Aldo

ADU · Saratoga County

Can you build an ADU in Saratoga Springs, NY?

City of Saratoga Springs has 23 districts. 14 districts prohibit ADUs, 7 require a special-use permit, 2 allow them with occupancy restrictions. 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 Saratoga Springs code says

A second dwelling unit is limited to UR-3 and UR-4 by right and to NCU, AC and UN by special use permit. The other route, converting a historic carriage house or barn, is a special use in RR, SR, UR-1, UR-2, UR-3 and UR-4 (§ 240-8.4GG).

Conditions the code attaches:

How big an ADU can be in Saratoga Springs

Size limits are set per district, and a unit inside the house is a different standard from a detached one. These are the figures the code publishes.

Detached

60% of the principal dwelling, or 1,000 sq ft of building footprint — whichever is smaller

UR-3, UR-4, NCU, AC, UN · owner-occupancy required · § 240-8.4JJ(2)(e), (f)

4 other districts allow an accessory unit but the code publishes no size for them here, so this page does not state one.

What the Saratoga Springs 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
RR Rural Residential 2 ac 60 / 30 / 100 ft 35 ft Special permit
SR Suburban Residential 0.46 ac 30 / 15 / 30 ft 35 ft Special permit
UR-1 Urban Residential 1 0.29 ac 30 / 12 / 30 ft 40 ft Special permit
UR-2 Urban Residential 2 0.15 ac 10 / 8 / 25 ft 40 ft Special permit
UR-3 Urban Residential 3 0.15 ac 10 / 5 / 25 ft 40 ft Occupancy restricted
UR-4 Urban Residential 4 0.069 ac 10 / 5 / 25 ft 40 ft Occupancy restricted
R-MHP Manufactured Home Park 5 ac 50 / 50 / 50 ft 20 ft No
NCU Neighborhood Complementary Use 0.11 ac 5 / 5 / 25 ft 40 ft Special permit
AC Arts Corridor 0.11 ac 5 / 5 / 25 ft 40 ft Special permit
UN (T-4) Urban Neighborhood — - / 5 / 24 ft 40 ft Special permit
NC (T-5) Neighborhood Center — - / 0 / 0 ft 50 ft No
UC (T-6) Urban Core — - / 0 / 0 ft 70 ft No
OMB Office, Medical and Business 0.23 ac 40 / 15 / 25 ft 40 ft No
WRB Warehouse, Retail and Business 0.46 ac 40 / 15 / 25 ft 40 ft No
GC-U Gateway Commercial Urban 0.23 ac - / 15 / 25 ft 40 ft No
GC-R Gateway Commercial Rural 0.46 ac 40 / 20 / 25 ft 40 ft No
INST-ED Institutional Educational 0.29 ac 30 / 12 / 30 ft 50 ft No
INST-HTR Institutional Health, Tourism and Recreation 0.46 ac 30 / 12 / 30 ft 60 ft No
INST-MP Institutional Master Plan 2 ac 100 / 20 / 50 ft 50 ft No
INST-PR Institutional Parks and Recreation 2 ac 60 / 30 / 100 ft 40 ft No
IND-L Industrial Light 0.46 ac 40 / 15 / 25 ft 50 ft No
IND-G Industrial General 0.92 ac 40 / 15 / 30 ft 50 ft No
IND-X Industrial Extraction 10 ac 50 / 50 / 50 ft 50 ft No

RR Rural Residential - For a single-family or two-family dwelling the two side yards must total 100 ft, so a house cannot simply sit 30 ft from each side line. A corner lot also has a 60 ft corner side setback, separate from the front, side and rear.

  • The 25% total coverage counts buildings and paving together, which leaves little room for paving beyond the 20% building footprint.
  • A townhouse or apartment building is held to the 30 ft single-side figure alone.

SR Suburban Residential - A corner lot has a 25 ft corner side setback, separate from the front, side and rear. The 40% total coverage counts buildings and paving together, against 28% for the building footprint alone.

  • The 30 ft combined side yard applies to single-family and two-family dwellings only; a townhouse or apartment building is held to the 15 ft single side alone.

UR-1 Urban Residential 1 - The front setback is 30 ft or as set by the contextual front-setback rule of § 240-3.3B, and on a built-up block that section, not the 30 ft figure, sets the building line. A corner lot has a 25 ft corner side setback.

  • Where the principal building is within 20 ft of the side lot lines, the first floor elevation may be at most 4 feet.
  • The 30 ft combined side yard applies to single-family and two-family dwellings only; a townhouse or apartment building is held to the 12 ft single side alone.
  • The 50% total coverage counts buildings and paving together; the building footprint alone is capped at 28%.

UR-2 Urban Residential 2 - For a single-family or two-family dwelling the two side yards must total 20 ft, so 8 ft on each side does not conform. A nonresidential use needs a lot of at least 10,000 sq ft.

  • The front setback is 10 ft or as set by § 240-3.3B.
  • A corner lot has a 10 ft corner side setback, separate from the front, side and rear.
  • A townhouse or apartment building is held to the 8 ft single side alone.
  • The 70% total coverage counts buildings and paving together; the building footprint alone is capped at 40%.

UR-3 Urban Residential 3 - A two-family dwelling needs at least 8,000 sq ft on 80 ft of width, so the second unit costs 1,400 sq ft of land, and a nonresidential use at least 10,000 sq ft; the lot figures shown are for a single-family or single-family-attached dwelling.

  • For a single-family or two-family dwelling the side yards must total at least 12 ft, so a 5 ft side yard means at least 7 ft on the other side.
  • A townhouse or apartment building is held to the 5 ft single side alone.
  • The front setback is 10 ft or as set by § 240-3.3B.
  • A corner lot has an 8 ft corner side setback, separate from the front, side and rear.
  • The 70% total coverage counts buildings and paving together; the building footprint alone is capped at 40%.

UR-4 Urban Residential 4 - The residential lot minimum rises with the unit count at 3,000 sq ft per dwelling unit, so a four-unit building needs 12,000 sq ft. A nonresidential use takes a flat 10,000 sq ft instead.

  • A duplex needs 6,000 sq ft on 80 ft at that rate, and an eight-unit building 24,000 sq ft, which on 80 ft of frontage is a lot 300 ft deep, so frontage usually binds before the rate.
  • Minimum lot width is 60 ft for single-family and single-family-attached dwellings, and 80 ft for two-family, townhouse and multifamily alike.
  • For a single-family or two-family dwelling the side yards must total 12 ft; a townhouse or apartment building is held to the 5 ft single side alone.
  • The front setback is 10 ft or as set by § 240-3.3B.
  • A corner lot has an 8 ft corner side setback, separate from the front, side and rear.
  • The 75% total coverage counts buildings and paving together; the building footprint alone is capped at 40%.

R-MHP Manufactured Home Park - The 5 acre lot and 250 ft width are for the manufactured home park as a whole; an individual manufactured home site inside it needs at least 4,500 sq ft. The 20 ft height applies to the home site, not the park.

  • An individual manufactured home site needs 4,500 sq ft on 45 ft of width, with 10 ft interior side, corner side and rear setbacks and a 20 ft height.
  • Its front setback is 20 ft on a dedicated internal street and 10 ft on a private access drive, and a 20 ft separation is required between homes, measured wall to wall.
  • The 50 ft setback also applies to the corner side of a corner lot.

NCU Neighborhood Complementary Use - Nonresidential floor area is capped at 2,000 sq ft per building. A duplex needs at least 6,600 sq ft on 60 ft of width; the lot figures shown are for a single-family or single-family-attached dwelling.

  • A duplex needs 6,600 sq ft (0.1515 acres) on 60 ft, and a nonresidential use the same 5,000 sq ft on 50 ft as a single-family dwelling, where UR districts charge 10,000.
  • For a single-family, single-family-attached or two-family dwelling within 20 ft of the side lot lines, the first floor elevation may be at most 4 feet.
  • For a single-family or two-family dwelling the side yards must total 12 ft; a townhouse or apartment building is held to the 5 ft single side alone.
  • A corner lot has an 8 ft corner side setback, separate from the front, side and rear.
  • The 75% total coverage counts buildings and paving together; the building footprint alone is capped at 40%.
  • The Table 4-B garage-door and roof-form design rules apply in NCU.

AC Arts Corridor - Nonresidential floor area is capped at 2,000 sq ft per building. A duplex needs at least 6,600 sq ft on 60 ft of width; the lot figures shown are for a single-family or single-family-attached dwelling.

  • A duplex needs 6,600 sq ft (0.1515 acres) on 60 ft, and a nonresidential use the same 5,000 sq ft on 50 ft as a single-family dwelling, where UR districts charge 10,000.
  • For a single-family, single-family-attached or two-family dwelling within 20 ft of the side lot lines, the first floor elevation may be at most 4 feet.
  • For a single-family or two-family dwelling the side yards must total 12 ft; a townhouse or apartment building is held to the 5 ft single side alone.
  • A corner lot has an 8 ft corner side setback, separate from the front, side and rear.
  • The 75% total coverage counts buildings and paving together; the building footprint alone is capped at 40%.
  • AC is exempt from the Table 4-B garage-door placement and roof-form design rules.

UN (T-4) Urban Neighborhood - The front setback is a build-to zone of 12 to 18 feet, so a building may not be set back past 18 ft, and at least 50% of the frontage must be built to it, which does not apply to single-family, single-family-attached or two-family dwellings.

  • A multifamily or nonresidential building takes a 12 ft interior side setback rather than 5 ft.
  • The 12 ft combined interior side setback applies to single-family and two-family dwellings only, so a townhouse or apartment building is bound by the single-side figure alone.
  • On a corner lot a corner side setback applies on top of the front, interior side and rear: at least 12 ft for a residential building, and a build-to zone of 12 to 18 feet for a nonresidential one.
  • A nonresidential building has a minimum height of 24 feet against the 40 ft maximum, so a single-storey shopfront is not permitted.
  • The cumulative area of new and existing one-storey structures on any one lot is capped at 3,000 sq ft.
  • UN sets no minimum lot area, no minimum lot width and no maximum building coverage, so the 75% impervious surface cap is the whole of the coverage answer.

NC (T-5) Neighborhood Center - The front is a build-to zone of 5 to 12 feet where the public right-of-way is 40 ft or less, or 0 to 12 feet where it is wider, alleys excluded. At least 70% of the frontage must be built to it, except for single-family, single-family-attached, two-family and townhouse dwellings.

  • Height is capped at 1.1 times the width of the right-of-way or 50 ft, whichever is less, so a 40 ft right-of-way caps a building at 44 ft.
  • A minimum building height of 24 feet applies, so a single-storey building is not permitted, and one-storey structures are capped at 3,000 sq ft cumulative on any one lot.
  • Above the maximum base height the facade must step back at least 10 feet from the ground-floor facade line.
  • A height bonus may be approved under § 240-4.4B, and a building may exceed the maximum by up to 6 ft for no more than 25% of its facade width, to a depth of 30 ft.
  • An optional corner lot element of up to 25% of the building width may exceed the stepback height but not the overall height.

UC (T-6) Urban Core - A building must sit in a build-to zone 5 to 12 feet from a public right-of-way of 40 ft or less, or 0 to 12 feet from a wider one, alleys excluded, and at least 80% of that frontage must be built to it, with no exemption for any dwelling type.

  • Height is capped at 1.1 times the width of the right-of-way or 70 ft, whichever is less, so a 40 ft right-of-way caps a building at 44 ft.
  • A minimum building height of 24 feet applies, so a single-storey building is not permitted, and one-storey structures are capped at 1,500 sq ft cumulative on any one lot.
  • Above the maximum base height the facade must step back at least 10 feet from the ground-floor facade line.
  • A height bonus may be approved under § 240-4.4B, and a building may exceed the maximum by up to 8 ft for no more than 35% of its facade width, to a depth of 50 ft.
  • An optional corner lot element of up to 25% of the building width may exceed the stepback height but not the overall height.
  • UC sets no minimum lot area, no minimum lot width, no building coverage percentage and no impervious cap.

OMB Office, Medical and Business - On a lot abutting a residential district the side setback is 40 ft and the rear setback 50 ft, not the figures shown. A corner lot has a 40 ft corner side setback.

  • The 70% total coverage counts buildings and paving together; the building footprint alone is capped at 40%.
  • Where the Water Protection, Floodplain, Historic Review or Architectural Review overlay applies, it adds requirements on top of this district's standards.

WRB Warehouse, Retail and Business - On a lot abutting a residential district the side setback is 40 ft and the rear setback 50 ft, not the figures shown. A corner lot has a 40 ft corner side setback.

  • The 70% total coverage counts buildings and paving together; the building footprint alone is capped at 45%.
  • Where the Water Protection, Floodplain, Historic Review or Architectural Review overlay applies, it adds requirements on top of this district's standards.

GC-U Gateway Commercial Urban - The front is a build-to zone of 25 to 40 feet, and at least 50% of the frontage must be built to it. Buildings must be at least 24 feet tall, so a single-storey building is not permitted.

  • On a lot abutting a residential district the side setback is 40 ft and the rear setback 50 ft.
  • A corner lot has a 25 ft corner side setback.
  • The 85% total coverage counts buildings and paving together; the building footprint alone is capped at 45%.
  • Where the Water Protection, Floodplain, Historic Review or Architectural Review overlay applies, it adds requirements on top of this district's standards.

GC-R Gateway Commercial Rural - On a lot abutting a residential district the side setback is 40 ft and the rear setback 50 ft. Buildings must be at least 18 feet tall.

  • The 20,000 sq ft lot minimum, the 18 ft minimum height and the 40 ft front setback are each qualified elsewhere in Article 4; read them against § 240-4.5.
  • A corner lot has a 40 ft corner side setback.
  • The 60% total coverage counts buildings and paving together; the building footprint alone is capped at 35%.
  • Where the Water Protection, Floodplain, Historic Review or Architectural Review overlay applies, it adds requirements on top of this district's standards.

INST-ED Institutional Educational - A corner lot has a 30 ft corner side setback, separate from the front, side and rear. The 70% total coverage counts buildings and paving together; the building footprint alone is capped at 30%.

  • The side and rear setbacks do not increase next to a residential district.
  • Where the Water Protection, Floodplain, Historic Review or Architectural Review overlay applies, it adds requirements on top of this district's standards.

INST-HTR Institutional Health, Tourism and Recreation - On a lot abutting a residential district the side setback is 40 ft and the rear setback 50 ft, not the figures shown.

  • The 80% total coverage counts buildings and paving together; the building footprint alone is capped at 45%.
  • A corner lot has its own minimum corner side setback, separate from the front, side and rear.
  • Where the Water Protection, Floodplain, Historic Review or Architectural Review overlay applies, it adds requirements on top of this district's standards.

INST-MP Institutional Master Plan - On a lot abutting a residential district the interior side setback is 50 ft, not 20 ft. A corner lot has a 50 ft corner side setback.

  • The 80% total coverage counts buildings and paving together; the building footprint alone is capped at 70%.
  • Where the Water Protection, Floodplain, Historic Review or Architectural Review overlay applies, it adds requirements on top of this district's standards.

INST-PR Institutional Parks and Recreation - The 15% impervious cap covers buildings, paths and parking together, and it is the only coverage limit here, with no building coverage cap. On a two-acre minimum lot that means about 13,000 sq ft of hard surface for everything on the site.

  • A corner lot has a 30 ft corner side setback, separate from the front, side and rear.
  • Where the Water Protection, Floodplain, Historic Review or Architectural Review overlay applies, it adds requirements on top of this district's standards.

IND-L Industrial Light - On a lot abutting a residential district the side setback is 40 ft and the rear setback 50 ft, not the figures shown. A corner lot has a 40 ft corner side setback.

  • The 80% total coverage counts buildings and paving together; the building footprint alone is capped at 50%.
  • Where the Water Protection, Floodplain, Historic Review or Architectural Review overlay applies, it adds requirements on top of this district's standards.

IND-G Industrial General - Building coverage and total coverage are both 70%, so the building may occupy the whole of the permitted hard surface, leaving nothing for paving beyond it. On a lot abutting a residential district the side setback is 40 ft and the rear 50 ft.

  • A corner lot has a 40 ft corner side setback.
  • Where the Water Protection, Floodplain, Historic Review or Architectural Review overlay applies, it adds requirements on top of this district's standards.

IND-X Industrial Extraction - An extraction or quarry use must set back 100 ft on the front, corner side and rear; the 50 ft figures shown apply to other uses. The interior side is a flat 50 ft for both.

  • The 50 ft interior side setback does not rise next to a residential district.
  • Where the Water Protection, Floodplain, Historic Review or Architectural Review overlay applies, it adds requirements on top of this district's standards.

ADUs vs. short-term rentals in Saratoga Springs

Short-term rentals allowed with local rules for City of Saratoga Springs. A City license under Chapter 136A is required before renting or even offering a short-term rental (§ 136A-4A). A home may be let for a total of 150 days in a calendar year, whether or not it is a primary residence. 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. Municipal source

Good to know

ADU FAQ — Saratoga Springs, NY

Are ADUs allowed in Saratoga Springs, NY?

City of Saratoga Springs has 23 districts. 14 districts prohibit ADUs, 7 require a special-use permit, 2 allow them with occupancy restrictions. Check your address with the free ADU checker, or confirm with the building department at (518) 587-3550.

Do I need a special permit for an ADU in Saratoga Springs?

It depends on the district: 7 of 23 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 Saratoga Springs?

Short-term rentals allowed with local rules for City of Saratoga Springs. 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 Saratoga Springs

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 Saratoga Springs, priced by size.

How we know this

Zoning code
ecode360.com/28150257
Districts confirmed
23 of 23 — 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 City of Saratoga Springs is compiled from the municipal code (last reviewed 2026-07-29) 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) 587-3550 before relying on any answer. Source: the Offsite / Aldo zoning dataset.

Building outside these counties?

Aldo covers 15 New York counties today. Tell us your market and we'll build the zoning + feasibility data for it.