Monroe County
Town of Penfield, NY: zoning for new construction
Residential lots in the Town of Penfield run from a 0.2755-acre minimum in R-1-12 Residential District up to 2 acres in CR-2 Conservation Residential District, across 6 zoning districts in all. No local short-term-rental law on record - which is not the same as permission. 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) 340-8636 before you rely on a figure.
Looking specifically at an accessory dwelling unit? See ADU rules for Penfield →
Zoning districts
| District | Min lot | Setbacks F / S / R | Max height | ADU |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| RA-2 Rural Agricultural District | 2 ac | 50 / 10 / 30 ft | 35 ft | No |
| CR-2 Conservation Residential District | 2 ac | 50 / 10 / 30 ft | 35 ft | No |
| RR-1 Rural Residential District | 1 ac | 50 / 10 / 30 ft | 35 ft | No |
| R-1-20 Residential District | 0.4591 ac | 50 / 10 / 30 ft | 35 ft | No |
| R-1-15 Residential District | 0.3444 ac | 50 / 10 / 30 ft | 35 ft | No |
| R-1-12 Residential District | 0.2755 ac | 50 / 10 / 30 ft | 35 ft | No |
Short-term rentals
No local short-term-rental law on record - which is not the same as permission. No short-term-rental law found in the Town of Penfield Code as of 2026-08-10. All 34 chapters were enumerated and there is no rental, lodging, tourist or transient-occupancy chapter; Article VII of Ch. 250 (Provisions Applicable to All Districts, ~67,000 characters) was searched and contains no STR provision. Absence of a found law is not permission, and in Penfield that is explicit rather than inferred: § 250-3.1 states that ANY USE NOT SPECIFICALLY SET FORTH as a permitted use in a district — as of right, accessory, or by special or conditional use permit — IS EXPRESSLY PROHIBITED in that district, and adds that a use permitted in one district is not permitted in another unless separately listed. A whole-house transient rental is not an enumerated use in any of the six single-family districts. New York State's 2025 STR registry (Ch. 99 of the Laws of 2025) separately requires every host statewide to register. Confirm with the Building Department at (585) 340-8636 before listing.
Good to know
- UtilityRG&E territory.
- Building dept(585) 340-8636
- Last reviewed2026-08-10
Working out a budget? A standard-finish build here runs $204–$268/sq ft , and a conforming lot adds about $2,645 on top - see the full cost to build a house in Penfield, or what an ADU costs here.
Sizing up a specific parcel in Penfield?
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 · Mendon · Ogden · Parma · Perinton · Pittsford · Riga · Rush · Sweden · Webster · Wheatland · Town/Village of 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 Penfield are compiled from the municipal code (last reviewed 2026-08-10) 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) 340-8636 before relying on any number. Source: Offsite / Aldo zoning dataset, municipalData.js.