ADU · Monroe County

Can you build an ADU in Parma, NY?

Town of Parma has 8 districts. 5 districts allow ADUs with a special-use permit, 3 do not. Check your address to confirm the district that applies to your parcel:

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What the Parma code says

An accessory apartment is permitted by special use permit from the Zoning Board of Appeals in AR, RR, NR, MR and WR, under § 165-23. It is not available in the two mixed-use districts or in Light Industrial.

Conditions the code attaches:

§ 165-23 sets size, owner occupancy and parking conditions for the unit.
The Neighborhood Mixed-Use district allows single-unit and two-unit homes by right, so a parcel there gets density through the principal use rather than an accessory apartment.
Building Department: (585) 392-9449.

What the Parma 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
Agricultural Residential	1 ac	75 / 50 / 75 ft	35 ft	Special permit
Rural Residential	1 ac	60 / 15 / 50 ft	35 ft	Special permit
Neighborhood Residential	0.46 ac	40 / 10 / 25 ft	35 ft	Special permit
Multifamily Residential	0.23 ac	30 / 15 / 15 ft	35 ft	Special permit
Waterfront Residential	0.11 ac	20 / 10 / 10 ft	35 ft	Special permit
Corridor Mixed-Use	0.46 ac	30 / 15 / 15 ft	35 ft	No
Neighborhood Mixed-Use	0.34 ac	30 / 10 / 15 ft	35 ft	No
Light Industrial	0.46 ac	75 / 25 / 50 ft	35 ft	No

Agricultural Residential - The 1 acre minimum in § 165-14 applies to non-agricultural use, so it sizes a house lot, not a working farm. On a corner lot the secondary street yard is also 75 ft, so both frontages carry the full street setback.

Accessory structures must be 25 ft from the rear and side lot lines.
A primary street-facing entrance and a porch or portico are encouraged, not required.

Rural Residential - The district covers areas with limited opportunities for infrastructure connections, including public sewers, and residential development here should include cluster development. No cluster dimensions are published, so a cluster layout is settled at subdivision review.

On a corner lot the secondary street yard is also 60 ft, the same as the primary.
Accessory structures must be 15 ft from the rear and side lot lines.
A primary street-facing entrance and a porch or portico are encouraged, not required.

Neighborhood Residential - On a corner lot the secondary street yard is also 40 ft, so both frontages carry the full street setback. A primary street-facing entrance is required.

Accessory structures must be 10 ft from the rear and side lot lines.
A porch or portico is encouraged.
The district is intended mainly for areas with existing sewer and water facilities and soils suited to medium-density development.

Multifamily Residential - MR is the only Parma district for townhomes and multi-unit housing, and no density figure is published. Under § 165-55, at least 25% of the land area, excluding parking and vehicle access, must be kept as open space for residents.

Townhome and multi-unit developments must be served by public water supply and public sanitary sewage disposal.
They must have direct access from common parking areas to a dedicated street.
On a corner lot the secondary street yard is also 30 ft, the same as the primary.
Accessory structures must be 10 ft from the rear and side lot lines.
A primary street-facing entrance is required; a porch or portico is encouraged.

Waterfront Residential - This Lake Ontario shoreline district is made up of lots developed before zoning was adopted, and further development depends on public water and sewer service being available.

On a corner lot the secondary street yard is also 20 ft, the same as the primary.
Accessory structures must be 5 ft from the rear and side lot lines.
A primary street-facing entrance is required; a porch or portico is encouraged.

Corridor Mixed-Use - On a corner lot the secondary street yard is also 30 ft, the same as the primary, so both frontages carry the full street setback.

Accessory structures must be 10 ft from the rear and side lot lines.
A primary street-facing entrance is required.

Neighborhood Mixed-Use - Any townhome or multi-unit development here must have public water and sewer and keep 25% of the land area, excluding parking and vehicle access, as open space under § 165-55.

On a corner lot the secondary street yard is also 30 ft, the same as the primary.
Accessory structures must be 10 ft from the rear and side lot lines.
A primary street-facing entrance is required; a porch or portico is encouraged.

Light Industrial - On a corner lot the secondary street yard is also 75 ft, the same as the primary, so both frontages carry the full street setback.

Accessory structures must be 25 ft from the rear and side lot lines.
A primary street-facing entrance is required.

ADUs vs. short-term rentals in Parma

Short-term rentals allowed with local rules for Town of Parma. Short-term rentals in Parma must be owner-operated under § 165-54, with no more than one non-resident of the premises employed in the operation. The use is not available in every district; the § 165-13 use table decides where it is. 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 minimum0.11–1 ac — an ADU still has to fit the district's lot and setback envelope.
UtilityRG&E territory.
Zoning codeecode360.com/11754875
Building dept(585) 392-9449

ADU FAQ — Parma, NY

Are ADUs allowed in Parma, NY?

Town of Parma has 8 districts. 5 districts allow ADUs with a special-use permit, 3 do not. Check your address with the free ADU checker, or confirm with the building department at (585) 392-9449.

Do I need a special permit for an ADU in Parma?

It depends on the district: 5 of 8 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 Parma?

Short-term rentals allowed with local rules for Town of Parma. 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 Parma

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 Parma, priced by size.

How we know this

Zoning code: ecode360.com/11754875
Districts confirmed: 8 of 8 — every mapped district.
Last reviewed: 2026-08-12
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 Parma: Full zoning for new construction · ADU build cost · House build cost · ADU rules across Monroe County · All Monroe County towns

ADU information for Town of Parma is compiled from the municipal code (last reviewed 2026-08-12) 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) 392-9449 before relying on any answer. Source: the Offsite / Aldo zoning dataset.