Canandaigua Lake Dock Rules: UDML Slips, Size & Boathouses

Last reviewed: October 9, 2026. General information only, not legal or permitting advice. This summarizes the generic text of the current Canandaigua Lake Uniform Docking and Mooring Law posted by the Watershed Council; each municipality’s adopted chapter controls, and updates were in draft as of this review. Confirm with your code enforcement officer.

If you own or are buying lakefront on Canandaigua Lake, the size of your dock, how many boats you can keep, and whether you can build a boathouse are set by one shared set of rules: the Canandaigua Lake Uniform Docking and Mooring Law (UDML). It is unusual. Most New York lakes leave dock rules to state agencies and individual towns. Here, the shoreline municipalities adopted matching local laws under special state authority.

Where the law comes from

New York Navigation Law §46-a allows the City of Canandaigua, the Towns of Canandaigua, Gorham, and South Bristol in Ontario County, and the Towns of Middlesex and Italy in Yates County to regulate the construction and location of boathouses, moorings, and docks within 1,500 feet of the shoreline. The catch is that none of those local laws takes effect until all the lakeshore municipalities unanimously agree to uniform standards, and the state parks commissioner approves them in writing. Amendments go through the same process.

The Canandaigua Lake Watershed Council says the current law was approved in 2012 for all six shoreline municipalities, and the communities have been working on draft updates (a draft 2026 version and a table of proposed changes are posted on the Council’s site). In the Town of Canandaigua, for example, the law appears as Chapter 96 of the town code.

Tiers: what kind of shoreline you have

The law sorts docking and mooring by tier, based on the zoning district of the adjoining parcel. Tier 1 covers typical residential lakefront. Tiers 2 and 3 cover larger facilities, including transient docking. This guide focuses on Tier 1, since that’s what most homeowners deal with. The “facility area” for Tier 1 extends 60 feet out from the mean high water mark, except as the law provides.

The law uses lake elevations to define the shoreline. The generic UDML text cites a mean low water level of 686.60 feet above mean sea level (from OGS) and a mean high water level of 689.40 feet (from DEC).

How many slips and docks you get (Tier 1)

The allowance depends on your lineal feet of shoreline. From Table 1 of the generic law:

Category A, 1 to 25 feet: 1 boat slip, 1 dock. Mooring buoys are prohibited in this category.
Category B, 25.01 to 50 feet: 2 slips, 1 dock.
Category C, 50.01 to 100 feet: 3 slips, 1 dock.
Category D, 100.01 to 150 feet: 4 slips, 2 docks.
Category E, 150.01 to 200 feet: 5 slips, 2 docks.
Category F, over 200 feet: 5 slips plus 1 for every 50 feet over 200, and 2 docks plus 1 for every 100 feet over 200.

In categories B through F you can split your allowance between slips and mooring buoys, but buoys can’t exceed the total slips permitted. Existing boathouses and boat stations count toward your slip total.

Dock size and placement

Each permitted dock is limited to 720 square feet total, including walkways.
The main walkway can be no more than 8 feet wide.
The main walkway extending from shore must make up at least half the total length of the dock and associated structures.
No part of the dock or associated structures can extend beyond 60 feet from the mean high water mark.
Structures must be set back at least 10 feet from the facility area lines (the side lines extending your property into the lake) and from the edge of any outlet, or 5 feet for Category A parcels. A docked or moored boat can’t extend past your facility area lines.
Mooring buoys beyond 100 feet from the mean high water mark also need a permit from the NYS Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation.

Boathouses, boat stations, and lifts

Boathouses are allowed only on parcels with at least 200 lineal feet of shoreline, one per parcel, with no more than two slips. A one-slip boathouse can be up to 19 by 40 feet; a two-slip boathouse up to 34 by 40 feet. No second floor or second-floor deck is allowed, and a boathouse can’t be used for living or sleeping.
Boat hoist structures (seasonal open-sided lifts): one per boat slip.
Boat stations (permanent roofed lifts): one per parcel, limited to two slips.
Height: boathouses, hoist structures, boat stations, and steep-slope accessory structures are limited to 15 feet above mean high water, with roof slope rules for roofed structures.
Steep slope parcels can have one boat accessory structure of up to 120 square feet, under specific conditions.

State permits still apply

Tier 2 and Tier 3 facilities go through site plan review under the law. For every tier, state permits can also apply: DEC’s Protection of Waters program regulates docks and fill in navigable waters (with exemptions for small docks), and the Office of General Services regulates structures on state-owned underwater land.

How your facility area lines are drawn

Your “facility area” is the slice of lake in front of your parcel where your docks, lifts, and moored boats must stay. The generic law describes the method step by step: find the four points where the mean high water mark meets the property lines of your parcel and the two neighboring parcels, connect them with straight “tie lines,” measure the angle where two tie lines meet on the water side, and bisect it. The bisecting line, projected out over the water, is the facility area line. Where those lines would be shorter than 200 feet at the point of intersection, the method is modified so every line is at least 200 feet long.

On a curved shoreline or in a cove, those lines can angle sharply and squeeze what you can build. The code enforcement officer can require documentation to delineate them, so a survey showing the mean high water mark and neighboring property lines is worth having before you design anything.

What the permit process looks like

Under the generic law’s Tier 1 provisions:

A uniform docks and mooring permit is required before building any permanent docking, mooring, or associated facility, including a boathouse.
Only the adjoining parcel owner or an authorized agent can apply, and the application must certify that all owners of record were notified.
After construction, the enforcement officer inspects and issues a Certificate of Compliance before the facility can be used.
All other state and federal approvals must be obtained before the uniform permit is issued, though a conditional permit can be issued where a state or federal agency needs the local permit first.
Seasonal docks and moorings are subject to all applicable requirements of the law. For facilities installed before 1992, the enforcement officer may require a Certificate of Conformity or a Certificate of Non-Conformity, and an owner can request a Certificate of Conformity to document compliance.
Structures on the land side of the mean high water mark that the law doesn’t regulate fall under the town’s zoning.

The law also includes sections on nonconforming facilities, appeals and variances, fees, and penalties. Fees are set locally, so ask your town or city.

Buying lakefront with dock plans

Measure your shoreline the way the law does (the tie line) using a current survey.
Find your category in Table 1 and count existing slips, boathouses, and stations against it.
Ask for permits for existing structures and whether any are nonconforming.
Check your facility area lines against neighbors’ docks and boats.
Read the draft updates on the Watershed Council site if you’re planning a project; the rules may change.

Common questions

Can I build a bigger dock if I have lots of shoreline?

You get more docks and slips with more shoreline, but each dock is still capped at 720 square feet and 60 feet out from mean high water under Tier 1.

Can I sleep in my boathouse?

No. The law prohibits using boathouses, boat stations, and accessory structures as a dwelling or sleeping place.

Do the rules apply to kayaks and paddleboards?

The generic law’s definition of “boat” includes canoes, rowboats, kayaks, sailboards, and other small boats and personal watercraft that use a docking or mooring facility. If you keep jet skis, kayaks, or paddleboards on a dock, float, or lift, ask your code enforcement officer how they count toward your slip allowance before adding equipment. A dock that is legal for two boats can become nonconforming once a third craft is moored at it.

How does Keuka compare?

Keuka has its own uniform law with different numbers. See our sister site’s Keuka Lake dock rules guide.

Official sources

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