Putnam County
Town of Patterson, NY: zoning for new construction
Residential lots in the Town of Patterson run from a 0.45-acre minimum in Putnam Lake Residence up to 4 acres in Residence 4 — four-acre, across 9 zoning districts in all. Short-term rentals allowed with registration. Power here is NYSEG territory. The district table below has the setbacks, height limits and coverage - confirm the specifics with the building department at (845) 878-6500 before you rely on a figure.
Looking specifically at an accessory dwelling unit? See ADU rules for Patterson →
Zoning districts
| District | Min lot | Setbacks F / S / R | Max height | ADU |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Putnam Lake Residence (min lot 19,500 sf; 75 ft minimum road frontage; 15 ft front, 15 ft side, 20 ft rear; 38% maximum IMPERVIOUS surface coverage — Patterson sets no building-coverage percentage; 38 ft height; minimum livable first-floor area 750 sf for dwelling purposes. The Town's densest residential district, covering the Putnam Lake community. Accessory structures of 120 sf or less and under 10 ft high need 5 ft side and rear setbacks; larger or taller accessory structures need 10 ft) | 0.45 ac | 15 / 15 / 20 ft | 38 ft | Special permit |
| Residence 1 — one-acre (min lot 43,560 sf / 1 acre; 100 ft minimum road frontage; 150 ft average lot width; 35 ft front, 30 ft side, 50 ft rear; 12% maximum IMPERVIOUS surface coverage — no building-coverage percentage is set; 38 ft height; minimum livable first-floor area 1,000 sf. Accessory structures: 35 ft front, 15 ft side, 25 ft rear) | 1 ac | 35 / 30 / 50 ft | 38 ft | Special permit |
| Residence 2 — two-acre (min lot 87,120 sf / 2 acres; 175 ft minimum road frontage; 200 ft average lot width; 40 ft front, 40 ft side, 50 ft rear; 10% maximum IMPERVIOUS surface coverage; 38 ft height; minimum livable first-floor area 1,000 sf. Accessory structures: 40 ft front, 20 ft side, 25 ft rear) | 2 ac | 40 / 40 / 50 ft | 38 ft | Special permit |
| Residence 4 — four-acre (min lot 174,240 sf / 4 acres; 225 ft minimum road frontage; 250 ft average lot width; 40 ft front, 40 ft side, 80 ft rear; 10% maximum IMPERVIOUS surface coverage; 38 ft height; minimum livable first-floor area 1,000 sf. The Town's lowest-density district. Accessory structures: 40 ft front, 20 ft side, 25 ft rear) | 4 ac | 40 / 40 / 80 ft | 38 ft | Special permit |
| General Business (min lot 30,000 sf; 100 ft minimum road frontage; 15 ft front, 15 ft side, 25 ft rear; 65% maximum IMPERVIOUS surface coverage; 38 ft height; minimum floor area 900 sf. § 154 permits a building in the GB district to contain one or more apartments subject to conditions — that is a permitted apartment use, not an accessory apartment. Accessory structures: 25 ft front, 10 ft side, 10 ft rear) | 0.69 ac | 15 / 15 / 25 ft | 38 ft | No |
| Commercial 1 (min lot 87,120 sf / 2 acres; 200 ft minimum road frontage; 65 ft front, 30 ft side, 50 ft rear; 65% maximum IMPERVIOUS surface coverage; 35 ft height; minimum floor area 1,500 sf. Accessory structures: 40 ft front, 20 ft side, 30 ft rear) | 2 ac | 65 / 30 / 50 ft | 35 ft | No |
| Industrial (min lot 87,120 sf / 2 acres; 200 ft minimum road frontage; 65 ft front, 30 ft side, 50 ft rear; 65% maximum IMPERVIOUS surface coverage; 35 ft height; minimum floor area 1,500 sf. Accessory structures: 40 ft front, 20 ft side, 30 ft rear) | 2 ac | 65 / 30 / 50 ft | 35 ft | No |
| Commercial Recreation (min lot 200 ACRES — by far the largest minimum in the county; 200 ft minimum road frontage; 65 ft front, 30 ft side, 50 ft rear; 25% maximum IMPERVIOUS surface coverage; 35 ft height. A destination-scale district for golf courses, country clubs, conference and cultural centers. Accessory structures: 40 ft front, 20 ft side, 30 ft rear) | 200 ac | 65 / 30 / 50 ft | 35 ft | No |
| Open Space Overlay District (minimum lot size is set by § 138-49.A of the Subdivision chapter rather than by a fixed figure in the Zoning Schedule, so no numeric minimum is recorded; 125 ft minimum road frontage; 150 ft average lot width; 35 ft front, 30 ft side, 40 ft rear; 20% maximum IMPERVIOUS surface coverage; 35 ft height; minimum livable first-floor area 1,000 sf. Lots in this overlay must ALSO comply with Chapter 138, Part 2, which imposes additional restrictions on top of the underlying residence district's requirements — the overlay is additive, never a relaxation) | — | 35 / 30 / 40 ft | 35 ft | Special permit |
Short-term rentals
Short-term rentals allowed with registration. A rental permit is required, and it is NOT in the zoning chapter. Chapter 129, the Rental Registration Law (L.L. No. 9-2007, effective 1-30-2008), requires a permit for every rental dwelling unit under § 129-4, with application, fee, review, term and renewal at §§ 129-5 through 129-8 and a public register at § 129-9. There is no minimum-stay exclusion: § 129-6C sets a distinct fee tier for hotel/motel businesses catering to transient clientele and defines a 'short duration of time' as not more than 21 consecutive days, which prices short stays rather than exempting them. § 129-10 conditions the permit on a working smoke detector, on-site parking, a minimum 100 square feet for a one-room unit, and independent kitchen facilities in each unit, and § 129-11 authorises inspections on consent. Zoning Chapter 154 separately permits a BED-AND-BREAKFAST INN under § 154-102 — owner-occupied, with 'transient' defined at § 154-115 as not more than 14 consecutive days or 28 days a year. New York State's 2025 short-term rental registry (Ch. 99 of the Laws of 2025) separately requires every host statewide to register the unit regardless of local law. Confirm with Town of Patterson at (845) 878-6500 before listing.
Good to know
- UtilityNYSEG territory.
- Building dept(845) 878-6500
- Last reviewed2026-07-27
Working out a budget? A standard-finish build here runs $222–$291/sq ft , and a conforming lot adds about $13,649 on top - see the full cost to build a house in Patterson, or what an ADU costs here.
Sizing up a specific parcel in Patterson?
Aldo pulls the exact zoning district, setbacks, and build feasibility for any parcel — before you buy. Enter your email to open Aldo and run your free report.
Other Putnam County towns
All Putnam County zoning: Carmel · Kent · Philipstown · Putnam Valley · Southeast · Brewster (Village) · Cold Spring (Village) · Nelsonville (Village)
Zoning figures for Town of Patterson are compiled from the municipal code (last reviewed 2026-07-27) and provided for decision-support only - not legal, engineering, or architectural advice. Setback and dimensional standards often carry conditions and exceptions; verify with the building department at (845) 878-6500 before relying on any number. Source: Offsite / Aldo zoning dataset, municipalData.js.