ADU · Sullivan County

Can you build an ADU in Neversink, NY?

Town of Neversink 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 Neversink code says

Neversink's zoning lists no accessory apartment or accessory dwelling unit, and § 50-9D deems any use not specifically permitted to be prohibited. The route to a second unit is instead a two-family dwelling, a principal permitted use in each of the town's districts.

Conditions the code attaches:

A two-family dwelling carries the full principal use standards, including the lot area, lot width and yard minimums that apply in its district.
A detached second cottage is not authorized.
The code counts two units sharing a common wall, or joined by a breezeway, garage or carport with exterior walls no more than 26 feet apart, as a two-family dwelling.
For any proposal for a second unit, confirm the treatment with the building department at (845) 985-2262 before you commit.

What the Neversink 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
Rural Conservation	5 ac	75 / 40 / 50 ft	35 ft	No
Rural Residential Three	3 ac	60 / 25 / 50 ft	35 ft	No
Rural Residential Two	2 ac	50 / 25 / 50 ft	35 ft	No
Rural Settlement	2 ac	50 / 25 / 50 ft	35 ft	No
Hamlet	1 ac	25 / 10 / 25 ft	35 ft	No

Rural Conservation - A home here needs 5 acres on a lot 250 feet wide, set back 75 feet at the front, 50 feet at the rear and 40 feet on the narrower side, with 100 feet for both sides together. Buildings cover up to 5% of the lot and reach 35 feet.

A 2-family dwelling takes 10 acres instead, and keeps the same 250 foot width and the same 75, 100, 40 and 50 foot yards.
Lot area is counted after water surface, state designated wetlands with a 100 foot buffer, rights-of-way, utility easements and 50% of any floodplain land come out of it.
An average slope of 11% to 20% adds 50% more land, 21% to 30% adds 100% more, and over 30% adds 200% more.
That slope surcharge is lifted for a lot holding a contiguous area of at least 80,000 square feet at 10% slope or less wholly inside the setback lines.
No building may stand within 75 feet of the center of the travelled way of a street, or within 20 feet of any lot line of an irregular lot.
Special uses carry their own larger figures, from 3 acres for an outdoor boiler to 100 acres and 1,000 feet of width for a campground or an outdoor commercial recreational facility.

Rural Residential Three - A home here needs 3 acres on a lot 200 feet wide, set back 60 feet at the front, 50 feet at the rear and 25 feet on the narrower side, with 75 feet for both sides together. Buildings cover up to 5% of the lot and reach 35 feet.

A 2-family dwelling takes 6 acres instead, and keeps the same 200 foot width and the same 60, 75, 25 and 50 foot yards.
Lot area is counted after water surface, state designated wetlands with a 100 foot buffer, rights-of-way, utility easements and 50% of any floodplain land come out of it.
An average slope of 11% to 20% adds 50% more land, 21% to 30% adds 100% more, and over 30% adds 200% more.
That slope surcharge is lifted for a lot holding a contiguous area of at least 60,000 square feet at 10% slope or less wholly inside the setback lines.
No building may stand within 75 feet of the center of the travelled way of a street, or within 20 feet of any lot line of an irregular lot.
Special uses carry their own larger figures, from 3 acres for an outdoor boiler to 100 acres and 1,000 feet of width for a campground or recreational vehicle park.

Rural Residential Two - A home here needs 2 acres on a lot 200 feet wide, set back 50 feet at the front, 50 feet at the rear and 25 feet on the narrower side, with 75 feet for both sides together. Buildings cover up to 10% of the lot and reach 35 feet.

A 2-family dwelling takes 4 acres instead, and keeps the same 200 foot width and the same 50, 75, 25 and 50 foot yards.
Lot area is counted after water surface, state designated wetlands with a 100 foot buffer, rights-of-way, utility easements and 50% of any floodplain land come out of it.
An average slope of 11% to 20% adds 50% more land, 21% to 30% adds 100% more, and over 30% adds 200% more.
That slope surcharge is lifted for a lot holding a contiguous area of at least 40,000 square feet at 10% slope or less wholly inside the setback lines.
No building may stand within 75 feet of the center of the travelled way of a street, or within 20 feet of any lot line of an irregular lot.
Special uses carry their own larger figures, from 3 acres for an outdoor boiler to 100 acres and 1,000 feet of width for a campground or recreational vehicle park.

Rural Settlement - A home here needs 2 acres on a lot 200 feet wide, set back 50 feet at the front, 50 feet at the rear and 25 feet on the narrower side, with 75 feet for both sides together. Buildings cover up to 10% of the lot and reach 35 feet.

A 2-family dwelling takes 4 acres instead, and keeps the same 200 foot width and the same 50, 75, 25 and 50 foot yards.
A multiple dwelling is a special use and takes 5 acres, 400 feet of width, a 50 foot front yard, 100 feet for both sides, 50 feet on the narrower side and a 50 foot rear yard.
A mobile home park is a special use and takes 25 acres, with buildings held to 15 feet and coverage to 5%.
Lot area is counted after water surface, state designated wetlands with a 100 foot buffer, rights-of-way, utility easements and 50% of any floodplain land come out of it.
An average slope of 11% to 20% adds 50% more land, 21% to 30% adds 100% more, and over 30% adds 200% more, unless a contiguous area of 40,000 square feet sits at 10% slope or less.
No building may stand within 75 feet of the center of the travelled way of a street, or within 20 feet of any lot line of an irregular lot.

Hamlet - A home here needs 1 acre on a lot 100 feet wide, set back 25 feet at the front, 25 feet at the rear and 10 feet on the narrower side, with 25 feet for both sides together. Buildings cover up to 25% of the lot and reach 35 feet.

A 2-family dwelling takes 2 acres instead, and keeps the same 100 foot width and the same 25 foot yards and 10 foot narrower side.
A multiple dwelling is a special use, with a 50 foot front yard, 100 feet for both sides, 50 feet on the narrower side, a 50 foot rear yard and coverage held to 15%.
Lot area is counted after water surface, state designated wetlands with a 100 foot buffer, rights-of-way, utility easements and 50% of any floodplain land come out of it.
The slope surcharge that adds land elsewhere in town does not apply to a lot in this district.
No building may stand within 75 feet of the center of the travelled way of a street, or within 20 feet of any lot line of an irregular lot.
Indoor commercial recreation facilities take 5 acres and 400 feet of width, and clubhouses and organizational meeting halls take 250 feet of width with 100, 200, 100 and 100 foot yards.

ADUs vs. short-term rentals in Neversink

No local short-term-rental law on record - which is not the same as permission for Town of Neversink. As of June 2026 the Town of Neversink 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. 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 minimum1–5 ac — an ADU still has to fit the district's lot and setback envelope.
UtilityNYSEG territory.
Zoning codeecode360.com/NE0768
Building dept(845) 985-2262

ADU FAQ — Neversink, NY

Are ADUs allowed in Neversink, NY?

Town of Neversink has 5 districts. All districts prohibit ADUs. Check your address with the free ADU checker, or confirm with the building department at (845) 985-2262.

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

No. No district in Town of Neversink permits an ADU, so there is no permit to apply for. Codes change, so verify with the building department at (845) 985-2262 before ruling it out.

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

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

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 Neversink, priced by size.

How we know this

Sections analyzed: Ch. 50 § 50-8 and § 50-9D closed list; § 50-9A; Attachment 1 Schedule of District Regulations (print 05-01-2019, amended through L.L. No. 2-2015); Art. VI §§ 50-15 to 50-19
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 Neversink: 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 Neversink 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) 985-2262 before relying on any answer. Source: the Offsite / Aldo zoning dataset.