Ulster County
City of Kingston, NY: zoning for new construction
The City of Kingston uses a form-based code, which regulates buildings by physical form and transect zone rather than the use-based districts you'll find in the surrounding towns. If you're building or developing in Kingston, the transect zone matters more than a simple acreage minimum. In the most urban zones like T5 Main Street, front and side setbacks can be zero - buildings come right to the sidewalk to hold the street edge. Confirm the exact transect and standards for your parcel with the City Codes Department before you rely on any figure.
Looking specifically at an accessory dwelling unit? See ADU rules for Kingston →
Zoning districts
| District | Min lot | Setbacks F / S / R | Max height | ADU |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| T5 Main Street (T5-MS) | — | 0 / 0 / 5 ft | — | As of right |
| T5 Flex (T5-F) | — | 0 / 0 / 10 ft | — | As of right |
| T5 Neighborhood (T5N) | — | 0 / 0 / 5 ft | — | As of right |
| T4 Main Street (T4-MS) | — | 0 / 0 / 10 ft | — | As of right |
| T4 Neighborhood-Open (T4N-O) | — | 5 / 3 / 10 ft | — | As of right |
| T4 Neighborhood (T4N) | — | 10 / 8 / 15 ft | — | As of right |
| T3 Neighborhood-Open (T3N-O) | — | 20 / 8 / 15 ft | — | As of right |
| T3 Neighborhood (T3N) | — | 20 / 8 / 15 ft | — | As of right |
| T3 Large Lot (T3L) | — | 20 / 10 / 20 ft | — | As of right |
| T2 Conservation (T2C) | — | 20 / 15 / 20 ft | — | As of right |
| T1 Natural (T1N) | — | — | — | No |
| SD-W Waterfront Special District | — | 25 / 12 / - ft | — | — |
T5 Main Street (T5-MS) — Form-based code — build-to zone: front BTZ 0 to 5 ft, no side setback, rear 5 ft. Max 4 stories (6 with bonus on Broadway/Cornell Corridor). Max lot coverage 100%. Max footprint 25,000 sq ft. Max lot width 200 ft. Kingston regulates in STORIES, not feet, so these districts publish no height in feet. The dimensional figures come from the per-transect tables in §§ 405-6 through 405-10, which this pass did not re-read; the district roster, intents and story ceilings were confirmed against Table 405.5.A. The story ceilings above can rise under the § 405-20 bonus height incentive, which is earned through the § 405-19 affordable housing standards. What qualifies is the KIND of development, which has no term in the condition vocabulary, so no bonus figure is recorded as a per-condition standard.
T5 Flex (T5-F) — Form-based code: front BTZ 0 to 15 ft, no side setback, rear 10 ft (lot) or 5 ft (alley). Max 4 stories (6 with bonus). No maximum footprint. Max lot width 150 ft. Kingston regulates in STORIES, not feet, so these districts publish no height in feet. The dimensional figures come from the per-transect tables in §§ 405-6 through 405-10, which this pass did not re-read; the district roster, intents and story ceilings were confirmed against Table 405.5.A. The story ceilings above can rise under the § 405-20 bonus height incentive, which is earned through the § 405-19 affordable housing standards. What qualifies is the KIND of development, which has no term in the condition vocabulary, so no bonus figure is recorded as a per-condition standard.
T5 Neighborhood (T5N) — Form-based code: front BTZ 0 to 10 ft, no side setback, rear 5 ft. Max 3.5 stories (4.5 on Broadway/Cornell Corridor). Max footprint 10,000 sq ft. Max lot width 100 ft. Kingston regulates in STORIES, not feet, so these districts publish no height in feet. The dimensional figures come from the per-transect tables in §§ 405-6 through 405-10, which this pass did not re-read; the district roster, intents and story ceilings were confirmed against Table 405.5.A. The story ceilings above can rise under the § 405-20 bonus height incentive, which is earned through the § 405-19 affordable housing standards. What qualifies is the KIND of development, which has no term in the condition vocabulary, so no bonus figure is recorded as a per-condition standard. RECONCILE BEFORE RELYING ON THE STORY CEILING: Table 405.5.A gives T5 Neighborhood "up to 3.5 stories (5.5 with bonus)", while the note here records 4.5 on the Broadway/Cornell Corridor. The two may be different provisions — a general bonus and a corridor-specific one — and § 405-6 has not been read to settle it.
T4 Main Street (T4-MS) — Form-based code: front BTZ 0 to 5 ft, no side setback, rear 10 ft (lot) or 5 ft (alley). Max 3 stories (4 with bonus). Max coverage 80%. Max footprint 6,000 sq ft. Max lot width 150 ft. Kingston regulates in STORIES, not feet, so these districts publish no height in feet. The dimensional figures come from the per-transect tables in §§ 405-6 through 405-10, which this pass did not re-read; the district roster, intents and story ceilings were confirmed against Table 405.5.A. The story ceilings above can rise under the § 405-20 bonus height incentive, which is earned through the § 405-19 affordable housing standards. What qualifies is the KIND of development, which has no term in the condition vocabulary, so no bonus figure is recorded as a per-condition standard.
T4 Neighborhood-Open (T4N-O) — Form-based code: front BTZ contextual or 5 to 15 ft, side 3 ft min midblock, rear 10 ft (lot) or 5 ft (alley). Max 2.5 stories (3.5 with bonus). Max coverage 70%. Max footprint 5,000 sq ft. Kingston regulates in STORIES, not feet, so these districts publish no height in feet. The dimensional figures come from the per-transect tables in §§ 405-6 through 405-10, which this pass did not re-read; the district roster, intents and story ceilings were confirmed against Table 405.5.A. The story ceilings above can rise under the § 405-20 bonus height incentive, which is earned through the § 405-19 affordable housing standards. What qualifies is the KIND of development, which has no term in the condition vocabulary, so no bonus figure is recorded as a per-condition standard.
T4 Neighborhood (T4N) — Form-based code: front BTZ contextual or 10 to 25 ft, side 8 ft min midblock (contextual), rear 15 ft. Max 2.5 stories. Max coverage 70%. Max footprint 4,000 sq ft. Min lot width 40 ft. Kingston regulates in STORIES, not feet, so these districts publish no height in feet. The dimensional figures come from the per-transect tables in §§ 405-6 through 405-10, which this pass did not re-read; the district roster, intents and story ceilings were confirmed against Table 405.5.A. The story ceilings above can rise under the § 405-20 bonus height incentive, which is earned through the § 405-19 affordable housing standards. What qualifies is the KIND of development, which has no term in the condition vocabulary, so no bonus figure is recorded as a per-condition standard.
T3 Neighborhood-Open (T3N-O) — Form-based code: front BTZ contextual (20 ft min if no adjacent buildings), side 8 ft min midblock (contextual), rear 15 ft. Max 2.5 stories (3.5 with bonus). Max coverage 50%. Max footprint 4,000 sq ft. Max lot width 100 ft. Kingston regulates in STORIES, not feet, so these districts publish no height in feet. The dimensional figures come from the per-transect tables in §§ 405-6 through 405-10, which this pass did not re-read; the district roster, intents and story ceilings were confirmed against Table 405.5.A. The story ceilings above can rise under the § 405-20 bonus height incentive, which is earned through the § 405-19 affordable housing standards. What qualifies is the KIND of development, which has no term in the condition vocabulary, so no bonus figure is recorded as a per-condition standard.
T3 Neighborhood (T3N) — Form-based code: front BTZ contextual (20 ft min if no adjacent buildings), side 8 ft min midblock, rear 15 ft. Max 2.5 stories (no bonus height). Max coverage 50%. Max footprint 4,000 sq ft. Max lot width 100 ft. Kingston regulates in STORIES, not feet, so these districts publish no height in feet. The dimensional figures come from the per-transect tables in §§ 405-6 through 405-10, which this pass did not re-read; the district roster, intents and story ceilings were confirmed against Table 405.5.A. The story ceilings above can rise under the § 405-20 bonus height incentive, which is earned through the § 405-19 affordable housing standards. What qualifies is the KIND of development, which has no term in the condition vocabulary, so no bonus figure is recorded as a per-condition standard.
T3 Large Lot (T3L) — Front 20 ft min (or contextual), each side 10 ft min midblock, street-side 20 ft, rear 20 ft. Max 2.5 stories. Max footprint 4,000 sq ft. Min lot width 50 ft. Kingston regulates in STORIES, not feet, so these districts publish no height in feet. The dimensional figures come from the per-transect tables in §§ 405-6 through 405-10, which this pass did not re-read; the district roster, intents and story ceilings were confirmed against Table 405.5.A. The story ceilings above can rise under the § 405-20 bonus height incentive, which is earned through the § 405-19 affordable housing standards. What qualifies is the KIND of development, which has no term in the condition vocabulary, so no bonus figure is recorded as a per-condition standard.
T2 Conservation (T2C) — Front 20 ft min, each side 15 ft min midblock, street-side 20 ft, rear 20 ft. Max 2.5 stories. Max footprint 4,000 sq ft. Min lot width 75 ft. Low-density conservation character. Kingston regulates in STORIES, not feet, so these districts publish no height in feet. The dimensional figures come from the per-transect tables in §§ 405-6 through 405-10, which this pass did not re-read; the district roster, intents and story ceilings were confirmed against Table 405.5.A. The story ceilings above can rise under the § 405-20 bonus height incentive, which is earned through the § 405-19 affordable housing standards. What qualifies is the KIND of development, which has no term in the condition vocabulary, so no bonus figure is recorded as a per-condition standard.
T1 Natural (T1N) — T1 Natural: open space and natural resources preservation. No residential construction permitted. Civic buildings allowed only with City approval. Kingston regulates in STORIES, not feet, so these districts publish no height in feet. The dimensional figures come from the per-transect tables in §§ 405-6 through 405-10, which this pass did not re-read; the district roster, intents and story ceilings were confirmed against Table 405.5.A. The story ceilings above can rise under the § 405-20 bonus height incentive, which is earned through the § 405-19 affordable housing standards. What qualifies is the KIND of development, which has no term in the condition vocabulary, so no bonus figure is recorded as a per-condition standard.
SD-W Waterfront Special District — Water-dependent uses by right along the Rondout Creek waterfront. Detached buildings, medium-to-large setbacks, up to 2.5 stories. A WATERFRONT SETBACK of 30 ft applies in addition to the yards above and has no field of its own. The 12 ft side setback is the mid-block figure. Kingston regulates in STORIES, not feet, so these districts publish no height in feet. The dimensional figures come from the per-transect tables in §§ 405-6 through 405-10, which this pass did not re-read; the district roster, intents and story ceilings were confirmed against Table 405.5.A.
Short-term rentals
Short-term rentals allowed with registration. Registration required. Annual permit from City of Kingston Codes Department. Owner-occupancy not required. 120-night cap per calendar year. Contact (845) 334-3902 to confirm current fee schedule. Municipal source
Good to know
- Energy codeNew York stretch energy code adopted (2022).
- UtilityCentral Hudson territory.
- Zoning codeecode360.com/KI0280
- Building dept(845) 334-3902
- Last reviewedApr 2026
Working out a budget? A standard-finish build here runs $206–$270/sq ft - see the full cost to build a house in Kingston, or what an ADU costs here.
Sizing up a specific parcel in Kingston?
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Other Ulster County towns
All Ulster County zoning: Denning · Esopus · Gardiner · Hardenburgh · Hurley · Lloyd · Marbletown · Marlborough · New Paltz · Olive · Plattekill · Rochester · Rosendale · Saugerties · Shandaken · Shawangunk · Ulster · Wawarsing · Woodstock
Zoning figures for City of Kingston 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) 334-3902 before relying on any number. Source: Offsite / Aldo zoning dataset, municipalData.js.