ADU · Erie County

Can you build an ADU in North Collins, NY?

Town of North Collins has 8 districts. All districts prohibit ADUs. Check your address to confirm the district that applies to your parcel:

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What the North Collins code says

North Collins has no accessory apartment. A second unit in a house makes it a two-family house, allowed by right in R-A, R-2, R-C, C-1 and C-2 but not R-1. R-2, R-C, C-1 and C-2 also allow two houses on a lot with a Town Board site plan.

Conditions the code attaches:

R-1 permits single-family houses only
Two houses on one lot are not an option in R-1 or R-A
R-2 allows up to three roomers or lodgers within a house
M-1 and M-2 allow no dwelling apart from caretaker or watchman quarters for the industry

What the North Collins 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
R-1 Single-Family Residence District	0.46 ac	40 / 10 / - ft	30 ft	No
R-2 General Residence District	0.46 ac	30 / 10 / - ft	30 ft	No
R-A Residence-Agricultural District	15 ac	100 / 10 / - ft	30 ft	No
R-C Residence-Restricted Business District	0.46 ac	40 / 10 / - ft	30 ft	No
Local Retail Business District	0.46 ac	40 / 0 / 10 ft	35 ft	No
General Commercial District	0.46 ac	40 / 0 / 10 ft	35 ft	No
Planned Industrial District	—	25 / 10 / 10 ft	—	No
General Industrial District	—	25 / 10 / 10 ft	—	No

Local Retail Business District - A single-family house here is held to the general residence district's 20,000 sq ft lot, while any other dwelling is priced per unit at 2,500 sq ft. The 60 ft width applies to dwellings only.

A dwelling takes the general residence district's side yard; any other principal building takes none, except that a side yard actually provided must be at least 5 ft
A side yard abutting a residential district boundary must be at least 20 ft or the height of the principal building, whichever is greater
A side yard used for vehicular ingress or egress must be at least 12 ft, and one used for both at least 25 ft
The 10 ft rear yard rises to the side-yard figure along a residential boundary
A retail shop may make what it sells if it is all sold on the premises, no more than four people are engaged in it at a time, and it causes no offensive odour, noise, vibration, heat, glare or dust
A bar or restaurant may not sell alcohol for drinking on the premises on any lot whose side lot line abuts a residential district boundary

General Commercial District - Every dimension here is borrowed: § 265-20C, D and E set the lot size, the height and the required yards as regulated in C-1, so the figures shown are that district's. What separates the two is the use list.

The heavier uses this district adds must be conducted inside a completely enclosed building, or an area enclosed by a solid wall or fence at least six feet high
Those uses are public garages, building materials supply, contractors' storage, public utility yards, small animal hospitals, machine and tool sales, and solid fuel and livestock feed
Commercial swimming pools, amusement parks, drive-in theatres and restaurants, golf driving ranges and rapid car washes need an access and parking plan approved by the Town Board
A dwelling takes the general residence district's side yard; any other principal building takes none, except that a side yard actually provided must be at least 5 ft
A side yard abutting a residential district boundary must be at least 20 ft or the height of the principal building, whichever is greater, and the 10 ft rear yard follows it there
A side yard used for vehicular ingress or egress must be at least 12 ft, and one used for both at least 25 ft

Planned Industrial District - This district sets no lot size requirement and no height requirement. The 25 ft front yard doubles to 50 ft where the lot lies opposite a residential district or where the front yard is used for accessory parking.

The 10 ft side yard rises to 50 ft, or the height of the principal building if that is greater, against a residential district boundary, and the rear yard follows it there
Every side and rear lot line abutting a residential or C-1 district must be fenced or screened by planting
The only fence permitted is chain link between six and ten feet high, and it may not project into a required front yard
Required side and rear yards may be used only for landscaping and for employee, customer and visitor parking

General Industrial District - This district sets no lot size requirement and no height requirement. The 10 ft side yard rises to 75 ft, or the height of the principal building if greater, against a residential district boundary, and to 25 ft against a C-1 boundary.

The rear yard follows the side-yard figure in either case
The front yard is 25 ft, rising to 50 ft opposite a residential district or where used for accessory parking
Auto wrecking, junkyards, scrap metal yards, incinerators, railroad freightyards, concrete plants, petroleum storage, heavy machinery manufacture and metal casting are permitted uses here
No use may cause a fire or explosive hazard beyond the district boundary, or send any atmospheric pollutant, noise, vibration or odour into a residential, commercial or M-1 district
No unneutralised refuse may be discharged into a sewer, stream or ditch

ADUs vs. short-term rentals in North Collins

No local short-term-rental law on record - which is not the same as permission for Town of North Collins. North Collins 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 minimum0.46–15 ac — an ADU still has to fit the district's lot and setback envelope.
UtilityNational Grid territory.
Zoning codeecode360.com/29682517
Building dept(716) 337-3160

ADU FAQ — North Collins, NY

Are ADUs allowed in North Collins, NY?

Town of North Collins has 8 districts. All districts prohibit ADUs. Check your address with the free ADU checker, or confirm with the building department at (716) 337-3160.

Do I need a special permit for an ADU in North Collins?

No. No district in Town of North Collins permits an ADU, so there is no permit to apply for. Codes change, so verify with the building department at (716) 337-3160 before ruling it out.

Can I use an ADU as a short-term rental in North Collins?

No local short-term-rental law on record - which is not the same as permission for Town of North Collins. 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.

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What an ADU costs to build in North Collins

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 North Collins, priced by size.

How we know this

Sections analyzed: § 265-4 (dwelling definitions) · § 265-13 · §§ 265-14 to 265-22
Districts confirmed: 8 of 8 — every mapped district.
Last reviewed: 2026-09-16
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 North Collins: 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 North Collins 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) 337-3160 before relying on any answer. Source: the Offsite / Aldo zoning dataset.