ADU · Monroe County

Can you build an ADU in East Rochester, NY?

Town/Village of East Rochester has 3 districts. All districts prohibit ADUs. Check your address to confirm the district that applies to your parcel:

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What the East Rochester code says

No accessory dwelling unit, accessory apartment or in-law unit is provided for in R-1-70, R-1-48 or TR. In R-1-70 and R-1-48, a special use permit can legalize an owner-occupied two-family dwelling constructed or converted before the zoning restrictions.

Conditions the code attaches:

The special use permit under § 193-53C reaches only a two-family dwelling not eligible for treatment as a prior existing nonconforming use, and the building must meet the state building code.
That route allows no new construction and no new conversion.
In R-1-70 and R-1-48, accessory uses under § 193-53B are one private garage, one residential storage structure and other customary residential structures, with no habitable use.
TR under § 193-55 adds townhouses by right, with apartment houses and multifamily dwellings by special use permit, and carries the R-1-48 accessory use list.
Questions on a specific property can go to the building department at (585) 586-3553.

What the East Rochester 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-1-70 Residential District	0.16 ac	25 / 5 / 20 ft	35 ft	No
R-1-48 Residential District	0.11 ac	20 / 5 / 15 ft	35 ft	No
TR Townhouse Residential District	0.11 ac	20 / 5 / 15 ft	35 ft	No

R-1-70 Residential District - A minimum green space of 30% applies alongside the coverage cap and binds independently of it, and at least half of the required green space must be in the front yard.

Public and semipublic uses take 20,000 sq ft on 100 ft of width, with 50 ft front, 30 ft rear and side yards of 15 ft one side and 30 ft both, at 25% coverage, on a special use permit.
All measurements are made from the street or right-of-way line.
Accessory buildings take 5 ft at the rear and 5 ft at the side.
Accessory buildings must stand clear of any other building by 10 ft up to 64 sq ft, 12 ft above 64 and under 121 sq ft, and 15 ft at 121 sq ft and above.
The minimum ground floor area shown is for a one-storey dwelling. A storey-and-a-half needs 900 sq ft and a two-storey 800 sq ft.

R-1-48 Residential District - The side yard is keyed to storeys: 5 ft for a two-storey dwelling and 4 ft for a one-storey, on both sides. Adding a second storey to a one-storey house increases its required side yard and can put a lawfully built dwelling out of compliance.

Public and semipublic uses take 20,000 sq ft on 100 ft of width, with 50 ft front, 30 ft rear and side yards of 15 ft one side and 30 ft both, at 25% coverage, on a special use permit.
A minimum green space of 30% applies alongside the coverage cap and binds independently of it, with at least half of the required green space in the front yard.
All measurements are made from the street or right-of-way line.
Accessory buildings take 3 ft at the rear and 3 ft at the side.
The minimum ground floor area shown is for a one-storey dwelling. A storey-and-a-half needs 720 sq ft and a two-storey 624 sq ft.

TR Townhouse Residential District - The figures shown are the single- and two-family standard, and townhouse and multifamily development follows a completely different standard. § 193-55E(2) sets a one-acre minimum tract for land rezoned to TR.

Townhouses are permitted by right and an apartment house by special permit, on the same dimensions: no flat lot minimum, 2,500 sq ft per dwelling unit on 80 ft of width, roughly 17 units to the acre.
Front and side yards are keyed to height: 30 ft or the building height at the front and 15 ft or half the height at each side, giving 50 ft and 25 ft at the 50 ft cap, with 50% coverage.
Public and semipublic uses take 20,000 sq ft on 100 ft of width, with 50 ft front, 30 ft rear and side yards of 15 ft one side and 30 ft both, at 25% coverage, on a special use permit.
For single- and two-family dwellings the side yard is 5 ft for a two-storey and 4 ft for a one-storey on both sides, and all measurements are made from the street line.
A minimum green space of 20% applies alongside the coverage cap and binds independently of it, with at least half of the required green space in the front yard.
§ 193-55E sets minimum living space per unit: 500 sq ft for a studio, 600 for one bedroom, 800 for two bedrooms and 950 for three bedrooms.

ADUs vs. short-term rentals in East Rochester

No local short-term-rental law on record - which is not the same as permission for Town/Village of East Rochester. East Rochester has no local short-term rental law, and that is not the same as permission. Confirm with the Building Inspector whether a short-term rental is a permitted zoning use before counting on it. 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 minimum0.11–0.16 ac — an ADU still has to fit the district's lot and setback envelope.
UtilityRG&E territory.
Zoning codeecode360.com/10126413
Building dept(585) 586-3553

ADU FAQ — East Rochester, NY

Are ADUs allowed in East Rochester, NY?

Town/Village of East Rochester has 3 districts. All districts prohibit ADUs. Check your address with the free ADU checker, or confirm with the building department at (585) 586-3553.

Do I need a special permit for an ADU in East Rochester?

No. No district in Town/Village of East Rochester permits an ADU, so there is no permit to apply for. Codes change, so verify with the building department at (585) 586-3553 before ruling it out.

Can I use an ADU as a short-term rental in East Rochester?

No local short-term-rental law on record - which is not the same as permission for Town/Village of East Rochester. 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.

Run the free ADU check for your parcel →

What an ADU costs to build in East Rochester

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 East Rochester, priced by size.

How we know this

Sections analyzed: Ch. 193 § 193-53 R-1-70 and R-1-48; § 193-55 TR; § 193-8 definitions
Districts confirmed: 3 of 3 — every mapped district.
Last reviewed: 2026-08-14
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 East Rochester: Full zoning for new construction · ADU build cost · House build cost · ADU rules across Monroe County · All Monroe County towns

ADU information for Town/Village of East Rochester is compiled from the municipal code (last reviewed 2026-08-14) 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 (585) 586-3553 before relying on any answer. Source: the Offsite / Aldo zoning dataset.