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ADU · Saratoga County

Can you build an ADU in Moreau, NY?

Town of Moreau has 14 districts. All districts prohibit ADUs. Check your address to confirm the district that applies to your parcel:

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What the Moreau code says

Accessory dwelling units are not permitted in any Moreau district. The routes to a second unit are principal uses: a two-family dwelling, multifamily housing in UR, or housing combined with commercial facilities in C-2 by special permit.

Conditions the code attaches:

What the Moreau 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
R-1 One-Family Residential 0.52 ac 30 / 12 / 30 ft 38 ft No
R-2 One- and Two-Family Residential 0.52 ac 40 / 15 / 30 ft 38 ft No
R-3 Agriculture, One- and Two-Family Residential 1.38 ac 40 / 20 / 30 ft 38 ft No
R-4 Agriculture, One- and Two-Family Residential 3 ac 40 / 20 / 30 ft 38 ft No
R-5 Agriculture, One- and Two-Family Residential 5 ac 40 / 20 / 30 ft 38 ft No
UR Multifamily, One- and Two-Family Residential 0.11 ac 30 / 12 / 30 ft 30 ft No
C-1 General Commercial 1 ac 50 / 15 / 30 ft 30 ft No
CC-1 Commercial and Communications 1 ac 50 / 15 / 30 ft 30 ft No
C-2 Neighborhood Commercial 0.52 ac 50 / 15 / 30 ft 30 ft No
C-3 Residential and Professional 0.52 ac 40 / 12 / 30 ft 38 ft No
M-1 General Manufacturing and Industrial 1.5 ac 30 / 25 / 30 ft 38 ft No
M-1A General Manufacturing and Industrial 1.5 ac 30 / 25 / 30 ft 38 ft No
M-2 General Manufacturing and Industrial 1.84 ac 30 / 25 / 30 ft 38 ft No
RP Resource Protection 10 ac 50 / 50 / 50 ft 38 ft No

R-1 One-Family Residential - The lot minimum is the same with public water and sewer as without public water, and a lot must meet the minimum depth as well as the area and width.

  • A place of worship needs at least 100,000 sq ft on a 300 by 300 ft lot, with up to 50 ft of height and an 80 ft front yard.
  • A public or private school needs at least 5 acres on a 400 by 300 ft lot at 20% coverage, with a 1,200 sq ft minimum floor area.

R-2 One- and Two-Family Residential - Without public water the lot minimum rises to 32,500 sq ft on 175 by 175 ft; the 22,500 sq ft on 125 by 125 ft applies with public water and sewer.

  • A two-family dwelling needs at least a full acre on a 175 by 175 ft lot, with at least 1,200 sq ft of floor area, and the acre applies whether or not the lot has public water.
  • A senior one-family dwelling takes a lot at least 75 ft wide and 200 ft deep, with a 30 ft front yard and a 10 ft side, and must be served by municipal water.
  • Each senior lot must be owned and occupied by at least one person aged 55 or over, may not be sold to anyone but a senior owner-occupier, and carries that restriction in its deed.
  • Special permit uses need site plan review by the Planning Board.
  • On a special permit, a club or lodge and a funeral home need at least 100,000 sq ft on a 300 by 300 lot at 10% coverage, and a golf or country club at least 50 acres.
  • A telecommunication tower is confined to town-owned property in part of R-2, where it may reach 120 feet.

R-3 Agriculture, One- and Two-Family Residential - Agriculture has its own standards: at least 5 acres on 250 by 250 ft, no coverage limit, 35 ft of height and 25 ft on all three yards. Customary farm structures and a farm pond are permitted accessory uses.

  • Special permit uses follow the R-1 and R-2 figures, except a day-care centre, which needs at least 60,000 sq ft on 200 by 175 ft at 25% coverage, a 1,200 sq ft floor area and 30 ft of height.

R-4 Agriculture, One- and Two-Family Residential - Most special permit uses need the same 3 acres as a house but a different lot shape, and every special use except a place of worship is held to 30 ft of height.

  • A club, lodge or funeral home needs a 300 by 300 ft lot at 10% coverage, and a funeral home a 2,000 sq ft minimum floor area.
  • A place of worship needs a 300 by 300 ft lot at 25% coverage and may reach 50 ft of height.
  • A golf or country club needs at least 50 acres on 400 ft of width at 2% coverage; a swim club needs at least 160,000 sq ft on 400 by 300 ft at 5%.

R-5 Agriculture, One- and Two-Family Residential - Customary farm structures, a farm pond and the sale of farm produce grown on the premises are permitted accessory uses. Agriculture takes the same lot as a dwelling but 25 ft on all three yards.

  • Special permit uses here follow R-4's standards, with some exceptions; confirm them with the Building Department.

UR Multifamily, One- and Two-Family Residential - Apartments, condominiums and townhouses need 5,000 sq ft of land per dwelling unit and public water and sewer, and every multifamily use needs site plan review by the Planning Board.

  • One- and two-family dwellings follow R-2: a one-family takes 22,500 sq ft on 125 by 125 at 25% coverage, with an 800 sq ft floor area, 38 ft of height and a 40 ft front, 15 ft side and 30 ft rear.
  • R-2's unserviced rung of 32,500 sq ft on 175 by 175 travels with that reference.
  • A duplex takes the R-2 two-family row: 1 acre on 175 by 175 with a 1,200 sq ft minimum floor area, 25% coverage, 38 ft of height and the same yards.
  • The 600 sq ft minimum floor area applies to each dwelling unit.

C-1 General Commercial - Every use in C-1 needs site plan review, and every commercial use takes the same lot, coverage, height and yard figures.

  • No minimum floor area applies to a commercial building here.

CC-1 Commercial and Communications - A telecommunication tower needs a Planning Board special use permit and may reach 120 feet at 60% coverage on at least one acre. Site plan review is required for every use here.

  • A tower must stand back from every abutting parcel and street line by 50% of its height, or 100% where the parcel abuts residentially zoned or used property (§ 149-50.1).
  • The tower's lot is the land those setbacks need or the district minimum, whichever is greater.
  • The uses allowed here, principal, accessory and by special permit, are the same as in C-1.
  • Both the 200 ft width and the 175 ft depth bind, so a lot may meet the area and the width and still fail on depth.

C-2 Neighborhood Commercial - The 22,500 sq ft minimum is stated for a lot with public water and public sewer, and where the lot adjoins an R district a 30 ft setback applies in place of the 15 ft side yard, with fencing and/or planting.

  • Ask the building department whether a lot without public water and sewer can be built on here at all.
  • A single-family dwelling, a laundromat, a fueling station and an apartment over a store each need a special permit, on the same standards as the rest of the district.
  • Site plan review is required for every use in C-2.
  • Both the 100 ft width and the 100 ft depth bind, so a lot may meet the area and the width and still fail on depth.

C-3 Residential and Professional - Despite the C prefix this is a residential district: the permitted principal uses are a single-family dwelling, a professional office and a customary home occupation, and there are no special-permit uses.

  • Public water and sewer do not change the 22,500 sq ft lot minimum.

M-1 General Manufacturing and Industrial - A 100 ft setback is required from any residential district or use, and every use needs site plan review.

  • Junkyards, tow yards and salvaging, and heavy equipment sales, need at least 80,000 sq ft; light manufacturing, tool and die, instrument manufacture and vehicle service need 65,340 sq ft.
  • Accessory structures over 144 sq ft must meet the principal building's setbacks, except single-family homes under § 149-5.

M-1A General Manufacturing and Industrial - A 100 ft setback is required from any residential district or use, and every use needs site plan review.

  • A water-dependent use needs at least 21,730 sq ft. Warehousing, public utility power generation and park and recreation facilities need at least 80,000 sq ft.
  • A single-family dwelling is a special permit use on R-2's figures: at least 22,500 sq ft with water or 32,500 without, with a 40 ft front, 15 ft side and 30 ft rear yard.
  • Accessory structures over 144 sq ft must meet the principal building's setbacks, except single-family homes under § 149-5.

M-2 General Manufacturing and Industrial - A 100 ft setback is required from any residential district or use, and every use needs site plan review.

  • Manufacturing, assembly or other industrial operation, agricultural packaging, processing and storage, and heavy equipment sales, rental and service each need at least 80,000 sq ft.
  • Tool and die and instrument manufacture need at least 63,540 sq ft, a figure that looks like a digit transposition; confirm it with the Building Department.
  • Accessory structures over 144 sq ft must meet the principal building's setbacks, except single-family homes under § 149-5.

RP Resource Protection - Hunting and fishing camps and cabins are a permitted principal use alongside the one-family dwelling, with a minimum floor area of 500 rather than 800 sq ft.

  • Agriculture, timber harvesting, dog kennels, riding stables and a professional office need at least 5 acres on a 250 by 250 ft lot, with no coverage limit and 30 ft of height.
  • Quarrying, mining and sand and gravel extraction are special permit uses on the same 5-acre standard.

ADUs vs. short-term rentals in Moreau

No local short-term-rental law on record - which is not the same as permission for Town of Moreau. The Town of Moreau has no local short-term rental law, and that is not the same as permission. Confirm with the 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

ADU FAQ — Moreau, NY

Are ADUs allowed in Moreau, NY?

Town of Moreau has 14 districts. All districts prohibit ADUs. Check your address with the free ADU checker, or confirm with the building department at (518) 792-1030 x5.

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

No. No district in Town of Moreau permits an ADU, so there is no permit to apply for. Codes change, so verify with the building department at (518) 792-1030 x5 before ruling it out.

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

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

Permission is one question and budget is another. An 800 sq ft accessory unit here runs roughly $200k–260k 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 Moreau, priced by size.

How we know this

Zoning code
ecode360.com/6823367
Districts confirmed
14 of 14 — 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.

ADU information for Town of Moreau is compiled from the municipal code (last reviewed 2026-07-31) 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) 792-1030 x5 before relying on any answer. Source: the Offsite / Aldo zoning dataset.

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