Dutchess County

Town of Stanford, NY: zoning for new construction

5 districts Min residential lot 1.5–5 ac Central Hudson

Residential lots in the Town of Stanford run from a 1.5-acre minimum in Rural Cluster Residential up to 5 acres in Rural Residential, across 5 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) 868-1517 before you rely on a figure.

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

Zoning districts

District	Min lot	Setbacks F / S / R	Max height	ADU
Conservation Residential	5 ac	100 / 50 / 75 ft	35 ft	As of right
Agricultural Residential	5 ac	100 / 50 / 75 ft	35 ft	As of right
Rural Residential	5 ac	100 / 50 / 75 ft	35 ft	As of right
Rural Cluster Residential	1.5 ac	75 / 25 / 75 ft	35 ft	As of right
Lakefront Residential	2.5 ac	75 / 30 / 75 ft	35 ft	As of right

Conservation Residential, Agricultural Residential — Lot depth is a requirement of its own at 400 ft, independent of the 300 ft width — a lot can meet the area and the width and still fail on depth. Parking has its own setbacks, separate from the ones above: 50 ft front, 20 ft side, 25 ft rear. The area figure is per PRINCIPAL DWELLING UNIT or permitted nonresidential use, not a flat lot minimum, so a second dwelling needs it again. Minimum lot FRONTAGE equals the minimum lot width, except on a flag lot. On a flag lot the pole must be at least 15 ft wide and wider where a driveway needs it, the access strip may not exceed 48 ft at the frontage, and that width must be held for at least 50 ft in from the frontage. The schedule publishes no lot coverage limit for any district.

Rural Residential — Lot depth is a requirement of its own at 250 ft, independent of the 200 ft width — a lot can meet the area and the width and still fail on depth. Parking has its own setbacks, separate from the ones above: 50 ft front, 10 ft side, 25 ft rear. A parking area serving a nonresidential use that abuts an existing residential use or a residential district needs 20 ft rather than 10 (§ 164-16B(2)). The area figure is per PRINCIPAL DWELLING UNIT or permitted nonresidential use, not a flat lot minimum, so a second dwelling needs it again. Minimum lot FRONTAGE equals the minimum lot width, except on a flag lot. On a flag lot the pole must be at least 15 ft wide and wider where a driveway needs it, the access strip may not exceed 48 ft at the frontage, and that width must be held for at least 50 ft in from the frontage. The schedule publishes no lot coverage limit for any district.

Rural Cluster Residential — Lot depth is a requirement of its own at 250 ft, independent of the 125 ft width — a lot can meet the area and the width and still fail on depth. Parking has its own setbacks, separate from the ones above: 25 ft front, 10 ft side, 25 ft rear. A parking area serving a nonresidential use that abuts an existing residential use or a residential district needs 20 ft rather than 10 (§ 164-16B(2)). The area figure is per PRINCIPAL DWELLING UNIT or permitted nonresidential use, not a flat lot minimum, so a second dwelling needs it again. Minimum lot FRONTAGE equals the minimum lot width, except on a flag lot. On a flag lot the pole must be at least 15 ft wide and wider where a driveway needs it, the access strip may not exceed 48 ft at the frontage, and that width must be held for at least 50 ft in from the frontage. The schedule publishes no lot coverage limit for any district.

Lakefront Residential — The Lakefront Residential area minimum is not one figure: it is 2.5 acres at Hunns Lake and 5.0 acres at Upton Lake. The base row is the Hunns Lake figure. Which lake the parcel is on is location, so the Upton Lake figure is stated here. Lot depth is a requirement of its own at 250 ft, independent of the 150 ft width — a lot can meet the area and the width and still fail on depth. Parking has its own setbacks, separate from the ones above: 25 ft front, 10 ft side, 25 ft rear. A parking area serving a nonresidential use that abuts an existing residential use or a residential district needs 20 ft rather than 10 (§ 164-16B(2)). The area figure is per PRINCIPAL DWELLING UNIT or permitted nonresidential use, not a flat lot minimum, so a second dwelling needs it again. Minimum lot FRONTAGE equals the minimum lot width, except on a flag lot. On a flag lot the pole must be at least 15 ft wide and wider where a driveway needs it, the access strip may not exceed 48 ft at the frontage, and that width must be held for at least 50 ft in from the frontage. The schedule publishes no lot coverage limit for any district.

Short-term rentals

Short-term rentals allowed with local rules. Short-term rental accommodations regulated under § 164-19.6 of the Town of Stanford Zoning Law.

Good to know

UtilityCentral Hudson territory.
Zoning codeecode360.com/12909135
Building dept(845) 868-1517
Last reviewed2026-08-16

Working out a budget? A standard-finish build here runs $215–$282/sq ft , and a conforming lot adds about $20,631 on top - see the full cost to build a house in Stanford, or what an ADU costs here.

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