ADU · Greene County

Can you build an ADU in Jewett, NY?

Town of Jewett has 4 districts. All districts allow ADUs with occupancy restrictions. Check your address to confirm the district that applies to your parcel:

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What the Jewett code says

A second dwelling is reachable on a one-family lot in every district in Jewett, but only by Planning Board special use permit, and only as guest quarters or quarters for an elderly relative. Neither route may be rented out.

Conditions the code attaches:

The guest dwelling route under § 165-19 is limited to temporary use by visitors of the occupants of the principal one-family dwelling, so it cannot be let on the open market.
A guest dwelling must be detached, one per parcel, no more than 800 square feet, or 1,000 square feet if a mezzanine loft is proposed, one storey above grade and 25 ft in height.
A recorded deed covenant must bar the principal dwelling and the guest dwelling from being subdivided or conveyed except as a unit, so the second unit can never be sold off.
For an ECHO unit under § 165-21.2, one intended occupant must be at least 62 years of age and any other at least 55, and at least one occupant must be related to an occupant of the principal dwelling.
An ECHO unit permit is issued to the owner, names the occupants and does not run with the land, and annual recertification is required.
An ECHO unit runs 300 to 1,000 square feet, one storey, side or rear yard only, on a lot meeting the current district minimum, and must be removed within 90 days after occupancy ceases.

What the Jewett 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
Hamlet Residential District	1.5 ac	50 / 30 / 30 ft	35 ft	Occupancy restricted
Rural Residential District	2.5 ac	75 / 50 / 50 ft	35 ft	Occupancy restricted
Rural Conservation District	3 ac	75 / 50 / 50 ft	35 ft	Occupancy restricted
Conservation District	5 ac	75 / 75 / 75 ft	35 ft	Occupancy restricted

Hamlet Residential District - The yard figures are distances from a building to a lot line or to the highway center line, so on a lot fronting a highway the front yard is measured from the middle of the road rather than from the property line.

Minimum lot width here is 100 feet.
A building is held to 35 feet or three stories, whichever is the lesser height.
The chapter publishes no lot coverage limit for any district in this town.
Any use not specifically allowed as of right or as a special use is prohibited.
A one- and two-family dwelling is a permitted use here, and this is the only district where a multiple-family dwelling is listed at all, as a special use.

Rural Residential District - The yard figures are distances from a building to a lot line or to the highway center line, so on a lot fronting a highway the front yard is measured from the middle of the road rather than from the property line.

Minimum lot width here is 200 feet.
A building is held to 35 feet or three stories, whichever is the lesser height.
The chapter publishes no lot coverage limit for any district in this town.
Any use not specifically allowed as of right or as a special use is prohibited.
A one-family dwelling is a permitted use here; a two-family dwelling and a mobile home are special uses.

Rural Conservation District - The yard figures are distances from a building to a lot line or to the highway center line, so on a lot fronting a highway the front yard is measured from the middle of the road rather than from the property line.

Minimum lot width here is 200 feet.
A building is held to 35 feet or three stories, whichever is the lesser height.
The chapter publishes no lot coverage limit for any district in this town.
Any use not specifically allowed as of right or as a special use is prohibited.
This district takes land with moderate to severe soil limitations or slopes of 15% to 30%, and the law has it develop at a lower density than Rural Residential for that reason.

Conservation District - The yard figures are distances from a building to a lot line or to the highway center line, so on a lot fronting a highway the front yard is measured from the middle of the road rather than from the property line.

Minimum lot width here is 400 feet.
A building is held to 35 feet or three stories, whichever is the lesser height.
The chapter publishes no lot coverage limit for any district in this town.
Any use not specifically allowed as of right or as a special use is prohibited.
A one- and two-family dwelling is a special use in this district rather than a permitted one, so a house here needs a special use permit from the Planning Board.

ADUs vs. short-term rentals in Jewett

Short-term rentals allowed with local rules for Town of Jewett. A registered short-term rental is a permitted use in all four of the town's zoning districts, subject to annual registration with the Town Clerk on or before January 31. Occupancy is fixed at registration, and no guests or visitors are allowed at the property. 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. Municipal source

Good to know

Residential lot minimum1.5–3 ac — an ADU still has to fit the district's lot and setback envelope.
UtilityCentral Hudson territory.
Zoning codetownofjewettny.gov/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/187.pdf
Building dept(518) 263-4646

ADU FAQ — Jewett, NY

Are ADUs allowed in Jewett, NY?

Town of Jewett has 4 districts. All districts allow ADUs with occupancy restrictions. Check your address with the free ADU checker, or confirm with the building department at (518) 263-4646.

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

No district in Town of Jewett requires a special-use permit for an ADU - 4 districts allow ADUs with occupancy restrictions. Site-plan review or a building permit may still apply.

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

Short-term rentals allowed with local rules for Town of Jewett. 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.

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What an ADU costs to build in Jewett

Permission is one question and budget is another. An 800 sq ft accessory unit here runs roughly $195k–255k 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 Jewett, priced by size.

How we know this

Sections analyzed: Ch. 165 § 165-19 Guest dwelling (amended 4-11-2018 by L.L. No. 3-2018); § 165-21.2 ECHO unit/in-law apartment; § 165-21.5 short-term rentals; district use table
Districts confirmed: 4 of 4 — every mapped district.
Last reviewed: 2026-10-05
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 Jewett: Full zoning for new construction · ADU build cost · House build cost · ADU rules across Greene County · All Greene County towns

ADU information for Town of Jewett is compiled from the municipal code (last reviewed 2026-10-05) 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) 263-4646 before relying on any answer. Source: the Offsite / Aldo zoning dataset.