Monroe County
Village of Fairport, NY: zoning for new construction
Residential lots in the Village of Fairport run from a 0.092-acre minimum in Residential Transitional Neighborhood up to 0.34 acres in Residential Low Density, across 3 zoning districts in all. No local short-term-rental law on record - which is not the same as permission. Power here is RG&E territory. The district table below has the setbacks, height limits and coverage - confirm the specifics with the building department at (585) 421-3207 before you rely on a figure.
Looking specifically at an accessory dwelling unit? See ADU rules for Fairport →
Zoning districts
| District | Min lot | Setbacks F / S / R | Max height | ADU |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residential Low Density | 0.34 ac | 50 / 15 / 50 ft | 30 ft | As of right |
| Residential Neighborhood | 0.17 ac | 30 / 10 / 30 ft | 30 ft | As of right |
| Residential Transitional Neighborhood | 0.092 ac | 20 / 10 / 15 ft | 42 ft | As of right |
Residential Low Density - Under § 551-75 the Zoning Officer may approve an adjustment of up to 10% from any numerical standard, including lot area, width, setbacks, coverage and height. Anything beyond 10% is a variance for the Zoning Board of Appeals.
- The 15% coverage cap binds before the setbacks: on the 15,000 sq ft minimum lot it allows a 2,250 sq ft building footprint.
- The Zoning Officer may approve a front setback equal to the average front yard depth on the two adjoining lots, or of the buildings on the block frontage.
- An adjustment lapses if a building permit is not obtained and work commenced within a year.
- The Zoning Officer may let an addition match the existing side yard of a structure that does not meet the current requirement.
- Accessory buildings need 5 ft side and rear setbacks and the district front setback.
- Residential development or substantial rehabilitation of 10 or more units must reserve at least 10% as attainable units on site, affordable at or below 80% of area median income for at least 50 years.
Residential Neighborhood - Under § 551-75 the Zoning Officer may approve an adjustment of up to 10% from any numerical standard, including lot area, width, setbacks, coverage and height. Anything beyond 10% is a variance for the Zoning Board of Appeals.
- The Zoning Officer may approve a front setback equal to the average front yard depth on the two adjoining lots, or of the buildings on the block frontage.
- On a 7,500 sq ft lot the 35% coverage cap allows 2,625 sq ft of building footprint.
- An adjustment lapses if a building permit is not obtained and work commenced within a year.
- The Zoning Officer may let an addition match the existing side yard of a structure that does not meet the current requirement.
- Accessory buildings need 5 ft side and rear setbacks and the district front setback.
- Residential development or substantial rehabilitation of 10 or more units must reserve at least 10% as attainable units on site, affordable at or below 80% of area median income for at least 50 years.
Residential Transitional Neighborhood - The figures shown are for townhouses: the minimum lot width is 25 ft for a townhouse and 50 ft for all other uses. Under § 551-75 the Zoning Officer may adjust any numerical standard by up to 10%; beyond that is a variance.
- The height standard is three storeys and 42 ft, and both limits bind.
- The Zoning Officer may approve a front setback equal to the average front yard depth on the two adjoining lots, or of the buildings on the block frontage.
- An adjustment lapses if a building permit is not obtained and work commenced within a year.
- The Zoning Officer may let an addition match the existing side yard of a structure that does not meet the current requirement.
- Accessory buildings need 5 ft side and rear setbacks and the district front setback.
- Residential development or substantial rehabilitation of 10 or more units must reserve at least 10% as attainable units on site, affordable at or below 80% of area median income for at least 50 years.
Short-term rentals
No local short-term-rental law on record - which is not the same as permission. Fairport's zoning code has no short-term rental provision, and that is not the same as permission. The code sets its uses out in a closed table, so a use it does not name is not allowed. Confirm with Building and Code Enforcement before counting on the use.
Conditions the code attaches:
- A bed and breakfast needs a special permit in every residential district. It must be the owner’s primary residence, owner operated, with at least one bedroom kept for the owner’s own use.
- A bed and breakfast is capped at five guest bedrooms and ten guests, lets run under 31 consecutive days, and only rooms originally built as bedrooms may be let.
- The village adopted its new zoning code as Local Law No. 2 of 2026 on 9 February 2026, effective 11 February 2026, and no short-term rental use was added.
- The Town of Perinton's code is separate and does not answer the question for a Fairport parcel.
- Every host must register with New York State's 2025 statewide short-term rental registry, whatever the local law.
- Building and Code Enforcement: (585) 421-3207.
Good to know
- UtilityRG&E territory.
- Zoning codeVillage of Fairport Code, Ch. 551 Zoning: Article 4 District Standards (§§ 551-10 to 551-12) and Article 5 Uses (§§ 551-23 to 551-27).
- Building dept(585) 421-3207
- Last reviewed2026-10-11
Working out a budget? A standard-finish build here runs $204–$268/sq ft - see the full cost to build a house in Fairport, or what an ADU costs here.
Sizing up a specific parcel in Fairport?
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Other Monroe County towns
All Monroe County zoning: Rochester (City) · Brighton · Chili · Clarkson · Gates · Greece · Hamlin · Henrietta · Irondequoit · Mendon · Ogden · Parma · Penfield · Perinton · Pittsford · Riga · Rush · Sweden · Webster · Wheatland · East Rochester (Village) · Brockport (Village) · Churchville (Village) · Hilton (Village) · Honeoye Falls (Village) · Pittsford (Village) · Scottsville (Village) · Spencerport (Village) · Webster (Village)
Zoning figures for Village of Fairport are compiled from the municipal code (last reviewed 2026-10-11) and provided for decision-support only - not legal, engineering, or architectural advice. Setback and dimensional standards often carry conditions and exceptions; verify with the building department at (585) 421-3207 before relying on any number. Source: the Offsite / Aldo zoning dataset.