Trustees special permit, which asks 1,250 sq ft of land for each dwelling unit (§ 224-39F(2)).
- Under that permit an existing building owes one side yard of at least 100 ft, no building may run longer than 180 ft or hold more than 25 dwelling units, and buildings may cover 40% of the lot.
- Floor area may not exceed 1.4 times the dry land area of the lot, measured from the bulkhead or the mean high water line (§ 224-40).
- Cellar and basement space used only for storage or building operation is left out of the floor area count (§ 224-40).
- Adaptive reuse of a building on the National Register or designated a local landmark is available on a Board of Trustees special permit (§ 224-39F(1)).
- A change of occupancy or use here needs Planning Board approval (§ 224-54.1).
Costs an ADU adds that a house does not
- Septic and water A second dwelling adds bedrooms to the design flow, which on an unsewered parcel often means expanding or replacing the existing system rather than tapping it. This is the single most common reason an ADU budget moves after design, and it is site-specific enough that no model should quote it - get it evaluated early.
- Utility service Con Edison territory. A detached unit needs power run to it, and whether it goes on its own meter or subfeeds the main house changes both the cost and the permit path.
- Access and parking Many codes require an added parking space for the accessory unit, and a detached unit usually needs a driveway extension or a path, both of which count against a lot-coverage or impervious-surface cap.
- Short-term rentalsShort-term rentals allowed with local rules. Irvington permits short-term rentals with a permit under Local Law No. 7 of 2019, for no more than 180 days a year, and requires the home to be the owner's primary residence for at least 5 years. Separate question from whether you can build the unit.
- Zoning codeecode360.com/IR0187
- Building dept(914) 591-8335
Sizing up a specific parcel in Irvington?
Aldo pulls the exact zoning district, setbacks, and build feasibility for any parcel — before you buy. Enter your email to open Aldo and run your free report.
Building a full house instead?
A standard-finish house in Irvington runs $242–318/sq ft, about $435k–570k at 1,800 sq ft . See what it costs to build a house in Irvington.
ADU cost in nearby towns
All Westchester County towns: Mount Vernon (City) · New Rochelle (City) · Peekskill (City) · Rye (City) · White Plains (City) · Yonkers (City) · Bedford · Cortlandt · Eastchester · Greenburgh · Lewisboro · Mamaroneck · Mount Pleasant · New Castle · North Castle · North Salem · Ossining · Pound Ridge · Somers · Yorktown · Harrison (Village) · Ardsley (Village) · Briarcliff Manor (Village) · Bronxville (Village) · Buchanan (Village) · Croton-on-Hudson (Village) · Dobbs Ferry (Village) · Elmsford (Village) · Hastings-on-Hudson (Village) · Larchmont (Village) · Mamaroneck (Village) · Mount Kisco (Village) · Ossining (Village) · Pelham (Village) · Pelham Manor (Village) · Pleasantville (Village) · Port Chester (Village) · Rye Brook (Village) · Scarsdale (Village) · Sleepy Hollow (Village) · Tarrytown (Village) · Tuckahoe (Village)
More on Irvington: Can you build an ADU here? · Zoning for new construction · Westchester County build cost
ADU cost in Irvington: common questions
How much does it cost to build an ADU in Irvington, NY?
An 800 sq ft accessory dwelling unit in Village of Irvington runs roughly $235k–310k at a standard finish, general-contractor margin included. A 400 sq ft studio runs about $155k–205k. Those are structure costs on an easy site and do not include the septic, water or electrical service work a second unit often triggers.
Why does an ADU cost more per square foot than a house in Irvington?
Because a lot of a dwelling's cost is per dwelling, not per square foot. One kitchen, one bath group, one service panel and one heating plant cost about the same in an 800 sq ft cottage as in a 1,800 sq ft house, so on the smaller unit they get spread over less than half the floor area. That is why an ADU here prices at $296–388/sq ft against $242–318/sq ft for a full house, even though it is the same trades doing the same work.
Are ADUs allowed in Irvington?
Village of Irvington has 13 districts. 9 districts allow ADUs with occupancy restrictions, 2 do not. 2 districts have incomplete data - verify with the building department at (914) 591-8335. Check the specific address with the free ADU checker before you spend money on design.
Can I rent an ADU in Irvington short term?
Short-term rentals allowed with local rules for Village of Irvington. ADU rules and short-term-rental rules are set separately, so a unit you are allowed to build is not automatically one you are allowed to rent nightly. Confirm both before you underwrite the build on short-term-rental income.
ADU costs are modeled estimates in current 2026 dollars at the Westchester County regional index, general-contractor margin included, derived from Offsite's cost engine with a stated adjustment for the equipment a dwelling needs one of regardless of size. They are planning numbers for decision-support only - not a bid, quote, or guarantee, and not legal, architectural or engineering advice. They cover the structure and exclude septic expansion, utility service runs, site work beyond a flat and clear pad, and permit fees. ADU eligibility, size, owner-occupancy and permit conditions in the Village of Irvington vary by district and often carry exceptions this page does not show; zoning last reviewed 2026-09-27; verify with the building department at (914) 591-8335 before relying on any answer. Sources: the Offsite / Aldo cost engine and zoning dataset.