ADU · Monroe County
Can you build an ADU in Pittsford, NY?
Town of Pittsford has 7 districts. All districts prohibit ADUs. Check your address to confirm the district that applies to your parcel:
What the Pittsford 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residential Neighborhood (RN) — context-based; lot size, width and front setback set per parcel from a Town database, not by fixed figures | — | - / 10 / 10 ft | 30 ft | No |
| B Residential (B) — single-family, two-family and apartment houses permitted by right | 0.3673 ac | 50 / 15 / 10 ft | 30 ft | No |
| Rural Residential (RRAA) — figures apply to parcels under 10 acres at 1.0 du/acre; 10+ acres drops to 1 du per 10 acres unless clustered | 0.7346 ac | 70 / 20 / 10 ft | 40 ft | No |
| Rural Residential South Pittsford (RRSP) — 1 du per 5 acres; §278 subdivision prohibited below 20 acres | 5 ac | 70 / 20 / 50 ft | 40 ft | No |
| Suburban Residential (SRAA) — density district: 1.7 du/acre, mandatory cluster, no stated lot area, width, setbacks or coverage | — | — | 30 ft | No |
| Agricultural (AG) — no stated minimum lot AREA; recorded figure is the 1.0 du/acre density for parcels of 2 acres or more | 1 ac | 70 / 20 / 10 ft | 40 ft | No |
| Monroe Avenue Transitional Zone (MATZ) — conversion-oriented overlay-style district along Monroe Avenue | 1.0331 ac | 70 / 15 / 35 ft | 30 ft | No |
ADUs vs. short-term rentals in Pittsford
No local short-term-rental law on record - which is not the same as permission for Town of Pittsford. The Town of Pittsford has NO short-term-rental provision anywhere — not in Zoning Ch. 185 and not in any of the Town Code's other chapters. The full Part I/Part II/Part III chapter list was read end to end and there is no rental chapter, no rental-registration chapter, no tourist-home or bed-and-breakfast use, and no lodging use; the words "rental" and "short-term" appear in the Code only in unrelated senses (LIVERY, defined in § 185-8 as the rental of horses or carriages; short-term boarding incidental to a VETERINARY CLINIC; and short-term parking in the home-occupation performance standards of Article XVII). Absence is NOT permission — Pittsford's residential districts are written as closed permitted-use lists, so an unlisted transient-occupancy use is not automatically allowed, and this is recorded as unknown rather than permitted for that reason. DO NOT CONFLATE THE TOWN WITH THE VILLAGE. to 7:00 a.m. quiet hours with revocation for repeated noise violations. That law governs only the incorporated village. This is the same town-versus-village divergence seen in Rockland, where the Village of Haverstraw permits STRs and the Town of Haverstraw prohibits them. New York State's 2025 STR registry (Ch. 99 of the Laws of 2025) separately requires every host statewide to register regardless of local law. Confirm with code enforcement at (585) 248-6265. 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 minimum0.3673–5 ac — an ADU still has to fit the district's lot and setback envelope.
- UtilityRG&E territory.
- Building dept(585) 248-6265
- Last reviewed2026-08-11
ADU FAQ — Pittsford, NY
Are ADUs allowed in Pittsford, NY?
Town of Pittsford has 7 districts. All districts prohibit ADUs. Check your address with the free ADU checker, or confirm with the building department at (585) 248-6265.
Do I need a special permit for an ADU in Pittsford?
No. No district in Town of Pittsford permits an ADU, so there is no permit to apply for. Codes change, so verify with the building department at (585) 248-6265 before ruling it out.
Can I use an ADU as a short-term rental in Pittsford?
No local short-term-rental law on record - which is not the same as permission for Town of Pittsford. 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 Pittsford
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 Pittsford, priced by size.
More on Pittsford: Full zoning for new construction · ADU build cost · House build cost · All Monroe County towns
ADU information for Town of Pittsford is compiled from the municipal code (last reviewed 2026-08-11) 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) 248-6265 before relying on any answer. Source: Offsite / Aldo zoning dataset, municipalData.js.