A variance is a request to deviate from current zoning requirements. If granted, it permits the owner to use his land in a way that is ordinarily not permitted by the zoning ordinance. It is not a change in the zoning law but a waiver of a certain requirement of the zoning ordinance. Examples where a variance might be apply would be to build a gazebo in the back yard, or to add a second story in a one-story zone, or to allow the owner of an odd-shaped lot to reduce slightly the setback requirements in order to fit a building.