ADU · Ulster County

Can you build an ADU in Saugerties, NY?

Town of Saugerties has 9 districts. 8 districts allow ADUs, 1 does not. Check your address to confirm the district that applies to your parcel:

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What the Saugerties code says

An accessory apartment is permitted in every district except the I district, on a building permit, and there is no owner-occupancy requirement. It has to sit in the principal dwelling or in a permitted accessory structure, so a detached unit is allowed.

Conditions the code attaches:

The principal dwelling must itself contain at least 1,800 sq ft of habitable space.
The lot must be at least one acre unless it is served by central water and sewer.
The apartment must be at least 350 sq ft, no larger than 600 sq ft or 25% of the habitable area of the building it sits in, whichever is less, and no more than one bedroom.
A residential building can hold one accessory apartment and two dwelling units at most.
The water and sewage method must be approved before the building permit issues.
One additional off-street space is required, and never fewer than three on the property.

What the Saugerties 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
Low-Density Residential (LDR)	2 ac	50 / 30 / 50 ft	35 ft	As of right
Moderate-Density Residential (MDR)	1 ac	30 / 25 / 40 ft	35 ft	As of right
High-Density Residential (HDR)	1 ac	30 / 25 / 40 ft	35 ft	As of right
Residential Hamlet (R-H)	1 ac	30 / 25 / 40 ft	35 ft	As of right
General Business (GB)	0.46 ac	25 / 15 / 50 ft	60 ft	As of right
Highway Business (HB)	1 ac	40 / 20 / 50 ft	30 ft	As of right
Industrial (I)	2 ac	40 / 30 / 50 ft	60 ft	No
Office/Light Industrial (OLI)	2 ac	40 / 40 / 50 ft	40 ft	As of right
Recreational Business (RB)	2 ac	40 / 30 / 50 ft	35 ft	As of right

High-Density Residential (HDR) - For a one- or two-family dwelling the minimum lot drops to 20,000 sq ft with central sewer or water, and to 10,000 sq ft with both; on both the minimum width is 80 ft and coverage may reach 25%.

Multifamily density is set per bedroom: 13,000 sq ft per bedroom with no central utilities, 6,500 with central sewer or water, and 3,250 with both.
On central sewer and water a multifamily lot drops to one acre and the height rises to 42 ft.
A multifamily lot with no central utilities is 100,000 sq ft, on a 200 ft width, with 50 ft side and rear yards and no more than 30% coverage.
For a one- or two-family dwelling with central sewer or water, the yards are 25 ft front, 15 ft side and 30 ft rear, on a 100 ft width, with coverage up to 20%.
A nonresidential use follows the HB District: a 40 ft front yard, 20 ft side yards, a 30 ft height limit and a 200 ft width, unless another provision of Chapter 245 requires a larger lot.
The figures shown are for a one- or two-family dwelling with neither central sewer nor central water.

Residential Hamlet (R-H) - For a one- or two-family dwelling the minimum lot drops to 20,000 sq ft with central sewer or water, and to 10,000 sq ft with both; on both the minimum width is 80 ft and coverage may reach 25%.

Multifamily density is set per bedroom: 13,000 sq ft per bedroom with no central utilities, 6,500 with central sewer or water, and 3,250 with both.
On central sewer and water a multifamily lot drops to one acre and the height rises to 42 ft.
A multifamily lot with no central utilities is 100,000 sq ft, on a 200 ft width, with 50 ft side and rear yards and no more than 30% coverage.
For a one- or two-family dwelling with central sewer or water, the yards are 25 ft front, 15 ft side and 30 ft rear, on a 100 ft width, with coverage up to 20%.
Residential standards here follow the HDR District and nonresidential ones the GB District, where the minimum lot is 20,000 sq ft, the height limit 60 ft and coverage may reach 35%.
The figures shown are for a one- or two-family dwelling with neither central sewer nor central water.

General Business (GB) - A one- or two-family dwelling follows the HDR District: at least 1 acre with neither central sewer nor water, 20,000 sq ft with one of them, and 10,000 sq ft with both.

The figures shown are the nonresidential standard.
With neither service a house takes a 125 ft width, 30 ft front, 25 ft side and 40 ft rear yards, no more than 15% coverage and 35 ft of height.
With central sewer or water a house takes a 100 ft width, 25 ft front, 15 ft side and 30 ft rear yards and up to 20% coverage; with both, an 80 ft width.
Multifamily density is set per bedroom: 13,000 sq ft per bedroom with no central utilities, 6,500 with central sewer or water, and 3,250 with both.
On central sewer and water a multifamily lot drops to one acre and the height rises to 42 ft.
A multifamily lot with no central utilities is 100,000 sq ft, on a 200 ft width, with 50 ft side and rear yards and no more than 30% coverage.

Highway Business (HB) - The figures shown also apply to nonresidential uses in the HDR district.

Recreational Business (RB) - Development here is subject to site plan review.

ADUs vs. short-term rentals in Saugerties

Short-term rentals allowed with registration for Town of Saugerties. Renting a home short term needs an operating permit from the town building department, under Local Law No. 2 of 2022, which is Chapter 194 of the code. 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 minimum1–2 ac — an ADU still has to fit the district's lot and setback envelope.
UtilityCentral Hudson territory.
Zoning codeecode360.com/SA2874
Building dept(845) 246-2800

ADU FAQ — Saugerties, NY

Are ADUs allowed in Saugerties, NY?

Town of Saugerties has 9 districts. 8 districts allow ADUs, 1 does not. Check your address with the free ADU checker, or confirm with the building department at (845) 246-2800.

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

No district in Town of Saugerties requires a special-use permit for an ADU - 8 districts allow ADUs, 1 does not. Site-plan review or a building permit may still apply.

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

Short-term rentals allowed with registration for Town of Saugerties. 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.

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What an ADU costs to build in Saugerties

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 Saugerties, priced by size.

How we know this

Sections analyzed: § 245-17 Accessory apartments (Ch. 245 Zoning)
Districts confirmed: 9 of 9 — every mapped district.
Last reviewed: 2026-08-16
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 Saugerties: 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 Saugerties is compiled from the municipal code (last reviewed 2026-08-16) 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) 246-2800 before relying on any answer. Source: the Offsite / Aldo zoning dataset.