ADUs are allowed in FairleeTypes:DetachedInternal
Types:DetachedInternal
Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) Rules for Fairlee, VT
Is your property eligible for an ADU?
# of Properties
502
Owner-occupied
41%
Avg Home Value
$357,719
Median Lot Size
2.16 acres
Avg Income
$74,760
Residential Types:
502 housing units
Single Family
52%
2-3 Family
15%
Other
32%
ADU Rules
What can you build in Fairlee, VT?
Fairlee, VT follows state and local rules for Accessory Dwelling Units. Here is a concise overview of the local rules.
Eligibility
- –Internal / Attached ADU: By Right
- –Detached ADU: By Right
Interior / Attached ADU Size Limits
- –Maximum internal ADU size is the greater of 900 sq ft or 30% of the single-family home’s habitable floor area; applies only to owner-occupied single-family lots.
Detached ADU Size Limits
- –Maximum detached ADU size is the greater of 900 sq ft or 30% of the primary home’s habitable floor area on an owner-occupied single-family lot.
Owner Occupancy
- –The principal dwelling must be owner-occupied.
Parking
- –No minimum; ADUs follow UDB parking (1 space per unit for multi-family; 1 off-street space for single-family); DRB may adjust numbers and allow off-site parking; subdivision review may require more.
Rental Restrictions
- –Short-term rentals (<32 days) require Conditional Use approval with fire safety inspection; occupancy limited to 2 persons per ANR-permitted bedroom; seasonal use limited to 22 weeks/year.
ADU State Law
What can you build in Vermont?
- –Vermont Housing Improvement Program – ADU (VHIP-ADU) Grants up to $50,000 toward creating an ADU in an existing or new structure. Administered by the Department of Housing & Community Development. More info
- –24 V.S.A. § 4412(1)(E)–(F) – Guarantees one by-right ADU.
- –24 V.S.A. § 4303(38)(A)–(B) – Definition of "accessory dwelling unit" (size limit & wastewater clause).
- –24 V.S.A. § 4414(4)(E) – Caps local parking requirements (added by Act 47, 2023).
- –By-right entitlement – Every municipality must permit one ADU on an owner-occupied single-family lot located in a district where residential dwellings are allowed.
- –Structure types – Internal, attached, or detached units are allowed. Conversion of an existing detached non-residential building (e.g., garage) cannot be held to stricter standards than a house conversion.
- –Size cap – The larger of 30 % of the home's habitable floor area or 900 sq ft. (Local bylaws may be less restrictive.)
- –Dimensional & review standards – The ADU (and its host house) is subject only to the same setbacks, height, lot-coverage, and ordinary permit reviews that apply to a single-family home in that district. No extra conditional-use review may be imposed just because it's an ADU.
- –Parking – A municipality may not require more than one space per dwelling in areas served by municipal sewer and water.
- –Wastewater capacity – The lot must have adequate septic or sewer capacity.
- –Minimum number – Statute guarantees at least one ADU; towns may allow additional units or larger sizes if they wish.
- –Hazard overlays – The statewide mandate does not override bylaws adopted for flood-hazard or fluvial-erosion areas (24 V.S.A. § 4424). A town may deny or condition an ADU in those overlays.
- –Short-term rentals – Municipalities may regulate short term rental use of ADUs.
What's allowed on your lot?
These are the municipality-wide rules. What's allowed on a specific property also depends on state laws, setbacks, floor area ratio, lot coverage, environmental constraints, topography, and other property-specific factors. Search your address on FutureLot to see what's allowed on your property.
Check my propertyHow can we help you?
Get matched with trusted local builders
Understand what's allowed on your property
Learn the key rules and size limits for ADUs
Is your property eligible for an ADU?
ADU rules in other Vermont municipalities
Rules change at the town line. Check the municipality your property is actually in.
Orange County