ADU · Rensselaer County

Can you build an ADU in Schodack, NY?

Town of Schodack has 9 districts. 6 districts prohibit ADUs, 2 allow them with occupancy restrictions, 1 requires a special-use permit. Check your address to confirm the district that applies to your parcel:

Check my address for ADU feasibility → Free · no account needed to start

What the Schodack code says

An accessory apartment needs a special use permit in RA, R and HM. In RA and R the principal one-family dwelling must be owner-occupied, and the apartment may take no more than 35% of its habitable space.

Conditions the code attaches:

As drafted, the owner-occupancy condition is tied to RA and R, but the wording is arguable and the Planning Board may ask for it in HM; confirm with the town.
Every accessory apartment needs site plan approval, parking for both units outside any yard or setback, and County Health Department approval of any on-site water or septic system.
In RA and R, one apartment is allowed per one-family dwelling, it must be self-contained, and the house may have only one exterior front entrance.
Whether a detached unit qualifies is unsettled; ask the Building Department.
A two-family dwelling is permitted with site plan approval in RA and R, with no owner-occupancy requirement.
It is not permitted in CM, C, RC, MC, PW or M.

What the Schodack 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
Residential Agricultural District	1.38 ac	50 / 30 / 35 ft	35 ft	Occupancy restricted
Residential District	0.92 ac	50 / 30 / 35 ft	35 ft	Occupancy restricted
Hamlet Mixed Use District	0.69 ac	40 / 20 / 35 ft	35 ft	Special permit
Commercial Mixed Use	0.69 ac	40 / 20 / 35 ft	35 ft	No
Commercial District	0.69 ac	35 / 20 / 35 ft	35 ft	No
Regional Commercial	0.92 ac	35 / 20 / 35 ft	45 ft	No
Marine Commercial	0.46 ac	30 / 20 / 25 ft	35 ft	No
Planned Waterfront	1.38 ac	50 / 30 / 35 ft	35 ft	No
Manufacturing	0.92 ac	50 / 20 / 50 ft	45 ft	No

ADUs vs. short-term rentals in Schodack

No local short-term-rental law on record - which is not the same as permission for Town of Schodack. The Town of Schodack has no local short-term rental law, and that is not the same as permission. Confirm with the building department before listing. 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 minimum0.69–1.38 ac — an ADU still has to fit the district's lot and setback envelope.
UtilityNational Grid territory.
Zoning codeecode360.com/10670887
Building dept(518) 477-7940

ADU FAQ — Schodack, NY

Are ADUs allowed in Schodack, NY?

Town of Schodack has 9 districts. 6 districts prohibit ADUs, 2 allow them with occupancy restrictions, 1 requires a special-use permit. Check your address with the free ADU checker, or confirm with the building department at (518) 477-7940.

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

It depends on the district: 1 of 9 require a special-use permit, the rest do not. Check the district that applies to your parcel before you design.

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

No local short-term-rental law on record - which is not the same as permission for Town of Schodack. 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 Schodack

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 Schodack, priced by size.

How we know this

Sections analyzed: Ch. 219 Zoning (amended in its entirety 6-26-2025): Art II § 219-11 Definitions (accessory apartment; accessory structure); Art III § 219-12 Enumeration of districts, § 219-13 Purposes, § 219-20 Planned Waterfront; Art IV § 219-24 Schedule of Use Regulations, § 219-25 area and bulk; Art V § 219-40 Accessory apartments A(1)(a)-(f) and B(1)-(3), § 219-60; Art XI Site Plan Review; 219 Attachment 1 Schedule of Use Table (Supp 6, Jun 2025), its key and notes
Districts confirmed: 9 of 9 — every mapped district.
Last reviewed: 2026-08-05
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 Schodack: Full zoning for new construction · ADU build cost · House build cost · ADU rules across Rensselaer County · All Rensselaer County towns

ADU information for Town of Schodack is compiled from the municipal code (last reviewed 2026-08-05) 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) 477-7940 before relying on any answer. Source: the Offsite / Aldo zoning dataset.