ADU · Dutchess County

Can you build an ADU in Red Hook, NY?

Town of Red Hook has 13 districts. 11 districts allow ADUs with a special-use permit, 1 allows them, 1 does not. Check your address to confirm the district that applies to your parcel:

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What the Red Hook code says

An accessory apartment inside a single-family house needs a special use permit in LD, RD5, RD3, R1.5, R1, H, I, HB, B1 and B2, and is prohibited in WC. The owner does not have to live on the lot, so the unit can be rented.

Conditions the code attaches:

In an existing house the unit is capped at 35% of the existing habitable space or 650 sq ft, whichever is smaller, with at most two bedrooms and one per house.
A unit in an existing house needs a lot of at least one acre, or three acres in LD and RD5, and at least two parking spaces per dwelling unit, kept on the lot and out of any required yard or setback.
A unit built into a new house is limited to 25% of habitable space or 650 sq ft, two bedrooms and three occupants, needs the full district lot area, and is not allowed in HB, B1 or B2.
The only detached apartment route is converting a gatehouse, garage or barn that legally existed on January 1, 1993, by special permit in LD, RD5, RD3 and I, up to 650 sq ft.
A detached cottage of up to 650 sq ft is a separate special permit in LD, RD5, RD3, R1.5, R1 and H, on three acres in R1.5, R1 and H, never on the same premises as an accessory apartment.
Converting a house that existed on January 1, 1993 into a two-family dwelling is a special permit in LD, RD5, RD3, H and I.

How big an ADU can be in Red Hook

Size limits are set per district, and a unit inside the house is a different standard from a detached one. These are the figures the code publishes.

Accessory dwelling unit

600 sq ft of gross floor area

TND · § 143-49.1U

11 other districts allow an accessory unit but the code publishes no size for them here, so this page does not state one.

What the Red Hook 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
Waterfront Conservation	10 ac	100 / 75 / 75 ft	35 ft	No
Limited Development	10 ac	100 / 75 / 75 ft	35 ft	Special permit
Rural Development 5-Acre	5 ac	75 / 50 / 50 ft	35 ft	Special permit
Rural Development 3-Acre	3 ac	60 / 35 / 35 ft	35 ft	Special permit
Residential 1.5-Acre	1.5 ac	50 / 20 / 25 ft	35 ft	Special permit
Residential 1-Acre	1 ac	35 / 15 / 25 ft	35 ft	Special permit
Hamlet	1.5 ac	50 / 20 / 25 ft	35 ft	Special permit
Institutional	10 ac	100 / 50 / 50 ft	35 ft	Special permit
Business 1	1 ac	80 / 20 / 50 ft	35 ft	Special permit
Business 2	1.5 ac	80 / 20 / 50 ft	35 ft	Special permit
Hamlet Business	1 ac	40 / 20 / 50 ft	35 ft	Special permit
Agricultural Business District	—	25 / 100 / 100 ft	35 ft	Special permit
Traditional Neighborhood Development District	—	—	—	As of right

Waterfront Conservation - The lot minimum shown applies to a permitted one- or two-family dwelling; other residential types and nonresidential uses follow Article V or the special-permit standards at § 143-52 et seq. At least 90% of the lot must remain open space.

Residential uses carry additional special permit criteria under § 143-53.
Minimum frontage is 300 ft, a separate requirement from lot width.
Off-street parking and its accessways must be set back 60 ft at the front and 50 ft at the side and rear, except a driveway serving a one- or two-family dwelling.
For a nonresidential use, at least 40% of the open space must sit between the front building line and the right-of-way, or 50% on a corner lot.
Where a side or rear yard abuts land in a more restricted district, that district's requirement applies (§ 143-22).
Front setbacks increase on parcels fronting a user highway or inside a designated scenic area.

Limited Development - The lot minimum shown applies to a permitted one- or two-family dwelling; other residential types and nonresidential uses follow Article V or the special-permit standards at § 143-52 et seq. At least 85% of the lot must remain open space.

Minimum frontage is 240 ft, a separate requirement from lot width.
Off-street parking and its accessways must be set back 60 ft at the front and 50 ft at the side and rear, except a driveway serving a one- or two-family dwelling.
For a nonresidential use, at least 40% of the open space must sit between the front building line and the right-of-way, or 50% on a corner lot.
Where a side or rear yard abuts land in a more restricted district, that district's requirement applies (§ 143-22).
Front setbacks increase on parcels fronting a user highway or inside a designated scenic area.

Rural Development 5-Acre - The lot minimum shown applies to a permitted one- or two-family dwelling; other residential types and nonresidential uses follow Article V or the special-permit standards at § 143-52 et seq. At least 80% of the lot must remain open space.

Minimum frontage is 200 ft, a separate requirement from lot width.
Off-street parking and its accessways must be set back 50 ft at the front and 25 ft at the side and rear, except a driveway serving a one- or two-family dwelling.
For a nonresidential use, at least 40% of the open space must sit between the front building line and the right-of-way, or 50% on a corner lot.
Where a side or rear yard abuts land in a more restricted district, that district's requirement applies (§ 143-22).
Front setbacks increase on parcels fronting a user highway or inside a designated scenic area.

Rural Development 3-Acre - The lot minimum shown applies to a permitted one- or two-family dwelling; other residential types and nonresidential uses follow Article V or the special-permit standards at § 143-52 et seq. At least 80% of the lot must remain open space.

Minimum frontage is 160 ft, a separate requirement from lot width.
Off-street parking and its accessways must be set back 35 ft at the front and 20 ft at the side and rear, except a driveway serving a one- or two-family dwelling.
For a nonresidential use, at least 40% of the open space must sit between the front building line and the right-of-way, or 50% on a corner lot.
Where a side or rear yard abuts land in a more restricted district, that district's requirement applies (§ 143-22).
Front setbacks increase on parcels fronting a user highway or inside a designated scenic area.

Residential 1.5-Acre - The lot minimum shown applies to a permitted one- or two-family dwelling; other residential types and nonresidential uses follow Article V or the special-permit standards at § 143-52 et seq. At least 70% of the lot must remain open space.

Minimum frontage is 135 ft, a separate requirement from lot width.
Off-street parking and its accessways must be set back 25 ft at the front, 10 ft at the side and 15 ft at the rear, except a driveway serving a one- or two-family dwelling.
For a nonresidential use, at least 40% of the open space must sit between the front building line and the right-of-way, or 50% on a corner lot.
Where a side or rear yard abuts land in a more restricted district, that district's requirement applies (§ 143-22).
Front setbacks increase on parcels fronting a user highway or inside a designated scenic area.

Residential 1-Acre - The lot minimum shown applies to a permitted one- or two-family dwelling; other residential types and nonresidential uses follow Article V or the special-permit standards at § 143-52 et seq. At least 65% of the lot must remain open space.

The side yard may be cut to zero for zero-lot-line residential development.
Minimum frontage is 120 ft, a separate requirement from lot width.
Off-street parking and its accessways must be set back 15 ft at the front, 5 ft at the side and 15 ft at the rear, except a driveway serving a one- or two-family dwelling.
For a nonresidential use, at least 40% of the open space must sit between the front building line and the right-of-way, or 50% on a corner lot.
Where a side or rear yard abuts land in a more restricted district, that district's requirement applies (§ 143-22).
Front setbacks increase on parcels fronting a user highway or inside a designated scenic area.

Hamlet - The figures shown are for Upper Red Hook. Annandale and Barrytown are stricter: a lot of at least 5 acres, at least 300 ft of lot width and 200 ft of frontage, a 75 ft front, 50 ft side and 50 ft rear yard, 5% coverage and at least 80% open space.

In Upper Red Hook, the front yard is 100 ft for parcels with frontage on the west side of Route 9.
In Annandale and Barrytown, the front yard may drop to 25 ft where that matches the established setback on contiguous parcels on the same street.
In Upper Red Hook, minimum frontage is 135 ft and at least 70% of the lot must be open space.
Parking and accessways are set back 25 ft front, 10 ft side and 15 ft rear in Upper Red Hook, and 50, 25 and 25 ft in Annandale and Barrytown, except a driveway for a one- or two-family dwelling.
The side yard may be cut to zero for zero-lot-line residential development.
Front setbacks increase on parcels fronting a user highway or inside a designated scenic area.

Institutional - A permitted residential dwelling does not use these figures: it follows the LD standards west of NYS Route 9G and the RD3 standards anywhere else in town. Residential uses also carry the additional special permit criteria at § 143-53.

Minimum frontage is 320 ft, a separate requirement from lot width.
At least 75% of the lot must be open space.
Off-street parking and its accessways must be set back 60 ft at the front and 25 ft at the side and rear, except a driveway serving a one- or two-family dwelling.
For a nonresidential use, at least 40% of the open space must sit between the front building line and the right-of-way, or 50% on a corner lot.
Where a side or rear yard abuts land in a more restricted district, that district's requirement applies (§ 143-22).
Front setbacks increase on parcels fronting a user highway or inside a designated scenic area.

Business 1 - A permitted residential dwelling here follows the R1 standards instead of this district's own. At least 40% of the lot must be open space.

Minimum frontage is 120 ft, a separate requirement from lot width.
Off-street parking and its accessways must be set back 40 ft at the front, 10 ft at the side and 25 ft at the rear, except a driveway serving a one- or two-family dwelling.
For a nonresidential use, at least 40% of the open space must sit between the front building line and the right-of-way, or 50% on a corner lot.
Where a side or rear yard abuts land in a more restricted district, that district's requirement applies (§ 143-22).
Front setbacks increase on parcels fronting a user highway or inside a designated scenic area.

Business 2 - A permitted residential dwelling here follows the R1 standards instead of this district's own. At least 35% of the lot must be open space.

Minimum frontage is 160 ft, a separate requirement from lot width.
Off-street parking and its accessways must be set back 40 ft at the front, 10 ft at the side and 25 ft at the rear, except a driveway serving a one- or two-family dwelling.
For a nonresidential use, at least 40% of the open space must sit between the front building line and the right-of-way, or 50% on a corner lot.
Where a side or rear yard abuts land in a more restricted district, that district's requirement applies (§ 143-22).
Front setbacks increase on parcels fronting a user highway or inside a designated scenic area.

Hamlet Business - A permitted residential dwelling follows the R1 standards instead of these. The side yard doubles where the lot is adjacent to a residential district, and the front yard is 100 ft rather than 40 for parcels with frontage on the west side of Route 9.

Parking setbacks and the rest of the HB standards are set by § 143-49.3.
Minimum frontage is 120 ft, a separate requirement from lot width.
At least 50% of the lot must be open space.
For a nonresidential use, at least 40% of the open space must sit between the front building line and the right-of-way, or 50% on a corner lot.
Where a side or rear yard abuts land in a more restricted district, that district's requirement applies (§ 143-22).
Front setbacks increase on parcels fronting a user highway or inside a designated scenic area.

Agricultural Business District - The setbacks shown are for nonresidential uses; a new principal residential building needs only 10 ft from any property boundary, and an accessory structure 3 ft. The 7% coverage cap applies to uses outside a farmstead complex or building envelope.

The code sets no minimum lot area, lot width or frontage in AB.
At least 80% of the lot must be open space.
Off-street parking and accessways are set back 25 ft at the front and 60 ft at the side and rear.
Unenclosed manure storage must be 100 ft from any lot line, wetland, stream, water body or potable well.
For a nonresidential use, at least 40% of the open space must sit between the front building line and the right-of-way, or 50% on a corner lot.

Traditional Neighborhood Development District - TND is form-based, with three mapped subdistricts, Commercial Center, Residential Neighborhood and Office-Industrial, each with its own standards in § 143-49.1. In the Residential Neighborhood and Commercial Center the front setback is a build-to range with an 18 ft maximum.

The Commercial Center caps lot frontage at a maximum as well as a minimum.
Standards for each subdistrict are in § 143-49.1, subsections I through Q.

ADUs vs. short-term rentals in Red Hook

Short-term rentals allowed with local rules for Town of Red Hook. Every short-term rental, hosted or un-hosted, needs an annual Short-Term Rental Operating Permit under Town Code Chapter 112. A hosted rental is limited to one bedroom and 210 days a year, and any other short-term rental to 120 days a year. 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 minimum1–5 ac — an ADU still has to fit the district's lot and setback envelope.
UtilityCentral Hudson territory.
Zoning codeecode360.com/5088409
Building dept(845) 758-4600

ADU FAQ — Red Hook, NY

Are ADUs allowed in Red Hook, NY?

Town of Red Hook has 13 districts. 11 districts allow ADUs with a special-use permit, 1 allows them, 1 does not. Check your address with the free ADU checker, or confirm with the building department at (845) 758-4600.

Do I need a special permit for an ADU in Red Hook?

It depends on the district: 11 of 13 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 Red Hook?

Short-term rentals allowed with local rules for Town of Red Hook. 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.

Run the free ADU check for your parcel →

What an ADU costs to build in Red Hook

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 Red Hook, priced by size.

How we know this

Sections analyzed: Ch. 143 Attachment 1 District Schedule of Use Regulations (Supp 69, Dec 2025); § 143-55 Two-family dwellings (conversion); §§ 143-64, 143-65, 143-66 Accessory apartments; § 143-68 Cottages
Districts confirmed: 13 of 13 — every mapped district.
Last reviewed: 2026-08-16
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 Red Hook: Full zoning for new construction · ADU build cost · House build cost · ADU rules across Dutchess County · All Dutchess County towns

ADU information for Town of Red Hook 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) 758-4600 before relying on any answer. Source: the Offsite / Aldo zoning dataset.