Dutchess County

Town of Dover, NY: zoning for new construction

8 districts Min residential lot 1–2 ac Central Hudson

Residential lots in the Town of Dover run from a 1-acre minimum in Hamlet Mixed-Use District up to 2 acres in Rural District, across 8 zoning districts in all. No local short-term-rental law on record - which is not the same as permission. 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) 832-6111 before you rely on a figure.

Looking specifically at an accessory dwelling unit? See ADU rules for Dover →

Zoning districts

District	Min lot	Setbacks F / S / R	Max height	ADU
Rural District	2 ac	40 / 30 / 50 ft	35 ft	Occupancy restricted
Resource Conservation District	5 ac	40 / 30 / 50 ft	35 ft	Occupancy restricted
Hamlet Mixed-Use District	1 ac	25 / 10 / 25 ft	45 ft	Occupancy restricted
Hamlet Residential District	1 ac	25 / 15 / 25 ft	40 ft	Occupancy restricted
Suburban Residential	1 ac	50 / 30 / 50 ft	35 ft	Occupancy restricted
Highway Commercial District	1 ac	25 / 30 / 50 ft	45 ft	Occupancy restricted
Commercial/Industry/Office Mixed-Use District	1 ac	50 / 30 / 50 ft	35 ft	Occupancy restricted
Industrial/Manufacturing District	5 ac	100 / 50 / 75 ft	35 ft	No

Rural District - Front yards and road frontage are measured from the center line of the road, not the property line, and the front yard is 60 ft on a county or state road. Coverage caps all impermeable surface at 10%, not just building footprint (§ 145-73).

Minimum road frontage is 100 ft on a private road, 250 ft on a Town road and 300 ft on a county or state road; conservation density subdivision lots and rear lots may have less (§§ 145-21, 145-22).
The coverage cap applies to each lot and to a whole subdivision including its new roads and public areas; in a flexible subdivision it applies to the subdivision as a whole only.
A nonresidential structure may not exceed 6,000 sq ft of footprint, excluding agricultural structures and anything legally completed or permitted before this chapter was adopted.
A flexible subdivision is the alternative to the conventional lot minimum, with its density, lot dimensions and setbacks set by §§ 145-19C and 145-19D instead.
The front yard may also be adjusted to the prevailing setbacks of the immediate neighbourhood on any road.
Height is measured above average grade, with exceptions in § 145-30D.

Resource Conservation District - Front yards and road frontage are measured from the center line of the road, not the property line, and the front yard is 60 ft on a county or state road. Coverage caps all impermeable surface at 10%, not just building footprint (§ 145-73).

Minimum road frontage is 100 ft on a private road, 250 ft on a Town road and 400 ft on a county or state road; conservation density subdivision lots and rear lots may have less (§§ 145-21, 145-22).
The coverage cap applies to each lot and to a whole subdivision including its new roads and public areas; in a flexible subdivision it applies to the subdivision as a whole only.
A nonresidential structure may not exceed 4,000 sq ft of footprint, excluding agricultural structures and anything legally completed or permitted before this chapter was adopted.
A flexible subdivision is the alternative to the conventional lot minimum, with its density, lot dimensions and setbacks set by §§ 145-19C and 145-19D instead.
The front yard may also be adjusted to the prevailing setbacks of the immediate neighbourhood on any road.
Height is measured above average grade, with exceptions in § 145-30D.

Hamlet Mixed-Use District - Lot area is set by infrastructure under § 145-11D, and the one-acre minimum shown is the unserviced case. Front yards and road frontage are measured from the center line of the road, and the front yard is 30 ft on a county or state road.

A maximum setback or build-to line may be established in the HM and HR districts to maintain the street wall.
The side yard may be zero for a party-wall or zero-lot-line building.
Minimum road frontage is 50 ft on a private road, 80 ft on a Town road and 100 ft on a county or state road; conservation density subdivision lots and rear lots may have less (§§ 145-21, 145-22).
Coverage caps all impermeable surface at 50%, not just footprint (§ 145-73), on each lot and across a subdivision with its new roads and public areas; a flexible subdivision counts only as a whole.
A nonresidential structure may not exceed 10,000 sq ft of footprint, excluding agricultural structures and anything legally completed or permitted before this chapter was adopted.
That footprint may be enlarged to 50,000 sq ft for a supermarket or another use deemed essential to the economic viability of the hamlet.

Hamlet Residential District - Lot area is set by infrastructure under § 145-11D, and the one-acre minimum shown is the unserviced case. Front yards and road frontage are measured from the center line of the road, and the front yard is 40 ft on a county or state road.

A maximum setback or build-to line may be established in the HM and HR districts to maintain the street wall.
The side yard may be zero for a party-wall or zero-lot-line building.
Minimum road frontage is 50 ft on a private road, 70 ft on a Town road and 100 ft on a county or state road; conservation density subdivision lots and rear lots may have less (§§ 145-21, 145-22).
Coverage caps all impermeable surface at 30%, not just footprint (§ 145-73), on each lot and across a subdivision with its new roads and public areas; a flexible subdivision counts only as a whole.
A nonresidential structure may not exceed 1,000 sq ft of footprint, excluding agricultural structures and anything legally completed or permitted before this chapter was adopted.
The front yard may also be adjusted to the prevailing setbacks of the immediate neighbourhood on any road.

Suburban Residential - Front yards and road frontage are measured from the center line of the road, not the property line, and the front yard is 75 ft on a county or state road. Coverage caps all impermeable surface at 20%, not just building footprint (§ 145-73).

Minimum road frontage is 100 ft on a private road and 200 ft on a Town, county or state road; conservation density subdivision lots and rear lots may have less (§§ 145-21, 145-22).
The coverage cap applies to each lot and to a whole subdivision including its new roads and public areas; in a flexible subdivision it applies to the subdivision as a whole only.
A flexible subdivision is the alternative to the conventional lot minimum, with its density, lot dimensions and setbacks set by §§ 145-19C and 145-19D instead.
The front yard may also be adjusted to the prevailing setbacks of the immediate neighbourhood on any road.
Height is measured above average grade, with exceptions in § 145-30D.

Highway Commercial District - Where the lot abuts a residential district the setback rises to 100 ft with a wooded buffer. Front yards and road frontage are measured from the center line of the road, and the front yard is 35 ft on a county or state road.

Coverage caps all impermeable surface at 60%, not just footprint (§ 145-73), on each lot and across a subdivision with its new roads and public areas; a flexible subdivision counts only as a whole.
The side yard may be zero for a party-wall or zero-lot-line building.
Minimum road frontage is 200 ft on a Town road and 300 ft on a county or state road; conservation density subdivision lots and rear lots may have less (§§ 145-21, 145-22).
A nonresidential structure may not exceed 40,000 sq ft of footprint, excluding agricultural structures and anything legally completed or permitted before this chapter was adopted.
The front yard may also be adjusted to the prevailing setbacks of the immediate neighbourhood on any road.
Height is measured above average grade, with exceptions in § 145-30D.

Commercial/Industry/Office Mixed-Use District - Where the lot abuts a residential district the setback rises to 100 ft with a wooded buffer. Front yards and road frontage are measured from the center line of the road, and the front yard is 150 ft on a county or state road.

Coverage caps all impermeable surface at 40%, not just footprint (§ 145-73), on each lot and across a subdivision with its new roads and public areas; a flexible subdivision counts only as a whole.
The side yard may be zero for a party-wall or zero-lot-line building.
Minimum road frontage is 100 ft on a private road and 200 ft on a Town, county or state road; conservation density subdivision lots and rear lots may have less (§§ 145-21, 145-22).
A nonresidential structure may not exceed 200,000 sq ft of footprint, excluding agricultural structures and anything legally completed or permitted before this chapter was adopted.
The front yard may also be adjusted to the prevailing setbacks of the immediate neighbourhood on any road.
Height is measured above average grade, with exceptions in § 145-30D.

Industrial/Manufacturing District - Where the lot abuts a residential district the setback rises to 100 ft with a wooded buffer. Front yards and road frontage are measured from the center line of the road, and the front yard is 200 ft on a county or state road.

Coverage caps all impermeable surface at 30%, not just footprint (§ 145-73), on each lot and across a subdivision with its new roads and public areas; a flexible subdivision counts only as a whole.
Minimum road frontage is 100 ft on a private road and 200 ft on a Town, county or state road; conservation density subdivision lots and rear lots may have less (§§ 145-21, 145-22).
The front yard may also be adjusted to the prevailing setbacks of the immediate neighbourhood on any road.
Height is measured above average grade, with exceptions in § 145-30D.

Short-term rentals

No local short-term-rental law on record - which is not the same as permission. As of June 2026 the Town of Dover has no local short-term rental law, and that is not the same as permission. Confirm with the Town of Dover Building Department before counting on short-term rental income.

Conditions the code attaches:

Dutchess County occupancy tax registration is required.
Town of Dover Building Department: (845) 832-6111.

Good to know

UtilityCentral Hudson territory.
Zoning codeTown of Dover Code, Chapter 145 Zoning, § 145-11 Dimensional Table, legislation through February 28, 2024
Building dept(845) 832-6111
Last reviewed2026-08-16

Working out a budget? A standard-finish build here runs $215–$282/sq ft , and a conforming lot adds about $17,174 on top - see the full cost to build a house in Dover, or what an ADU costs here.

Sizing up a specific parcel in Dover?

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Other Dutchess County towns

Town of East Fishkill

15 districts

All Dutchess County zoning: Beacon (City) · Poughkeepsie (City) · Amenia · Beekman · Clinton · East Fishkill · Fishkill · Hyde Park · La Grange · Milan · North East · Pawling · Pine Plains · Pleasant Valley · Poughkeepsie · Red Hook · Rhinebeck · Stanford · Union Vale · Wappinger · Washington · Fishkill (Village) · Millbrook (Village) · Millerton (Village) · Pawling (Village) · Red Hook (Village) · Rhinebeck (Village) · Tivoli (Village) · Wappingers Falls (Village)

Zoning figures for Town of Dover 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) 832-6111 before relying on any number. Source: the Offsite / Aldo zoning dataset.