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ADU · Dutchess County

Can you build an ADU in Red Hook, NY?

Village of Red Hook has 6 districts. 3 districts allow ADUs, 3 do 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 dwelling is not possible in GB, GWB or LIB: none of them lists one, and LIB has no dwellings at all.

Conditions the code attaches:

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
Residential 20,000 Square Feet 0.46 ac 30 / 15 / 25 ft 35 ft As of right
Residential 10,000 Square Feet 0.23 ac 30 / 15 / 25 ft 35 ft As of right
General Business — 0 / - / - ft 45 ft No
Gateway Business 0.46 ac 0 / 7 / 35 ft 45 ft No
Neighborhood Mixed Use 0.23 ac 0 / - / - ft 35 ft As of right
Light Industry Business — — — No

Residential 20,000 Square Feet - The front yard is the greater of 30 ft from the street line or 55 ft from the centre line of the street, and the 20,000 sq ft is lot area per dwelling unit. A corner lot must be at least 125 ft wide at the front building line.

  • On a corner lot both street yards are front yards, with one rear yard of at least 25 ft and one side yard of at least 10 ft.
  • Height is also capped at 2 1/2 stories.
  • A shed or accessory building of no more than one story may come within 5 ft of a side or rear lot line, but one containing an accessory dwelling takes the full district setbacks.
  • Buildings should conform to the existing line of sight where possible.

Residential 10,000 Square Feet - The front yard is the greater of 30 ft from the street line or 55 ft from the centre line of the street, and the 10,000 sq ft is lot area per dwelling unit. A corner lot served by a central sewer must be at least 125 ft wide.

  • On a corner lot both street yards are front yards, with one rear yard of at least 25 ft and one side yard of at least 10 ft.
  • Height is also capped at 2 1/2 stories.
  • A shed or accessory building of no more than one story may come within 5 ft of a side or rear lot line, but one containing an accessory dwelling takes the full district setbacks.
  • Buildings should conform to the existing line of sight where possible.

General Business - A new structure must sit as close to the street line as practical, leaving room for sidewalks, lighting and street trees.

  • Where that setback would differ markedly from an adjacent building, the Planning Board may increase it, but never beyond the adjacent building's own setback or far enough to allow front-yard parking.
  • A building on a lot abutting a nonbusiness district must meet that district's side or rear yard requirement on the abutting side.
  • Corner lots follow § 200-32.
  • Height is also capped at 3 1/2 stories; the Planning Board may waive it for church spires, antennas, civic buildings and monuments.

Gateway Business - The front yard is a build-to line that must match the build-to line of adjacent properties or the average of adjacent structures, and it may in no event exceed 15 ft.

  • The front yard must leave room for a planting strip or sidewalk as the Planning Board requires.
  • Minimum lot frontage on an interior lot is 50 ft.
  • The side yards must total 20 ft combined, with the narrower no less than 1/3 of the total.
  • A property abutting a residential use in a residential district must provide a buffer along the property line.
  • Height is capped at three stories as well as 45 ft, whichever is less.

Neighborhood Mixed Use - Any single structure is capped at 2,000 sq ft of footprint and 4,000 sq ft of gross floor space. The front yard is a build-to line that follows the front setbacks of the adjacent buildings on the street.

  • Two mixed-use structures on one lot, each within those limits, may be joined by a connector of up to 500 sq ft of footprint and 1,000 sq ft of floor space.
  • Commercial and mixed-use properties must match the adjacent setbacks or their average, leaving room for a planting strip, street trees, lighting and sidewalks.
  • A building on a lot abutting a nonbusiness district must meet that district's side or rear yard requirement on the abutting side.
  • Corner lots follow § 200-32.
  • Height is also capped at 2 1/2 stories.

Light Industry Business - No change may be made to the existing lot dimensions, yards, height, coverage or bulk without Board of Appeals approval (§ 200-14), so a proposal is measured against what already exists on the lot.

ADUs vs. short-term rentals in Red Hook

No local short-term-rental law on record - which is not the same as permission for Village of Red Hook. As of June 2026 the Village of Red Hook has no local short-term rental law, which is not the same as permission to rent short term; the Town of Red Hook's separate permit requirement does not apply within the village. Confirm with the Village Clerk before counting on the use. 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

ADU FAQ — Red Hook, NY

Are ADUs allowed in Red Hook, NY?

Village of Red Hook has 6 districts. 3 districts allow ADUs, 3 do not. Check your address with the free ADU checker, or confirm with the building department at (845) 758-4613.

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

No district in Village of Red Hook requires a special-use permit for an ADU - 3 districts allow ADUs, 3 do not. Site-plan review or a building permit may still apply.

Can I use an ADU as a short-term rental in Red Hook?

No local short-term-rental law on record - which is not the same as permission for Village 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.

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. 200 § 200-6; §§ 200-8 to 200-14 district regulations; § 200-19 Accessory dwellings (L.L. No. 2-2022)
Districts confirmed
6 of 6 — 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.

ADU information for Village 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) 758-4613 before relying on any answer. Source: the Offsite / Aldo zoning dataset.

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