ADU · Dutchess County
Can you build an ADU in Beacon, NY?
City of Beacon has 23 districts. All districts allow ADUs with occupancy restrictions. Check your address to confirm the district that applies to your parcel:
What the Beacon code says
An accessory apartment is permitted in every district, but only on a lot with a detached single-family house, and the owner must live in one of the units. It cannot be a short-term rental. Outside R1, RD and T it needs a legal single-family house already standing.
Conditions the code attaches:
- The Building Inspector approves it where setbacks are met; otherwise, or where it exceeds both 1,000 sq ft and 50% of the house's floor area, site plan approval is needed.
- Only one apartment per lot, inside the house or in an accessory building.
- A newly built building containing the apartment must sit at or behind the front line of the house.
- No parking is required.
- An existing structure that does not meet the yard rules can be converted without a variance if it is not enlarged, with design review when it sits close to a neighbour.
What the Beacon 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| One-Family Residence 120,000 Square Feet | 2.75 ac | 70 / 50 / 75 ft | 35 ft | Occupancy restricted |
| One-Family Residence 80,000 Square Feet | 1.84 ac | 45 / 30 / 50 ft | 35 ft | Occupancy restricted |
| One-Family Residence 40,000 Square Feet | 0.92 ac | 35 / 25 / 50 ft | 35 ft | Occupancy restricted |
| One-Family Residence 20,000 Square Feet | 0.46 ac | 25 / 20 / 40 ft | 35 ft | Occupancy restricted |
| One-Family Residence 10,000 Square Feet | 0.23 ac | 20 / 15 / 35 ft | 35 ft | Occupancy restricted |
| One-Family Residence 7,500 Square Feet | 0.17 ac | 15 / 10 / 25 ft | 35 ft | Occupancy restricted |
| One-Family Residence 5,000 Square Feet | 0.11 ac | 10 / 10 / 20 ft | 35 ft | Occupancy restricted |
| Residence District 7,500 Square Feet per Unit | 2 ac | 20 / 25 / 50 ft | 35 ft | Occupancy restricted |
| Residence District 6,000 Square Feet per Unit | 2 ac | 50 / 25 / 50 ft | 35 ft | Occupancy restricted |
| Residence District 5,000 Square Feet per Unit | 0.11 ac | 30 / 10 / 25 ft | 35 ft | Occupancy restricted |
| Residence District 4,000 Square Feet per Unit | 0.11 ac | 40 / 20 / 40 ft | 35 ft | Occupancy restricted |
| Residence District 3,000 Square Feet per Unit | 0.11 ac | 30 / 20 / 25 ft | 45 ft | Occupancy restricted |
| Residence District 1,800 Square Feet per Unit | 0.11 ac | 30 / 20 / 25 ft | 100 ft | Occupancy restricted |
| Residence District 1,700 Square Feet per Unit | 0.11 ac | 30 / 20 / 25 ft | 55 ft | Occupancy restricted |
| Transitional | 0.11 ac | 10 / 10 / 20 ft | 35 ft | Occupancy restricted |
| General Business | — | 15 / 20 / 25 ft | 35 ft | Occupancy restricted |
| Corridor Mixed-Use Service | — | 0 / 0 / 20 ft | 38 ft | Occupancy restricted |
| Linkage | — | 0 / 0 / 25 ft | 48 ft | Occupancy restricted |
| Fishkill Creek Development | 2 ac | — | 40 ft | Occupancy restricted |
| Waterfront Park | 1 ac | 10 / - / - ft | 35 ft | Occupancy restricted |
| Transit Station | 3 ac | — | — | Occupancy restricted |
| Light Industrial | — | 20 / 20 / 25 ft | 35 ft | Occupancy restricted |
| Heavy Industrial | — | 30 / 20 / 25 ft | 40 ft | Occupancy restricted |
One-Family Residence 120,000 Square Feet, One-Family Residence 80,000 Square Feet, One-Family Residence 40,000 Square Feet, One-Family Residence 20,000 Square Feet, One-Family Residence 10,000 Square Feet, One-Family Residence 7,500 Square Feet - No building may contain more than 1 dwelling unit. On a development proposal covering more than three acres, lot area per dwelling unit is calculated on net acreage (§ 223-63).
- Surface water, federal regulatory floodway, state or federally regulated wetland, and predevelopment slopes of 25% or steeper come off the lot area first.
- The overall lot minimum and the land per dwelling unit both bind.
- Height is also capped at 2 1/2 stories.
One-Family Residence 5,000 Square Feet - The minimum lot is 5,000 sq ft but the area per unit is 2,500 sq ft, so two dwelling units are allowed on it, and no building may contain more than 2 dwelling units.
- On a development proposal covering more than three acres, lot area per dwelling unit is calculated on net acreage (§ 223-63).
- Surface water, federal regulatory floodway, state or federally regulated wetland, and predevelopment slopes of 25% or steeper come off the lot area first.
- Height is also capped at 2 1/2 stories.
Residence District 7,500 Square Feet per Unit - A multifamily building may cover only 15% of the lot, and no building may contain more than 12 dwelling units. The front yard is a range of 20 to 35 ft rather than a plain minimum.
- The Planning Board may allow lots as small as 1,800 sq ft for attached or semi-attached single-family homes if gross tract density stays within what the district allows for multiple dwellings.
- For such a subdivision side yards may be cut to zero, but an end unit keeps at least half the side yard of the least restrictive adjoining residential district.
- A multifamily development needs 2,000 sq ft of landscaped recreation or usable open space for the first 20 dwelling units and 100 sq ft for each unit beyond that.
- Buildings on the same lot must stand at least 30 ft apart, and height is also capped at 3 stories.
- On proposals over three acres, lot area per dwelling unit is calculated on net acreage (§ 223-63).
- Surface water, federal regulatory floodway, state or federally regulated wetland, and predevelopment slopes of 25% or steeper come off the lot area first.
Residence District 6,000 Square Feet per Unit - A multifamily building may cover only 15% of the lot, and no building may contain more than 16 dwelling units.
- The Planning Board may allow lots as small as 1,800 sq ft for attached or semi-attached single-family homes if gross tract density stays within what the district allows for multiple dwellings.
- For such a subdivision side yards may be cut to zero, but an end unit keeps at least half the side yard of the least restrictive adjoining residential district.
- A multifamily development needs 2,000 sq ft of landscaped recreation or usable open space for the first 20 dwelling units and 100 sq ft for each unit beyond that.
- Buildings on the same lot must stand at least 30 ft apart, and height is also capped at 2 1/2 stories.
- On proposals over three acres, lot area per dwelling unit is calculated on net acreage (§ 223-63).
- Surface water, federal regulatory floodway, state or federally regulated wetland, and predevelopment slopes of 25% or steeper come off the lot area first.
Residence District 5,000 Square Feet per Unit - A multifamily building may cover only 20% of the lot, and no building may contain more than 16 dwelling units.
- The Planning Board may allow lots as small as 1,800 sq ft for attached or semi-attached single-family homes if gross tract density stays within what the district allows for multiple dwellings.
- For such a subdivision side yards may be cut to zero, but an end unit keeps at least half the side yard of the least restrictive adjoining residential district.
- A multifamily development needs 2,000 sq ft of landscaped recreation or usable open space for the first 20 dwelling units and 100 sq ft for each unit beyond that.
- Buildings on the same lot must stand at least 30 ft apart, and height is also capped at 3 stories.
- On proposals over three acres, lot area per dwelling unit is calculated on net acreage (§ 223-63).
- Surface water, federal regulatory floodway, state or federally regulated wetland, and predevelopment slopes of 25% or steeper come off the lot area first.
Residence District 4,000 Square Feet per Unit - A multifamily building may cover only 20% of the lot, and no building may contain more than 20 dwelling units.
- The Planning Board may allow lots as small as 1,800 sq ft for attached or semi-attached single-family homes if gross tract density stays within what the district allows for multiple dwellings.
- For such a subdivision side yards may be cut to zero, but an end unit keeps at least half the side yard of the least restrictive adjoining residential district.
- A multifamily development needs 2,000 sq ft of landscaped recreation or usable open space for the first 20 dwelling units and 100 sq ft for each unit beyond that.
- Buildings on the same lot must stand at least 30 ft apart, and height is also capped at 2 1/2 stories.
- On proposals over three acres, lot area per dwelling unit is calculated on net acreage (§ 223-63).
- Surface water, federal regulatory floodway, state or federally regulated wetland, and predevelopment slopes of 25% or steeper come off the lot area first.
Residence District 3,000 Square Feet per Unit - A multifamily building may cover only 20% of the lot, and no building may contain more than 24 dwelling units.
- The Planning Board may allow lots as small as 1,800 sq ft for attached or semi-attached single-family homes if gross tract density stays within what the district allows for multiple dwellings.
- For such a subdivision side yards may be cut to zero, but an end unit keeps at least half the side yard of the least restrictive adjoining residential district.
- A multifamily development needs 2,000 sq ft of landscaped recreation or usable open space for the first 20 dwelling units and 100 sq ft for each unit beyond that.
- Buildings on the same lot must stand at least 30 ft apart, and height is also capped at 3 1/2 stories.
- On proposals over three acres, lot area per dwelling unit is calculated on net acreage (§ 223-63).
- Surface water, federal regulatory floodway, state or federally regulated wetland, and predevelopment slopes of 25% or steeper come off the lot area first.
Residence District 1,800 Square Feet per Unit - No more than 65% of the dwelling units in a development may be in buildings over 3 1/2 stories, and no building of 3 1/2 stories or less may hold more than 24 units. A multifamily building may cover only 25% of the lot.
- Height is also capped at 10 stories.
- The Planning Board may allow lots as small as 1,800 sq ft for attached or semi-attached single-family homes if gross tract density stays within what the district allows for multiple dwellings.
- For such a subdivision side yards may be cut to zero, but an end unit keeps at least half the side yard of the least restrictive adjoining residential district.
- A multifamily development needs 2,000 sq ft of landscaped recreation or usable open space for the first 20 dwelling units and 100 sq ft for each unit beyond that.
- Buildings on the same lot must stand at least 30 ft apart.
- On proposals over three acres, lot area per unit is net of surface water, federal regulatory floodway, state or federally regulated wetland and predevelopment slopes of 25% or steeper (§ 223-63).
Residence District 1,700 Square Feet per Unit - One story of parking underneath a building does not count toward the story or height limit, and no building may exceed 150 ft in length. A multifamily building may cover only 25% of the lot, and no building may contain more than 36 dwelling units.
- Height is also capped at 4 1/2 stories.
- The Planning Board may allow lots as small as 1,800 sq ft for attached or semi-attached single-family homes if gross tract density stays within what the district allows for multiple dwellings.
- For such a subdivision side yards may be cut to zero, but an end unit keeps at least half the side yard of the least restrictive adjoining residential district.
- A multifamily development needs 2,000 sq ft of landscaped recreation or usable open space for the first 20 dwelling units and 100 sq ft for each unit beyond that.
- Buildings on the same lot must stand at least 30 ft apart.
- On proposals over three acres, lot area per unit is net of surface water, federal regulatory floodway, state or federally regulated wetland and predevelopment slopes of 25% or steeper (§ 223-63).
Transitional - Lot area per dwelling unit is half the minimum lot size per dwelling unit of the least restrictive adjoining residential district, so it depends on what the parcel adjoins.
- The Planning Board may allow lots as small as 1,800 sq ft for attached or semi-attached single-family homes if gross tract density stays within what the district allows for multiple dwellings.
- For such a subdivision side yards may be cut to zero, but an end unit keeps at least half the side yard of the least restrictive adjoining residential district.
- A multifamily development needs 2,000 sq ft of landscaped recreation or usable open space for the first 20 dwelling units and 100 sq ft for each unit beyond that.
- Height is also capped at 2 1/2 stories.
General Business - General Business sets no overall minimum lot area, no lot width and no coverage limit. Where dwellings are built it takes 1,500 sq ft of lot area per dwelling unit, and lot depth must be at least 100 ft.
Corridor Mixed-Use Service - The front yard is a range of 0 to 10 ft rather than a plain minimum, and at least 10% of the lot must be open space.
- Height is also capped at 3 stories.
Linkage - The front yard is a range of 0 to 20 ft and the side yard a range of 0 to 30 ft, rather than plain minimums. At least 15% of the lot must be open space.
- Height is also capped at 4 stories.
Fishkill Creek Development - At least 30% of the lot must be open space, and the overall lot minimum and 3,960 sq ft per dwelling unit both bind. On a development proposal covering more than three acres, lot area per dwelling unit is calculated on net acreage (§ 223-63).
- Surface water, federal regulatory floodway, state or federally regulated wetland, and predevelopment slopes of 25% or steeper come off the lot area first.
- Height is also capped at 3 stories.
Waterfront Park - Height is capped at 2 1/2 stories as well as 35 ft.
Transit Station - Height by location: north of West Main Street an average of four stories over parking and no more than an average of 75 ft above the existing Metro-North parking grade; south of the LI district an average of three stories, 32 ft at Beekman Street and 70 ft above that grade.
- At least 15% of the site must be open space, of which 10% must be publicly accessible.
- Yards and the rest of the dimensional rules come from Article IVA.
Light Industrial - At least 20% of the lot must be open space.
- The overall lot minimum and 1,500 sq ft of lot area per dwelling unit both bind.
Heavy Industrial - At least 20% of the lot must be open space.
ADUs vs. short-term rentals in Beacon
Short-term rentals allowed with local rules for City of Beacon. A short-term rental permit is required for every rental under 30 days, and only a primary residence qualifies. Rentals are capped at 100 days a year, with no booking longer than 30 consecutive days. 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.
Good to know
- Residential lot minimum0.11–2.75 ac — an ADU still has to fit the district's lot and setback envelope.
- UtilityCentral Hudson territory.
- Zoning codeecode360.com/7066171
- Building dept(845) 838-5011
ADU FAQ — Beacon, NY
Are ADUs allowed in Beacon, NY?
City of Beacon has 23 districts. All districts allow ADUs with occupancy restrictions. Check your address with the free ADU checker, or confirm with the building department at (845) 838-5011.
Do I need a special permit for an ADU in Beacon?
No district in City of Beacon requires a special-use permit for an ADU - 23 districts allow ADUs with occupancy restrictions. Site-plan review or a building permit may still apply.
Can I use an ADU as a short-term rental in Beacon?
Short-term rentals allowed with local rules for City of Beacon. 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 Beacon
Permission is one question and budget is another. An 800 sq ft accessory unit here runs roughly $210k–275k 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 Beacon, priced by size.
How we know this
- Districts confirmed
- 23 of 23 — every mapped district.
- Last reviewed
- Not covered here
- Overlay districts, the zoning map, and any conditions attached to an individual parcel. Size limits and owner-occupancy terms sit in the code section above, not in this summary.
More on Beacon: Full zoning for new construction · ADU build cost · House build cost · ADU rules across Dutchess County · All Dutchess County towns
ADU information for City of Beacon is compiled from the municipal code (last reviewed 2026-08-16) 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) 838-5011 before relying on any answer. Source: the Offsite / Aldo zoning dataset.