Sullivan County

Town of Callicoon, NY: zoning for new construction

5 districts Min residential lot 2 ac NYSEG

The Town of Callicoon sets a residential minimum of about 2 acres in Rural District, one of its 5 zoning districts. Short-term rentals allowed with local rules. Power here is NYSEG territory. The district table below has the setbacks, height limits and coverage - confirm the specifics with the building department at (845) 482-5390 before you rely on a figure.

Looking specifically at an accessory dwelling unit? See ADU rules for Callicoon →

Zoning districts

District	Min lot	Setbacks F / S / R	Max height	ADU
Conservation District	3 ac	35 / 35 / 35 ft	35 ft	No
Rural District	2 ac	35 / 35 / 35 ft	35 ft	No
Settlement District	1 ac	35 / 35 / 25 ft	30 ft	No
Business District	1 ac	35 / 35 / 25 ft	50 ft	No
Rural Business District	2 ac	35 / 35 / 35 ft	35 ft	No

Conservation District - A home in the CD District needs 3 acres where the slope runs from 0% to 15%, on a lot averaging 200 feet wide, set back 35 feet at the front, 35 feet at each side and 35 feet at the rear, and standing no taller than 35 feet.

Lot coverage is capped at 10,000 square feet, counting buildings, pavement and other impervious surfaces.
Lot frontage is 100 feet, measured as the width of the lot at the building setback line, which is not the lot width measure.
Where the slope is steeper the minimum lot area per dwelling unit is 3 acres on a slope of 16% to 20%, 4 acres on 21% to 25% and 5 acres above 25%, and the building becomes a conditional use.
A building is not permitted on a slope exceeding 25% unless off-site sewage and water facilities are provided and special engineering plans are submitted.
Cluster development is a conditional use on a minimum of 10 acres with central water and sewage, and individual building lots may be reduced to 1/2 the area normally required.
A campground needs 20 contiguous acres, and a new intensive livestock operation needs 10 acres with its animal and manure structures 200 feet from property lines.

Rural District - A home in the RU District needs 2 acres where the slope runs from 0% to 15%, on a lot averaging 150 feet wide, set back 35 feet at the front, 35 feet at each side and 35 feet at the rear, and standing no taller than 35 feet.

Lot coverage is capped at 10,000 square feet, counting buildings, pavement and other impervious surfaces, and lot frontage is 75 feet, a different measure from lot width.
Where the slope is steeper the minimum lot area per dwelling unit is 3 acres on a slope of 16% to 20%, 4 acres on 21% to 25% and 5 acres above 25%, and the building becomes a conditional use.
Cluster development is a conditional use on a minimum of 10 acres with central water and sewage, and individual building lots may be reduced to 1/2 the area normally required.
A mobile home park is a conditional use on at least 5 contiguous acres, and a lot in it is at least 100 feet wide and 200 feet deep with a minimum area of 20,000 square feet.
Multifamily housing needs central water and sewage and may not exceed the density permitted for single-family housing here or 1.3 dwelling units per acre.
A campground needs 20 contiguous acres, and a new intensive livestock operation needs 10 acres with its animal and manure structures 200 feet from property lines.

Settlement District - A home in the SD District needs 1 acre where the slope runs from 0% to 15%, on a lot averaging 100 feet wide, set back 35 feet at the front, 35 feet at each side and 25 feet at the rear, and standing no taller than 30 feet.

Lot sizes may be reduced by 30% where both central water and central sewage facilities are provided.
Lot coverage is capped at 10,000 square feet, counting buildings, pavement and other impervious surfaces, and lot frontage is 100 feet, a different measure from lot width.
Where the slope is steeper the minimum lot area per dwelling unit is 3 acres on a slope of 16% to 20%, 4 acres on 21% to 25% and 5 acres above 25%, and the building becomes a conditional use.
A building is not permitted on a slope exceeding 25% unless off-site sewage and water facilities are provided and special engineering plans are submitted.
Cluster development is a conditional use on a minimum of 10 acres with central water and sewage, and individual building lots may be reduced to 1/2 the area normally required.
Multifamily housing needs central water and sewage and may not exceed the density permitted for single-family housing here or 1.3 dwelling units per acre.

Business District - A home in the BD District needs 1 acre where the slope runs from 0% to 15%, on a lot averaging 100 feet wide, set back 35 feet at the front, 35 feet at each side and 25 feet at the rear, and standing no taller than 50 feet.

Lot sizes may be reduced by 30% where both central water and central sewage facilities are provided.
Lot coverage is capped at 10,000 square feet, counting buildings, pavement and other impervious surfaces, and lot frontage is 50 feet, a different measure from lot width.
Where the slope is steeper the minimum lot area per dwelling unit is 3 acres on a slope of 16% to 20%, 4 acres on 21% to 25% and 5 acres above 25%, and the building becomes a conditional use.
A building is not permitted on a slope exceeding 25% unless off-site sewage and water facilities are provided and special engineering plans are submitted.
Cluster development is a conditional use on a minimum of 10 acres with central water and sewage, and individual building lots may be reduced to 1/2 the area normally required.
Multifamily housing needs central water and sewage and may not exceed the density permitted for single-family housing here or 1.3 dwelling units per acre.

Rural Business District - A home in the RB District needs 2 acres where the slope runs from 0% to 15%, on a lot averaging 150 feet wide, set back 35 feet at the front, 35 feet at each side and 35 feet at the rear, and standing no taller than 35 feet.

Lot sizes may be reduced by 30% where both central water and central sewage facilities are provided.
Lot coverage is capped at 10,000 square feet, counting buildings, pavement and other impervious surfaces, and lot frontage is 75 feet, a different measure from lot width.
Where the slope is steeper the minimum lot area per dwelling unit is 3 acres on a slope of 16% to 20%, 4 acres on 21% to 25% and 5 acres above 25%, and the building becomes a conditional use.
Cluster development is a conditional use on a minimum of 10 acres with central water and sewage, and individual building lots may be reduced to 1/2 the area normally required.
A mobile home park is a conditional use on at least 5 contiguous acres, and a lot in it is at least 100 feet wide and 200 feet deep with a minimum area of 20,000 square feet.
A campground needs 20 contiguous acres. Multifamily housing needs central water and sewage and may not exceed the density permitted for single-family housing here or 1.3 dwelling units per acre.

Short-term rentals

Short-term rentals allowed with local rules. Renting a home short term requires an annual town permit under Chapter 179, Short-Term Residential Rentals. The permit is issued subject to approval by the code enforcement officer, with a safety inspection.

Conditions the code attaches:

Occupancy is not capped generally, but the maximum must be declared on the permit application.
The homeowner must keep records of rental dates and guest numbers.
A short-term rental may not adversely affect the residential character of the neighborhood: no advertising sign, no unreasonable noise.
New York State's 2025 short-term rental registry, Chapter 99 of the Laws of 2025, separately requires every host statewide to register the unit regardless of local law.
Confirm the current requirements with the Town of Callicoon at (845) 482-5390 before listing.

Good to know

UtilityNYSEG territory.
Zoning codeTown of Callicoon Code Chapter 203, Zoning, § 203-5 and § 203-9, with 203 Attachments 1 to 3, the Schedule of Use Regulations, February 2022.
Building dept(845) 482-5390
Last reviewed2026-10-07

Working out a budget? A standard-finish build here runs $195–$256/sq ft , and a conforming lot adds about $19,684 on top - see the full cost to build a house in Callicoon, or what an ADU costs here.

Sizing up a specific parcel in Callicoon?

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Other Sullivan County towns

All Sullivan County zoning: Bethel · Cochecton · Delaware · Fallsburg · Forestburgh · Fremont · Highland · Liberty · Lumberland · Mamakating · Neversink · Rockland · Thompson · Tusten · Bloomingburg (Village) · Jeffersonville (Village) · Liberty (Village) · Monticello (Village) · Woodridge (Village)

Zoning figures for Town of Callicoon are compiled from the municipal code (last reviewed 2026-10-07) and provided for decision-support only - not legal, engineering, or architectural advice. Setback and dimensional standards often carry conditions and exceptions; verify with the building department at (845) 482-5390 before relying on any number. Source: the Offsite / Aldo zoning dataset.