ADU · Ulster County

Can you build an ADU in Hurley, NY?

Town of Hurley has 9 districts. 7 districts allow ADUs with a special-use permit, 2 do not. Check your address to confirm the district that applies to your parcel:

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What the Hurley code says

The owner has to live in the principal dwelling, and an accessory apartment needs a special use permit from the Planning Board, granted after a public hearing and revocable.

Conditions the code attaches:

The principal dwelling must be occupied as the principal residence of the owner of record.
A special use permit from the Planning Board, granted after public notice and a hearing, plus site plan review. The permit is revoked if it is not exercised within one year.
The unit must be at least 350 sq ft, and no more than 35% of the principal building's habitable area or 650 sq ft, whichever is less, with no more than one bedroom.
It can go inside the principal dwelling only if that building has at least 1,800 sq ft of habitable space; otherwise it has to go in a permitted accessory structure.
Only one accessory apartment and two dwelling units per residential lot, and the lot must meet the district's minimum lot area.
The unit must be self-contained, with cooking, sleeping and sanitary facilities separate from the principal dwelling.
The Ulster County Health Department must approve the water supply and the wastewater treatment and disposal.
One additional off-street parking space, and at least three parking spaces on the property.
No exterior change that alters or extends the principal building's foundation, and no more than 100 sq ft of foundation extension on an accessory structure.
An accessory apartment is not an option in the B-2 or I-1 districts, where dwellings are not permitted.
Separately, a residential structure on a conforming lot that existed on or before 1 September 1989 may be divided into four or fewer dwelling units by special use permit.

How big an ADU can be in Hurley

Size limits are set per district, and a unit inside the house is a different standard from a detached one. These are the figures the code publishes.

Inside the principal dwelling

At least 350 sq ft, and no more than 35% of the principal dwelling, or 650 sq ft of floor area — whichever is smaller

A4, A2.5, R1, R2, H, NC, B1 · owner-occupancy required · § 210-40D(9)(a), (b), (d)

Detached

At least 350 sq ft, and no more than 35% of the principal dwelling, or 650 sq ft of floor area — whichever is smaller

A4, A2.5, R1, R2, H, NC, B1 · owner-occupancy required · § 210-40D(9)(a), (b), (d), (i)

What the Hurley 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
A-4 Very-Low-Density Residential	4 ac	50 / 50 / 100 ft	35 ft	Special permit
A-2.5 Low-Density Residential	2.5 ac	50 / 50 / 75 ft	35 ft	Special permit
R-1 Moderate-Density Residential	0.92 ac	50 / 25 / 50 ft	35 ft	Special permit
R-2 Medium-Density Residential	0.92 ac	50 / 25 / 50 ft	35 ft	Special permit
H Historical	0.92 ac	50 / 25 / 50 ft	35 ft	Special permit
NC Neighborhood Commercial	0.92 ac	50 / 25 / 50 ft	35 ft	Special permit
B-1 General Business	0.46 ac	25 / 15 / 50 ft	35 ft	Special permit
B-2 Highway Business	1 ac	40 / 20 / 50 ft	30 ft	No
I-1 Light Industrial	2 ac	40 / 20 / 50 ft	30 ft	No

A-4 Very-Low-Density Residential - In an open space development the Planning Board may allow lots down to 1 acre, at its discretion and not by right, on a tract of at least 25 acres, with the average lot across the subdivision still meeting the district minimum.

At least 50% of the site must be left as green space.
New construction, and additions over 1,000 sq ft, require a visual assessment under § 210-42.
The one-acre floor applies unless the lot is served by central water or sewer, for which no figure is set.
On a corner lot the front-yard standard applies to every street-facing yard (§ 210-14).

A-2.5 Low-Density Residential - In an open space development the Planning Board may allow lots down to 1 acre, at its discretion and not by right, on a tract of at least 25 acres, with the average lot across the subdivision still meeting the district minimum.

A mobile home park needs a site of at least 25 acres, with 100 ft to any public street or adjacent property line, 50 ft between mobile homes and 25% of the gross site kept as open space.
A mobile home park needs site plan approval, and its density is set by the average-density formula in § 210-38 rather than by a per-lot minimum.
At least 40% of the site must be left as green space.
On a corner lot the front-yard standard applies to every street-facing yard (§ 210-14).

R-1 Moderate-Density Residential - The minimum lot drops to 30,000 sq ft with central sewer or water, and to 20,000 sq ft with both; on both the minimum width is 100 ft, the yards fall to 30 ft front, 15 ft side and 30 ft rear, and coverage may reach 25%.

With central sewer or water the yards are 40 ft front, 20 ft side and 40 ft rear, on a 125 ft width.
At least 25% of the site must be left as green space, 20% with central sewer and water.
Side yards for semidetached dwellings are required at the ends of the total structure only (§ 210-18).
On a corner lot the front-yard standard applies to every street-facing yard (§ 210-14).

R-2 Medium-Density Residential - The minimum lot drops to 25,000 sq ft with central sewer or water, and to 12,000 sq ft with both; on both the minimum width is 100 ft, the yards fall to 30 ft front, 15 ft side and 30 ft rear, and coverage may reach 25%.

With central sewer or water the yards are 40 ft front, 20 ft side and 40 ft rear, on a 120 ft width, and coverage may reach 20%.
At least 25% of the site must be left as green space, 20% with central sewer or water and 15% with both.
Side yards for semidetached dwellings are required at the ends of the total structure only (§ 210-18).
On a corner lot the front-yard standard applies to every street-facing yard (§ 210-14).

H Historical - The minimum lot drops to 25,000 sq ft with central sewer or water, and to 12,000 sq ft with both; on both the minimum width is 100 ft, the yards fall to 30 ft front, 15 ft side and 30 ft rear, and coverage may reach 25%.

Bulk standards here are those of the R-2 District.
Architectural design review is required for exterior changes in this Old Hurley hamlet historic district on Main Street and Hurley Avenue.
With central sewer or water the yards are 40 ft front, 20 ft side and 40 ft rear, on a 120 ft width, and coverage may reach 20%.
At least 25% of the site must be left as green space, 20% with central sewer or water and 15% with both.
On a corner lot the front-yard standard applies to every street-facing yard (§ 210-14).

NC Neighborhood Commercial - A residence follows the R-1 District: the minimum lot drops to 30,000 sq ft with central sewer or water and to 20,000 sq ft with both, where the width is 100 ft and coverage may reach 25%.

A nonresidential use follows the B-1 District, with a 20,000 sq ft minimum lot, a 100 ft width, 25 ft front, 15 ft side and 50 ft rear yards and no more than 25% coverage.
With central sewer or water a residence takes 40 ft front, 20 ft side and 40 ft rear yards on a 125 ft width.
At least 25% of the site must be left as green space for a residence, 5% for a nonresidential use.
On a corner lot the front-yard standard applies to every street-facing yard (§ 210-14).
With both services a residence takes 30 ft front and rear yards and 15 ft side yards on a 100 ft width.

B-1 General Business - A one- or two-family dwelling follows the R-1 District: 40,000 sq ft with neither central sewer nor water, 30,000 sq ft with one of them, and 20,000 sq ft with both.

With neither service a house takes a 150 ft width, 50 ft front, 25 ft side and 50 ft rear yards and no more than 15% coverage.
With central sewer or water a house takes a 125 ft width and 40 ft front, 20 ft side and 40 ft rear yards; with both, a 100 ft width and 30 ft front, 15 ft side and 30 ft rear yards.
At least 25% of the site must be left as green space for a residence, 5% for a nonresidential use.
On a corner lot the front-yard standard applies to every street-facing yard (§ 210-14).

B-2 Highway Business - No dwelling is permitted in B2 (210 Attachment 1). At least 10% of the lot must stay green space.

On a corner lot the front-yard standard applies to every street-facing yard (§ 210-14).

I-1 Light Industrial - No dwelling is permitted in I1 (210 Attachment 1). At least 10% of the lot must stay green space.

On a corner lot the front-yard standard applies to every street-facing yard (§ 210-14).
Performance standards under §§ 210-22 and 210-30 apply.

ADUs vs. short-term rentals in Hurley

Short-term rentals allowed with local rules for Town of Hurley. A short-term rental is allowed in every zoning district, but only in an owner-occupied one-family or two-family dwelling or accessory dwelling unit that is the owner's principal residence, with the owner on the premises during each rental. 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. Municipal source

Good to know

Residential lot minimum0.92–4 ac — an ADU still has to fit the district's lot and setback envelope.
UtilityCentral Hudson territory.
Zoning codeecode360.com/HU1421
Building dept(845) 331-7474

ADU FAQ — Hurley, NY

Are ADUs allowed in Hurley, NY?

Town of Hurley has 9 districts. 7 districts allow ADUs with a special-use permit, 2 do not. Check your address with the free ADU checker, or confirm with the building department at (845) 331-7474.

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

It depends on the district: 7 of 9 require a special-use permit, the rest do not. Check the district that applies to your parcel before you design.

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

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

Permission is one question and budget is another. An 800 sq ft accessory unit here runs roughly $200k–265k 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 Hurley, priced by size.

How we know this

Sections analyzed: 210 Attachment 1 Table of Use Regulations (Accessory apartment row); § 210-40D(9) Accessory apartments; § 210-40B and C special use permit procedures; § 210-40D(10) Conversion of existing residential buildings
Districts confirmed: 9 of 9 — every mapped district.
Last reviewed: Apr 2026
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 Hurley: Full zoning for new construction · ADU build cost · House build cost · ADU rules across Ulster County · All Ulster County towns

ADU information for Town of Hurley is compiled from the municipal code (last reviewed Apr 2026) 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) 331-7474 before relying on any answer. Source: the Offsite / Aldo zoning dataset.