Dutchess County
Town of Pine Plains, NY: zoning for new construction
Residential lots in the Town of Pine Plains run from a 0.46-acre minimum in Hamlet – Main Street up to 5 acres in Rural, 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 (518) 398-7441 before you rely on a figure.
Looking specifically at an accessory dwelling unit? See ADU rules for Pine Plains →
Zoning districts
| District | Min lot | Setbacks F / S / R | Max height | ADU |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rural | 5 ac | 75 / 50 / 75 ft | 35 ft | Special permit |
| Wellhead Protection | 5 ac | 75 / 50 / 75 ft | 35 ft | Special permit |
| Hamlet - Business | 0.46 ac | 10 / 5 / 40 ft | 35 ft | Special permit |
| Hamlet – Main Street | 0.46 ac | 10 / 15 / 40 ft | 35 ft | Special permit |
| Hamlet – Center Residential | 0.46 ac | 15 / 15 / 40 ft | 35 ft | Special permit |
| Hamlet – Residential | 0.69 ac | 15 / 15 / 40 ft | 35 ft | Special permit |
| Hamlet – Pulvers Corners | 0.69 ac | 15 / 20 / 40 ft | 35 ft | Special permit |
| Hamlet – Bethel | 0.69 ac | 15 / 20 / 40 ft | 35 ft | Special permit |
Rural, Wellhead Protection - Lot area is set four ways, for residential and nonresidential use, each with and without central sewer, and the minimum shown is for a residential lot without it. For a residential lot inside a conservation subdivision, the bulk regulations come from § 100-31.I instead.
Hamlet - Business - The front yard is a build-to line of 10 ft minimum and 10 ft maximum, so a building may not be set further back. For a nonresidential use the maximum front yard is zero, with the building at the street line.
- A nonresidential building may sit back up to 10 ft only where the front yard is designed and kept as a garden, courtyard or outdoor seating or dining area; entries may be recessed up to 5 ft.
- For a nonresidential or mixed use, the side yard may drop to zero where the building is attached to one on the adjacent lot, and the maximum side yard is 22 ft.
- The first floor may not sit more than 2 ft above sidewalk grade.
- Lot area is set four ways, for residential and nonresidential use, each with and without central sewer; the minimum shown is for a residential lot without it.
- For a residential lot inside a conservation subdivision, the bulk regulations come from § 100-31.I instead.
Hamlet – Main Street - The front yard is a build-to range of 10 ft minimum and 25 ft maximum, so a building may not be set further back. For a nonresidential or mixed use the side yard may drop to zero where the building is attached to one on the adjacent lot, and the maximum side yard is 22 ft.
- Lot area is set four ways, for residential and nonresidential use, each with and without central sewer; the minimum shown is for a residential lot without it.
- For a residential lot inside a conservation subdivision, the bulk regulations come from § 100-31.I instead.
Hamlet – Center Residential - The front yard is a build-to range of 15 ft minimum and 25 ft maximum, so a building may not be set further back. Lot area is set four ways, for residential and nonresidential use, each with and without central sewer, and the minimum shown is for a residential lot without it.
- For a residential lot inside a conservation subdivision, the bulk regulations come from § 100-31.I instead.
Hamlet – Residential, Hamlet – Pulvers Corners, Hamlet – Bethel - The front yard is a build-to range of 15 ft minimum and 50 ft maximum, so a building may not be set further back. Lot area is set four ways, for residential and nonresidential use, each with and without central sewer, and the minimum shown is for a residential lot without it.
- For a residential lot inside a conservation subdivision, the bulk regulations come from § 100-31.I instead.
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 Pine Plains has no local short-term rental law, and that is not the same as permission. Confirm with the Town of Pine Plains Building Department before counting on short-term rental income.
Conditions the code attaches:
- Dutchess County occupancy tax registration is required.
- Town of Pine Plains Building Department: (518) 398-7441.
Good to know
- UtilityCentral Hudson territory.
- Zoning codeTown of Pine Plains Zoning Law, Table B: Schedule of Bulk Regulations, through July 2015
- Building dept(518) 398-7441
- Last reviewed2026-08-16
Working out a budget? A standard-finish build here runs $215–$282/sq ft , and a conforming lot adds about $11,591 on top - see the full cost to build a house in Pine Plains, or what an ADU costs here.
Sizing up a specific parcel in Pine Plains?
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 Dutchess County towns
All Dutchess County zoning: Beacon (City) · Poughkeepsie (City) · Amenia · Beekman · Clinton · Dover · East Fishkill · Fishkill · Hyde Park · La Grange · Milan · North East · Pawling · 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 Pine Plains 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 (518) 398-7441 before relying on any number. Source: the Offsite / Aldo zoning dataset.