ADU · Orange County

Can you build an ADU in Highland Falls, NY?

Village of Highland Falls has 8 districts. All districts prohibit ADUs. Check your address to confirm the district that applies to your parcel:

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What the Highland Falls code says

The code bars a separate kitchen and entrance for a lodger, which rules out an accessory dwelling unit. An existing single-family detached dwelling can be converted for two families by special exception in R-4, R-5 and R-5A, creating two full dwellings.

Conditions the code attaches:

One lodger is allowed in a single-family detached dwelling, or one in each unit of a two-family detached dwelling, except in R-1.
A two-family detached dwelling is permitted outright in R-1, R-4, R-5 and R-5A, and prohibited in R-2 and R-3.
All unlisted uses are prohibited in all districts.
Questions on a specific project can go to the building department at (845) 446-3400.

What the Highland Falls 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
Mountain Residence	0.34 ac	45 / 20 / 45 ft	35 ft	No
Single-Family Residence	0.46 ac	45 / 20 / 45 ft	35 ft	No
Single-Family Residence	0.17 ac	30 / 10 / 30 ft	35 ft	No
Single- and Two-Family Residence	0.11 ac	20 / 8 / 25 ft	35 ft	No
Apartment and Multiple-Dwelling Residence	0.11 ac	20 / 8 / 25 ft	35 ft	No
Apartment, Multiple-Dwelling and Affordable Housing	0.11 ac	10 / 5 / 20 ft	35 ft	No
Village Business	—	0 / 12 / 15 ft	50 ft	No
Highway Commercial	0.23 ac	50 / 20 / 30 ft	50 ft	No

Mountain Residence - Lot size and coverage depend on natural grade; the figures shown are for grade under eleven percent. From eleven to twenty percent a lot needs at least twenty thousand square feet at up to twenty percent coverage; over twenty, at least forty thousand at up to fifteen percent.

The same grade ladder sets the minimum land per dwelling unit.
A corner lot keeps at least forty-five feet from the side street.
Where public sewerage is not available, no lot may be built on unless it has room for a private sanitary disposal system, as the Planning Board determines.

Single-Family Residence - A corner lot keeps at least forty-five feet from the side street, the same as its front yard, so it is built to two front yards.

Where public sewerage is not available, no lot may be built on unless it has room for a private sanitary disposal system, as the Planning Board determines.

Single-Family Residence - The two side yards are unequal: one must be at least ten feet and the other at least fifteen.

A corner lot keeps at least thirty feet from the side street.
Where public sewerage is not available, no lot may be built on unless it has room for a private sanitary disposal system, as the Planning Board determines.

Single- and Two-Family Residence - Every dwelling unit needs at least three thousand square feet of land, so a two-family house needs at least six thousand square feet and the lot minimum shown is not the binding figure for it.

The two side yards are unequal: one must be at least eight feet and the other at least ten.
A corner lot keeps at least twenty feet from the side street.
Where public sewerage is not available, no lot may be built on unless it has room for a private sanitary disposal system, as the Planning Board determines.

Apartment and Multiple-Dwelling Residence - An apartment or multiple-family development needs at least a full acre. The lot area shown governs only a single-family detached house, a two-family detached house and the conversion of an existing house for two families.

With five thousand square feet of land needed for every dwelling unit, an acre carries eight units at most.
The two side yards are unequal: one must be at least eight feet and the other at least ten.
Where public sewerage is not available, no lot may be built on unless it has room for a private sanitary disposal system, as the Planning Board determines.

Apartment, Multiple-Dwelling and Affordable Housing - An apartment or multiple-family development needs at least a full acre, with at least five thousand square feet of land for every dwelling unit. The lot area shown governs single-family and two-family houses and conversions.

The Planning Board may reduce all of the yards further during site plan approval.
A corner lot keeps at least three feet from the side street.
Where public sewerage is not available, no lot may be built on unless it has room for a private sanitary disposal system, as the Planning Board determines.

Village Business - No side yard is required, but one that is provided must be at least twelve feet. The district sets no minimum lot area, no minimum lot width and no front yard, so the land per dwelling unit shown is the real density control.

Existing legal apartments over first-floor nonresidential use are grandfathered for ten years, so a building already holding more units than the land per dwelling unit allows keeps them.
Off-street parking and required screening may occupy a hundred percent of any yard.
Where public sewerage is not available, no lot may be built on unless it has room for a private sanitary disposal system, as the Planning Board determines.

Highway Commercial - Dwelling units are prohibited in B-2, and single-family dwellings, mixed-use developments, bed-and-breakfast inns and home professional offices are all prohibited uses.

A corner lot keeps at least fifty feet from the side street.
Off-street parking and required screening may occupy a hundred percent of any yard.
Where public sewerage is not available, no lot may be built on unless it has room for a private sanitary disposal system, as the Planning Board determines.

ADUs vs. short-term rentals in Highland Falls

No local short-term-rental law on record - which is not the same as permission for Village of Highland Falls. The Village of Highland Falls has no local short-term rental law, and that is not the same as permission. Confirm with the Village building department before counting on short-term rental income. 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 minimum0.11–0.46 ac — an ADU still has to fit the district's lot and setback envelope.
UtilityOrange & Rockland territory.
Zoning codeecode360.com/12303635
Building dept(845) 446-3400

ADU FAQ — Highland Falls, NY

Are ADUs allowed in Highland Falls, NY?

Village of Highland Falls has 8 districts. All districts prohibit ADUs. Check your address with the free ADU checker, or confirm with the building department at (845) 446-3400.

Do I need a special permit for an ADU in Highland Falls?

No. No district in Village of Highland Falls permits an ADU, so there is no permit to apply for. Codes change, so verify with the building department at (845) 446-3400 before ruling it out.

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

No local short-term-rental law on record - which is not the same as permission for Village of Highland Falls. 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 Highland Falls

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 Highland Falls, priced by size.

How we know this

Sections analyzed: 240 Attachment 1 (Residence Districts Table of Use Regulations) · § 240-25 · Note 1 to the Use Table
Districts confirmed: 8 of 8 — every mapped district.
Last reviewed: 2026-07-12
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 Highland Falls: 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 Highland Falls 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) 446-3400 before relying on any answer. Source: the Offsite / Aldo zoning dataset.