Monroe County

Town of Mendon, NY: zoning for new construction

4 districts Min residential lot 0.69–5 ac RG&E

Residential lots in the Town of Mendon run from a 0.69-acre minimum in Residential Suburban 30 up to 5 acres in Residential Agricultural 5, across 4 zoning districts in all. Short-term rentals allowed with registration. 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) 624-6066 before you rely on a figure.

Looking specifically at an accessory dwelling unit? See ADU rules for Mendon →

Zoning districts

District	Min lot	Setbacks F / S / R	Max height	ADU
Residential Agricultural 5	5 ac	60 / 20 / 20 ft	35 ft	No
Residential Agricultural 2	2 ac	60 / 20 / 20 ft	35 ft	No
Residential Agricultural 1	1 ac	60 / 20 / 20 ft	35 ft	No
Residential Suburban 30	0.69 ac	60 / 15 / 20 ft	35 ft	No

Residential Agricultural 5 - The lot requirement is a density, not a flat minimum, so a smaller lot can comply if the parent tract carries the density. A lot may narrow to 100 ft at the right-of-way if it opens to the full width shown at the building line.

A lot fronting a state road owes an 80 ft front setback.
Height is capped at two and a half storeys as well as 35 ft, so the storey count can bind before the height does.
Minimum habitable floor area rises to 1,500 sq ft for a dwelling taller than one storey.
The district states no lot coverage limit.

Residential Agricultural 2, Residential Agricultural 1 - The lot requirement is a density, not a flat minimum, so a smaller lot can comply if the parent tract carries the density. A lot may narrow to 50 ft at the right-of-way if it opens to the full width shown at the building line.

A lot fronting a state road owes an 80 ft front setback.
Height is capped at two and a half storeys as well as 35 ft, so the storey count can bind before the height does.
Minimum habitable floor area rises to 1,500 sq ft for a dwelling taller than one storey.
The district states no lot coverage limit.

Residential Suburban 30 - The lot requirement is a density, not a flat minimum, so a smaller lot can comply if the parent tract carries the density. A lot may narrow to 50 ft at the right-of-way if it opens to the full width shown at the building line.

A lot fronting a state road owes an 80 ft front setback.
Height is capped at two and a half storeys as well as 35 ft, so the storey count can bind before the height does.
Minimum habitable floor area rises to 1,200 sq ft for a dwelling taller than one storey.

Short-term rentals

Short-term rentals allowed with registration. A short-term rental in Mendon needs a revocable Town operating permit under § 208-5, and the permit is nontransferable, so a buyer of an operating rental must apply afresh rather than rely on the seller's permit.

Conditions the code attaches:

Which districts may host a short-term rental is set by the Schedule of Zoning Districts at § 208-6; confirm for the parcel with the Building Department at (585) 624-6066.
A new permit lasts at most one year and a renewal at most two, and every permit expires 31 December of its calendar year.
Renewals must reach the Building Department by 1 December or are treated as new applications.
§ 208-7 requires full compliance with the NYS Uniform Fire Prevention and Building Code, smoke detectors in every sleeping room and on each floor, carbon monoxide detectors and fire extinguishers.
Tourist homes and bed-and-breakfasts are a separate use, by Planning Board special use permit in RA-5 and RS-30 only.
New York State's 2025 short-term rental registry requires every host to register in addition to the Town permit.

Good to know

UtilityRG&E territory.
Zoning codeTown of Mendon Code, Ch. 260 Zoning, Article V District Regulations and Article XVII Zoning Schedule, § 260-106
Building dept(585) 624-6066
Last reviewed2026-08-13

Working out a budget? A standard-finish build here runs $204–$268/sq ft , and a conforming lot adds about $8,486 on top - see the full cost to build a house in Mendon, or what an ADU costs here.

Sizing up a specific parcel in Mendon?

Aldo pulls the exact zoning district, setbacks, and build feasibility for any parcel — before you buy. Enter your email to open Aldo and run your free report.

Other Monroe County towns

All Monroe County zoning: Rochester (City) · Brighton · Chili · Clarkson · Gates · Greece · Hamlin · Henrietta · Irondequoit · Ogden · Parma · Penfield · Perinton · Pittsford · Riga · Rush · Sweden · Webster · Wheatland · East Rochester (Village) · Brockport (Village) · Churchville (Village) · Fairport (Village) · Hilton (Village) · Honeoye Falls (Village) · Pittsford (Village) · Scottsville (Village) · Spencerport (Village) · Webster (Village)

Zoning figures for Town of Mendon are compiled from the municipal code (last reviewed 2026-08-13) 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) 624-6066 before relying on any number. Source: the Offsite / Aldo zoning dataset.