Sullivan County

Town of Lumberland, NY: zoning for new construction

7 districts Min residential lot 3–5 ac NYSEG

Residential lots in the Town of Lumberland run from a 3-acre minimum in River Hamlet District up to 5 acres in Rural Residential District, across 7 zoning districts in all. No local short-term-rental law on record - which is not the same as permission. 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) 856-8600 before you rely on a figure.

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

Zoning districts

District	Min lot	Setbacks F / S / R	Max height	ADU
River Hamlet District	3 ac	50 / 35 / 50 ft	35 ft	Occupancy restricted
Rural Residential District	5 ac	50 / 35 / 50 ft	35 ft	Occupancy restricted
Hillside District	5 ac	50 / 50 / 50 ft	35 ft	Occupancy restricted
Glen Spey District	3 ac	50 / 35 / 50 ft	35 ft	Occupancy restricted
Mohican Lake District	2 ac	50 / 35 / 50 ft	35 ft	Occupancy restricted
Mongaup River Valley District	5 ac	50 / 35 / 50 ft	35 ft	Occupancy restricted
Black Forest District	5 ac	50 / 35 / 50 ft	35 ft	Occupancy restricted

River Hamlet District - A lot here needs 3 acres and 150 feet of width. A building sits 50 feet back from the edge of the road right-of-way, 35 feet from each side and 50 feet from the rear, reaches 35 feet, and building plus other hard surface may cover 30% of the lot.

Where the road has no right-of-way the front yard is measured 75 feet from the center of the road, not from the front lot line.
The side yard follows lot size: 25 feet on a lot of 1 acre or smaller, 30 feet above 1 acre but below 3 acres, and 35 feet on 3 acres or larger.
Coverage follows lot size too: 75% at 1 acre or less, 65% at 1.1 to 1.5, 55% at 1.6 to 2, 40% at 2.1 to 2.5, 30% at 2.6 to 3 and 20% above 3 acres.
Lot clearing carries its own tier: 90% at 1 acre or less, 80% at 1.1 to 1.5, 70% at 1.6 to 2, 60% at 2.1 to 2.5, 50% at 2.6 to 3 and 40% above 3 acres.
Development is not allowed on slopes steeper than 15%.
A dwelling needs at least 720 square feet of habitable floor area, and 500 square feet for an accessory apartment or care cottage over the garage.

Rural Residential District - A lot here needs 5 acres and 200 feet of width. A building sits 50 feet back from the edge of the road right-of-way, 35 feet from each side and 50 feet from the rear, reaches 35 feet, and building plus other hard surface may cover 15% of the lot.

Where the road has no right-of-way the front yard is measured 75 feet from the center of the road, not from the front lot line.
The side yard follows lot size: 25 feet on a lot smaller than 3 acres, 35 feet on a lot of 3 to 9 acres and 75 feet on a lot larger than 9 acres.
A separate cap holds lot clearing to 30% of the lot, above the 15% that building and other hard surface may cover.
Development is not allowed on slopes steeper than 15%.
Multifamily dwelling units need a special use permit, with 5 acres for the first two units and two and one half acres for each unit after that.
A dwelling needs at least 720 square feet of habitable floor area, and 500 square feet for an accessory apartment or care cottage over the garage.

Hillside District - A lot here needs 5 acres and 200 feet of width. A building sits 50 feet back from the edge of the road right-of-way, 50 feet from each side and 50 feet from the rear, reaches 35 feet, and building plus other hard surface may cover 15% of the lot.

Where the road has no right-of-way the front yard is measured 75 feet from the center of the road, not from the front lot line.
A separate cap holds lot clearing to 30% of the lot, above the 15% that building and other hard surface may cover.
Development is not allowed on slopes steeper than 15%.
A conservation subdivision is preferred here, and the Planning Board sets the individual lot sizes and the yard requirements at plat approval.
A dwelling needs at least 720 square feet of habitable floor area, and 500 square feet for an accessory apartment or care cottage over the garage.

Glen Spey District - A lot here needs 3 acres and 150 feet of width. A building sits 50 feet back from the edge of the road right-of-way, 35 feet from each side and 50 feet from the rear, reaches 35 feet, and building plus other hard surface may cover 30% of the lot.

Where the road has no right-of-way the front yard is measured 75 feet from the center of the road, not from the front lot line.
The side yard follows lot size: 25 feet on a lot smaller than 3 acres, 35 feet on a lot of 3 to 9 acres and 75 feet on a lot larger than 9 acres.
Coverage follows lot size too: 75% at 1 acre or less, 65% at 1.1 to 1.5, 55% at 1.6 to 2, 40% at 2.1 to 2.5, 30% at 2.6 to 3 and 20% above 3 acres.
Lot clearing carries its own tier: 90% at 1 acre or less, 80% at 1.1 to 1.5, 70% at 1.6 to 2, 60% at 2.1 to 2.5, 50% at 2.6 to 3 and 40% above 3 acres.
A manufactured home park needs a special use permit and a site of at least 20 acres, with 100 feet of frontage on a public road and a 75-foot setback from it.
A dwelling needs at least 720 square feet of habitable floor area, and 500 square feet for an accessory apartment or care cottage over the garage.

Mohican Lake District - A lot here needs 2 acres and 150 feet of width. A building sits 50 feet back from the edge of the road right-of-way, 35 feet from each side and 50 feet from the rear, reaches 35 feet, and building plus other hard surface may cover 20% of the lot.

Where the road has no right-of-way the front yard is measured 75 feet from the center of the road, not from the front lot line.
A separate cap holds lot clearing to 50% of the lot, above the 20% that building and other hard surface may cover.
Development is not allowed on slopes steeper than 15%.
A conservation subdivision needs a special use permit at the same 2 acres and 150 feet of width, and the Planning Board sets the lot sizes and yards at plat approval.
A dwelling needs at least 720 square feet of habitable floor area, and 500 square feet for an accessory apartment or care cottage over the garage.

Mongaup River Valley District, Black Forest District - A lot here needs 5 acres and 200 feet of width. A building sits 50 feet back from the edge of the road right-of-way, 35 feet from each side and 50 feet from the rear, reaches 35 feet, and building plus other hard surface may cover 20% of the lot.

Where the road has no right-of-way the front yard is measured 75 feet from the center of the road, not from the front lot line.
The side yard follows lot size: 25 feet on a lot smaller than 3 acres, 35 feet on a lot of 3 to 9 acres and 75 feet on a lot larger than 9 acres.
Coverage follows lot size too: 75% at 1 acre or less, 65% at 1.1 to 1.5, 55% at 1.6 to 2, 40% at 2.1 to 2.5, 30% at 2.6 to 3 and 20% above 3 acres.
Lot clearing carries its own tier: 90% at 1 acre or less, 80% at 1.1 to 1.5, 70% at 1.6 to 2, 60% at 2.1 to 2.5, 50% at 2.6 to 3 and 40% above 3 acres.
Development is not allowed on slopes steeper than 15%.
A dwelling needs at least 720 square feet of habitable floor area, and 500 square feet for an accessory apartment or care cottage over the garage.

Short-term rentals

No local short-term-rental law on record - which is not the same as permission. As of June 2026 the Town of Lumberland has no local short-term rental law. That is not the same as permission, so confirm with the building department before counting on renting short term.

Conditions the code attaches:

As of late 2024 the town was still gathering information on short-term rentals and had not passed any regulations.
The building department's number is (845) 856-8600.

Good to know

UtilityNYSEG territory.
Zoning codeTown of Lumberland Zoning Code, Chapter 250, Article XI, Schedule of Uses and Bulk Regulations, with § 250-11 and § 250-29
Building dept(845) 856-8600
Last reviewed2026-10-07

Working out a budget? A standard-finish build here runs $195–$256/sq ft , and a conforming lot adds about $50,724 on top - see the full cost to build a house in Lumberland, or what an ADU costs here.

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