ADU · Monroe County
Can you build an ADU in Hilton, NY?
Village of Hilton has 2 districts. 1 district prohibits ADUs, 1 requires a special-use permit. Check your address to confirm the district that applies to your parcel:
What the Hilton code says
An accessory dwelling unit is a special permitted use in the R district, so it needs site approval from the Village under Article IV and is not allowed by right. Its floor area, owner occupancy, parking and whether it may be detached are not confirmed.
Conditions the code attaches:
- A two-family dwelling, single-family attached dwelling, small apartment house, cottage court dwellings and live-work units are also special permitted uses in the R district.
- The R district minimum lot is 8,000 sq ft.
- Code Enforcement: (585) 392-4144.
What the Hilton 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 | 0.18 ac | 20 / 8 / 8 ft | 35 ft | Special permit |
| Multiple-Residence | 0.18 ac | 30 / 15 / 15 ft | 35 ft | No |
Residential - The front setback is the most common existing front setback on the block; the 20 ft figure applies only where that cannot be determined.
- Two-family, single-family attached, small apartment house, cottage court and live-work units need site approval under Article IV and meet the same lot, setbacks and coverage as a detached house.
- Coverage counts all buildings, including accessory structures.
- A shed needs 5 ft side and rear setbacks, a 16 ft height cap, a footprint over 25 and up to 256 sq ft and no wall longer than 20 ft, and only one is permitted per property.
- A detached garage needs 8 ft side and rear setbacks, a 25 ft height cap and a 720 sq ft footprint cap.
- Sheds and garages must stand behind the front main foundation line of the house, 10 ft from any residential building on an adjacent lot, and 30 ft from either street line on a through lot.
- No more than three single-family homes of substantially similar style may stand on three adjacent lots fronting the same street.
Multiple-Residence - MR is a floating district, zoned only on application for a specific proposal through rezoning, and the land reverts to its previous district if construction is not diligently prosecuted within two years of the local law designating it.
- The setbacks apply at the project perimeter: 30 ft from a major peripheral road right-of-way, and 15 ft from an exterior project road, measured from the paved area where it is not dedicated.
- Buildings must also stand 15 ft from any interior lot line other than one defining an individual townhouse unit.
- The 80% coverage is calculated on the total project area, and the 8,000 sq ft is a minimum site size.
- The district states no minimum lot width, no land requirement per dwelling unit and no cap on units, so yield is set by site plan approval under Article V.
- The Zoning Board of Appeals may extend the two-year deadline, but not past three years (§ 275-14H).
- Apartment houses, multiple dwellings, dwelling groups, condominiums, cooperatives, single-family attached and cottage court dwellings are permitted outright; a detached house needs a special permit.
ADUs vs. short-term rentals in Hilton
Short-term rentals allowed for Village of Hilton. Short-term rentals are a special permitted use in the R district, so each one needs site approval from the Village under Article IV. They are neither allowed by right nor banned. 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 minimum0.18 ac — an ADU still has to fit the district's lot and setback envelope.
- UtilityRG&E territory.
- Zoning codeecode360.com/46615449
- Building dept(585) 392-4144
ADU FAQ — Hilton, NY
Are ADUs allowed in Hilton, NY?
Village of Hilton has 2 districts. 1 district prohibits ADUs, 1 requires a special-use permit. Check your address with the free ADU checker, or confirm with the building department at (585) 392-4144.
Do I need a special permit for an ADU in Hilton?
It depends on the district: 1 of 2 require a special-use permit, the rest do not. Check the district that applies to your parcel before you design.
Can I use an ADU as a short-term rental in Hilton?
Short-term rentals allowed for Village of Hilton. 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 Hilton
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 Hilton, priced by size.
How we know this
- Sections analyzed
- Ch. 275 § 275-13A permitted uses; § 275-13B special permitted uses, item (7) Accessory dwelling unit
- Districts confirmed
- 2 of 2 — 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 Hilton: Full zoning for new construction · ADU build cost · House build cost · ADU rules across Monroe County · All Monroe County towns
ADU information for Village of Hilton is compiled from the municipal code (last reviewed 2026-08-13) 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) 392-4144 before relying on any answer. Source: the Offsite / Aldo zoning dataset.