ADU · Dutchess County
Can you build an ADU in Fishkill, NY?
Village of Fishkill has 9 districts. 6 of 9 districts prohibit ADUs. 3 districts have incomplete data - verify with the building department at (845) 896-4170. Check your address to confirm the district that applies to your parcel:
What the Fishkill 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| One-Family Residence | 0.2296 ac | 30 / 12 / 20 ft | 30 ft | No |
| One- or Two-Family Residence | 0.1722 ac | 20 / 12 / 20 ft | 30 ft | No |
| Three-or-More-Family Residence | 1.1478 ac | 40 / 40 / 40 ft | 35 ft | No |
| Village Center Business District | — | 0 / 0 / 0 ft | 35 ft | No |
| Planned Business | 1.8365 ac | 30 / 20 / 30 ft | 35 ft | — |
| General Business-1 | — | 0 / 0 / 0 ft | 35 ft | — |
| General Business-2 | 0.1722 ac | 30 / 10 / 30 ft | 35 ft | No |
| Planned Industry | 0.9183 ac | 50 / 30 / 30 ft | 45 ft | No |
| Land Conservation | — | — | — | — |
One-Family Residence — No site plan approval is required in R-10. Lot width is measured at the main building line or at the street frontage, whichever is less. An accessory building sets back 5 ft at the side and 5 ft at the rear, and may not exceed 20 ft in height against the principal building's limit.
One- or Two-Family Residence — A TWO-FAMILY dwelling needs 10,000 sq ft rather than 7,500, which is recorded as a condition. Site plan approval is required in R-7.5 except for a one-family residence. Lot width is measured at the main building line or at the street frontage, whichever is less. An accessory building sets back 5 ft at the side and 5 ft at the rear, and may not exceed 20 ft in height against the principal building's limit.
Three-or-More-Family Residence — R-50 is the Village's multifamily district, not a large-lot single-family one. Beside the 50,000 sq ft lot minimum the schedule sets a density of 14 dwelling units per acre, which is what the land-per-unit figure carries. Site plan approval is required. Lot width is measured at the main building line or at the street frontage, whichever is less. An accessory building sets back 20 ft at the side and 20 ft at the rear, and may not exceed 20 ft in height against the principal building's limit.
Village Center Business District — VC-BD requires no lot area, no lot width, no lot depth and no yards — the schedule prints "None" for each, which is an affirmative none rather than a blank. A yard FACING a residential district must be at least 15 ft. Height drops to 30 ft where the building faces a residential district, and may reach 40 ft west of Jackson Street with Planning Board approval. A single building may not exceed 5,000 sq ft of footprint. Lot width is measured at the main building line or at the street frontage, whichever is less. An accessory building sets back 10 ft at the side and 5 ft at the rear. Two coverage limits apply: buildings may cover 50% of the lot and TOTAL lot coverage may not exceed 80%. Buildings must stand at least 10 ft apart, or further where the State Uniform Fire Prevention and Building Code requires it.
Planned Business — The side yard rises to 20 ft where it contains a driveway and to 40 ft where it abuts a residence district, unless a street divides them; the rear yard rises to 40 ft on the same test. Lot width is measured at the main building line or at the street frontage, whichever is less. An accessory building sets back 20 ft at the side and 5 ft at the rear. Two coverage limits apply: buildings may cover 20% of the lot and TOTAL lot coverage may not exceed 65%. Buildings must stand at least 10 ft apart, or further where the State Uniform Fire Prevention and Building Code requires it.
General Business-1 — GB-1 requires no lot area, no lot width, no lot depth and no yards — the schedule prints "None" for each. A single building may not exceed 5,000 sq ft of footprint. Lot width is measured at the main building line or at the street frontage, whichever is less. An accessory building sets back 5 ft at the side and 5 ft at the rear. Two coverage limits apply: buildings may cover 50% of the lot and TOTAL lot coverage may not exceed 80%. Buildings must stand at least 10 ft apart, or further where the State Uniform Fire Prevention and Building Code requires it.
General Business-2 — The side yard rises to 20 ft where it contains a driveway and to 40 ft where it abuts a residence district, unless a street divides them; the rear yard rises to 40 ft on the same test. Lot width is measured at the main building line or at the street frontage, whichever is less. An accessory building sets back 10 ft at the side and 5 ft at the rear. Two coverage limits apply: buildings may cover 35% of the lot and TOTAL lot coverage may not exceed 65%. Buildings must stand at least 10 ft apart, or further where the State Uniform Fire Prevention and Building Code requires it.
Planned Industry — The side yard rises to 20 ft where it contains a driveway and to 40 ft where it abuts a residence district, unless a street divides them; the rear yard rises to 40 ft on the same test. PI is the one district allowed 45 ft of height. Lot width is measured at the main building line or at the street frontage, whichever is less. An accessory building sets back 30 ft at the side and 30 ft at the rear. Two coverage limits apply: buildings may cover 30% of the lot and TOTAL lot coverage may not exceed 75%. Buildings must stand at least 10 ft apart, or further where the State Uniform Fire Prevention and Building Code requires it.
Land Conservation — § 171-8 names Land Conservation as one of the Village's districts. The Schedule of Residential Dimensional Regulations gives it a column and fills every cell with a dash, and the nonresidential schedule has no column for it at all, so no dimensional standard is published and none is recorded.
ADUs vs. short-term rentals in Fishkill
No local short-term-rental law on record - which is not the same as permission for Village of Fishkill. No local STR registration law as of Jun 2026. Dutchess County occupancy tax registration required. Verify with Village of Fishkill Village Clerk at (845) 896-4170 for any recent local law changes. 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 minimum0.1722–1.1478 ac — an ADU still has to fit the district's lot and setback envelope.
- UtilityCentral Hudson territory.
- Zoning codeecode360.com/8301243
- Building dept(845) 896-4170
- Last reviewed2026-08-16
ADU FAQ — Fishkill, NY
Are ADUs allowed in Fishkill, NY?
Village of Fishkill has 9 districts. 6 of 9 districts prohibit ADUs. 3 districts have incomplete data - verify with the building department at (845) 896-4170. Check your address with the free ADU checker.
Do I need a special permit for an ADU in Fishkill?
6 of 9 districts prohibit ADUs, so no permit applies in those. 3 districts have incomplete data - verify with the building department at (845) 896-4170.
Can I use an ADU as a short-term rental in Fishkill?
No local short-term-rental law on record - which is not the same as permission for Village of Fishkill. 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 Fishkill
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 Fishkill, priced by size.
More on Fishkill: Full zoning for new construction · ADU build cost · House build cost · All Dutchess County towns
ADU information for Village of Fishkill 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) 896-4170 before relying on any answer. Source: Offsite / Aldo zoning dataset, municipalData.js.