ADU · Erie County
Can you build an ADU in Brant, NY?
Town of Brant has 6 districts. All districts prohibit ADUs. Check your address to confirm the district that applies to your parcel:
What the Brant code says
Brant has no accessory apartment or in-law unit under any name. The second-unit route here is a two-family dwelling, which R-R, R-1, R-2 and A permit by right on a lot of at least one acre.
Conditions the code attaches:
- Each unit must have at least 720 sq ft of floor area
- Erie County Board of Health requirements must be met before a building permit or certificate is issued, which on a rural parcel means septic capacity for two units
- The two units are on equal footing: there is no owner-occupancy requirement, no kinship condition, no cap tied to a percentage of the principal dwelling and no renewal cycle
- A two-family dwelling may also be made by renovating an existing structure on an established lot of that size
- In C an apartment over a shop is permitted, with two means of egress for units above the ground floor, one off-street space per unit and 200 sq ft of usable open space per unit
- The industrial district carries no dwelling use
What the Brant 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rural Residential District | 0.74 ac | 80 / 50 / 50 ft | 35 ft | No |
| Medium-Density Residential District | 0.28 ac | 60 / 10 / 20 ft | 35 ft | No |
| Seasonal Residential District | 0.28 ac | 60 / 10 / 20 ft | 35 ft | No |
| Agricultural District | 0.74 ac | 80 / 50 / 50 ft | 35 ft | No |
| Commercial District | 0.69 ac | 80 / 10 / 30 ft | 35 ft | No |
| Industrial District | 3 ac | 80 / 25 / 30 ft | 30 ft | No |
ADUs vs. short-term rentals in Brant
No local short-term-rental law on record - which is not the same as permission for Town of Brant. The town has no local short-term rental law. That is not the same as permission, so confirm with the town before counting on renting a home short term. 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 minimum0.28–0.74 ac — an ADU still has to fit the district's lot and setback envelope.
- UtilityNational Grid territory.
- Zoning codeecode360.com/9005108
- Building dept(716) 662-8378
ADU FAQ — Brant, NY
Are ADUs allowed in Brant, NY?
Town of Brant has 6 districts. All districts prohibit ADUs. Check your address with the free ADU checker, or confirm with the building department at (716) 662-8378.
Do I need a special permit for an ADU in Brant?
No. No district in Town of Brant permits an ADU, so there is no permit to apply for. Codes change, so verify with the building department at (716) 662-8378 before ruling it out.
Can I use an ADU as a short-term rental in Brant?
No local short-term-rental law on record - which is not the same as permission for Town of Brant. 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 Brant
Permission is one question and budget is another. An 800 sq ft accessory unit here runs roughly $200k–260k 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 Brant, priced by size.
How we know this
- Sections analyzed
- §§ 161-13 through 161-18 (District Regulations) · § 161-19 · § 161-4
- 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.
More on Brant: Full zoning for new construction · ADU build cost · House build cost · ADU rules across Erie County · All Erie County towns
ADU information for Town of Brant is compiled from the municipal code (last reviewed 2026-09-16) 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 (716) 662-8378 before relying on any answer. Source: the Offsite / Aldo zoning dataset.