ADU · Saratoga County

Can you build an ADU in South Glens Falls, NY?

Village of South Glens Falls 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 South Glens Falls code says

An accessory dwelling unit is not permitted in any South Glens Falls district. The route to a second unit is a two-family dwelling in R-2, either built new as a principal permitted use or converted under § 153-19A(2).

Conditions the code attaches:

A conversion needs a lot of at least 7,000 sq ft, at least 500 sq ft of habitable space per unit and 1 1/2 off-street parking spaces per unit, each at least 10 ft by 20 ft.
Driveways, parking and walkways must be paved, and there may be no parking in the front yard.
A conversion also needs a scaled site plan filed with the Village Building Inspector, showing trees and shrubs, storm runoff, snow removal, circulation, parking and buffers.
A commercial or manufacturing structure originally designed for other than residential use may not be converted to a dwelling structure (§ 153-19A(1)).
Residential floor area reaches a commercial building only as a mixed-use building, a special use in C and C-2, with the dwellings above street-level commercial space.
Confirm with the Building Inspector at (518) 793-1455 x105.

What the South Glens 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
R-1 Residential	0.31 ac	25 / 10 / 25 ft	30 ft	No
R-2 Residential	0.31 ac	25 / 10 / 25 ft	40 ft	No
C Commercial	0.09 ac	12 / 0 / 12 ft	45 ft	No
C-2 Mixed-Use	0.31 ac	25 / 0 / 20 ft	45 ft	No
M-1 Industrial	0.5 ac	12 / 12 / 20 ft	80 ft	No
RC-1 Resource Conservation	1 ac	80 / 25 / 50 ft	—	No
ARC-1 Aquifer Resource Conservation	3 ac	25 / 25 / 25 ft	30 ft	No

R-1 Residential - Where lots are clustered, the minimum lot width drops from 90 ft to 80 ft.

R-2 Residential - A two-family dwelling is held to the same figures shown, with no separate standard. Where lots are clustered, the minimum lot width drops from 90 ft to 80 ft.

C Commercial - A parcel that abuts R-1 must meet R-1's side and rear setbacks, 10 ft on one side, 20 ft combined and 25 ft rear, so it is not a zero-side-yard site.

C-2 Mixed-Use - A parcel that abuts R-1 must meet R-1's side and rear setbacks: 10 ft on one side, 20 ft combined and 25 ft rear.

Elsewhere a building may sit on one side lot line if it keeps 10 ft on the other.
Where lots are clustered, the minimum lot width drops from 90 ft to 80 ft.

M-1 Industrial - Height binds in both stories and feet, so a design over three stories fails even below 80 ft.

RC-1 Resource Conservation - The district sets no height figure of its own, but that is not permission for unlimited height: the chapter's general height provisions still apply.

The permitted principal use is a farm or other agricultural operation, and the district has no permitted accessory use.

ARC-1 Aquifer Resource Conservation - Where lots are clustered, the minimum lot width falls from 200 ft to 90 ft, while lot area, yards, depth and coverage stay the same. Permitted principal and accessory uses are limited to those provided for in R-1.

A parking area for more than five vehicles, excluding driveways, is a special use.

ADUs vs. short-term rentals in South Glens Falls

No local short-term-rental law on record - which is not the same as permission for Village of South Glens Falls. The Village of South Glens Falls has no local short-term rental law, and that is not the same as permission. Confirm in writing with the Building Inspector 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 minimum0.31 ac — an ADU still has to fit the district's lot and setback envelope.
UtilityNational Grid territory.
Zoning codeecode360.com/6747630
Building dept(518) 793-1455

ADU FAQ — South Glens Falls, NY

Are ADUs allowed in South Glens Falls, NY?

Village of South Glens Falls has 7 districts. All districts prohibit ADUs. Check your address with the free ADU checker, or confirm with the building department at (518) 793-1455.

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

No. No district in Village of South Glens Falls permits an ADU, so there is no permit to apply for. Codes change, so verify with the building department at (518) 793-1455 before ruling it out.

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

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

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 South Glens Falls, priced by size.

How we know this

Sections analyzed: Ch. 153 § 153-19A(1) and (2)(a)-(e) conversions; § 153-17E(4); district use lists
Districts confirmed: 7 of 7 — every mapped district.
Last reviewed: 2026-08-02
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 South Glens Falls: Full zoning for new construction · ADU build cost · House build cost · ADU rules across Saratoga County · All Saratoga County towns

ADU information for Village of South Glens Falls 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) 793-1455 before relying on any answer. Source: the Offsite / Aldo zoning dataset.