ADU · Orange County
Can you build an ADU in Goshen, NY?
Village of Goshen has 10 districts. All districts prohibit ADUs. Check your address to confirm the district that applies to your parcel:
What the Goshen code says
There is no accessory apartment anywhere. An existing one-family house can be converted to a two-family as a Planning Board conditional use in R-1, R-2 and R-3, creating two full dwellings; in R-1 and R-3 only houses standing on 15 January 1948 qualify.
Conditions the code attaches:
- The house must have had at least 1,000 sq ft of livable floor area for the first unit plus at least 600 sq ft for the added unit, and the lot needs three off-street parking spaces (§ 12.1.4).
- The conversion carries no owner-occupancy condition.
- R-2 permits a two-family detached dwelling by right, one per lot.
- RR has no second-unit route.
- § 3.3.5: "Any use not identified in the use table shall be deemed prohibited".
What the Goshen 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rural Density Residence | 0.46 ac | 40 / 20 / 35 ft | 35 ft | No |
| One-Family Residence | 0.34 ac | 30 / 20 / 30 ft | 35 ft | No |
| One- and Two-Family Residence | 0.17 ac | 25 / 10 / 30 ft | 35 ft | No |
| Low Density Multifamily Residence | 0.23 ac | 25 / 10 / 30 ft | 35 ft | No |
| Central Shopping | 0.12 ac | 0 / 5 / 0 ft | 40 ft | No |
| Designed Shopping Center | 0.92 ac | 40 / 20 / 15 ft | 40 ft | No |
| Office Building | 0.23 ac | 20 / 10 / 10 ft | 40 ft | No |
| Industrial | 0.46 ac | 40 / 20 / 30 ft | 40 ft | No |
| Industrial Park | 3 ac | 50 / 50 / 50 ft | 35 ft | No |
| Office Building—Hospital | — | — | 40 ft | No |
ADUs vs. short-term rentals in Goshen
Short-term rentals allowed with local rules for Village of Goshen. Short-term rentals of under 30 days need a Village permit and are allowed only in R-2 and R-3, in a single-family dwelling or an accessory building with a certificate of occupancy on the same tax lot, and only where it is the record owner's own domicile. 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 minimum0.17–0.46 ac — an ADU still has to fit the district's lot and setback envelope.
- UtilityOrange & Rockland territory.
- Zoning codelibrary.municode.com/ny/goshen/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=CO_APXAZO_ZOTA
- Building dept(845) 294-6750
ADU FAQ — Goshen, NY
Are ADUs allowed in Goshen, NY?
Village of Goshen has 10 districts. All districts prohibit ADUs. Check your address with the free ADU checker, or confirm with the building department at (845) 294-6750.
Do I need a special permit for an ADU in Goshen?
No. No district in Village of Goshen permits an ADU, so there is no permit to apply for. Codes change, so verify with the building department at (845) 294-6750 before ruling it out.
Can I use an ADU as a short-term rental in Goshen?
Short-term rentals allowed with local rules for Village of Goshen. 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.
What an ADU costs to build in Goshen
Permission is one question and budget is another. An 800 sq ft accessory unit here runs roughly $205k–270k 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 Goshen, priced by size.
How we know this
- Sections analyzed
- Appendix A zoning tables, Tables 2, 3 and 4, column C; Article XII § 12.1.4; § 3.3; § 3.3.5; § 2.1
- Districts confirmed
- 10 of 10 — every mapped district.
- Last reviewed
- 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 Goshen: Full zoning for new construction · ADU build cost · House build cost · ADU rules across Orange County · All Orange County towns
ADU information for Village of Goshen is compiled from the municipal code (last reviewed 2026-07-12) 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 (845) 294-6750 before relying on any answer. Source: the Offsite / Aldo zoning dataset.