Columbia County

Village of Philmont, NY: zoning for new construction

11 districts Min residential lot 0.25–2 ac Central Hudson

Residential lots in the Village of Philmont run from a 0.25-acre minimum in Hamlet III up to 2 acres in Residential (2-acre), across 11 zoning districts in all. Short-term rentals restricted. Power here is Central Hudson territory. The district table below has the setbacks, height limits and coverage - confirm the specifics with the building department at (518) 672-7032 before you rely on a figure.

Looking specifically at an accessory dwelling unit? See ADU rules for Philmont →

Zoning districts

District	Min lot	Setbacks F / S / R	Max height	ADU
Residential (2-acre)	2 ac	75 / 40 / 30 ft	35 ft	Special permit
Residential Low Density	1 ac	35 / 25 / 30 ft	35 ft	Special permit
Hamlet I	0.33 ac	25 / 10 / 30 ft	35 ft	Special permit
Hamlet II	0.5 ac	25 / 10 / 30 ft	35 ft	Special permit
Hamlet III	0.25 ac	25 / 10 / 30 ft	35 ft	No
Residential High Density	0.25 ac	25 / 10 / 30 ft	35 ft	No
General Business	0.09 ac	10 / - / 15 ft	35 ft	Special permit
Manufacturing	0.09 ac	10 / 25 / 10 ft	35 ft	Special permit
Conservation	2 ac	75 / 25 / 30 ft	—	No
Residential-Service-Commercial	2 ac	35 / 10 / 30 ft	35 ft	No
Manufacturing II	0.33 ac	25 / 10 / 30 ft	35 ft	Special permit

Residential (2-acre), Residential Low Density, Hamlet I, Hamlet II, Hamlet III, Residential High Density, Residential-Service-Commercial, Manufacturing II — The front yard carries the schedule's asterisk: it may instead be made CONSISTENT WITH ALL BUILDINGS WITHIN 200 FT on either side (§ 160-11B) — a contextual alternative to the figure above, with no field. Maximum 2 1/2 storeys unless stated otherwise.

General Business — GB requires NO SIDE YARD AT ALL — Table 3 prints a dash. The front yard carries the schedule's asterisk: it may instead be made CONSISTENT WITH ALL BUILDINGS WITHIN 200 FT on either side (§ 160-11B) — a contextual alternative to the figure above, with no field. Maximum 2 1/2 storeys unless stated otherwise.

Manufacturing — Maximum 3 storeys in M, the only district above 2 1/2. The front yard carries the schedule's asterisk: it may instead be made CONSISTENT WITH ALL BUILDINGS WITHIN 200 FT on either side (§ 160-11B) — a contextual alternative to the figure above, with no field. Maximum 2 1/2 storeys unless stated otherwise.

Conservation — BUILDINGS ARE NOT PERMITTED IN C. Table 3 prints "NP" for both the maximum height and the maximum lot coverage in the Conservation district, which is why neither is recorded — the district publishes a lot size, a width, a depth and yards, and then does not allow a building on them. Maximum 2 1/2 storeys unless stated otherwise.

Short-term rentals

Short-term rentals restricted. PHILMONT NOW ALLOWS ONLY HOSTED SHORT-TERM RENTALS — AN INVESTOR WHOLE-HOUSE LET IS NOT AVAILABLE ANYWHERE IN THE VILLAGE. LOCAL LAW No. 1 of 2026, the 'Short-Term Rental Local Law', adds § 160-22.5 to the Village Code and amends the Use Table (160 Attachment 1). Read in full 2026-08-27 from the text published on the Village's Local Laws page (text dated 2026-02-18); the Village lists it as its 2026 Local Law 1, and it carries a repealer of any inconsistent prior local law. THE CONTROLLING SENTENCE IS § 160-22.5 C(1): 'Only Hosted Short-Term Rentals are permitted in the Village of Philmont.' A Hosted Short-Term Rental is 'the short-term rental of one or more bedrooms within a dwelling unit WHILE THE HOST MAINTAINS THEIR PRIMARY RESIDENCE ON THE PREMISES.' Anyone underwriting a Philmont house on unhosted nightly income should stop there. WHERE IT IS ALLOWED: the amended Use Table makes Short-Term Rental a SPECIAL PERMIT (SP) use in R, RLD, H-I, H-II, H-III, RHD, M, M-II and GB, and PROHIBITED (X) in C. TWO APPROVALS ARE NEEDED, NOT ONE: a special use permit from the Village Planning Board, and then an annual Short-Term Rental permit from the Code Enforcement Officer, each with its own fee. No permit issues until the property has been inspected; existing operators had 30 days from the effective date to apply and 60 days to complete the inspection. THE OPERATING LIMITS. Maximum occupancy is EIGHT guests excluding infants under three, with a maximum of FOUR rented bedrooms, at least 70 sq ft of habitable floor area for one guest and 100 sq ft for two, and no more than two guests to a room. PERMITS ARE NON-TRANSFERABLE AND 'SHALL IMMEDIATELY EXPIRE UPON ANY CHANGE OF OWNERSHIP OF THE PREMISES.' ONE STR UNIT PER PARCEL, and — separately — ONE STR UNIT PER PROPERTY OWNER IN THE VILLAGE, 'to allow equitable distribution.' Minimum general liability cover is $1,000,000, and the certificate must rate the premises as a short-term rental. All parking must be on the parcel, with the number of spaces set at the Planning Board's discretion; no guest parking on roads. A Short-Term Rental Local Contact must live within 20 miles, be available 24 hours a day and respond within one hour. Hosts must register with Columbia County for lodging tax and submit the County registration number with the permit application. Permits run one year. TWO PERMIT VIOLATIONS AND THE PERMIT IS PERMANENTLY REVOKED. The Village's separate residential rental registration (all rentals and vacant buildings register with the Building Inspector, application form updated March 2026) continues to apply on top of this. Confirm with the Building Department at (518) 672-7032. Municipal source

Good to know

UtilityCentral Hudson territory.
Zoning codephilmont.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/philmont-locallaws.pdf
Building dept(518) 672-7032
Last reviewed2026-08-16

Working out a budget? A standard-finish build here runs $202–$265/sq ft - see the full cost to build a house in Philmont, or what an ADU costs here.

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