Rochester, NY Building Setbacks & Zoning: Setback Rules (2026)

City Code § 120-11C sets separate front, side and rear yard minimums for residential and nonresidential development in the R-1 District. For a residential principal structure, the minimum front yard is either the average front-yard depth of the two adjoining lots, the average for the block frontage, or 20 feet, whichever standard applies; an attached garage or carport must sit at least 10 feet behind that line under § 120-11C(1)(a)[3]. Side yards for a detached house need a minimum of five feet per side with the two sides totaling at least 15 feet combined; an attached house has a zero-foot side setback unless it abuts a detached structure, in which case the five-foot, 15-foot-combined rule applies.

The minimum rear yard for a residential principal structure is 20 feet, or the block's average rear setback, but never less than 10 feet. Nonresidential development in R-1 faces different numbers: a 20-foot (or block-average) front yard, 10-foot side yards with a 25-foot combined minimum, and a flat 20-foot rear yard (10 feet for detached accessory structures). Corner lots get an added rule under § 120-11D: both yards fronting a street count as front yards, and every other yard on the lot follows the ordinary side and rear standards. These figures were last amended 7-19-2011 by Ord. No. 2011-247, effective 9-1-2011.