Rochester, NY Building Setbacks & Zoning: Lot Coverage Limits (2026)

City Code § 120-11B(1)(a)-(d) sets the R-1 District's lot and area requirements. For residential uses, minimum lot area is 5,000 square feet detached or 3,000 square feet per unit for a two-unit attached building, and § 120-11B(1)(d) caps maximum lot coverage at 50%. The same 50% ceiling applies to nonresidential uses under § 120-11B(2)(b). Rochester's Summary Chart of R-1 Regulations at § 120-13 restates the figure as "50%" across both the Single-Family Detached and Single-Family Attached (2 Units) columns, confirming there is no separate, stricter building-coverage number: an earlier, tighter maximum building coverage standard that once sat alongside the lot-coverage cap was repealed 9-19-2017 by Ord.

No. 2017-299. Rochester's zoning definitions section, § 120-208, defines "lot coverage" as the percentage of a lot area occupied by the ground area of buildings over 144 square feet and impervious surfaces, so driveways, patios and any building larger than 144 square feet all count toward the same 50% ceiling, not just the house's footprint. A property owner who wants to build beyond the 50% cap must seek an area variance from the Zoning Board of Appeals under § 120-195 rather than simply obtaining a building permit. The Director of Zoning and Permitting, per § 120-205, reviews building-permit applications against this limit before construction can begin.