ADU · Erie County
Can you build an ADU in Farnham, NY?
Village of Farnham has 3 districts. All districts prohibit ADUs. Check your address to confirm the district that applies to your parcel:
What the Farnham code says
No accessory apartment in any district. A two-family house is allowed by right in all three districts, with each unit at least 800 sq ft and the average unit at least 920 sq ft. The commercial and industrial districts also allow apartments in a building with a business.
Conditions the code attaches:
- Each unit of a two-family must be at least 800 sq ft, and the average unit at least 920 sq ft, not counting garage or basement
- Two off-street parking spaces per dwelling unit
- Apartments in a business building in C or I need two exits above the ground floor, one parking space and 200 sq ft of open space each
- Apartment buildings of ten or more units need a special permit, in C only
What the Farnham 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residential | — | 50 / 20 / 50 ft | 35 ft | No |
| Commercial | — | 50 / 20 / 30 ft | 35 ft | No |
| Industrial | — | 50 / 25 / 30 ft | 30 ft | No |
Residential - The code states no lot area at all: it sizes a lot by minimum width and minimum depth only, and depth is measured from the property line, so a lot with enough square footage on other proportions does not comply.
- The two side yards must total at least 40 ft, which on the 80 ft minimum width leaves a 40 ft building envelope, exactly half the lot
- At 5% the coverage cap and the 920 sq ft minimum floor area nearly collide, so a single-storey house has almost no margin
- Cluster development of one-family houses is allowed by special permit on at least ten acres, a quarter of which must be dedicated as permanent open space offered to the village
- Height varies with the use: a house or a farm may reach 35 ft, a professional office only 25 ft, and a nursing home or a veterinary office, which needs a special permit, 20 ft
- An open porch may extend up to eight feet into the required front yard
- No structure may be built within fifty feet of the bed of a stream that carries water six months of the year on average, or on land subject to periodic overflow
Commercial - The figures shown are for retail and general business use. Standards here are set by use rather than by district, so another use on the same land answers to different lot sizes, yards and heights.
- The code states no lot area: a lot is sized by minimum width and minimum depth only, and depth is measured from the property line
- Most of those other uses need a special permit
- A hotel or motel takes a lot three hundred feet wide by two hundred and fifty deep, with 25 ft to each side and fifty for both, one storey and 30 ft
- Accessory buildings behind a shop take 25 ft to the rear and ten to the side
- Every permitted and special permit use here requires an approved site development plan
- No structure may be built within 50 ft of the bed of a stream that carries water six months of the year on average, or on land subject to periodic overflow
Industrial - The figures shown are for manufacturing and industrial use. Offices and laboratories answer to a different set: a hundred and fifty feet of width by two hundred deep, a 40 ft front yard, 25 ft to each side and 30 for both, two stories at 35 ft.
- The code states no lot area: a lot is sized by minimum width and minimum depth only, and depth is measured from the property line
- Light industry here is limited to processing, assembly or packaging of previously prepared or refined materials
- Nothing may carry dust, effluent, smoke, radiation, gas, waste, noise, glare or vibration beyond the lot line
- An excavation operation, allowed only by special permit, is held to a hundred feet at the front, rear and each side, against a both-sides total of seventy-five feet that cannot be met with it
- Every permitted and special permit use here requires an approved site development plan
- No structure may be built within 50 ft of the bed of a stream that carries water six months of the year on average, or on land subject to periodic overflow
ADUs vs. short-term rentals in Farnham
No local short-term-rental law on record - which is not the same as permission for Village of Farnham. The village has no local short-term rental law. That is not the same as permission, so confirm with the code enforcement officer 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. Municipal source
Good to know
- UtilityNational Grid territory.
- Zoning codewww.villageoffarnham.com/code-enforcement.html
- Building dept(716) 954-0159
ADU FAQ — Farnham, NY
Are ADUs allowed in Farnham, NY?
Village of Farnham has 3 districts. All districts prohibit ADUs. Check your address with the free ADU checker, or confirm with the building department at (716) 954-0159.
Do I need a special permit for an ADU in Farnham?
No. No district in Village of Farnham permits an ADU, so there is no permit to apply for. Codes change, so verify with the building department at (716) 954-0159 before ruling it out.
Can I use an ADU as a short-term rental in Farnham?
No local short-term-rental law on record - which is not the same as permission for Village of Farnham. 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 Farnham
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 Farnham, priced by size.
How we know this
- Districts confirmed
- 3 of 3 — 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 Farnham: Full zoning for new construction · ADU build cost · House build cost · ADU rules across Erie County · All Erie County towns
ADU information for Village of Farnham is compiled from the municipal code (last reviewed 2026-08-06) 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) 954-0159 before relying on any answer. Source: the Offsite / Aldo zoning dataset.