Dutchess County

Town of Pawling, NY: zoning for new construction

9 districts Min residential lot 0.5–5 ac Central Hudson

Residential lots in the Town of Pawling run from a 0.5-acre minimum in Hamlet up to 5 acres in Conservation Density Residential, across 9 zoning districts in all. Short-term rentals allowed with local rules. 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) 855-0959 before you rely on a figure.

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

Zoning districts

District	Min lot	Setbacks F / S / R	Max height	ADU
Conservation Density Residential	5 ac	100 / 40 / 100 ft	35 ft	Special permit
Agriculture-Conservation Density Residential	4 ac	100 / 40 / 100 ft	35 ft	Special permit
Very Low Density Residential	3 ac	75 / 30 / 75 ft	35 ft	Special permit
Low Conservation Density Residential	2 ac	60 / 25 / 60 ft	35 ft	Special permit
Low-Density Residential	1 ac	50 / 20 / 50 ft	35 ft	Special permit
Variable Residential Density	1 ac	50 / 20 / 50 ft	35 ft	No
Hamlet	0.5 ac	25 / 20 / 25 ft	35 ft	Special permit
Highway Business	1 ac	100 / 25 / 30 ft	35 ft	No
Mixed Business-Industry	1 ac	100 / 50 / 100 ft	35 ft	No

Conservation Density Residential, Agriculture-Conservation Density Residential — The schedule states the side yard twice — 40 ft on one side and 100 ft across both. The combined figure is MORE than twice the single one, so meeting 40 ft on each side is not enough. The schedule publishes one lot-dimension column, "Frontage", recorded here as the lot width. Accessory buildings have their own standards under § 215-12 (Note 4).

Very Low Density Residential — The schedule states the side yard twice — 30 ft on one side and 75 ft across both. The combined figure is MORE than twice the single one, so meeting 30 ft on each side is not enough. The schedule publishes one lot-dimension column, "Frontage", recorded here as the lot width. Accessory buildings have their own standards under § 215-12 (Note 4).

Low Conservation Density Residential — The schedule states the side yard twice — 25 ft on one side and 60 ft across both. The combined figure is MORE than twice the single one, so meeting 25 ft on each side is not enough. The schedule publishes one lot-dimension column, "Frontage", recorded here as the lot width. Accessory buildings have their own standards under § 215-12 (Note 4).

Low-Density Residential — The schedule states the side yard twice — 20 ft on one side and 50 ft across both. The combined figure is MORE than twice the single one, so meeting 20 ft on each side is not enough. The schedule publishes one lot-dimension column, "Frontage", recorded here as the lot width. Accessory buildings have their own standards under § 215-12 (Note 4).

Variable Residential Density — The schedule states the side yard twice — 20 ft on one side and 50 ft across both. The combined figure is MORE than twice the single one, so meeting 20 ft on each side is not enough. The schedule publishes one lot-dimension column, "Frontage", recorded here as the lot width. Multiple-family dwellings in VRD are regulated separately by § 215-32 (Note 1). Accessory buildings have their own standards under § 215-12 (Note 4).

Hamlet — The schedule states the side yard twice — 20 ft on one side and 45 ft across both. The combined figure is MORE than twice the single one, so meeting 20 ft on each side is not enough. The schedule publishes one lot-dimension column, "Frontage", recorded here as the lot width. Accessory buildings have their own standards under § 215-12 (Note 4).

Highway Business — The schedule states the side yard twice — 25 ft on one side and 50 ft across both. The schedule publishes one lot-dimension column, "Frontage", recorded here as the lot width. The Highway Business District carries a further set of flexible use and design requirements under § 215-31.1 (Note 2), and multiple-family dwellings are regulated by § 215-32 (Note 1). Accessory buildings have their own standards under § 215-12 (Note 4).

Mixed Business-Industry — The schedule states the side yard twice — 50 ft on one side and 100 ft across both. The schedule publishes one lot-dimension column, "Frontage", recorded here as the lot width. The Mixed Business-Industry District carries a further set of flexible use and design requirements under § 215-31.2 (Note 3). Accessory buildings have their own standards under § 215-12 (Note 4).

Short-term rentals

Short-term rentals allowed with local rules. STR permit required. Town of Pawling has adopted STR regulations including an annual permit and safety requirements. Contact Building Dept at (845) 855-0959 to confirm current permit requirements and fees.

Good to know

UtilityCentral Hudson territory.
Zoning codeecode360.com/37379689
Building dept(845) 855-0959
Last reviewed2026-08-16

Working out a budget? A standard-finish build here runs $215–$282/sq ft , and a conforming lot adds about $11,644 on top - see the full cost to build a house in Pawling, or what an ADU costs here.

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