ADU · Ulster County

Can you build an ADU in Wawarsing, NY?

Town of Wawarsing has 13 districts. 7 districts allow ADUs with occupancy restrictions, 3 do not, 2 require a special-use permit. 1 district has incomplete data - verify with the building department at (845) 647-6570. Check your address to confirm the district that applies to your parcel:

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What the Wawarsing code says

In AD, VP, RU, RS-1, RMH, MU and NS an accessory dwelling is an accessory use and needs no special permit; in RP and RH it needs a special use permit. Either way it has to go in an accessory building that already exists, and the owner must live in one of the two units.

Conditions the code attaches:

The unit has to be created inside an accessory building that already stands on the lot next to a single-family dwelling.
A newly built detached unit, or a unit carved out inside the house, is not allowed (§ 112-13I).
The owner of the property must live in either the accessory dwelling or the main house (§ 112-13I(1)).
The lot must be at least one acre, or the district minimum for a single-family dwelling where that is larger (§ 112-13I(2)).
The unit may have no more than two bedrooms, and it must be at least 480 square feet, which is a minimum rather than a ceiling (§ 112-13I(5) and (6)).
No maximum size is published for the unit; the general accessory use rule in § 112-4 only requires that it stay subordinate to the main house.
Each dwelling needs at least two off-street parking spaces, and neither space may block the other (§ 112-13I(3)).
Two dwelling units on one property must have the lot area of two minimum-sized lots, unless the second is a studio occupied by immediate family members (§ 112-10A).
The accessory dwelling cannot be used as a short-term rental until it has existed as an accessory dwelling for ten years (§ 112-29).
In RP and RH the accessory dwelling needs a special use permit and site plan review from the Planning Board (§ 112-8A, § 112-40).
An accessory dwelling is not listed in BH, PCIM or RED, and a use not listed in the schedule is prohibited (§ 112-8B).
To confirm before building, contact the Town of Wawarsing at (845) 647-6570.

How big an ADU can be in Wawarsing

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.

Detached

At least 480 sq ft

AD, RP, VP, RU, RH, RS1, RMH, MU, NS · owner-occupancy required · § 112-13I, I(1), I(6)

What the Wawarsing 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
AD Agriculture Development	10 ac	50 / 50 / 50 ft	35 ft	Occupancy restricted
RP Ridge Protection	7 ac	50 / 50 / 50 ft	35 ft	Special permit
VP Viewshed Protection	5 ac	50 / 50 / 50 ft	35 ft	Occupancy restricted
RU Rural	5 ac	250 / 50 / 50 ft	35 ft	Occupancy restricted
RH Ridge Hamlet	3 ac	50 / 50 / 50 ft	35 ft	Special permit
RS-1 Low Density Residential Settlement	2 ac	35 / 25 / 35 ft	35 ft	Occupancy restricted
RS-2 Low Density Residential Settlement (Legacy GIS Code)	2 ac	35 / 25 / 35 ft	35 ft	—
RMH Residential Manufactured Home	1 ac	35 / 25 / 25 ft	35 ft	Occupancy restricted
MU Mixed Use	1 ac	35 / 25 / 25 ft	45 ft	Occupancy restricted
NS Neighborhood Settlement	1 ac	35 / 25 / 35 ft	35 ft	Occupancy restricted
BH Business Highway	1 ac	35 / 25 / 35 ft	45 ft	No
PCIM Planned Commercial, Industrial and Mixed Use	1 ac	50 / 0 / 25 ft	45 ft	No
RED Resort and Economic Development	1 ac	50 / 0 / 25 ft	45 ft	No

AD Agriculture Development - Any subdivision here must be designed as a conservation subdivision under § 112-27. The figures shown are the standard for a lot on its own sewage and water, and AD prints no different standard where central water or sewage is available.

Maximum building height is 35 ft for residential and 45 ft for all other uses.
A special use may carry more specific bulk requirements under § 112-41, and where standards conflict the stricter one controls.

RP Ridge Protection - Any subdivision here must be designed as a conservation subdivision under § 112-27. The lot and yard figures shown do not change where central water or central sewage is available.

A special use may carry more specific bulk requirements under § 112-41, and where standards conflict the stricter one controls.

VP Viewshed Protection - Any subdivision here must be designed as a conservation subdivision under § 112-27. The lot and yard figures shown are the same whether the lot is on its own sewage and water or on central service.

A special use may carry more specific bulk requirements under § 112-41, and where standards conflict the stricter one controls.

RU Rural - The 250 ft front yard shown applies to a lot on its own sewage and water. With central service it falls to 50 ft, while the minimum lot depth rises from 200 ft to 250 ft.

The on-site sewage and water column publishes no lot width.
§ 112-69B allows a one-time lot size exemption on subdivision.
A special use may carry more specific bulk requirements under § 112-41, and where standards conflict the stricter one controls.

RH Ridge Hamlet - The figures shown are the standard for a lot on its own sewage and water, and RH prints no separate standard where central water or sewage is available.

The schedule states no minimum lot depth.
A special use may carry more specific bulk requirements under § 112-41, and where standards conflict the stricter one controls.

RS-1 Low Density Residential Settlement - The minimum lot drops to 1 acre with both central sewage and central water, where the minimum width and depth are 125 ft and the yards fall to 30 ft front, 20 ft side and 25 ft rear.

Central water alone, or central sewage alone, leaves these standards unchanged.
A special use may carry more specific bulk requirements under § 112-41, and where standards conflict the stricter controls.

RS-2 Low Density Residential Settlement (Legacy GIS Code) - The current schedule has no row for RS2. Appendix A, as amended by L.L. No. 2-2024, publishes a block for RS1 and none for RS2, so the figures shown match RS1 rather than a published RS2 standard.

Resolve the district against the Zoning Map before relying on these figures.

RMH Residential Manufactured Home - The minimum lot drops to 0.5 acre with central sewage alone, and to 0.25 acre with central sewage and water together, where the width falls to 50 ft and the side and rear yards to 10 ft.

With central water alone the lot stays at 1 acre, but the width falls to 100 ft, the depth to 125 ft and the side and rear yards to 20 ft.
With central sewage alone the width is 75 ft, the depth 100 ft, the front yard 30 ft and the side and rear yards 15 ft.
With central sewage and water the front yard is 25 ft and the depth 100 ft.
A special use may carry more specific bulk requirements under § 112-41, and where standards conflict the stricter controls.

MU Mixed Use - The minimum lot drops to 0.75 acre with central water alone, 0.5 acre with central sewage alone, and 0.25 acre with both, where the width falls to 50 ft and the side and rear yards to 10 ft.

With central water alone the width is 100 ft, the depth 125 ft and the side and rear yards 20 ft.
With central sewage alone the width is 75 ft, the depth 100 ft, the front yard 30 ft and the side and rear yards 15 ft.
With both, the front yard is 25 ft and the depth 100 ft.
A special use may carry more specific bulk requirements under § 112-41, and where standards conflict the stricter controls.

NS Neighborhood Settlement - The minimum lot drops to 0.75 acre with central sewage, and to 0.5 acre with central sewage and water together; both rows take a 100 ft minimum width, a 125 ft depth and yards of 30 ft front, 20 ft side and 25 ft rear.

Central water alone leaves these standards unchanged.
A special use may carry more specific bulk requirements under § 112-41, and where standards conflict the stricter controls.

BH Business Highway - The minimum lot drops to 0.5 acre with central sewage, and to 0.33 acre with central sewage and water together, where the width falls to 80 ft, the side yard to 10 ft and the front yard to 30 ft.

With central sewage alone the width is 100 ft, the depth 125 ft and the yards 30 ft front, 20 ft side and 25 ft rear.
Central water alone leaves these standards unchanged.
A special use may carry more specific bulk requirements under § 112-41, and where standards conflict the stricter controls.

PCIM Planned Commercial, Industrial and Mixed Use, RED Resort and Economic Development - The minimum lot drops to 0.75 acre with central water, 0.5 acre with central sewage and 0.25 acre with both. The width, depth, yards, coverage and height are the same in all four cases.

A special use may carry more specific bulk requirements under § 112-41, and where standards conflict the stricter controls.

ADUs vs. short-term rentals in Wawarsing

Short-term rentals allowed with registration for Town of Wawarsing. Renting a home short term in the Town of Wawarsing requires a town permit, and the application is available from the town. 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 minimum2–10 ac — an ADU still has to fit the district's lot and setback envelope.
UtilityOrange & Rockland territory.
Zoning codeecode360.com/WA0802
Building dept(845) 647-6570

ADU FAQ — Wawarsing, NY

Are ADUs allowed in Wawarsing, NY?

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

It depends on the district: 2 of 13 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 Wawarsing?

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

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 Wawarsing, priced by size.

How we know this

Sections analyzed: 112 Attachment 1, Appendix A Schedule of District Use and Bulk Regulations (per-district use blocks); § 112-13I Dwellings in accessory buildings; § 112-8A and § 112-8B; § 112-10A; § 112-29; § 112-5A
Districts confirmed: 12 of 13 — 1 not yet analyzed, so this page does not answer for it.
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 Wawarsing: 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 Wawarsing 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) 647-6570 before relying on any answer. Source: the Offsite / Aldo zoning dataset.