ADU · Ulster County

Can you build an ADU in Ulster, NY?

Town of Ulster has 8 districts. 5 districts prohibit ADUs, 3 allow them with occupancy restrictions. Check your address to confirm the district that applies to your parcel:

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What the Ulster code says

Under § 190-14A Table 1 an accessory apartment is permitted by right as an accessory use in the R60, R30 and R10 residential districts, and the legal owner of the lot has to occupy either the principal dwelling or the apartment.

Conditions the code attaches:

In the LC, HC, RC, OM and I districts single-family dwellings are not a principal permitted use, and the accessory apartment provision does not reach them.
The apartment has to be at least 400 sq ft and not more than 1,200 sq ft.
Only one accessory apartment per single-family residence.
One extra parking space is required.
The town building department takes questions at (845) 338-5012.

What the Ulster 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
R-60 Residential	1.38 ac	40 / 30 / 30 ft	35 ft	Occupancy restricted
R-30 Residential	0.92 ac	30 / 20 / 25 ft	35 ft	Occupancy restricted
R-10 Residential	0.92 ac	30 / 20 / 25 ft	35 ft	Occupancy restricted
LC Local Commercial	—	30 / 10 / 10 ft	35 ft	No
HC Highway Commercial	—	30 / 10 / 10 ft	60 ft	No
RC Regional Commercial	—	50 / 10 / 10 ft	60 ft	No
OM Office and Manufacturing	—	40 / 10 / 10 ft	75 ft	No
I Industrial	—	75 / 50 / 50 ft	60 ft	No

R-60 Residential - At least 40% of the lot has to be left as green space.

These standards do not vary with utility service.

R-30 Residential - With central water or central sewer the minimum lot and the land required for each dwelling unit both drop to 30,000 sq ft.

At least 25% of the lot has to stay green space.

R-10 Residential - The lot minimum falls from 40,000 sq ft to 10,000 sq ft on municipal water and sewer, taking the side yard from 20 ft to 10 and the width from 100 ft to 75. Central water and sewer give 15,000 sq ft, central water or sewer 20,000.

The rear yard falls to 15 ft on a lot with municipal or central service.
With central water and sewer the minimum width is 90 ft and the side yard 15 ft; with central water or central sewer alone the width stays 100 ft and the side yard is 15 ft.
Green space is at least 25% of the lot without central service and at least 15% with it.

LC Local Commercial, HC Highway Commercial, RC Regional Commercial - A dwelling on the lot needs 10,000 sq ft of land per unit with municipal water and sewer, 15,000 sq ft with central water and sewer, and 20,000 sq ft with central water or central sewer alone.

At least 5% of the lot has to stay green space.

OM Office and Manufacturing - A dwelling on the lot needs 10,000 sq ft of land per unit with municipal water and sewer, 15,000 sq ft with central water and sewer, and 20,000 sq ft with central water or central sewer alone.

At least 10% of the lot has to stay green space.

I Industrial - At least 10% of the lot has to be left as green space.

ADUs vs. short-term rentals in Ulster

No local short-term-rental law on record - which is not the same as permission for Town of Ulster. The town has no local short-term rental law. That is not the same as permission, so confirm with the town building department before you count on renting a home 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. Municipal source

Good to know

Residential lot minimum0.92–1.38 ac — an ADU still has to fit the district's lot and setback envelope.
UtilityCentral Hudson territory.
Zoning codetownofulster.ny.gov/wp-content/uploads/zoning-law.pdf
Building dept(845) 338-5012

ADU FAQ — Ulster, NY

Are ADUs allowed in Ulster, NY?

Town of Ulster has 8 districts. 5 districts prohibit ADUs, 3 allow them with occupancy restrictions. Check your address with the free ADU checker, or confirm with the building department at (845) 338-5012.

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

No district in Town of Ulster requires a special-use permit for an ADU - 5 districts prohibit ADUs, 3 allow them with occupancy restrictions. Site-plan review or a building permit may still apply.

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

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

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 Ulster, priced by size.

How we know this

Zoning code: townofulster.ny.gov/wp-content/uploads/zoning-law.pdf
Districts confirmed: 8 of 8 — 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 Ulster: 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 Ulster 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) 338-5012 before relying on any answer. Source: the Offsite / Aldo zoning dataset.