ADU · Sullivan County

Can you build an ADU in Forestburgh, NY?

Town of Forestburgh has 5 districts. All districts prohibit ADUs. Check your address to confirm the district that applies to your parcel:

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What the Forestburgh code says

Forestburgh's zoning code lists no accessory dwelling unit, accessory apartment or guest cottage use, and § 180-7(E) prohibits any use not explicitly listed as permitted or special. A two-family dwelling is permitted by right, so a second unit is reachable as a duplex.

Conditions the code attaches:

A two-family dwelling carries the same 2.3-acre minimum lot size as a single-family dwelling in RR, B1, B2 and B3; RC has larger setbacks.
Permitted accessory uses are limited to things like farm stands, garden houses, tool sheds, home based occupation, resident parking, portable storage units and signs. No dwelling unit.
Hotels and motels may not be used as apartments for nontransient tenants (§ 180-25).
Confirm any second-unit plan with the building department at (845) 794-0611 before buying.

What the Forestburgh 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
Residential Recreation District	2.3 ac	75 / 50 / 100 ft	30 ft	No
Rural Conservation District	5 ac	150 / 50 / 150 ft	30 ft	No
Neighborhood Business District	2.3 ac	75 / 50 / 100 ft	30 ft	No
Gateway Business District	2.3 ac	75 / 50 / 100 ft	30 ft	No
Four Corners Business District	2.3 ac	75 / 50 / 100 ft	30 ft	No

Residential Recreation District - A home in the RR District needs 2.3 acres on a lot 200 feet wide, set back 75 feet at the front, 50 feet at each side and 100 feet at the rear, no taller than 30 feet and covering no more than 20% of the lot.

A group care facility is held to the same figures, and a bed-and-breakfast reaches them with site plan approval.
A waterfront setback of 100 feet also applies, measured from the water rather than from a lot line.
An accessory structure stands 75 feet from the front road and 25 feet from a side or rear line.
Timber harvesting is a permitted use on 20 acres, and the table requires that acreage to be contiguous.
Each special use and site plan use carries its own figures, 1 acre for a public utilities facility and 20 acres for a campground, with a kennel on 10 acres held 500 feet from every line.
Property in Sullivan County Agricultural District 1 or 4 escapes the special use permit requirement for agricultural uses but still meets the bulk area standards.

Rural Conservation District - A home in the RC District needs 5 acres on a lot 300 feet wide, set back 150 feet at the front, 50 feet at each side and 150 feet at the rear, no taller than 30 feet and covering no more than 20% of the lot.

A group care facility is held to the same figures as a dwelling.
A waterfront setback of 100 feet also applies, measured from the water rather than from a lot line.
An accessory structure stands 150 feet from the front road and 50 feet from a side or rear line.
Timber harvesting is a permitted use on 20 acres, and the table requires that acreage to be contiguous.
Each special use and site plan use carries its own figures, 1 acre for a public utilities facility and 20 acres for a campground, with a kennel on 10 acres held 500 feet from every line.
Property in Sullivan County Agricultural District 1 or 4 escapes the special use permit requirement for agricultural uses but still meets the bulk area standards.

Neighborhood Business District - A dwelling is a permitted use in the B1 District and needs 2.3 acres on a lot 200 feet wide, set back 75 feet at the front, 50 feet at each side and 100 feet at the rear, no taller than 30 feet and covering no more than 20% of the lot.

A group care facility is held to the same figures, and a bed-and-breakfast reaches them with site plan approval.
A waterfront setback of 100 feet also applies, measured from the water rather than from a lot line.
An accessory structure stands 75 feet from the front road and 25 feet from a side or rear line.
Most commercial special uses, among them a restaurant, a retail store, a tavern and an office, sit on 1.5 acres with a 150 foot lot width, a 25 foot front yard and 50 foot side and rear yards.
An office park or a place of worship needs 5 acres, indoor commercial recreation 4 acres and a public utilities facility 1 acre.
Property in Sullivan County Agricultural District 1 or 4 escapes the special use permit requirement for agricultural uses but still meets the bulk area standards.

Gateway Business District - A dwelling is a permitted use in the B2 District and needs 2.3 acres on a lot 200 feet wide, set back 75 feet at the front, 50 feet at each side and 100 feet at the rear, no taller than 30 feet and covering no more than 20% of the lot.

A group care facility is held to the same figures, and a bed-and-breakfast reaches them with site plan approval.
A waterfront setback of 100 feet also applies, measured from the water rather than from a lot line.
An accessory structure stands 75 feet from the front road and 25 feet from a side or rear line.
A restaurant, a retail store, a service establishment, a gas station or an office sits on 1.5 acres with a 150 foot lot width and a 25 foot front yard.
A public garage, light impact industrial or a warehouse needs 3 acres with a 200 foot lot width and 200 foot yards on every side.
An office park or a place of worship needs 5 acres, indoor commercial recreation 4 acres and a public utilities facility 1 acre.

Four Corners Business District - A dwelling is a permitted use in the B3 District and needs 2.3 acres on a lot 200 feet wide, set back 75 feet at the front, 50 feet at each side and 100 feet at the rear, no taller than 30 feet and covering no more than 20% of the lot.

A group care facility is held to the same figures, and a bed-and-breakfast reaches them with site plan approval.
A waterfront setback of 100 feet also applies, measured from the water rather than from a lot line.
An accessory structure stands 75 feet from the front road and 25 feet from a side or rear line.
Most commercial special uses, among them a restaurant, a retail store, a tavern, a theater and an office, sit on 1.5 acres with a 150 foot lot width and 25 foot yards all round.
A hotel or motel and a day-care center stay on 2.3 acres, a place of worship needs 5 acres and a public utilities facility 1 acre.
Property in Sullivan County Agricultural District 1 or 4 escapes the special use permit requirement for agricultural uses but still meets the bulk area standards.

ADUs vs. short-term rentals in Forestburgh

Short-term rentals allowed with local rules for Town of Forestburgh. Short term rentals are allowed in Forestburgh with an annual permit, under Local Law No. 3-2023, effective November 2, 2023. 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 minimum2.3–5 ac — an ADU still has to fit the district's lot and setback envelope.
UtilityNYSEG territory.
Zoning codeecode360.com/FO0593
Building dept(845) 794-0611

ADU FAQ — Forestburgh, NY

Are ADUs allowed in Forestburgh, NY?

Town of Forestburgh has 5 districts. All districts prohibit ADUs. Check your address with the free ADU checker, or confirm with the building department at (845) 794-0611.

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

No. No district in Town of Forestburgh permits an ADU, so there is no permit to apply for. Codes change, so verify with the building department at (845) 794-0611 before ruling it out.

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

Short-term rentals allowed with local rules for Town of Forestburgh. 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 Forestburgh

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 Forestburgh, priced by size.

How we know this

Sections analyzed: L.L. No. 3 of 2023 (Ch. 180, adopted 11-2-2023) § 180-4 List of Districts; § 180-7(E) closed list; § 180-8 Table of Use and Bulk Requirements; § 180-25
Districts confirmed: 5 of 5 — 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 Forestburgh: 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 Forestburgh 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) 794-0611 before relying on any answer. Source: the Offsite / Aldo zoning dataset.