Ulster County
Town of Saugerties, NY: zoning for new construction
Saugerties runs nine zoning districts, with residential lots starting around half an acre in the denser zones and topping out at 2 acres in Low-Density Residential. If you're thinking about renting, the town tightened up in 2022 - Local Law No. 2 requires an operating permit ($250 to apply) and you also register with Ulster County for occupancy tax. Central Hudson serves the area for power; check the exact district and setbacks with the Building Department at (845) 246-2800.
Looking specifically at an accessory dwelling unit? See ADU rules for Saugerties →
Zoning districts
| District | Min lot | Setbacks F / S / R | Max height | ADU |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Low-Density Residential (LDR) | 2 ac | 50 / 30 / 50 ft | 35 ft | As of right |
| Moderate-Density Residential (MDR) | 1 ac | 30 / 25 / 40 ft | 35 ft | As of right |
| High-Density Residential (HDR) | 1 ac | 30 / 25 / 40 ft | 35 ft | As of right |
| Residential Hamlet (R-H) | 1 ac | 30 / 25 / 40 ft | 35 ft | As of right |
| General Business (GB) | 0.4591 ac | 25 / 15 / 50 ft | 60 ft | As of right |
| Highway Business (HB) | 1 ac | 40 / 20 / 50 ft | 30 ft | As of right |
| Industrial (I) | 2 ac | 40 / 30 / 50 ft | 60 ft | No |
| Office/Light Industrial (OLI) | 2 ac | 40 / 40 / 50 ft | 40 ft | As of right |
| Recreational Business (RB) | 2 ac | 40 / 30 / 50 ft | 35 ft | As of right |
Low-Density Residential (LDR) — One row for the district — LDR does not vary with utility service.
Moderate-Density Residential (MDR) — One row for the district — MDR does not vary with utility service.
High-Density Residential (HDR) — The base row is a one- or two-family dwelling with no central utilities. Multifamily density is set PER BEDROOM, not per unit: 13,000 sq ft per bedroom with no central utilities, 6,500 with central sewer or water, 3,250 with both. Bedroom count has no term in the condition vocabulary, so the per-bedroom figure is stated here and only the lot, yard, height and coverage standards are recorded as variants.
Residential Hamlet (R-H) — R-H reprints nothing: residential follows the HDR District and nonresidential the GB District. The base row is a one- or two-family dwelling with no central utilities. Multifamily density is set PER BEDROOM, not per unit: 13,000 sq ft per bedroom with no central utilities, 6,500 with central sewer or water, 3,250 with both. Bedroom count has no term in the condition vocabulary, so the per-bedroom figure is stated here and only the lot, yard, height and coverage standards are recorded as variants.
General Business (GB) — The base row is the nonresidential standard; residential in GB follows the HDR District outright, so every residential case is stated as a variant. Multifamily density is set PER BEDROOM, not per unit: 13,000 sq ft per bedroom with no central utilities, 6,500 with central sewer or water, 3,250 with both. Bedroom count has no term in the condition vocabulary, so the per-bedroom figure is stated here and only the lot, yard, height and coverage standards are recorded as variants.
Highway Business (HB) — One row for the district. HDR nonresidential uses are held to these standards too.
Industrial (I), Office/Light Industrial (OLI) — One row for the district.
Recreational Business (RB) — One row for the district. Subject to site plan review.
Short-term rentals
Short-term rentals allowed with registration. Operating permit required from Town of Saugerties Building Department under Local Law No. 2 of 2022 (Chapter 194). Initial application fee $250. Must also register with Ulster County for occupancy tax. Contact Building Dept at (845) 246-2800. Municipal source
Good to know
- UtilityCentral Hudson territory.
- Zoning codeecode360.com/SA2874
- Building dept(845) 246-2800
- Last reviewed2026-08-16
Working out a budget? A standard-finish build here runs $206–$270/sq ft , and a conforming lot adds about $14,288 on top - see the full cost to build a house in Saugerties, or what an ADU costs here.
Sizing up a specific parcel in Saugerties?
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 · Esopus · Gardiner · Hardenburgh · Hurley · Lloyd · Marbletown · Marlborough · New Paltz · Olive · Plattekill · Rochester · Rosendale · Shandaken · Shawangunk · Ulster · Wawarsing · Woodstock
Zoning figures for Town of Saugerties are compiled from the municipal code (last reviewed 2026-08-16) 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) 246-2800 before relying on any number. Source: Offsite / Aldo zoning dataset, municipalData.js.