Monroe County, NY: flood zone, zoning and property lines by address
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Towns in Monroe County: Rochester, Irondequoit, Brighton.
Flood zone by address
ParcelSheet reads FEMA's National Flood Hazard Layer at the lot: the zone, whether it is a high risk area where lenders ask for flood insurance, and the base flood elevation where FEMA lists one. FEMA's countywide study for Monroe County has 201 FIRM panels, the newest effective July 2024; coastal V zones, where waves add to the flood, are mapped along its shore.
The official panel and any Letter of Map Amendment are at FEMA's Map Service Center. An elevation certificate for a Monroe house comes from a licensed surveyor and is often on file with the county or city building office.
Property lines
The parcel outline, parcel number and mapped size come from the New York State Tax Parcels layer (NYS GIS Program Office, from each county's tax maps), so a Monroe lot shows the same lines the Real Property Tax Services office draws. Monroe County covers about 420,459 acres of land and 454,246 acres of water.
Mapped lines are approximate. The Monroe County Real Property Tax Services office keeps the parcel record (Monroe County website); every county's office is on the state's county directors of Real Property Tax Services page; a licensed surveyor sets the true corners.
Zoning
In New York zoning is set by each town, village and city, not by the county: in Monroe County, Rochester zones the land inside its limits. ParcelSheet shows the use code on the lot's parcel record and the municipality it sits in; the town, village or city zoning office has the district, the uses it allows and the lot size it needs. The Monroe County website lists the county's municipalities.
ADU and guest houses
New York's zoning enabling laws (Town Law 261, Village Law 7-700 and General City Law 20) lets each town, village and city allow an accessory dwelling unit on a lot with a house. Whether a Monroe lot can add one depends on its district; the town, village or city zoning office has the rule. ParcelSheet shows the mapped lot size and the ground's slope, the first two things the question turns on.
Septic and soil
ParcelSheet reads the USDA soil survey at the lot: the soil's name, its septic absorption rating and whether it is prime farmland. Monroe County is soil survey area NY055, Monroe County, New York, last updated August 2026, on Web Soil Survey.
A new or changed septic system in Monroe County needs a permit from the Monroe County health department, or the NYS Department of Health district office where the county has none, which tests the soil on the lot itself.
Setbacks
Setbacks in Monroe County come from the zoning district: the front, side and rear distances a house must keep. ParcelSheet does not draw setback lines; the town, village or city zoning office gives them for the lot's district, and Rochester for land inside its limits.
Hazards that apply
- Storm surge. Monroe County has coastal V zones on its FEMA map, so storm surge reaches its shore. The county's evacuation zones are on its emergency management site; ParcelSheet shows the FEMA zone and the 3 ft sea level rise map at the lot.
- Wetlands and wildfire. ParcelSheet shows the National Wetlands Inventory near a Monroe lot and the Forest Service wildfire hazard rating at it.
Questions
Is my house in a flood zone in Monroe County?
Type the address in the box above and ParcelSheet reads FEMA's flood zone at the lot's center. FEMA's countywide flood map for Monroe County has 201 panels, the newest effective July 2024. A lender or insurer uses the official FIRM panel; FEMA's Map Service Center has it.
How do I find property lines in Monroe County?
Open the New York map, type the address, and the parcel outline from the county Real Property Tax Services office shows on the map with its parcel number and mapped size. Mapped lines are approximate; only a licensed surveyor sets the true corners.
What is my property zoned in Monroe County?
Zoning in Monroe County is set by each town, village and city (such as Rochester), not by the county. ParcelSheet shows the use code on the parcel record and names the municipality; the town, village or city zoning office has the final word.
Can I build an ADU in Monroe County?
New York's zoning enabling laws (Town Law 261, Village Law 7-700 and General City Law 20) lets each town, village and city allow an accessory dwelling unit, and each sets its own rules. In Monroe County ask the town, village or city zoning office for the lot's district first; ParcelSheet shows the lot size as mapped so you can see the room you have.
Do I need a septic permit in Monroe County?
Yes. A new or changed septic system in Monroe County needs a permit from the Monroe County health department, or the NYS Department of Health district office where the county has none. ParcelSheet shows the USDA soil survey's septic rating at the lot, from survey area NY055 (Monroe County, New York).
Next to Monroe County: Genesee County, Livingston County, Ontario County, Orleans County, Wayne County.
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