Rockland County
Village of Upper Nyack, NY: zoning for new construction
Residential lots in the Village of Upper Nyack run from a 0.17-acre minimum in High-Density Residential up to 3.67 acres in Residential-Conservation, across 11 zoning districts in all. Short-term rentals allowed with local rules. Power here is Orange & Rockland territory. The district table below has the setbacks, height limits and coverage - confirm the specifics with the building department at (845) 358-0084 before you rely on a figure.
Looking specifically at an accessory dwelling unit? See ADU rules for Upper Nyack →
Zoning districts
| District | Min lot | Setbacks F / S / R | Max height | ADU |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residential-Conservation (min lot width and frontage 175 ft; side yards 100 ft each / 200 ft total; max development coverage 10% and max building coverage 5% of net lot area; max FAR 0.10; accessory buildings capped at 15 ft) | 3.67 ac | 50 / 100 / 100 ft | 35 ft | Special permit |
| Residential-Conservation (min lot width and frontage 175 ft; side yards 30 ft each / 60 ft total; max development coverage 10% and max building coverage 5% of net lot area; max FAR 0.10; accessory buildings capped at 15 ft) | 1.84 ac | 50 / 30 / 30 ft | 35 ft | Special permit |
| Low Density Residential (min lot width and frontage 150 ft; side yards 30 ft each / 60 ft total; max development coverage 20% and max building coverage 10% of net lot area; max FAR 0.15. Height rises to 35 ft if the principal building is set back at least 45 ft from the front lot line and 35 ft from the side and rear lot lines) | 0.92 ac | 35 / 30 / 30 ft | 28 ft | Special permit |
| Low-Medium Density Residential (min lot width and frontage 100 ft; side yards 25 ft each / 50 ft total; max development coverage 25% and max building coverage 12% of net lot area; max FAR 0.20. Height rises to 35 ft if the principal building is set back at least 45 ft from the front lot line and 35 ft from the side and rear lot lines) | 0.69 ac | 35 / 25 / 25 ft | 28 ft | Special permit |
| Medium Density Residential (min lot width and frontage 100 ft; side yards 25 ft each / 50 ft total; max development coverage 25% and max building coverage 12% of net lot area; max FAR 0.20. Height rises to 35 ft if the principal building is set back at least 45 ft from the front lot line and 35 ft from the side and rear lot lines) | 0.46 ac | 35 / 25 / 25 ft | 28 ft | Special permit |
| Medium-High Density Residential (min lot width and frontage 90 ft; side yards 25 ft each / 50 ft total; max development coverage 40% and max building coverage 20% of net lot area; max FAR 0.25) | 0.23 ac | 35 / 25 / 25 ft | 28 ft | Special permit |
| High-Density Residential (min lot width and frontage 75 ft; side yards 10 ft each / 20 ft total; max development coverage 40% and max building coverage 20% of net lot area; max FAR 0.25. An accessory apartment here still needs a 10,000 sf lot, well above the 7,500 sf district minimum) | 0.17 ac | 15 / 10 / 25 ft | 25 ft | Special permit |
| Marine Business (min lot width and frontage 50 ft; side yards 25 ft each / 50 ft total; max development coverage 80% and max building coverage 30% of net lot area; max FAR 0.5. No dwelling units are permitted in this district) | 0.92 ac | 35 / 25 / 15 ft | 35 ft | No |
| Village Center (min lot width and frontage 30 ft; side yards 5 ft each / 10 ft total; max development coverage 80% and max building coverage 30% of net lot area; max FAR 0.5. Front yard is measured off the specific street: 10 ft from a lot line adjacent to North Broadway, 5 ft from a lot line adjacent to Castle Heights Avenue or School Street — the 5 ft figure is recorded here. One-family dwellings are permitted by right, and dwelling units above a nonresidential use are allowed by special permit at one unit per 7,500 sf of net lot area) | 0.09 ac | 5 / 5 / 10 ft | 35 ft | No |
| Office Business (min lot width and frontage 100 ft; side yards 15 ft each / 30 ft total; max development coverage 80% and max building coverage 30% of net lot area; max FAR 0.5; minimum 35 ft between buildings on the same lot) | 0.57 ac | 20 / 15 / 15 ft | 35 ft | No |
| OB Residential Overlay (min lot width and frontage 90 ft; side yards 15 ft each / 30 ft total; max development coverage 40% and max building coverage 20% of net lot area; max FAR 0.25. Front setback is 20 ft generally but 40 ft from Route 9W. One-family dwellings are the principal permitted use and the district has NO special-permit uses, so no accessory apartment and no short-term rental here) | 0.32 ac | 20 / 15 / 25 ft | 35 ft | No |
Short-term rentals
Short-term rentals allowed with local rules. Short-term rental is a DEFINED and REGULATED use in Upper Nyack: § 2.1.112 defines it as renting a dwelling unit for lodging for less than 30 days, and § 9.6.19.1 makes short-term rental without a Special Use Permit expressly PROHIBITED. Conditions on the permit: the lot and all buildings must be inspected by the Code Enforcement Official before the permit is granted and annually thereafter (or certified by a licensed NY architect or engineer, per L.L. 1 of 2025); at least 2 parking spaces on the same lot, plus 1 more for each bedroom above four; the owner's and a permanently reachable contact person's name, address, phone and email must be filed with the Building Department and kept current; occupancy may not exceed what the Uniform Code allows; the permit must be renewed within 6 months of any transfer of title, with a note to that effect on the certificate of occupancy; and the Certificate of Compliance must be posted conspicuously inside the dwelling. Short-term rental is available by special permit in the seven residential districts and in VC; it is NOT a listed use in MB, OB or OBRO. Separately, since 2025 New York State requires every short-term-rental host to register the unit with the State through the county registry.
Good to know
- UtilityOrange & Rockland territory.
- Building dept(845) 358-0084
- Last reviewed2026-07-22
Working out a budget? A standard-finish build here runs $229–$300/sq ft - see the full cost to build a house in Upper Nyack, or what an ADU costs here.
Sizing up a specific parcel in Upper Nyack?
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 Rockland County towns
All Rockland County zoning: Clarkstown · Haverstraw · Orangetown · Ramapo · Stony Point · Airmont (Village) · Chestnut Ridge (Village) · Grand View-on-Hudson (Village) · Haverstraw (Village) · Hillburn (Village) · Montebello (Village) · New Hempstead (Village) · Nyack (Village) · Piermont (Village) · Pomona (Village) · Sloatsburg (Village) · Spring Valley (Village) · Suffern (Village) · Wesley Hills (Village) · West Haverstraw (Village)
Zoning figures for Village of Upper Nyack are compiled from the municipal code (last reviewed 2026-07-22) 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) 358-0084 before relying on any number. Source: Offsite / Aldo zoning dataset, municipalData.js.