ADU · Monroe County
Can you build an ADU in Scottsville, NY?
Village of Scottsville has 5 districts. 3 districts allow ADUs with a special-use permit, 2 do not. Check your address to confirm the district that applies to your parcel:
What the Scottsville code says
An accessory dwelling unit of 300 to 800 sq ft needs a special permit in R1-16, R1-12 and R1-6, and the owner must live on the lot. Converting a house of at least 2,400 sq ft to a two-family needs a special permit in all five districts and creates two full dwellings.
Conditions the code attaches:
- Each unit of a converted house needs at least 650 sq ft for zero or one bedroom, 800 for two, 950 for three and 1,100 for four, with no more than four bedrooms in all.
- A conversion goes through Planning Board site plan review, must meet the parking rules, and must keep the one-family look from outside.
- An accessory unit may have one bedroom and no more than 33% of the combined floor area of the house and unit, and needs one extra parking space.
- With an accessory unit an owner must live on the lot at least six months a year, cannot rent both units, and signs a notarized affidavit that a new owner must renew.
- A new two-family needs a special permit and is allowed in R1-6 only; RA1-4 permits attached one-family houses and RM multifamily dwellings.
- Code Enforcement: (585) 889-6050.
How big an ADU can be in Scottsville
Size limits are set per district, and a unit inside the house is a different standard from a detached one. These are the figures the code publishes.
300 to 800 sq ft of habitable floor area
What the Scottsville 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| One-Family Residential 16 | 0.37 ac | 50 / 12 / 35 ft | 35 ft | Special permit |
| One-Family Residential 12 | 0.28 ac | 50 / 10 / 30 ft | 35 ft | Special permit |
| One-Family Residential 6 | 0.14 ac | 30 / 10 / 30 ft | 35 ft | Special permit |
| Residential Attached 1-4 | 0.092 ac | 50 / 0 / 30 ft | 35 ft | No |
| Residential Multifamily | 0.28 ac | 50 / 30 / 30 ft | 35 ft | No |
One-Family Residential 16 - Every figure shown is a default: the lot area, width, yards, height and coverage may each be displaced by the most common figure on the block where the lot sits. A parcel-specific answer needs the block, not just the district.
- The minimum lot area more than doubles without public sewer: 40,000 sq ft against the 16,000 sq ft serviced figure, and it applies to a nonresidential lot too, which owes a 15 ft side yard.
- Where public sewerage is not available, no lot may be built upon that lacks space for a private sanitary waste disposal system as determined by the Monroe County Department of Health.
- A two-storey house needs at least 800 sq ft of ground floor, and anything over one storey needs 1,600 sq ft in total.
- A garage setback of 10 ft, measured from the front building line, applies to all dwelling units.
- A two-family dwelling by conversion needs a special permit, and the district's own figures govern it.
- Accessory structures need 5 ft side and 10 ft rear yards and have a 20 ft height cap.
One-Family Residential 12 - Every figure shown is a default: the lot area, width, yards, height and coverage may each be displaced by the most common figure on the block where the lot sits. A parcel-specific answer needs the block, not just the district.
- Nonresidential uses take the same 12,000 sq ft and 80 ft of width as a house, with a 15 ft side yard against the residential 10 ft and a 35 ft rear against 30 ft.
- A two-storey house needs at least 650 sq ft of ground floor, and anything over one storey needs 1,000 sq ft in total.
- A garage setback of 10 ft, measured from the front building line, applies here.
- A two-family dwelling by conversion needs a special permit, and the district's own figures govern it.
- Accessory structures need 5 ft side and 10 ft rear yards and have a 20 ft height cap.
One-Family Residential 6 - R1-6 is the only district where a two-family dwelling can be built new, by special permit under Article IX, on the same 6,000 sq ft as a one-family house.
- Nonresidential uses take double the lot, 12,000 sq ft against 6,000, with a 50 ft front yard against the residential 30 ft and a 15 ft side yard against 10 ft.
- Every figure shown is a default: the lot area, width, yards, height and coverage may each be displaced by the most common figure on the block where the lot sits.
- A two-family dwelling by conversion also needs a special permit, and the district's own figures govern it.
- A two-storey house needs at least 650 sq ft of ground floor, and anything over one storey needs 1,000 sq ft in total.
- Accessory structures need 5 ft side and 10 ft rear yards and have a 20 ft height cap.
Residential Attached 1-4 - A one-family attached dwelling is the only dwelling permitted by right here, and a one-family detached house needs a special permit; the figures shown answer for both. Under § 170-17 the minimum lot frontage at the street line is 22 ft.
- Nonresidential uses take three times the lot, 12,000 sq ft against 4,000, on the same 26 ft of width, with a 15 ft side yard where a dwelling owes none.
- The lot area, width, yards, height and coverage may each be displaced by the most common figure on the block where the lot sits.
- An accessory dwelling unit and a bed-and-breakfast are not available in this district.
- A two-family dwelling by conversion needs a special permit, and the district's own figures govern it.
- A two-storey house needs at least 650 sq ft of ground floor, and anything over one storey needs 1,000 sq ft in total.
- Accessory structures need 5 ft side and 10 ft rear yards and have a 20 ft height cap.
Residential Multifamily - The figures shown are for a one-family detached house, which needs a special permit here; RM is the only district permitting multifamily, and a multifamily scheme takes the larger 16,000 sq ft minimum lot. The 30 ft side yard applies to residential and nonresidential uses alike.
- Nonresidential uses take the same 12,000 sq ft, 100 ft of width, 50 ft front and 30 ft side as a house, with a 35 ft rear yard against the residential 30 ft.
- The lot area, width, yards, height and coverage may each be displaced by the most common figure on the block where the lot sits.
- Accessory structures take a 15 ft side yard here, a 10 ft rear yard and a 20 ft height cap.
- A two-family dwelling by conversion needs a special permit, and the district's own figures govern it.
- A two-storey house needs at least 650 sq ft of ground floor, and anything over one storey needs 1,000 sq ft in total.
ADUs vs. short-term rentals in Scottsville
No local short-term-rental law on record - which is not the same as permission for Village of Scottsville. The Village of Scottsville has no local short-term rental law, and that is not the same as permission: its zoning use table is a closed list with no short-term rental use. Confirm with Code Enforcement before counting on the use. 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 minimum0.092–0.37 ac — an ADU still has to fit the district's lot and setback envelope.
- UtilityRG&E territory.
- Zoning codeecode360.com/12255670
- Building dept(585) 889-6050
ADU FAQ — Scottsville, NY
Are ADUs allowed in Scottsville, NY?
Village of Scottsville has 5 districts. 3 districts allow ADUs with a special-use permit, 2 do not. Check your address with the free ADU checker, or confirm with the building department at (585) 889-6050.
Do I need a special permit for an ADU in Scottsville?
It depends on the district: 3 of 5 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 Scottsville?
No local short-term-rental law on record - which is not the same as permission for Village of Scottsville. 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 Scottsville
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 Scottsville, priced by size.
How we know this
- Districts confirmed
- 5 of 5 — 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 Scottsville: 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 Scottsville 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) 889-6050 before relying on any answer. Source: the Offsite / Aldo zoning dataset.