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ADU · Saratoga County

Can you build an ADU in Northumberland, NY?

Town of Northumberland has 7 districts. All districts prohibit ADUs. Check your address to confirm the district that applies to your parcel:

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What the Northumberland code says

The Town has no accessory dwelling unit. A second unit comes instead as a duplex: in R-1 and C/R it takes 1 acre with 150 ft of frontage, the same land a single-family dwelling needs, at 30% coverage against the house's 20%.

Conditions the code attaches:

What the Northumberland 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
APD Agricultural Protection 5 ac 50 / 25 / 25 ft 35 ft No
R-3 Residential 3 ac 50 / 25 / 25 ft 35 ft No
R-1 Residential 1 ac 50 / 25 / 25 ft 35 ft No
MH Mobile Home 0.21 ac 20 / 20 / 20 ft 35 ft No
C/R Commercial/Residential 1 ac 50 / 25 / 25 ft 35 ft No
H Hamlet 0.46 ac 25 / 15 / 20 ft 35 ft No
I Industrial 1 ac 50 / 30 / 30 ft 35 ft No

APD Agricultural Protection - The 10% coverage cap counts the house and all accessory structures together. A farm, agricultural pursuit, agricultural use structure or forestry use needs at least 10 acres on 300 ft of frontage, twice the land of a house.

  • The 300 ft figure is frontage along the road, not width at the building line, where the ordinance sets no figure.
  • For farms and agricultural use structures, a silo is exempt from the 35 ft height limit and capped at 90 ft instead.
  • Mining needs only 1 acre but 100 ft on all three yards, and agribusinesses, sawmills and riding stables also take 100 ft yards.
  • By special permit, a bed-and-breakfast, garden shop, nursing home, marina or park needs 5 acres. A nursing home also needs a 100 ft front yard and 50 ft side and rear yards.
  • A home occupation needs 5 acres and a farm employee dwelling unit 10 acres.
  • Fences and walls are capped at 6 ft high and a satellite dish at 15 ft.

R-3 Residential - A two-family dwelling has no route in R-3. The residential uses are a single-family dwelling and, as an accessory use, a farm employee dwelling unit.

  • The 20% coverage cap counts the house and all accessory structures together.
  • A farm needs 5 acres on 300 ft of frontage, and agricultural pursuits, agricultural use structures and forestry uses 10 acres on 300 ft.
  • By special permit, a stable or riding academy needs at least 10 acres and a veterinarian clinic or hospital at least 3 acres, each with 100 ft on all three yards.
  • A home occupation is a special use too, and it needs a 50 ft rear yard rather than 25 ft.
  • A silo is exempt from the height limit up to 90 ft.
  • The 200 ft figure is frontage along the road, not width at the building line, where the ordinance sets no figure.

R-1 Residential - A duplex is a permitted principal use on the same acre, frontage and yards as a house, with ten more percentage points of coverage. It is also listed as a special permit use, so confirm with the Building Department whether a permit is needed.

  • A duplex takes the same acre, frontage and yards with coverage rising from 20% to 30%.
  • The 20% coverage cap counts the house and all accessory structures together.
  • R-1 is purely residential, with no commercial, farm or agricultural use.
  • A park or library, by special permit, needs one acre on 200 ft of frontage. A park takes 10 ft on all three yards and 20% coverage.
  • The 150 ft figure is frontage along the road, not width at the building line, where the ordinance sets no figure.
  • Fences and walls are capped at 6 ft high and a satellite dish at 15 ft.

MH Mobile Home - The figures shown are for a mobile home on an established lot in an established mobile home park, not for placing one on a new lot or creating a park. Creating or expanding a park needs a special permit and 5 acres.

  • Creating or expanding the park itself needs 5 acres on 150 ft of frontage, with 50 ft front and 25 ft side and rear yards and only 10% coverage, a third of the individual lot's allowance.
  • The 30% coverage cap counts the home and all accessory structures together.
  • A private garage or storage shed needs only 5 ft side and rear yards, and a swimming pool or satellite dish 10 ft.
  • By special permit, a laundromat or a quickstop retail food store needs 20,000 sq ft on 50 ft of frontage at 50% coverage, and the food store may not have gasoline pumps.
  • Also by special permit, a park or recreation area needs at least one acre on 50 ft of frontage at 10% coverage.
  • The 75 ft figure is frontage along the road, not width at the building line, where the ordinance sets no figure.

C/R Commercial/Residential - A single-family dwelling is the only permitted principal use. A duplex and every commercial use need a special permit, all on the same one acre and 150 ft of frontage, with coverage varying by use.

  • Coverage is 30% for a duplex or library, and 50% for offices, a research and development centre, indoor commercial recreation, a restaurant, tavern, theatre or church.
  • A church may be 70 ft tall and needs 30 ft side and rear yards rather than 25 ft.
  • A park is held to 10% coverage and 10 ft on all three yards.
  • Coverage counts the principal building and all accessory structures together.
  • The 150 ft figure is frontage along the road, not width at the building line, where the ordinance sets no figure.
  • Fences and walls are capped at 6 ft high and a satellite dish at 15 ft.

H Hamlet - A duplex is a permitted principal use here, but it needs 40,000 sq ft, double the 20,000 sq ft for a single-family dwelling, on the same frontage, the same yards and the same 50% coverage.

  • The 50% coverage cap counts the house and all accessory structures together.
  • Commercial uses, from retail and a restaurant to a professional office or pharmacy, take the same 20,000 sq ft but only 50 ft of frontage, and most rise to 60% coverage.
  • An acre is needed for a public or semi-public use or library at 75 ft of frontage, a funeral home or bed-and-breakfast at 100, and a day-care centre, nursing home, school or church at 150.
  • A hotel or motel needs two acres on 100 ft of frontage.
  • A church may be 70 feet tall and a personal service establishment 40 feet, against the 35 ft that applies to every other use.
  • The 100 ft figure is frontage along the road, not width at the building line, where the ordinance sets no figure.

I Industrial - Nothing may be built here without a special permit, because every use in the district is a special permit use. Adult businesses and commercial communications radio towers need only one acre but 50 ft side and rear yards and 25% coverage.

  • Sawmills, a lumberyard, a truck terminal and mining need 3 acres, a recyclables handling and recovery facility 2 acres, and a composting facility 5 acres.
  • The figures shown cover manufacturing, research and development centres, wholesale storage and trade, agribusiness, public utility use and warehousing.
  • Coverage counts the principal building and all accessory structures together.
  • The 200 ft figure is frontage along the road, not width at the building line, where the ordinance sets no figure.

ADUs vs. short-term rentals in Northumberland

No local short-term-rental law on record - which is not the same as permission for Town of Northumberland. The Town of Northumberland has no local short-term rental law, and that is not the same as permission. Confirm in writing with the Building Department before counting on short-stay 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 — Northumberland, NY

Are ADUs allowed in Northumberland, NY?

Town of Northumberland has 7 districts. All districts prohibit ADUs. Check your address with the free ADU checker, or confirm with the building department at (518) 792-9179.

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

No. No district in Town of Northumberland permits an ADU, so there is no permit to apply for. Codes change, so verify with the building department at (518) 792-9179 before ruling it out.

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

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

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 Northumberland, priced by size.

How we know this

Sections analyzed
Zoning Ordinance Attachment A district schedules — permitted principal, accessory and special permit use blocks; duplex dimensional rows
Districts confirmed
7 of 7 — 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 Northumberland is compiled from the municipal code (last reviewed 2026-08-02) 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) 792-9179 before relying on any answer. Source: the Offsite / Aldo zoning dataset.

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