ADU · Monroe County

Can you build an ADU in Riga, NY?

Town of Riga has 1 district. The only district allows ADUs with a special-use permit. Check your address to confirm the district that applies to your parcel:

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What the Riga code says

An in-law apartment is permitted in the RRA district as a special use through the Planning Board. Its size, occupancy and whether it may be rented to an unrelated tenant are not confirmed, so confirm with the Building Inspector before counting on renting it.

Conditions the code attaches:

The in-law apartment goes through the special use process under Article VII, §§ 95-37 to 95-38.
A two-family residence goes through the same special use route, and each residence in a two-family or duplex needs at least 1,040 sq ft of living area.
A mobile home on a farm, occupied only by farm-family members or full-time employees and their families, is a farm provision and not an in-law apartment.
Building Inspector: (585) 293-3880 ext. 124.

What the Riga 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
Rural Residential/Agricultural	1 ac	60 / 21 / 50 ft	35 ft	Special permit

Rural Residential/Agricultural - The side yard is 10% of the minimum required lot width: 21 ft on the one-acre standard and 15 ft on the serviced standard, and it does not grow on an oversized lot. Any side or rear yard that abuts a street is 60 ft.

With public water and sewer the minimum lot drops to 30,000 sq ft and the width to 150 ft; partial service buys nothing, and the side yard formula gives 15 ft there.
A two-family residence or duplex is a Planning Board special permit use, with a livable-area minimum of 1,040 sq ft for each residence, so a duplex must deliver 2,080 sq ft in total.
Height is two storeys or 35 ft, whichever is less, so the storey count can bind before the height does.
Barns, silos, water towers and other farm buildings are exempt from the height limit if they stand at least 100 ft from every property line, as must any building housing livestock.
A one-and-a-half-storey house needs 1,400 sq ft with at least 900 sq ft on the first floor, a split-level 1,400 sq ft with 1,000 sq ft, and a two-storey 1,600 sq ft with 800 sq ft (§ 95-25F).
The front setback is measured from the front lot line (§ 95-25D(4)).

ADUs vs. short-term rentals in Riga

No local short-term-rental law on record - which is not the same as permission for Town of Riga. The Town of Riga has no local short-term rental law, and that is not the same as permission. Confirm with the Building Inspector before counting on renting a home short term. 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 minimum1 ac — an ADU still has to fit the district's lot and setback envelope.
UtilityRG&E territory.
Zoning codeecode360.com/9621489
Building dept(585) 293-3880 ext. 124

ADU FAQ — Riga, NY

Are ADUs allowed in Riga, NY?

Town of Riga has 1 district. The only district allows ADUs with a special-use permit. Check your address with the free ADU checker, or confirm with the building department at (585) 293-3880 ext. 124.

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

Yes. Every district in Town of Riga requires a special-use permit for an ADU rather than allowing one as of right. Check the conditions attached to it before you design.

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

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

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 Riga, priced by size.

How we know this

Sections analyzed: Ch. 95 § 95-25C(13) RRA special uses; § 95-25C(10) farm mobile home; § 95-25F(1)(e) minimum living area
Districts confirmed: 1 of 1 — every mapped district.
Last reviewed: 2026-08-13
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 Riga: 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 Riga 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) 293-3880 ext. 124 before relying on any answer. Source: the Offsite / Aldo zoning dataset.