Rochester does not levy a separate residential impact fee for ADUs. Applicants pay standard building permit fees set by the Bureau of Buildings and Zoning under Chapter 39 of the City Code, and the ADU pilot program reimburses qualifying owners up to $20,000 to offset those fees and other indirect costs.
New York is not a home-rule impact-fee state, and Rochester City Code Chapter 39 (Building Code) does not impose ADU-specific impact fees. Instead, applicants pay value-based building permit fees collected by the Bureau of Buildings and Zoning (Department of Neighborhood and Business Development), plus standard plumbing, mechanical, and electrical permit fees as applicable. Typical ADU permit costs in Rochester run roughly $1,000-$4,000 depending on construction valuation and scope. Water and sewer hook-up charges from the city Water Bureau and Monroe County Pure Waters may apply if the ADU requires new connections. The City of Rochester ADU pilot program, launched in 2023, reimburses qualifying property owners up to $20,000 for city fees and indirect costs of building an interior, attached, or detached ADU. Reimbursement is contingent on completion, occupancy compliance, and a fair-market-rent restriction for 3 years if the unit is rented. Applicants should confirm current fees with the Permit Office at 585-428-6526.
Failure to pay permit fees blocks issuance of the building permit and certificate of occupancy. Constructing an ADU without paying required fees is treated as building without a permit under Chapter 39 and Chapter 120, subject to stop-work order, fines, and possible loss of pilot reimbursement eligibility.
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