Greene County

Village of Catskill, NY: zoning for new construction

7 districts Min residential lot 0.23–0.29 ac Central Hudson

Residential lots in the Village of Catskill run from a 0.23-acre minimum in General Residence up to 0.29 acres in One-Family Residence, across 7 zoning districts in all. Short-term rentals allowed with local rules. Power here is Central Hudson territory. The district table below has the setbacks, height limits and coverage - confirm the specifics with the building department at (518) 943-6564 before you rely on a figure.

Looking specifically at an accessory dwelling unit? See ADU rules for Catskill →

Zoning districts

District	Min lot	Setbacks F / S / R	Max height	ADU
One-Family Residence	0.29 ac	30 / 10 / 30 ft	42 ft	Occupancy restricted
General Residence	0.23 ac	25 / 10 / 30 ft	42 ft	Occupancy restricted
Commercial Residence	0.14 ac	0 / 5 / 0 ft	42 ft	Occupancy restricted
Commercial	0.46 ac	30 / 10 / 30 ft	42 ft	No
General Commercial District	—	30 / 10 / 30 ft	42 ft	No
Central Commercial	—	0 / 0 / 0 ft	42 ft	No
Waterfront District	0.17 ac	15 / 5 / 35 ft	35 ft	No

One-Family Residence - The figures shown are for a lot without public water. With public water the minimum lot is 7,500 square feet (0.1722 acre) on 50 ft of width and the side yard falls to 5 ft.

Both side yards together must total at least 25 ft.
A setback matching the existing adjacent building may be used where that is less than the figure the schedule states.
No more than one dwelling is allowed per lot in any district where dwellings are permitted.
Any structure used to house livestock takes a twenty foot setback.
Fences are exempt from the setbacks, except a garden fence at six feet, a livestock fence at twenty feet, and a swimming pool or tennis court fence, which meets the standard setbacks.

General Residence - The figures shown are for a lot without public sewer. With public sewer the minimum lot is 6,000 square feet (0.1377 acre) for the first dwelling unit and the side yard falls to 5 ft, with more land required for each unit beyond the first.

On the serviced row the lot area rises by 1,000 square feet for a second dwelling unit, 2,500 for each of the third through seventh, and 1,500 more for each beyond seven.
A multiple dwelling must have two side yards of at least 15 ft each.
On the serviced row a yard, once established, must be at least 10 feet.
Both side yards together must total at least 25 ft.
A setback matching the existing adjacent building may be used where that is less than the figure the schedule states.
No more than one dwelling is allowed per lot in any district where dwellings are permitted.

Commercial Residence - The schedule requires no front yard and no rear yard in this district: both cells read None. The side yard is 5 ft, and both sides together must total 25 ft.

A multiple dwelling must have two side yards of at least 15 ft each rather than the 5 ft shown.
Minimum lot area is 6,000 square feet (0.1377 acre) on 50 ft of lot width.
No more than one dwelling is allowed per lot in any district where dwellings are permitted.
Any structure used to house livestock takes a twenty foot setback.
Fences are exempt from the setbacks, except a garden fence at six feet, a livestock fence at twenty feet, and a swimming pool or tennis court fence, which meets the standard setbacks.

Commercial - No maximum lot coverage is published for this district: the cell reads None. Minimum lot width is 200 ft, and both side yards together must total 40 ft against a 10 ft single side yard.

Minimum lot area is 20,000 square feet (0.4591 acre).
No more than one dwelling is allowed per lot in any district where dwellings are permitted.
Any structure used to house livestock takes a twenty foot setback.
Fences are exempt from the setbacks, except a garden fence at six feet, a livestock fence at twenty feet, and a swimming pool or tennis court fence, which meets the standard setbacks.

General Commercial District - The minimum lot area, maximum lot coverage, minimum lot width and maximum stories cells all read None for this district. What the schedule publishes is a 42 ft height limit and the yards shown.

Both side yards together must total at least 40 ft.
No more than one dwelling is allowed per lot in any district where dwellings are permitted.
Any structure used to house livestock takes a twenty foot setback.
Fences are exempt from the setbacks, except a garden fence at six feet, a livestock fence at twenty feet, and a swimming pool or tennis court fence, which meets the standard setbacks.

Central Commercial - This district requires no front, side or rear yard at all, and sets no minimum lot area and no coverage cap. A yard that is established must be at least 10 feet, and minimum lot width is 18 ft.

A yard, once established, must be at least 10 feet even though none is required.
A setback matching the existing adjacent building may be used where that is less than the figure the schedule states.
No more than one dwelling is allowed per lot in any district where dwellings are permitted.
Fences are exempt from the setbacks, except a garden fence at six feet, a livestock fence at twenty feet, and a swimming pool or tennis court fence, which meets the standard setbacks.

Waterfront District - The 45% figure caps structures and impervious surfaces together, not the building footprint alone. The 35 ft height limit can rise by up to 10 ft, at 5 ft for each additional 25 ft of setback or for dedicated permanent public access.

Minimum lot area is 7,500 square feet (0.1722 acre), plus 2,500 square feet for each second through seventh dwelling unit and 1,500 more for each beyond seven.
A water dependent use that must sit on or next to the water is exempt from the 35 ft rear setback.
Both side yards together must total at least 15 ft.
Additional regulations for this district are in § 3.3.
No more than one dwelling is allowed per lot in any district where dwellings are permitted.
Fences are exempt from the setbacks, except a garden fence at six feet, a livestock fence at twenty feet, and a swimming pool or tennis court fence, which meets the standard setbacks.

Short-term rentals

Short-term rentals allowed with local rules. A revocable short-term rental permit is required from the Village under § 4.15 before the home is rented short term. The permit is transferable to a new owner, provided that owner registers with the Village, updates the application and agrees in writing to comply.

Conditions the code attaches:

The permit runs one calendar year and expires on December 31 regardless of when it is issued.
Maximum occupancy is two persons per sleeping room plus two; a sleeping room must be at least 70 sq ft for one person and 100 sq ft for two, with an emergency escape opening.
Off-street parking must accommodate the maximum occupancy under § 4.6, and guests may not park on the lawn or the street.
Annual inspection by the code enforcement officer applies, and the unit may not operate unless fully compliant. A permit may be refused where an owner had one revoked in the previous year.
Greene County also operates a free short-term rental registration, and New York State collects sales tax on short-term rental transactions.
Availability and whether site plan review applies need confirming for a parcel; § 4.2 exempts short-term rentals in the C-1 and C-2 districts from site plan review. Village: (518) 943-6564.

Municipal source

Good to know

UtilityCentral Hudson territory.
Zoning codeVillage of Catskill Zoning Regulations, § 3.2 Schedule of Area and Bulk Regulations (revised May 10, 2023)
Building dept(518) 943-6564
Last reviewed2026-10-05

Working out a budget? A standard-finish build here runs $197–$259/sq ft , and a conforming lot adds about $5,194 on top - see the full cost to build a house in Catskill, or what an ADU costs here.

Sizing up a specific parcel in Catskill?

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Other Greene County towns

All Greene County zoning: Athens · Cairo · Catskill · Coxsackie · Greenville · Halcott · Jewett · Lexington · New Baltimore · Athens (Village) · Coxsackie (Village) · Hunter (Village) · Tannersville (Village)

Zoning figures for Village of Catskill are compiled from the municipal code (last reviewed 2026-10-05) and provided for decision-support only - not legal, engineering, or architectural advice. Setback and dimensional standards often carry conditions and exceptions; verify with the building department at (518) 943-6564 before relying on any number. Source: the Offsite / Aldo zoning dataset.