Ulster County
Town of Esopus, NY: zoning for new construction
Residential lots in the Town of Esopus run from a 0.1722-acre minimum in RG Residential Gateway up to 4.5914 acres in RF-1 Rural Farmland, across 13 zoning districts in all. Short-term rentals allowed with local rules. 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 (845) 338-6671 before you rely on a figure.
Looking specifically at an accessory dwelling unit? See ADU rules for Esopus →
Zoning districts
| District | Min lot | Setbacks F / S / R | Max height | ADU |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| RF-1 Rural Farmland | 4.5914 ac | 75 / 50 / 100 ft | 35 ft | As of right |
| RF-2 Rural Farmland | 2.2957 ac | 50 / 30 / 75 ft | 35 ft | As of right |
| R-40 Residential | 0.9183 ac | 40 / 20 / 35 ft | 35 ft | As of right |
| R-12 Residential | 0.287 ac | 30 / 15 / 30 ft | 35 ft | As of right |
| RG Residential Gateway | 0.1722 ac | 4 / 10 / 20 ft | 35 ft | As of right |
| BC Bluestone Commercial | 0.1722 ac | 4 / 10 / 20 ft | 35 ft | As of right |
| NC Neighborhood Commercial | 0.4591 ac | 20 / 20 / 30 ft | 35 ft | As of right |
| GC-1 General Commercial | 0.9183 ac | 40 / 20 / 50 ft | 35 ft | As of right |
| GC-2 General Commercial | 0.9183 ac | 40 / 20 / 50 ft | 35 ft | As of right |
| LI Light Industrial | 2 ac | 30 / 50 / 50 ft | 35 ft | No |
| HI Heavy Industrial | 10 ac | 100 / 100 / 100 ft | 50 ft | No |
| W Waterfront | — | 20 / 20 / 20 ft | 35 ft | No |
| WR Waterfront Residential | — | 20 / 20 / 20 ft | 15 ft | No |
RF-1 Rural Farmland, RF-2 Rural Farmland, R-40 Residential, LI Light Industrial, HI Heavy Industrial — Base density and the maximum number of dwelling units on a parcel — or of new parcels a subdivision may create — are CALCULATED under § 123-24B, not read off this schedule (schedule note 1). Further lot and yard regulations are in § 123-24E through I (note 2).
R-12 Residential — THE BASE ROW IS THE MOST PERMISSIVE CASE. R-12 publishes three rows and 12,500 sq ft applies only where the lot is served by BOTH central sewer and central water. The middle row — central sewer OR water — requires 25,000 sq ft at 17.5% coverage, with the same 100 ft width and depth and the same 30/15/30 yards. That row is a disjunction, exactly one utility, which a conjunctive `when` cannot state without restating this basis, so it is recorded here rather than as a variant. The no-utilities row IS a variant. Base density and the maximum number of dwelling units on a parcel — or of new parcels a subdivision may create — are CALCULATED under § 123-24B, not read off this schedule (schedule note 1). Further lot and yard regulations are in § 123-24E through I (note 2).
RG Residential Gateway, BC Bluestone Commercial — The schedule row is "RG and BC, served by Central S and W", so the base figures assume both utilities. Front yard is a RANGE: 4 ft minimum and 10 ft maximum — the 4 ft recorded above is the minimum. The schedule states no minimum lot depth. Base density and the maximum number of dwelling units on a parcel — or of new parcels a subdivision may create — are CALCULATED under § 123-24B, not read off this schedule (schedule note 1). Further lot and yard regulations are in § 123-24E through I (note 2).
NC Neighborhood Commercial — A RESIDENCE in NC takes the R-12 District's lot area and dimensions, not these (schedule note 3); the base row is the nonresidential standard. Base density and the maximum number of dwelling units on a parcel — or of new parcels a subdivision may create — are CALCULATED under § 123-24B, not read off this schedule (schedule note 1). Further lot and yard regulations are in § 123-24E through I (note 2).
GC-1 General Commercial — A RESIDENCE in GC-1 takes the R-12 District's lot area and dimensions, not these (schedule note 3); the base row is the nonresidential standard. Base density and the maximum number of dwelling units on a parcel — or of new parcels a subdivision may create — are CALCULATED under § 123-24B, not read off this schedule (schedule note 1). Further lot and yard regulations are in § 123-24E through I (note 2).
GC-2 General Commercial — A RESIDENCE in GC-2 takes the R-12 District's lot area and dimensions, not these (schedule note 3); the base row is the nonresidential standard. Base density and the maximum number of dwelling units on a parcel — or of new parcels a subdivision may create — are CALCULATED under § 123-24B, not read off this schedule (schedule note 1). Further lot and yard regulations are in § 123-24E through I (note 2).
W Waterfront — The schedule states no minimum lot area, no minimum lot depth and no maximum coverage for W. Base density and the maximum number of dwelling units on a parcel — or of new parcels a subdivision may create — are CALCULATED under § 123-24B, not read off this schedule (schedule note 1). Further lot and yard regulations are in § 123-24E through I (note 2).
WR Waterfront Residential — The schedule states no minimum lot area, no minimum lot depth and no maximum coverage for WR. Maximum height is 15 ft, the lowest in the town. Base density and the maximum number of dwelling units on a parcel — or of new parcels a subdivision may create — are CALCULATED under § 123-24B, not read off this schedule (schedule note 1). Further lot and yard regulations are in § 123-24E through I (note 2).
Short-term rentals
Short-term rentals allowed with local rules. Short-term rental is a defined and regulated use in the Town of Esopus. § 123-61 of Zoning Chapter 123 defines SHORT-TERM RENTAL as an accessory use or supplementary business letting a dwelling for less than 30 days, and splits it into SHORT-TERM RENTAL, OWNER-OCCUPIED and SHORT-TERM RENTAL, NON-OWNER-OCCUPIED — a split that normally carries different permissions by district. 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 Esopus at (845) 338-6671 before listing. Municipal source
Good to know
- UtilityCentral Hudson territory.
- Zoning codeecode360.com/ES0782
- Building dept(845) 338-6671
- Last reviewedApr 2026
Working out a budget? A standard-finish build here runs $206–$270/sq ft , and a conforming lot adds about $3,492 on top - see the full cost to build a house in Esopus, or what an ADU costs here.
Sizing up a specific parcel in Esopus?
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 Ulster County towns
All Ulster County zoning: Kingston (City) · Denning · Gardiner · Hardenburgh · Hurley · Lloyd · Marbletown · Marlborough · New Paltz · Olive · Plattekill · Rochester · Rosendale · Saugerties · Shandaken · Shawangunk · Ulster · Wawarsing · Woodstock
Zoning figures for Town of Esopus are compiled from the municipal code (last reviewed Apr 2026) 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) 338-6671 before relying on any number. Source: Offsite / Aldo zoning dataset, municipalData.js.