ADU · Ulster County
Can you build an ADU in New Paltz, NY?
Town of New Paltz has 11 districts. 8 districts allow ADUs with occupancy restrictions, 2 require a special-use permit, 1 does not. Check your address to confirm the district that applies to your parcel:
What the New Paltz code indicates by district
The table below shows how each district treats ADUs, alongside the lot and setback standards that govern a second unit. District boundaries and conditions vary, so treat this as a starting point and confirm the district that applies to your parcel.
| District | Min lot | Setbacks F / S / R | Max height | ADU |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Agricultural (A-1.5) | 1.5 ac | 50 / 20 / 50 ft | 35 ft | Occupancy restricted |
| Agricultural (A-3) | 3 ac | 50 / 20 / 50 ft | 35 ft | Occupancy restricted |
| Residential (R-1) | 1.01 ac | 50 / 20 / 50 ft | 35 ft | Occupancy restricted |
| Business-2 (B-2) | 0.1722 ac | 35 / - / 25 ft | 40 ft | Special permit |
| Light Industrial (I-1) | 0.3444 ac | 50 / 25 / 50 ft | 40 ft | No |
| Floodplain Watershed (FW) | 3 ac | 50 / 25 / 50 ft | 35 ft | Occupancy restricted |
| Floodplain Fringe (FF) | 3 ac | 50 / 25 / 50 ft | 35 ft | Occupancy restricted |
| General Floodplain (GF) | — | 50 / 25 / 50 ft | 35 ft | Occupancy restricted |
| Main Street Mixed Use (MSMU) | 0.1722 ac | 25 / 10 / 25 ft | 35 ft | Occupancy restricted |
| Gateway Business (GB) | 0.1722 ac | 35 / 20 / 25 ft | 30 ft | Special permit |
| Gateway Hamlet (GH) | 0.1148 ac | 15 / 10 / 25 ft | 35 ft | Occupancy restricted |
Agricultural (A-1.5), Agricultural (A-3) — Min required open space 65%, max impervious coverage 35%. Clustering is available in A-1.5, A-3 and R-1 at Planning Board discretion under § 121-25 and Town Law § 278, and is REQUIRED to be submitted for any subdivision of 15+ acres or 4+ lots. It caps yield at the conforming lot count and states no reduced lot minimum of its own, so no per-condition figure is recorded (schedule note 1).
Residential (R-1) — Min required open space 65%, max impervious coverage 35%. Minimum lot area is 1.01 acres as printed in the schedule, not a round acre. Clustering is available in A-1.5, A-3 and R-1 at Planning Board discretion under § 121-25 and Town Law § 278, and is REQUIRED to be submitted for any subdivision of 15+ acres or 4+ lots. It caps yield at the conforming lot count and states no reduced lot minimum of its own, so no per-condition figure is recorded (schedule note 1).
Business-2 (B-2) — Min required open space 10%, max impervious coverage 90%. Front yard 35 ft, or 65 ft in the part of B-2 east of the Village of New Paltz boundary (note 4). No side yard is required, but any provided must be at least 12.5 ft (note 5). Along the NYS Thruway right-of-way, side and rear yards are 50 ft (note 8). MULTIPLE DWELLINGS: permitted in B-2, with lot size, yards and coverage applied on the same basis as the R-V Variable-Density Residence District (note 3, § 140-20) — 10 acres initial site (5 acres for adaptive reuse), 300 ft width, 500 ft depth, 200 ft frontage on an arterial or collector, 75 ft front and 75 ft side/rear (100 ft adjoining a single-family district), and land per dwelling unit set by bedroom count: 2,500 sq ft studio, 3,000 one-bedroom, 4,000 two-bedroom, 5,000 three-bedroom, 6,000 four-bedroom. R-V is an overlay the Town Board establishes by map amendment and its per-unit figures turn on bedroom count, which has no term in the condition vocabulary, so these are stated here rather than recorded as variants. Townhouses are permitted in B-2 (note 5).
Light Industrial (I-1) — Min required open space 35%, max impervious coverage 65%. Max 3 stories.
Floodplain Watershed (FW), Floodplain Fringe (FF) — Min required open space 65%, max impervious coverage 35%. Floodplain zone — refer to § 140-19 and Chapter 82.
General Floodplain (GF) — The schedule states no minimum lot area for GF. Min required open space 65%, max impervious coverage 35%. Floodplain zone — refer to § 140-19 and Chapter 82.
Main Street Mixed Use (MSMU) — Front setback on state roads: 25 ft plus 1 ft for every foot of building height over 25 ft, to a maximum of 40 ft; on local and county roads, 0 to 10 ft minimum and 20 ft maximum (note 7). Side and rear yards are 50 ft along the NYS Thruway right-of-way (note 8). Maximum building footprint 7,500 sq ft, more than one building per lot allowed (note 9). Every principal building must have at least two occupiable stories (note 10), maximum 3. Max impervious coverage 85% for redevelopment of a developed site and 65% for an undeveloped site (note 11).
Gateway Business (GB) — Min required open space 35%, max impervious coverage 65%. Side and rear yards are 50 ft along the NYS Thruway right-of-way (note 8). Maximum building footprint 10,000 sq ft (note 12). Two stories and 30 ft, but a third story to 35 ft is permitted where the building meets US Green Building Council LEED silver or higher (note 13).
Gateway Hamlet (GH) — Min required open space 30%, max impervious coverage 70%. Front setback 15 ft minimum and 35 ft MAXIMUM (note 14). Maximum building footprint 5,000 sq ft (note 15). Max 3 stories.
ADUs vs. short-term rentals in New Paltz
Short-term rentals allowed with registration for Town of New Paltz. STR registration required. Town of New Paltz requires rental registration for both short-term and long-term non-owner-occupied rentals (Chapter 110). Contact Building Dept at (845) 255-0604 for permit fee and current requirements. These are separate questions from whether you can build an ADU — a unit you're allowed to add isn't automatically one you're allowed to rent nightly, so check both. Municipal source
Good to know
- Residential lot minimum0.1148–3 ac — an ADU still has to fit the district's lot and setback envelope.
- UtilityCentral Hudson territory.
- Zoning codeecode360.com/NE1058
- Building dept(845) 255-0604
- Last reviewedApr 2026
ADU FAQ — New Paltz, NY
Are ADUs allowed in New Paltz, NY?
Town of New Paltz has 11 districts. 8 districts allow ADUs with occupancy restrictions, 2 require a special-use permit, 1 does not. Check your address with the free ADU checker, or confirm with the building department at (845) 255-0604.
Do I need a special permit for an ADU in New Paltz?
It depends on the district: 2 of 11 require a special-use permit, the rest do not. Check the district that applies to your parcel before you design.
Can I use an ADU as a short-term rental in New Paltz?
Short-term rentals allowed with registration for Town of New Paltz. ADU occupancy and short-term-rental rules are separate: an ADU you can build isn't automatically one you can rent nightly. Confirm both before you count on STR income.
What an ADU costs to build in New Paltz
Permission is one question and budget is another. An 800 sq ft accessory unit here runs roughly $200k–265k at a standard finish, and the per-square-foot rate comes in above a full house because the kitchen, bath, panel and heating plant cost the same either way. See the full cost to build an ADU in New Paltz, priced by size.
More on New Paltz: Full zoning for new construction · ADU build cost · House build cost · All Ulster County towns
ADU information for Town of New Paltz is compiled from the municipal code (last reviewed Apr 2026) and provided for decision-support only — not legal or architectural advice. ADU eligibility, size, owner-occupancy and permit conditions vary by district and often carry exceptions; verify with the building department at (845) 255-0604 before relying on any answer. Source: Offsite / Aldo zoning dataset, municipalData.js.