Rochester

1. Chapter 120 Zoning eligibility & owner-occupancy check (~5d)
   Verify parcel zoning under City of Rochester Zoning Code Chapter 120 (adopted 2003-10-15, last comprehensively amended 2024). ADUs are permitted accessory uses in R-1, R-2, and R-3 districts under Chapter 120 Article XX. Rochester requires owner occupancy of either the primary unit or the ADU. Genesee River floodway / FEMA AE parcels and East Avenue / Park Avenue Preservation Districts trigger additional review.
2. Pre-application meeting - Department of Neighborhood & Business Development (NBD) (~7d)
   Optional consultation at City Hall, 30 Church Street Room 121-B. NBD planner walks through Chapter 120 ADU dimensional standards (max 800 sqft typical, 50% of primary unit, 5 ft side / 10 ft rear setbacks for detached, 25 ft height max), and parking requirements (typically 1 additional space).
3. Submit Building Permit Application - Bureau of Buildings & Zoning (~1d)
   Apply at Rochester Bureau of Buildings & Zoning (City Hall Room 121-B) or via the city's online Permit & Project Hub. Required documents: building permit application, zoning compliance form, two sets of stamped drawings, site plan, NYS ECCC compliance documentation, owner-occupancy affidavit, contractor's NYS Workers' Comp + liability certificates.
4. Plan review - Buildings, Fire, NBD Planning, Engineering (~30d)
   Concurrent review across Bureau of Buildings & Zoning (NYS Uniform Code 2020 + 2024 amendments), Rochester Fire Marshal (egress, smoke/CO; NY excludes residential sprinkler mandate), NBD Planning (Chapter 120 compliance), and City Engineering (sewer/storm tie-in, Genesee watershed). Preservation Board review adds 30-45 days for designated district parcels.
5. Permit issuance & fee payment (~5d)
   Building permit fee under Rochester schedule: tiered by valuation, $50 minimum, ~$20 per $1,000 over $5,000. Plumbing permit, electrical permit (third-party NYS-licensed inspector - Rochester accepts Commonwealth, Middle Department, NEIA, IAEI), zoning certificate of compliance fee paid at issuance.
6. Construction inspections
   Inspections by Bureau of Buildings & Zoning: footing, foundation, underslab plumbing, framing, rough plumbing/electrical/mechanical, insulation, NYS ECCC blower-door test (mandatory under 2020 ECCC), final building, third-party final electrical, final plumbing, final fire-marshal.
7. Certificate of Occupancy / Certificate of Zoning Compliance (~7d)
   Bureau of Buildings & Zoning issues both the Certificate of Occupancy and Certificate of Zoning Compliance after final inspections clear and the third-party electrical-inspector affidavit is filed. Annual rental certificate may be required from NBD for ADUs leased separately.

• Long-term rental: yes Long-term rental of ADU explicitly permitted; New York owner-occupancy preemption (where applicable) makes ADU eligible for full landlord-tenant treatment.
• Short-term rental: with-restrictions STR rules vary by city. Rochester regulates STRs separately from ADU permitting; check local STR ordinance and HOA covenants.
• Office rental: with-restrictions Detached office rental requires home occupation permit or rezoning.
• Home office: yes Home occupation permitted with restrictions on signage and customer traffic.
• Studio / workshop: yes Personal artist studio is a permitted accessory use.
• Agriculture: with-restrictions Limited urban agriculture permitted in residential zones; livestock varies by district.
• Relative support: yes Family-occupancy ADU explicitly permitted in single-family zones.

Staff: NBD Planning & Zoning (Chapter 120 zoning interpretation), Rochester Fire Marshal (Fire & life-safety review), Rochester Preservation Board (Historic-district ADU review)

• Water: Rochester Water Utility · 21d connect · $4,500
• Sewer: Rochester Sewer / Wastewater · 21d connect · $5,500
• Electric: Rochester Electric Utility · 14d connect · $1,800
• Gas: Rochester Gas Utility · 21d connect · $1,500

Realistic total: best 7mo · typical 11mo · worst 17mo

State ADU loans:

• Plus One ADU Program (statewide)
• Plus One ADU Pilot — New York City
• State of New York Mortgage Agency (SONYMA)

New York has no statewide statute that voids HOA, condominium, or cooperative restrictions on ADUs. New York is unusual among states in that it has no general HOA-governance statute at all — common-interest communities are governed by a mix of the Condominium Act (RPL Article 9-B), the Cooperative Corporations Law, the Not-for-Profit Corporation Law, and the Business Corporation Law depending on the form of the association. Restrictive covenants in declarations and bylaws therefore continue to bind ADU construction in HOA / condominium / co-op communities except where local zoning expressly preempts them (rare in NY).