ADU · Ulster County

Can you build an ADU in Woodstock, NY?

Town of Woodstock has 9 districts. 7 districts allow ADUs with occupancy restrictions, 2 do not. Check your address to confirm the district that applies to your parcel:

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What the Woodstock code says

On a lot with a single-family house in R8, R5, R3, R1.5, HR, HC or NC, one accessory apartment is allowed, inside the house or in an outbuilding, up to 800 sq ft. The owner or an immediate family member must live in one of the two units. None in LI or FW.

Conditions the code attaches:

At least 250 sq ft for a studio or 320 for a one-bedroom, and no more than 800 sq ft
Inside the house, no more than 40% of its habitable space (or 250 sq ft if greater); in an outbuilding, no more than 35%
A new outbuilding needs a lot that meets the district minimums; an existing one must predate May 19, 1989 if it does not
One and a half parking spaces per unit, and an operating permit from the Zoning Enforcement Officer
The owner files an affidavit, and the rented unit may be inspected yearly
A two-family house is a separate option in these districts, not an accessory apartment

How big an ADU can be in Woodstock

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 250 sq ft, and no more than 40% of the principal dwelling, or 800 sq ft of floor area — whichever is smaller

R8, R5, R3, R1.5, HR, HC, NC · owner-occupancy required · § 260-59C, D, J

Detached

At least 250 sq ft, and no more than 35% of the principal dwelling, or 800 sq ft of floor area — whichever is smaller

R8, R5, R3, R1.5, HR, HC, NC · owner-occupancy required · § 260-60E, F, M

What the Woodstock 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 8-Acre (R8)	8 ac	25 / 25 / 50 ft	35 ft	Occupancy restricted
Residential 5-Acre (R5)	5 ac	25 / 25 / 50 ft	35 ft	Occupancy restricted
Residential 3-Acre (R3)	3 ac	25 / 25 / 50 ft	35 ft	Occupancy restricted
Residential 1.5-Acre (R1.5)	1.5 ac	25 / 15 / 25 ft	35 ft	Occupancy restricted
Hamlet Residential (HR)	0.69 ac	20 / 10 / 25 ft	35 ft	Occupancy restricted
Hamlet Commercial (HC)	0.23 ac	15 / 10 / 25 ft	35 ft	Occupancy restricted
Neighborhood Commercial (NC)	1 ac	15 / 10 / 25 ft	35 ft	Occupancy restricted
Light Industrial (LI)	3 ac	100 / 50 / 100 ft	35 ft	No
Floodway (FW)	—	—	—	No

Residential 8-Acre (R8) - In a subdivision the Planning Board may approve lots as small as 2 acres, which is not available by right: at most three undersized lots per parcel, no more lots than a fully conforming subdivision would yield, and a deed and plat restriction barring further subdivision.

At least 85% of the site must be left as open space.
On a right-of-way under 50 ft wide the front setback is measured from the centre line, with 25 ft added (§ 260-26A).
The height limit is 2 1/2 stories as well as 35 ft.
A lot of record predating 2001 that is under the district minimum takes the reduced yards in § 260-26B.
The floor area ratio governs nonresidential floor area per square foot of site area.

Residential 5-Acre (R5) - In a subdivision the Planning Board may approve lots as small as 2 acres, which is not available by right: at most three undersized lots per parcel, no more lots than a fully conforming subdivision would yield, and a deed and plat restriction barring further subdivision.

At least 80% of the site must be left as open space.
On a right-of-way under 50 ft wide the front setback is measured from the centre line, with 25 ft added (§ 260-26A).
The height limit is 2 1/2 stories as well as 35 ft.
A lot of record predating 2001 that is under the district minimum takes the reduced yards in § 260-26B.
The floor area ratio governs nonresidential floor area per square foot of site area.

Residential 3-Acre (R3) - In a subdivision the Planning Board may approve lots as small as 2 acres, which is not available by right: at most three undersized lots per parcel, no more lots than a fully conforming subdivision would yield, and a deed and plat restriction barring further subdivision.

At least 70% of the site must be left as open space.
On a right-of-way under 50 ft wide the front setback is measured from the centre line, with 25 ft added (§ 260-26A).
The height limit is 2 1/2 stories as well as 35 ft.
A lot of record predating 2001 that is under the district minimum takes the reduced yards in § 260-26B.
The floor area ratio governs nonresidential floor area per square foot of site area.

Residential 1.5-Acre (R1.5) - The minimum lot drops to 40,000 sq ft with central water or common sewer and 15,000 sq ft with both, and the minimum width to 100 ft in either case; with both, coverage may reach 25% and the floor area ratio 0.63.

On town-provided central water and common sewer a two-family dwelling needs only the district minimum lot; otherwise § 260-18B(2) applies the per-unit land requirement to each unit.
At least 70% of the site must be left as open space, 60% with central water or common sewer and 50% with both.
On a right-of-way under 50 ft wide the front setback is measured from the centre line, with 25 ft added (§ 260-26A).
The height limit is 2 1/2 stories as well as 35 ft.
A lot of record predating 2001 that is under the district minimum takes the reduced yards in § 260-26B.
The floor area ratio governs nonresidential floor area per square foot of site area.

Hamlet Residential (HR) - The minimum lot drops to 25,000 sq ft with central water or common sewer and 10,000 sq ft with both, and the minimum width to 100 ft in either case; coverage may reach 20% and the floor area ratio 0.5 with either, 25% and 0.63 with both.

On town-provided central water and common sewer a two-family dwelling needs only the district minimum lot; otherwise § 260-18B(2) applies the per-unit land requirement to each unit.
At least 40% of the site must be left as open space, 30% with central water or common sewer and 25% with both.
On a right-of-way under 50 ft wide the front setback is measured from the centre line, with 25 ft added (§ 260-26A).
The height limit is 2 1/2 stories as well as 35 ft.
The floor area ratio governs nonresidential floor area per square foot of site area.

Hamlet Commercial (HC) - At least 25% of the lot must be kept as open space, and the floor area ratio shown governs nonresidential floor area per square foot of site area.

On a right-of-way under 50 ft wide, the front setback is measured from the centre line with 25 ft added (§ 260-26A).
Height is limited to 2 1/2 stories as well as the 35 ft shown.
One set of dimensional standards applies in HC; the figures do not change with water or sewer service.

Neighborhood Commercial (NC) - The minimum lot drops to 30,000 sq ft with central water or common sewer and 25,000 sq ft with both; coverage may reach 20% and the floor area ratio 0.5 with either, and with both the minimum width is 100 ft, coverage 25% and the ratio 0.63.

On town-provided central water and common sewer a two-family dwelling needs only the district minimum lot; otherwise § 260-18B(2) applies the per-unit land requirement to each unit.
At least 40% of the site must be left as open space, 30% with central water or common sewer and 25% with both.
Adequate space must be left between the front and side lot lines and any structure for sidewalks, curbing, street trees and open space.
On a right-of-way under 50 ft wide the front setback is measured from the centre line, with 25 ft added (§ 260-26A).
The height limit is 2 1/2 stories as well as 35 ft.
The floor area ratio governs nonresidential floor area per square foot of site area.

Light Industrial (LI) - No dwelling is permitted in LI. The figures shown apply where the underlying residential district is R1.5; with R3 underneath the minimum lot is 5 acres, and with R5 it is 8 acres, each with greater width and deeper setbacks.

In the R3 and R5 cases the floor area ratio is 0.63 and the front, side and rear setbacks are larger than those shown.
Building coverage is capped at 25% in the R3 and R5 cases.
At least 60% of the lot must be kept as open space in every case.
Floor area ratio governs nonresidential floor area per square foot of site area (260 Attachment 2, note 3).
On a right-of-way under 50 ft, the front setback is measured from the centre line with 25 ft added (§ 260-26A).
Height is limited to 2 1/2 stories as well as 35 ft.

Floodway (FW) - No development is permitted in the FW district, so the usual dimensional figures do not open up a building envelope here. Every residential and commercial use is prohibited.

Confirm with the building department before counting on any construction or use on a parcel in this district.

ADUs vs. short-term rentals in Woodstock

Short-term rentals allowed with registration for Town of Woodstock. Short term rental is allowed with an annual registration, and use is limited to 120 nights per calendar year. There is no requirement that the owner live on the property. 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 minimum0.69–8 ac — an ADU still has to fit the district's lot and setback envelope.
Energy codeNew York stretch energy code adopted (January 2023) — applies to new ADU construction.
UtilityCentral Hudson territory.
Zoning codeecode360.com/8008828
Building dept(845) 679-2113

ADU FAQ — Woodstock, NY

Are ADUs allowed in Woodstock, NY?

Town of Woodstock has 9 districts. 7 districts allow ADUs with occupancy restrictions, 2 do not. Check your address with the free ADU checker, or confirm with the building department at (845) 679-2113.

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

No district in Town of Woodstock requires a special-use permit for an ADU - 7 districts allow ADUs with occupancy restrictions, 2 do not. Site-plan review or a building permit may still apply.

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

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

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 Woodstock, priced by size.

How we know this

Sections analyzed: 260 Attachment 1 Schedule of Use Regulations; § 260-59 Accessory apartment within single-family dwelling; § 260-60 Accessory apartment in detached structure
Districts confirmed: 9 of 9 — every mapped district.
Last reviewed: Feb 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 Woodstock: 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 Woodstock is compiled from the municipal code (last reviewed Feb 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) 679-2113 before relying on any answer. Source: the Offsite / Aldo zoning dataset.