Building Safety in Rochester, NY (2026)
8 verified building safety rules for Rochester, New York, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Lead Paint
Rochester presumes all paint on pre-1980 residential buildings, and on the exterior of pre-1980 nonresidential structures, to be lead-based. Owners must keep surfaces free of deteriorated paint beyond small thresholds, clear dust-lead hazards, and register certain rental units, or face code violations tied to the certificate of occupancy.
Rochester's Lead Paint Law Covers Pre-1980 Buildings
Significant RestrictionsRochester City Code § 90-53(A), § 90-54(A)
§ 90-53. A. For purposes of this article, all paint on the interior or exterior of any residential building on which the original construction was completed prior to January 1, 1980, shall be presumed to be lead-based. ... § 90-54. A. Deteriorated paint violation. The interior and exterior of any residential building on which the original construction was completed prior to January 1, 1980... s...
Elevator Maintenance
Rochester requires every elevator, escalator and other conveyance to pass a licensed inspection at least every six months, with periodic safety tests witnessed by a licensed inspector under ASME A17.1. The Commissioner of Neighborhood and Business Development issues the certificate of inspection and can pull a unit from service for unsafe conditions.
Rochester Elevator Inspections: Every Six Months
Some RestrictionsRochester City Code § 50-15(A)(1)(a)
Basic requirements. All existing installations of conveyances in any type of building shall be subjected to inspections, in accordance with ASME A17.1, by a licensed inspector at intervals no longer than: ... Six months for all conveyances, except those located within a dwelling unit of a single- or two-family residence.
Childcare Center Rules
Rochester requires a special permit before any day-care center can open, with the Planning Commission reviewing each application under § 120-9. Once sited, the center must stay at least 1,000 feet from any existing sexually oriented business and cannot install permanent play equipment in a required front yard. Family day-care homes serving up to six children skip the special permit and qualify as a by-right residential use instead.
Rochester NY Day-Care Center Special Permit Rules
Significant RestrictionsRochester City Code § 120-135
Day-care centers shall be subject to the following requirements: A. No permanently installed play equipment shall be located in the required front yards. B. Day-care centers shall be located a minimum of 1,000 feet from any existing sexually oriented business.
Door Locking Hardware
Rochester's Property Code requires the main entrance of a multiple dwelling with individual unit buzzers to stay locked, and requires every hallway or stairway door in a multiple dwelling two or more stories tall to have a self-closing device that latches shut from a sixty-degree open position, per City Code § 90-12.
Rochester Multiple Dwelling Door Locking Rules
Some RestrictionsRochester City Code § 90-12
§ 90-12. Locking devices at entrances. A. In multiple dwellings, where the main entrance is equipped with separate bells to each dwelling unit, the main entrance shall remain locked. B. In every multiple dwelling two or more stories in height, every door opening onto a public hall or stairway shall be equipped with self-closing devices. C. Each such self-closing device shall be properly install...
Building Permits
In Rochester, no one may start the construction, enlargement, alteration, improvement, relocation, or demolition of any building or structure until the city issues a building permit under Chapter 39. The requirement also reaches solid-fuel heating appliances, chimneys, and flues that must meet the Building or Energy Code.
Rochester Requires a Building Permit Before Construction Begins
Some RestrictionsRochester City Code § 39-207 (When a building permit is required)
Except as otherwise provided in Subsection B of this section, a building permit shall be required for any work which must conform to the Building Code and/or the Energy Code, including, but not limited to, the construction, enlargement, alteration, improvement, removal, relocation or demolition of any building or structure or any portion thereof, and the installation of a solid-fuel-burning hea...
Electrical Permits
Rochester requires a building permit for electrical work rated above 50 volts, and for lower-voltage work covered by the National Electrical Code, under City Code § 39-304(B). All electrical systems must be installed so they pose no shock, fire or radiation hazard, and inspections are required before work is concealed.
Rochester Electrical Work Requires a Building Permit
Some RestrictionsRochester City Code § 39-304(A), (B)
A. Requirements. All electrical systems which are part of structures regulated by this chapter shall be designed and installed so that under normal conditions of use such systems will not be a potential danger to health or welfare, or a source of ignition, or a radiation hazard, or otherwise become a nuisance. Compliance with generally accepted standards applicable to the New York State Uniform...
Plumbing Permits
No plumbing work regulated by the Building Code or the state Uniform Code may be performed in Rochester without a permit from the Commissioner of Neighborhood and Business Development, under City Code § 39-308(A). Only a City-registered, licensed master plumber may pull that permit and do the work.
Rochester Plumbing Work Requires a City Permit
Some RestrictionsRochester City Code § 39-308(A), (B)
A. Requirements. No plumbing work regulated by the provisions of this code or of the NYSUFP & BC shall be performed by anyone without first obtaining a permit for such work from the Commissioner of Neighborhood and Business Development. B. Property owner's liability. Every property owner having plumbing work performed shall be responsible for having such work done by a City of Rochester registe...
Building Inspections
Rochester requires every building permit holder to pass a set sequence of Code Enforcement Official inspections before covered work can be closed up, under City Code § 39-210(I). The permit holder must call for inspection at each stage, work stays exposed until it is checked, and after-hours inspections cost $50 an hour with a four-hour minimum.
Rochester Building Permit Inspection Stages Required
Some RestrictionsRochester City Code § 39-210(I)
Construction inspections. (1) Permitted work shall be required to remain accessible and exposed until inspected and accepted by the Code Enforcement Official. The permit holder shall notify the Code Enforcement Official when any element of work described in Subsection I(2) of this section is ready for inspection. (2) The following elements of the construction process shall be inspected where ap...
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County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Rochester city rules.
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