ADU · Sullivan County

Can you build an ADU in Cochecton, NY?

Town of Cochecton has 6 districts. All districts prohibit ADUs. Check your address to confirm the district that applies to your parcel:

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What the Cochecton code says

There is no accessory dwelling unit provision in Cochecton. A second unit comes instead as a two-family dwelling, which is a principal permitted use as a matter of right in RU, HD and ND, while AC confines itself to single-family dwellings.

Conditions the code attaches:

Under § 240-13A the minimum lot area applies to each dwelling unit, so a two-family dwelling needs the equivalent of two minimum-sized lots, or four acres in AC, RU and HD.
In ND the minimum is two acres without utilities and half an acre with public utilities, so a two-family dwelling needs four acres or one acre respectively.
In ND-R the ND standards apply and the two-family dwelling remains a principal permitted use; what the overlay removes is ND's special uses, which are largely commercial.
A use listed in no district can go to the Planning Board under § 240-12B for a determination and, if permitted, is processed as a special use, but that decision is discretionary.
A PUD is created by application under § 240-33, and its lot standard is a density of one dwelling unit or equivalent per 100,000 square feet.
Questions on how a second unit would be handled can go to the building department at (845) 932-8360.

What the Cochecton 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
Agricultural Conservation District	2 ac	50 / 25 / 50 ft	35 ft	No
Rural Development District	2 ac	50 / 25 / 50 ft	35 ft	No
Hamlet District	2 ac	35 / 10 / 40 ft	35 ft	No
Neighborhood Development District	2 ac	35 / 20 / 40 ft	35 ft	No
Neighborhood Development - Residential Overlay District	2 ac	35 / 20 / 40 ft	35 ft	No
Planned Unit Development	—	40 / 30 / 30 ft	35 ft	No

Agricultural Conservation District - Minimum lot area is 2 acres on 150 feet of average lot width, with a 50 foot front yard, 25 foot side yards and a 50 foot rear yard, and a 35 foot height limit. Buildings may cover 20% of the lot, to a maximum of 200,000 square feet, and all surfaces together 40%.

A conservation subdivision may shrink lots to 1 acre (43,560 square feet) on site sewer and water, or 0.5 acre (21,780 square feet) on central, with yards of 40 feet front and 30 feet side and rear.
The minimum setback for an accessory use is 10 feet, and a conservation subdivision needs at least five lots and 10 acres.
An intensive agricultural, forestry or livestock operation is a special permit use, needs 10 acres, and keeps nonresidential structures, pens and manure storage 200 feet from every lot line.
A campground or RV park is a special permit use and needs a gross area of at least 10 contiguous acres in single ownership or under unified control.
A manufactured home must be at least 12 feet wide with 850 square feet of living area, not counting living area added later.
A yard bordering a lake, stream or body of water must be at least 100 feet deep, boathouses and docks excepted.

Rural Development District - Minimum lot area is 2 acres on 150 feet of average lot width, with a 50 foot front yard, 25 foot side yards and a 50 foot rear yard, and a 35 foot height limit. Buildings may cover 20% of the lot, to a maximum of 200,000 square feet, and all surfaces together 40%.

A conservation subdivision may shrink lots to 1 acre (43,560 square feet) on site sewer and water, or 0.5 acre (21,780 square feet) on central, with yards of 40 feet front and 30 feet side and rear.
A two family dwelling, or any two dwelling units on one property, requires the equivalent of two minimum sized lots in lot area.
A summer camp or private school is a special permit use here and needs at least 25 acres, at least 50% of it free of 100-year floodplain, wetlands and slopes over 15%.
It must keep buildings, parking, sewage treatment and recreation areas 200 feet from any public road and any adjoining property line, and give 10,000 square feet of lot area per building.
A campground or RV park is a special permit use needing at least 10 contiguous acres, and a manufactured home must be at least 12 feet wide with 850 square feet of living area.
A summer camp's buildings and sleeping quarters must stand 50 feet apart, and living quarters must give 125 square feet of floor area per occupant, up to ten persons each.

Hamlet District - Minimum lot area is 2 acres on 150 feet of average lot width, with a 35 foot front yard, 10 foot side yards and a 40 foot rear yard, and a 35 foot height limit. Buildings may cover 15% of the lot and all surfaces together 25%.

With public utilities the minimum average lot width drops to 80 feet. The 2 acre minimum lot area does not change with utilities.
A two family dwelling, or any two dwelling units on one property, requires the equivalent of two minimum sized lots in lot area.
A conservation subdivision may shrink lots to 1 acre (43,560 square feet) on site sewer and water, or 0.5 acre (21,780 square feet) on central, with yards of 40 feet front and 30 feet side and rear.
Where a commercial or manufacturing use adjoins an existing residence or an approved residential lot, the Planning Board may increase the front, side and rear yards by up to 50%.
A manufactured home must be at least 12 feet wide with 850 square feet of living area, not counting living area added later.
A yard bordering a lake, stream or body of water must be at least 100 feet deep, boathouses and docks excepted.

Neighborhood Development District - Minimum lot area is 2 acres on 150 feet of average lot width, with a 35 foot front yard, 20 foot side yards and a 40 foot rear yard, and a 35 foot height limit. Buildings may cover 30% of the lot and all surfaces together 50%.

With public utilities the minimum lot area drops to 0.5 acre and the minimum average lot width to 100 feet. The yards, height and coverage caps do not change.
A two family dwelling, or any two dwelling units on one property, requires the equivalent of two minimum sized lots in lot area.
Multifamily dwellings are a special permit use, must have central sewage and water, and get a one hundred percent density bonus over what single family development of the same parcel would allow.
A conservation subdivision may shrink lots to 1 acre (43,560 square feet) on site sewer and water, or 0.5 acre (21,780 square feet) on central, with yards of 40 feet front and 30 feet side and rear.
Between Lake Huntington and County Road 113, Route 52, the front yard may be no more than 10 feet deep, which is a build to limit rather than a minimum.
A manufactured home must be at least 12 feet wide with 850 square feet of living area, not counting living area added later.

Neighborhood Development - Residential Overlay District - This is an overlay on the ND district and takes its standards. Minimum lot area is 2 acres on 150 feet of average lot width, with a 35 foot front yard, 20 foot side yards, a 40 foot rear yard and a 35 foot height limit. Buildings may cover 30% and all surfaces 50%.

None of the special uses allowed in the Neighborhood Development district are permitted here, so the overlay carries that district's dimensions but not its special uses.
With public utilities the minimum lot area drops to 0.5 acre and the minimum average lot width to 100 feet. The yards, height and coverage caps do not change.
A two family dwelling, or any two dwelling units on one property, requires the equivalent of two minimum sized lots in lot area.
A conservation subdivision may shrink lots to 1 acre (43,560 square feet) on site sewer and water, or 0.5 acre (21,780 square feet) on central, with yards of 40 feet front and 30 feet side and rear.
A manufactured home must be at least 12 feet wide with 850 square feet of living area, not counting living area added later.
A yard bordering a lake, stream or body of water must be at least 100 feet deep, boathouses and docks excepted.

Planned Unit Development - The schedule publishes no minimum lot area or lot width here. The front yard is 40 feet, side and rear yards are 30 feet and height is capped at 35 feet. Buildings may cover 10% of the lot and all surfaces together 15%.

Maximum density is one dwelling unit or equivalent per 100,000 square feet of land, and that density standard may not be waived or modified.
A planned unit development should comprise at least 200 contiguous acres, although a smaller tract may be approved at the discretion of the Planning Board and Town Board.
Every use here must be served by central water and central sewerage systems, with utility lines installed underground.
Lot and yard requirements may be waived or modified, and the open space standards of a conservation subdivision apply, so at least half the land stays permanent open space.
The only uses permitted outright are essential services and individual buildings or dwellings built under an already approved and filed plan. Everything else is a special permit use.
A manufactured home must be at least 12 feet wide with 850 square feet of living area, not counting living area added later.

ADUs vs. short-term rentals in Cochecton

No local short-term-rental law on record - which is not the same as permission for Town of Cochecton. As of June 2026 the town has no local short term rental law. That is not a confirmed approval of the use, so check 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

Residential lot minimum2 ac — an ADU still has to fit the district's lot and setback envelope.
UtilityNYSEG territory.
Zoning codeecode360.com/CO3144
Building dept(845) 932-8360

ADU FAQ — Cochecton, NY

Are ADUs allowed in Cochecton, NY?

Town of Cochecton has 6 districts. All districts prohibit ADUs. Check your address with the free ADU checker, or confirm with the building department at (845) 932-8360.

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

No. No district in Town of Cochecton permits an ADU, so there is no permit to apply for. Codes change, so verify with the building department at (845) 932-8360 before ruling it out.

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

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

Permission is one question and budget is another. An 800 sq ft accessory unit here runs roughly $190k–250k 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 Cochecton, priced by size.

How we know this

Sections analyzed: 240 Attachment 1 (Schedule of District Regulations) · § 240-8 · § 240-11 · § 240-12B · § 240-13A
Districts confirmed: 6 of 6 — every mapped district.
Last reviewed: 2026-10-07
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 Cochecton: Full zoning for new construction · ADU build cost · House build cost · ADU rules across Sullivan County · All Sullivan County towns

ADU information for Town of Cochecton is compiled from the municipal code (last reviewed 2026-10-07) 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 (845) 932-8360 before relying on any answer. Source: the Offsite / Aldo zoning dataset.