ADU · Greene County

Can you build an ADU in Catskill, NY?

Village of Catskill has 7 districts. 4 districts prohibit ADUs, 3 allow them with occupancy restrictions. Check your address to confirm the district that applies to your parcel:

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What the Catskill code says

An accessory dwelling unit is allowed by special permit as an accessory use in R-1, R-2 and R-3. The owner must live in either the principal dwelling or the accessory unit, and a tenant who is not an immediate relative may not be charged more than 125% of fair market rent.

Conditions the code attaches:

The special permit becomes null and void if the owner lives somewhere other than the premises for more than 180 days in a one-year period, and the property reverts to its original permitted use.
An accessory dwelling is not permitted in C-1, C-2, CC or WD.
Gross floor area may not exceed 35% of the gross floor area of the principal building or 650 square feet, whichever is more restrictive, with a minimum of 500 square feet and one bedroom.
Conversion only: the unit must be inside the principal building or inside an accessory building currently existing, on a detached single-family dwelling lot, one per parcel.
The unit must be hooked up to municipal water and sanitary sewer, and may not share a lot with a short-term rental or a home occupation.
Minimum lot area is 10,000 square feet and minimum lot width 50 feet, which the Planning Board may reduce where detailed reasoning is provided.

What the Catskill 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
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.

ADUs vs. short-term rentals in Catskill

Short-term rentals allowed with local rules for Village of Catskill. 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. 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 minimum0.23–0.29 ac — an ADU still has to fit the district's lot and setback envelope.
UtilityCentral Hudson territory.
Zoning codevillageofcatskillny.gov/vertical/sites/%7B1913022A-1115-4457-A22D-7B54682CF5DD%7D/uploads/Zoning_Regulations_revised_May_10_2023.pdf
Building dept(518) 943-6564

ADU FAQ — Catskill, NY

Are ADUs allowed in Catskill, NY?

Village of Catskill has 7 districts. 4 districts prohibit ADUs, 3 allow them with occupancy restrictions. Check your address with the free ADU checker, or confirm with the building department at (518) 943-6564.

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

No district in Village of Catskill requires a special-use permit for an ADU - 4 districts prohibit ADUs, 3 allow them with occupancy restrictions. Site-plan review or a building permit may still apply.

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

Short-term rentals allowed with local rules for Village of Catskill. 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 Catskill

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 Catskill, priced by size.

How we know this

Sections analyzed: Village of Catskill Local Law No. 1 of 2025 (Accessory Dwelling Units, adopted April 2025): intent and purpose, the grant in the R1/R2/R3 Districts, the ADU definition, and Standards 1-24. Village of Catskill Zoning Regulations revised May 10, 2023: § 1.4, § 2.1 List of Districts, § 2.2 Zoning Map, § 3.1 Table of Uses and its closed-list rule, § 4.6 Off-Street Parking, Article XII enforcement
Districts confirmed: 7 of 7 — 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 Catskill: Full zoning for new construction · ADU build cost · House build cost · ADU rules across Greene County · All Greene County towns

ADU information for Village of Catskill 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) 943-6564 before relying on any answer. Source: the Offsite / Aldo zoning dataset.