Churchville · ADU cost
What it costs to build an ADU in Churchville, NY
An 800 sq ft accessory dwelling unit in Churchville runs roughly $200k–260k, or about $249–327/sq ft, and that per-square-foot figure sits deliberately above the $204–268/sq ft a full house costs here. An ADU still needs one whole kitchen, one whole bath, its own service panel and its own heating plant no matter how small you draw it, and those costs do not shrink with the floor plan, so they land on half the square footage and push the rate up. Whether the village will let you build one is a separate question from what it costs, and it gets answered parcel by parcel rather than townwide, since the Village of Churchville maps 3 districts that treat accessory units differently from one another, so read the table below as a starting point rather than a verdict.
ADU cost by size in Churchville
Standard finish, slab on grade, on a flat and clear part of the lot, general-contractor margin included. These are structure costs at Monroe County pricing, before the service and septic work a second dwelling can trigger.
| Size | Type | $ / sq ft | Estimated total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 400 sq ft | Studio | $331–$433 | $130k–175k |
| 600 sq ft | One bedroom | $276–$362 | $165k–215k |
| 800 sq ft | One bedroom, larger | $249–$327 | $200k–260k |
| 1,000 sq ft | Two bedroom | $233–$305 | $235k–305k |
400 sq ft — One room plus a bath. Garage conversions and small backyard cottages land here.
600 sq ft — The most common detached build - a real bedroom, full kitchen, one bath.
800 sq ft — Room for a proper living area. Still a single bath and one kitchen.
1,000 sq ft — About as large as most codes allow an accessory unit to go.
Why the rate is higher than a house
The systems below are priced for an 800 sq ft unit. The middle column is what each system would cost if it simply shrank with the floor plan; the left column is what it actually costs once you account for the equipment a dwelling needs one of regardless of size. The gap between the two columns is the whole reason small builds price the way they do.
| System | $ / sq ft in an ADU | If it scaled with floor area | Fixed per unit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Site work | $7–$11 | $7 | — |
| Foundation | $16–$23 | $16 | — |
| Framing | $25–$32 | $25 | — |
| Envelope - roof, siding, windows | $32–$41 | $32 | — |
| Plumbing | $28–$34 | $16 | 55% |
| Electrical | $18–$24 | $13 | 35% |
| HVAC | $23–$28 | $15 | 45% |
| Insulation | $7–$9 | $7 | — |
| Interior finishes | $32–$43 | $27 | 15% |
| Millwork & cabinetry | $18–$28 | $11 | 55% |
The fixed-per-unit share is a modeling assumption, not a figure from the code: it is our estimate of how much of each system's budget buys equipment a dwelling needs exactly one of - a kitchen rough-in, a bath group, a service panel, a heating plant - and therefore does not shrink when the unit does. Site work, foundation, framing, envelope and insulation are treated as scaling straight with floor area, which understates the premium slightly, because a small building carries more envelope per square foot of floor than a large one.
What the Churchville code says about accessory units
Whether you can build one, and how large, is decided by the district your parcel sits in rather than by the town as a whole. The table shows how each mapped district treats ADUs alongside the lot and setback standards a second unit still has to fit inside. District boundaries and conditions vary, so treat it as a starting point and confirm the district that applies to your parcel.
| District | Min lot | Setbacks F / S / R | Max height | ADU |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Low Density Residential (LDR) — 12,000 sf (0.28 acres) for a single-family dwelling with 80 ft of lot width, front yard 35 ft, side yard 8 ft, rear yard 25 ft, maximum building height 35 ft and maximum lot coverage 35%. The village's largest-lot and most restrictive district. LDR IS SINGLE-FAMILY ONLY IN THE STRICTEST SENSE — Table 250-13 scores a two-family dwelling or townhome, multifamily under 5 units and multifamily of 5 to 12 units all as em dashes, meaning barred outright rather than available on a special permit. The ONE route to a second unit here is an ACCESSORY DWELLING UNIT by special permit, which makes the ADU disproportionately important in this district. A bed-and-breakfast and a nursing home or assisted-living facility are also special permitted. NOTE THAT THE RECORDED FIGURES ARE THE SINGLE-FAMILY ROW: the same table sets a 20,000 sf minimum and an 80 ft width for any NONRESIDENTIAL use in LDR, and the yard requirements differ by use as well — a nonresidential use owes a 15 ft side yard against a residential 8 ft, and a 35 ft rear yard against 25 ft. Accessory structures take an 8 ft side yard, a 5 ft rear yard and a 15 ft height cap, against the 35 ft primary-structure height. | 0.2755 ac | 35 / 8 / 25 ft | 35 ft | Special permit |
| Traditional Village Residential (TVR) — 8,000 sf (0.18 acres) for a single-family dwelling with just 50 ft of lot width, the narrowest in the village, front yard 20 ft, side yard 8 ft, rear yard 25 ft, height 35 ft and maximum lot coverage 35%. The 20 ft front yard against LDR's 35 ft is what produces the traditional village streetwall this district is named for. TVR IS THE MIDDLE RUNG OF THE VILLAGE'S DENSITY LADDER AND ITS ADDITIONAL UNITS ARE ALL DISCRETIONARY: a two-family dwelling or townhome and a multifamily dwelling under 5 units are each scored SP, so available only by special permit, while multifamily of 5 to 12 units is barred outright. An ACCESSORY DWELLING UNIT is also special permitted here. THE LOT MINIMUM CHANGES WITH THE USE AND THE RECORDED FIGURE IS THE SINGLE-FAMILY ONE: a two-family dwelling requires 10,000 sf, and a multifamily dwelling runs on 5,500 SQUARE FEET PER DWELLING UNIT rather than any flat minimum — so a four-unit building needs 22,000 sf, nearly three times the single-family figure, and sizing a multifamily scheme from the recorded 8,000 sf would overstate yield badly. Multifamily also owes a 70 ft lot width against the 50 ft single- or two-family figure. A nonresidential use requires 20,000 sf and 80 ft of width. Accessory structures take an 8 ft side yard, a 5 ft rear yard and a 15 ft height cap. | 0.1837 ac | 20 / 8 / 25 ft | 35 ft | Special permit |
| Medium Density Residential (MDR) — 10,000 sf (0.23 acres) for a single-family dwelling with 60 ft of lot width, front yard 25 ft, side yard 10 ft, rear yard 30 ft, height 35 ft and MAXIMUM LOT COVERAGE 40%, the highest in the village. Note that MDR's single-family lot minimum sits BETWEEN LDR's 12,000 and TVR's 8,000 — the district is 'medium density' by what it permits, not by its lot size, and its yards are actually the largest of the three except for LDR's front. MDR IS THE ONLY DISTRICT WHERE ADDITIONAL UNITS ARE AVAILABLE BY RIGHT: a two-family dwelling or townhome and a multifamily dwelling under 5 units are both scored P, and a multifamily dwelling of 5 to 12 units is available by special permit — the only place in Churchville that use appears at all. AND YET MDR IS THE ONLY DISTRICT WITH NO ACCESSORY DWELLING UNIT ROUTE — its ADU cell in Table 250-13 is blank while LDR and TVR both carry SP. That inversion is deliberate and is the single most counterintuitive fact in this village: additional density here comes as principal uses, not as an accessory unit. THE RECORDED FIGURES ARE THE SINGLE-FAMILY ROW. A two-family dwelling requires 12,000 sf, and multifamily runs on 5,500 SQUARE FEET PER DWELLING UNIT with a 70 ft width, so a 12-unit scheme needs 66,000 sf — more than six times the recorded minimum. A nonresidential use requires 20,000 sf and 80 ft of width, with a 15 ft side and 35 ft rear yard. Accessory structures take a 10 ft side yard, an 8 ft rear yard and a 15 ft height cap. | 0.2296 ac | 25 / 10 / 30 ft | 35 ft | No |
Size limits on record in Churchville
Where the code states a size cap, it decides which row of the cost table above actually applies to you. These are the caps recorded for Churchville:
- Low Density Residential (LDR) — 12,000 sf (0.28 acres) for a single-family dwelling with 80 ft of lot width, front yard 35 ft, side yard 8 ft, rear yard 25 ft, maximum building height 35 ft and maximum lot coverage 35%. The village's largest-lot and most restrictive district. LDR IS SINGLE-FAMILY ONLY IN THE STRICTEST SENSE — Table 250-13 scores a two-family dwelling or townhome, multifamily under 5 units and multifamily of 5 to 12 units all as em dashes, meaning barred outright rather than available on a special permit. The ONE route to a second unit here is an ACCESSORY DWELLING UNIT by special permit, which makes the ADU disproportionately important in this district. A bed-and-breakfast and a nursing home or assisted-living facility are also special permitted. NOTE THAT THE RECORDED FIGURES ARE THE SINGLE-FAMILY ROW: the same table sets a 20,000 sf minimum and an 80 ft width for any NONRESIDENTIAL use in LDR, and the yard requirements differ by use as well — a nonresidential use owes a 15 ft side yard against a residential 8 ft, and a 35 ft rear yard against 25 ft. Accessory structures take an 8 ft side yard, a 5 ft rear yard and a 15 ft height cap, against the 35 ft primary-structure height.MULTIFAMILY IN BOTH TVR AND MDR RUNS ON 5,500 SQ FT PER DWELLING UNIT rather than a flat lot minimum
- Traditional Village Residential (TVR) — 8,000 sf (0.18 acres) for a single-family dwelling with just 50 ft of lot width, the narrowest in the village, front yard 20 ft, side yard 8 ft, rear yard 25 ft, height 35 ft and maximum lot coverage 35%. The 20 ft front yard against LDR's 35 ft is what produces the traditional village streetwall this district is named for. TVR IS THE MIDDLE RUNG OF THE VILLAGE'S DENSITY LADDER AND ITS ADDITIONAL UNITS ARE ALL DISCRETIONARY: a two-family dwelling or townhome and a multifamily dwelling under 5 units are each scored SP, so available only by special permit, while multifamily of 5 to 12 units is barred outright. An ACCESSORY DWELLING UNIT is also special permitted here. THE LOT MINIMUM CHANGES WITH THE USE AND THE RECORDED FIGURE IS THE SINGLE-FAMILY ONE: a two-family dwelling requires 10,000 sf, and a multifamily dwelling runs on 5,500 SQUARE FEET PER DWELLING UNIT rather than any flat minimum — so a four-unit building needs 22,000 sf, nearly three times the single-family figure, and sizing a multifamily scheme from the recorded 8,000 sf would overstate yield badly. Multifamily also owes a 70 ft lot width against the 50 ft single- or two-family figure. A nonresidential use requires 20,000 sf and 80 ft of width. Accessory structures take an 8 ft side yard, a 5 ft rear yard and a 15 ft height cap.MULTIFAMILY IN BOTH TVR AND MDR RUNS ON 5,500 SQ FT PER DWELLING UNIT rather than a flat lot minimum
- Medium Density Residential (MDR) — 10,000 sf (0.23 acres) for a single-family dwelling with 60 ft of lot width, front yard 25 ft, side yard 10 ft, rear yard 30 ft, height 35 ft and MAXIMUM LOT COVERAGE 40%, the highest in the village. Note that MDR's single-family lot minimum sits BETWEEN LDR's 12,000 and TVR's 8,000 — the district is 'medium density' by what it permits, not by its lot size, and its yards are actually the largest of the three except for LDR's front. MDR IS THE ONLY DISTRICT WHERE ADDITIONAL UNITS ARE AVAILABLE BY RIGHT: a two-family dwelling or townhome and a multifamily dwelling under 5 units are both scored P, and a multifamily dwelling of 5 to 12 units is available by special permit — the only place in Churchville that use appears at all. AND YET MDR IS THE ONLY DISTRICT WITH NO ACCESSORY DWELLING UNIT ROUTE — its ADU cell in Table 250-13 is blank while LDR and TVR both carry SP. That inversion is deliberate and is the single most counterintuitive fact in this village: additional density here comes as principal uses, not as an accessory unit. THE RECORDED FIGURES ARE THE SINGLE-FAMILY ROW. A two-family dwelling requires 12,000 sf, and multifamily runs on 5,500 SQUARE FEET PER DWELLING UNIT with a 70 ft width, so a 12-unit scheme needs 66,000 sf — more than six times the recorded minimum. A nonresidential use requires 20,000 sf and 80 ft of width, with a 15 ft side and 35 ft rear yard. Accessory structures take a 10 ft side yard, an 8 ft rear yard and a 15 ft height cap.MULTIFAMILY IN BOTH TVR AND MDR RUNS ON 5,500 SQ FT PER DWELLING UNIT rather than a flat lot minimum
Costs an ADU adds that a house does not
- Septic and water A second dwelling adds bedrooms to the design flow, which on an unsewered parcel often means expanding or replacing the existing system rather than tapping it. This is the single most common reason an ADU budget moves after design, and it is site-specific enough that no model should quote it - get it evaluated early.
- Utility service RG&E territory. A detached unit needs power run to it, and whether it goes on its own meter or subfeeds the main house changes both the cost and the permit path.
- Access and parking Many codes require an added parking space for the accessory unit, and a detached unit usually needs a driveway extension or a path, both of which count against a lot-coverage or impervious-surface cap.
- Short-term rentalsNo local short-term-rental law on record - which is not the same as permission. NO SHORT-TERM RENTAL PROVISION EXISTS IN CHURCHVILLE. Table 250-13 Uses by Residential District enumerates every residential use across all three districts and contains no short-term rental row, and a sweep of all 39 chapters of the Village Code found no standalone rental, lodging, licensing or registration chapter of the Gates Ch. 148 or Mendon Ch. 208 kind. WHAT CHURCHVILLE DOES PERMIT IS A BED-AND-BREAKFAST, BY SPECIAL PERMIT IN ALL THREE RESIDENTIAL DISTRICTS (LDR, TVR and MDR alike), which is a different use and must not be read as authorising a whole-house short-term rental — a bed-and-breakfast in this family of codes is an owner-present lodging use. THE USE TABLE IS A CLOSED MATRIX: every land use is scored P (permitted), SP (special permit) or an em dash per district, so a use that does not appear in the table is not permitted rather than merely unaddressed, and an unlisted whole-house STR therefore has no route short of a use variance or a code amendment. strStatus is recorded 'unknown' rather than 'prohibited' only because that reading has not been confirmed with the Village. NOTE THE CONTRAST WITH THE SURROUNDING TOWN OF RIGA, which likewise has no STR provision but ALSO has no bed-and-breakfast or lodging use at all in its RRA district — so the village is marginally more permissive than its town, and neither finding transfers to the other. New York State's 2025 statewide short-term rental registry (Ch. 99 of the Laws of 2025) obliges every host to register regardless of local law. Confirm with the Building Inspector at (585) 293-3720 x119. Separate question from whether you can build the unit.
- Building dept(585) 293-3720 x119
Sizing up a specific parcel in Churchville?
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.
Building a full house instead?
A standard-finish house in Churchville runs $204–268/sq ft, about $370k–480k at 1,800 sq ft . See what it costs to build a house in Churchville.
ADU cost in nearby towns
All Monroe County towns: Rochester (City) · Brighton · Chili · Clarkson · Gates · Greece · Hamlin · Henrietta · Irondequoit · Mendon · Ogden · Parma · Penfield · Perinton · Pittsford · Riga · Rush · Sweden · Webster · Wheatland · Town/Village of East Rochester (Village) · Brockport (Village) · Fairport (Village) · Hilton (Village) · Honeoye Falls (Village) · Pittsford (Village) · Scottsville (Village) · Spencerport (Village) · Webster (Village)
More on Churchville: Can you build an ADU here? · Zoning for new construction · Monroe County build cost
ADU cost in Churchville: common questions
How much does it cost to build an ADU in Churchville, NY?
An 800 sq ft accessory dwelling unit in Village of Churchville runs roughly $200k–260k at a standard finish, general-contractor margin included. A 400 sq ft studio runs about $130k–175k. Those are structure costs on an easy site and do not include the septic, water or electrical service work a second unit often triggers.
Why does an ADU cost more per square foot than a house in Churchville?
Because a lot of a dwelling's cost is per dwelling, not per square foot. One kitchen, one bath group, one service panel and one heating plant cost about the same in an 800 sq ft cottage as in a 1,800 sq ft house, so on the smaller unit they get spread over less than half the floor area. That is why an ADU here prices at $249–327/sq ft against $204–268/sq ft for a full house, even though it is the same trades doing the same work.
Are ADUs allowed in Churchville?
Village of Churchville has 3 districts. 2 districts allow ADUs with a special-use permit, 1 does not. Check the specific address with the free ADU checker or confirm with the building department at (585) 293-3720 x119 before you spend money on design.
Can I rent an ADU in Churchville short term?
No local short-term-rental law on record - which is not the same as permission for Village of Churchville. ADU rules and short-term-rental rules are set separately, so a unit you are allowed to build is not automatically one you are allowed to rent nightly. Confirm both before you underwrite the build on short-term-rental income.
ADU costs are modeled estimates in current 2026 dollars at the Monroe County regional index, general-contractor margin included, derived from Offsite's cost engine with a stated adjustment for the equipment a dwelling needs one of regardless of size. They are planning numbers for decision-support only - not a bid, quote, or guarantee, and not legal, architectural or engineering advice. They cover the structure and exclude septic expansion, utility service runs, site work beyond a flat and clear pad, and permit fees. ADU eligibility, size, owner-occupancy and permit conditions in the Village of Churchville vary by district and often carry exceptions this page does not show; zoning last reviewed 2026-08-13; verify with the building department at (585) 293-3720 x119 before relying on any answer. Sources: Offsite / Aldo cost engine (costEngine.js + constants.js); zoning dataset (municipalData.js).