Putnam County
Town of Philipstown, NY: zoning for new construction
Philipstown, which holds Cold Spring and Garrison and the land behind them, zones large - Rural Conservation is a 10-acre minimum for a conventional subdivision and Rural Residential is 5, though the conservation-density option brings those down to 5 and 3 acres per dwelling unit. The percentage in the table is where people get caught, because Philipstown caps maximum impervious surface rather than building coverage, so the 10% in RC and RR has to cover the house, the driveway and every bit of paving together. Front setbacks are measured from the center line of the traveled way instead of the property line, and height is capped at 40 feet and three stories town-wide. Short-term rentals aren't listed anywhere in the use table, which is not permission either, so call the Building Department at (845) 265-5202, and note that New York has required every STR host to register through the county registry since 2025.
Looking specifically at an accessory dwelling unit? See ADU rules for Philipstown →
Zoning districts
| District | Min lot | Setbacks F / S / R | Max height | ADU |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rural Conservation (min lot 10 acres for a conventional subdivision, or 5 acres per dwelling unit under the conservation-density option; 250 ft town-road / 300 ft county-road frontage; combined this is a low-density open-space district. Maximum IMPERVIOUS surface coverage 10%; nonresidential structures capped at 6,000 sf footprint; 3 stories) | 10 ac | 60 / 30 / 50 ft | 40 ft | Special permit |
| Rural Residential (min lot 5 acres conventional, or 3 acres per dwelling unit conservation-density; 250 ft town-road / 400 ft county-road frontage. Maximum IMPERVIOUS surface coverage 10%; nonresidential footprint capped at 4,000 sf; 3 stories) | 5 ac | 60 / 30 / 50 ft | 40 ft | Special permit |
| Hamlet Mixed-Use (min lot size VARIES with the availability of municipal water and sewer per § 175-11D — no single figure applies, so minLotSize is null. This is the town center: 25 ft town-road front setback, 10 ft side (may be zero for party-wall or zero-lot-line buildings), 15 ft rear; a build-to line may be set to hold the street wall. Maximum IMPERVIOUS surface coverage 50%; nonresidential footprint capped at 10,000 sf, raisable to 60,000 sf by special permit for a supermarket or theater; 3 stories) | — | 25 / 10 / 15 ft | 40 ft | Special permit |
| Hamlet Residential (min lot size VARIES with municipal water and sewer per § 175-11D, so minLotSize is null; 25 ft town-road front, 10 ft side, 10 ft rear. Maximum IMPERVIOUS surface coverage 30%; nonresidential footprint capped at 5,000 sf; 3 stories) | — | 25 / 10 / 10 ft | 40 ft | Special permit |
| Suburban Residential (min lot 40,000 sf conventional; 200 ft frontage; 50 ft town-road front setback, 30 ft side, 25 ft rear. Maximum IMPERVIOUS surface coverage 20%; nonresidential footprint capped at 5,000 sf; 3 stories) | 0.92 ac | 50 / 30 / 25 ft | 40 ft | Special permit |
| Highway Commercial (min lot 40,000 sf; 200 ft town-road / 300 ft county-road frontage; 25 ft town-road front setback, 15 ft side, 35 ft rear, with a wooded buffer required where the lot abuts a residential district. Maximum IMPERVIOUS surface coverage 60%; nonresidential footprint capped at 40,000 sf; 3 stories) | 0.92 ac | 25 / 15 / 35 ft | 40 ft | Special permit |
| Office/Commercial/Industry Mixed-Use (min lot 2 acres; 200 ft frontage; 50 ft town-road / 100 ft county-road front setback, 20 ft side, 35 ft rear, wooded buffer where abutting a residential district. Maximum IMPERVIOUS surface coverage 60%; nonresidential footprint capped at 200,000 sf; 3 stories) | 2 ac | 50 / 20 / 35 ft | 40 ft | Special permit |
| Industrial/Manufacturing (min lot 5 acres; 200 ft frontage; 100 ft front setback, 50 ft side, 50 ft rear, wooded buffer where abutting a residential district. Maximum IMPERVIOUS surface coverage 30%; no nonresidential footprint cap; 3 stories) | 5 ac | 100 / 50 / 50 ft | 40 ft | No |
| Institutional Conservation (min lot 20 acres, or 20 acres per dwelling unit conservation-density; 200 ft frontage; 50 ft town-road / 100 ft county-road front setback, 50 ft side, 50 ft rear. Maximum IMPERVIOUS surface coverage 10%; 3 stories) | 20 ac | 50 / 50 / 50 ft | 40 ft | Special permit |
Short-term rentals
Short-term-rental status not confirmed. Short-term rental status not confirmed for the Town of Philipstown. The Use Table does not list a short-term-rental use; the nearest listed uses are 'bed-and-breakfast' (permitted by right subject to site plan in every district) and accessory apartments — neither is a whole-house short-term rental. Absence of a found STR provision is NOT permission: call the Building Department at (845) 265-5202 to confirm before listing a property. Separately, since 2025 New York State requires every short-term-rental host to register the unit with the State through the county registry, regardless of what the municipality allows.
Good to know
- UtilityCentral Hudson territory.
- Building dept(845) 265-5202
- Last reviewed2026-07-23
Working out a budget? A standard-finish build here runs $222–$291/sq ft , and a conforming lot adds about $44,060 on top - see the full cost to build a house in Philipstown, or what an ADU costs here.
Sizing up a specific parcel in Philipstown?
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 · Patterson · Putnam Valley · Southeast · Brewster (Village) · Cold Spring (Village) · Nelsonville (Village)
Zoning figures for Town of Philipstown are compiled from the municipal code (last reviewed 2026-07-23) 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) 265-5202 before relying on any number. Source: Offsite / Aldo zoning dataset, municipalData.js.