The Village of Fairport (since February 2026) allows a one-bedroom ADU up to 650 sq ft inside or attached to the house. No backyard cottages.
The code describes a way to approve an ADU with a permit, without a special public hearing for the ADU itself.
Whether any of this applies to your lot depends on your zoning district and your property.
The rules we found
| What the code says | Allowed with a permit |
|---|---|
| Detached (backyard) unit | No. Detached ADUs are prohibited |
| Inside or attached | Yes, inside or structurally attached to the main home in RLD, RN and RTN |
| Size limit | 650 sq ft |
| Bedrooms | 1 |
| Owner must live on site | None found in the ADU subsection |
| How approval works | Permitted accessory use in RLD, RN and RTN; no Planning Board hearing (exempt from site plan review, §551-68) |
| Other rules | One ADU per single-family home. An attached ADU must be structurally connected to the house, and an addition can't extend past the front of the existing house. |
Code section: §551-26A (Fairport ADU standards). Enacted February 9, 2026.
What we’re still confirming
- Whether a separate zoning permit is needed besides the building permit
Before you spend money on drawings
- Confirm the Village of Fairport governs your lot: it should be the municipality on your property tax bill.
- Find your zoning district on the municipal zoning map; the rules above can differ by district.
- Call or write the code office with your address and what you’re picturing, and ask for the answer and the code section in writing.
- On septic or a well? Ask the Monroe County health department whether the system can serve an extra bedroom. On public sewer? Ask your sewer district.
Our guides explain the approval process, site and utility checks and what an ADU costs.
Sources
General information, not legal advice. The Village of Fairport decides what can be built on your property.