ADU · Sullivan County
Can you build an ADU in Jeffersonville, NY?
Village of Jeffersonville has 3 districts. All districts prohibit ADUs. Check your address to confirm the district that applies to your parcel:
What the Jeffersonville code says
No accessory structure may be used as a dwelling anywhere in the village (§ 80-18F), so a detached cottage or converted garage apartment is off the table. A second unit has to come as a two-family dwelling, a principal permitted use in DD and a special use in RS.
Conditions the code attaches:
- Under § 80-14A a two-family dwelling requires the equivalent of two minimum sized lots in lot area, as does any two dwelling units on the same property.
- In RS that means 20,000 sq ft with public sewer and water, and 40,000 sq ft without.
- In CM, multifamily dwellings are a special use, and new ground-floor dwellings are not permitted there under § 80-15O.
- CM mixed use includes a single upper-story dwelling above an existing ground floor retail or personal service business, which is a principal dwelling, not an accessory unit.
- Other accessory uses and structures customarily appurtenant to a principal permitted or special use are limited to 1 story in height and 500 square feet in floor area.
- Confirm current requirements with the village clerk or building department at (845) 482-5390.
What the Jeffersonville 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 Settlement District | 0.23 ac | 20 / 10 / 25 ft | 30 ft | No |
| Development District | 0.46 ac | 40 / 15 / 20 ft | 50 ft | No |
| Commercial District | 0.11 ac | 5 / 5 / 10 ft | 50 ft | No |
Residential Settlement District - A home in the RS District needs 10,000 square feet with public sewer and water, on a lot 75 feet wide and 100 feet deep, set back 20 feet at the front, 10 feet at one side with 25 feet for both sides, and 25 feet at the rear, no taller than 2.5 stories or 30 feet.
- Without public sewer and water the minimum lot area is 40,000 square feet.
- Lot coverage is the lesser of 50% or 10,000 square feet, counting buildings and structures and leaving out parking areas and driveways.
- Lot area applies to each dwelling unit, so a two-family dwelling, which is a special use here, needs the equivalent of two minimum sized lots.
- Where an unimproved lot sits between improved lots whose buildings stand within the required front yard, the front yard drops to the average depth of the two nearest front yards.
- A yard bordering a lake or pond is at least 100 feet deep and one bordering a stream or creek at least 50 feet deep, measured from the water rather than from a lot line.
- A detached accessory structure stands at least 5 feet from the side and rear lot lines and no closer to the street than the principal structure.
Development District - A home in the DD District needs 20,000 square feet with public sewer and water, on a lot 100 feet wide and 100 feet deep, set back 40 feet at the front, 15 feet at one side with 40 feet for both sides, and 20 feet at the rear, no taller than 3 stories or 50 feet.
- Without public sewer and water the minimum lot area is 40,000 square feet.
- Lot coverage of 15% counts buildings and structures and leaves out parking areas and driveways.
- Lot area applies to each dwelling unit, so a two-family dwelling needs the equivalent of two minimum sized lots.
- An individual mobile home site in a manufactured home park may be as small as 10,000 square feet, and every manufactured home is at least 12 feet wide with 850 square feet of living area.
- A yard bordering a lake or pond is at least 100 feet deep and one bordering a stream or creek at least 50 feet deep, measured from the water rather than from a lot line.
- A detached accessory structure stands at least 5 feet from the side and rear lot lines and no closer to the street than the principal structure.
Commercial District - A building in the CM District needs 5,000 square feet of lot, 50 feet wide and 75 feet deep, set back 5 feet at the front, 5 feet at one side with 10 feet for both sides, and 10 feet at the rear, no taller than 3 stories or 50 feet.
- Lot coverage is the lesser of 75% or 10,000 square feet, counting buildings and structures and leaving out parking areas and driveways.
- The district is restricted to areas where public sewage collection and treatment services are available.
- Where a use here abuts a residential district at the lot line or on the same street, it meets that district's minimum yards where they abut.
- Multifamily housing is a special use on centralized sewage and water, with at most 6 dwellings in a building and no less than 50% of the tract left as open space.
- A structure over 50 feet is a special use and stands back from adjoining properties no less than the height of the structure.
- A detached accessory structure stands at least 5 feet from the side and rear lot lines and no closer to the street than the principal structure.
ADUs vs. short-term rentals in Jeffersonville
No local short-term-rental law on record - which is not the same as permission for Village of Jeffersonville. As of June 2026 the Village of Jeffersonville 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 minimum0.23 ac — an ADU still has to fit the district's lot and setback envelope.
- UtilityNYSEG territory.
- Zoning codevillageofjeffersonvilleny.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/Zoning-and-Subdivision-Law.pdf
- Building dept(845) 482-5390
ADU FAQ — Jeffersonville, NY
Are ADUs allowed in Jeffersonville, NY?
Village of Jeffersonville has 3 districts. All districts prohibit ADUs. Check your address with the free ADU checker, or confirm with the building department at (845) 482-5390.
Do I need a special permit for an ADU in Jeffersonville?
No. No district in Village of Jeffersonville permits an ADU, so there is no permit to apply for. Codes change, so verify with the building department at (845) 482-5390 before ruling it out.
Can I use an ADU as a short-term rental in Jeffersonville?
No local short-term-rental law on record - which is not the same as permission for Village of Jeffersonville. 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.
What an ADU costs to build in Jeffersonville
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 Jeffersonville, priced by size.
How we know this
- Districts confirmed
- 3 of 3 — every mapped district.
- Last reviewed
- 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 Jeffersonville: Full zoning for new construction · ADU build cost · House build cost · ADU rules across Sullivan County · All Sullivan County towns
ADU information for Village of Jeffersonville 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) 482-5390 before relying on any answer. Source: the Offsite / Aldo zoning dataset.