Bolthole Index

Berkshire County, Massachusetts

Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Clarksburg, Massachusetts

The Town of Clarksburg, Massachusetts (Berkshire County) adopts its own zoning bylaw, and a zoning permit must be issued before the inspector of buildings issues a building permit12. Septic systems and wells answer to the state sanitary code and the town board of health, not to the county3. Trailers and mobile homes are tightly limited4.

At a glance

Building permit
Required; zoning permit first, then building permit2
Zoning
Town zoning bylaw (Chapter 310), districts U-C, A-R, R-30, C-1, I-1, I-S15
Septic
Town board of health under the state sanitary code3
RV or trailer living
Guest stays up to 4 weeks a year on lots of one acre or more; temporary permit while building4
Mobile homes
Only on sites already occupied by one when the bylaw was adopted6
Minimum lot (A-R)
2 acres where public sewer is unavailable7
Minimum lot (R-30)
1 acre without public water or sewer8
Owner-builder
Exempt from home-improvement contractor registration; permits still apply9

Who to call

Building permits

Clarksburg Inspection Services (building inspector / zoning enforcement officer)

Building permits, zoning permits (the building inspector also serves as zoning enforcement officer), plus plumbing, gas and electrical permits inside Clarksburg

(413) 412-0105

Health department

Clarksburg Board of Health

Septic permits, percolation tests, Title 5 inspections and well permits inside Clarksburg

(413) 652-2517

Also useful

Clarksburg Town Hall

Main line for town departments, including the planning board and zoning board of appeals

(413) 663-7940

111 River Road Clarksburg MA 01247

Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on October 23, 2026.

Off-grid gear

Going off-grid in Town of Clarksburg means bringing your own water and power. The kit we’d start with:

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Does Clarksburg, MA have zoning, and what does it mean for RVs, lot size and setbacks?

Yes. The Town of Clarksburg adopts and administers its own zoning bylaw, Chapter 310 of the town code1. The town is divided into six districts: U-C, A-R, R-30, C-1, I-1 and I-S5. Lot rules depend on the district, so check the zoning map at the town clerk before you buy.

In the A-R agricultural-residential district, the minimum lot is 2 acres where land cannot connect to the public sewer7. Side setbacks are 20 feet and rear setbacks 40 feet, and lot coverage tops out at 15%1011. In R-30 with no public water or sewer, the minimum lot is 1 acre, side setback 20 feet, rear setback 30 feet and coverage 25%81213. Buildings top out at 30 feet in both districts1415.

Trailer camps and mobile home parks of two or more trailers are prohibited in every district16. A new mobile home may go only where one stood when the bylaw was adopted, with planning board conditions6. We could not confirm how the bylaw treats tiny homes or accessory apartments; ask the building inspector.

Do you need a building permit in Clarksburg, and who issues it?

Yes. Inside Clarksburg, the zoning enforcement officer issues a zoning permit first, and the inspector of buildings will not issue a building permit until that zoning permit certifies compliance with the bylaw2. The zoning officer's certification also covers other town bylaws, the state sanitary code, board of health regulations, planning board subdivision rules and the wetlands protection act where it applies2. If the zoning enforcement officer does not respond within 14 days of a zoning permit application, it is deemed approved17.

The state building code is the code for every building in the town1819. The building inspector holds office hours at Town Hall on the first and third Tuesdays of each month20. The town posts a building permit application pack and checklist on its inspection services page20. Home occupations with on-premises sales also need a certificate of occupancy from the inspector of buildings21.

Building permit fees were not published where we looked; ask the inspector. Owner-builders are exempt from home-improvement contractor registration, which is not an exemption from permits9.

How do septic permits work in Clarksburg?

Septic permits in Clarksburg come from the town board of health under the state sanitary code, not from Berkshire County322. State law gives a board of health 45 days to act on a completed residential septic application, and the permit is deemed granted if no decision comes in that time23.

The board's posted fees include $150 for a percolation test on a repair and $200 on new construction, and $400 for a permit covering a new or fully replaced septic system24. A completed application needs deep observation holes, percolation-test results and a plan meeting the state sanitary code23.

Soils are a real constraint: only about 0.9% of Berkshire County soils rate as not limited for a conventional drain field, so expect a site evaluation and possibly an engineered system25. Wells carry a $200 installation fee, separate from the potability test24. We could not confirm whether the Berkshire Public Health Alliance handles any Clarksburg septic review; call the board of health.

Can you live in an RV or trailer on your land in Clarksburg?

Only in narrow cases. A guest may use one trailer on a lot of one acre or more, not for compensation, for no more than four weeks in a calendar year4. While a permanent dwelling is under construction on the same lot, the board can issue a temporary permit for one trailer for six months, extendable by three months4. Board of health approval comes before anyone moves in4.

Trailer camps or mobile home parks of two or more trailers are prohibited in any district16. Massachusetts law separately lets a homeowner whose residence burned live in a manufactured home on the site for up to 12 months during the rebuild26. Living in a camper year-round on raw land is not something the bylaw allows.

Building a home in Clarksburg: the steps, in order

  1. Confirm the district on the zoning map at the town clerk, then check lot size and setbacks for that district5.
  2. If the land is not already a buildable lot, the planning board's subdivision control rules apply2728.
  3. Book soil testing and a septic design with the board of health24.
  4. Apply for the zoning permit, then the building permit2.
  5. Design the driveway: unpaved grade can be at most 8%29.
  6. Pull plumbing, gas and electrical permits through Inspection Services20.
  7. If any part of the lot is in the floodplain district, uses are limited to what the floodplain section allows30.

What stays with Berkshire County, and what to check before you buy

Massachusetts counties do not run building permits or zoning; those belong to each municipality31. For land outside Clarksburg, use the Berkshire County page. Inside the town, check the zoning district, whether public sewer reaches the lot, and whether a perc test is likely to pass.

Berkshire County's effective property tax rate is 1.4%32. About 91.2% of the county is wooded, which affects clearing, access and driveway cost33. For farm use, state law protects commercial agriculture on parcels of 5 acres or more, with a 2-acre alternative, but the Clarksburg bylaw treats farm buildings as accessory buildings, and we could not confirm a permit exemption34.

Watch-outs

  • Fees for building and zoning permits, and the inspection sequence after the permit, were not confirmed; ask Clarksburg Inspection Services before budgeting20.
  • The town's board of health regulations, which can be stricter than state septic rules, were not located; ask the Clarksburg Board of Health for them22.
  • Tiny homes, accessory apartments and short-term rentals inside Clarksburg could not be confirmed; ask the building inspector before relying on state accessory-apartment rules20.

Sources

  1. Town of Clarksburg, MA Code of Ordinances (eCode360) table of contents (Town of Clarksburg), quoted and re-checked
  2. Clarksburg Zoning Bylaws (PDF posted on clarksburgma.gov) (Town of Clarksburg), quoted and re-checked
  3. Clarksburg Zoning Bylaws (PDF posted on clarksburgma.gov) (Town of Clarksburg), quoted and re-checked
  4. Clarksburg Zoning Bylaws (PDF posted on clarksburgma.gov) (Town of Clarksburg), quoted and re-checked
  5. Clarksburg Zoning Bylaws (PDF posted on clarksburgma.gov) (Town of Clarksburg), quoted and re-checked
  6. Clarksburg Zoning Bylaws (PDF posted on clarksburgma.gov) (Town of Clarksburg), quoted and re-checked
  7. Chapter 310 Zoning, Article 5 Intensity Regulations (eCode360) (Town of Clarksburg), quoted and re-checked
  8. Chapter 310 Zoning, Article 5 Intensity Regulations (eCode360) (Town of Clarksburg), quoted and re-checked
  9. Massachusetts General Laws, Chapter 142A, Section 14 (Massachusetts statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  10. ecode360.com (Town of Clarksburg), quoted and re-checked
  11. Chapter 310 Zoning, Article 5 Intensity Regulations (eCode360) (Town of Clarksburg), quoted and re-checked
  12. ecode360.com (Town of Clarksburg), quoted and re-checked
  13. Chapter 310 Zoning, Article 5 Intensity Regulations (eCode360) (Town of Clarksburg), quoted and re-checked
  14. ecode360.com (Town of Clarksburg), quoted and re-checked
  15. ecode360.com (Town of Clarksburg), quoted and re-checked
  16. Clarksburg Zoning Bylaws (PDF posted on clarksburgma.gov) (Town of Clarksburg), quoted and re-checked
  17. Clarksburg Zoning Bylaws (PDF posted on clarksburgma.gov) (Town of Clarksburg), quoted and re-checked
  18. Massachusetts General Laws, Chapter 143, Section 3A: Enforcement of state building code (Massachusetts statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  19. Clarksburg Zoning Bylaws (PDF posted on clarksburgma.gov) (Town of Clarksburg), quoted and re-checked
  20. Clarksburg Inspection Services (building inspector / zoning enforcement officer) (clarksburgma.gov)
  21. Clarksburg Zoning Bylaws (PDF posted on clarksburgma.gov) (Town of Clarksburg), quoted and re-checked
  22. Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 111, Section 31E (Massachusetts statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  23. General Law, Chapter 111, Section 31, quoted and re-checked
  24. Clarksburg Board of Health (clarksburgma.gov)
  25. Share of soils USDA rates "not limited" for a conventional septic drain field (SSURGO). A strict rating: the median county is about 6% and a tenth of counties are 0%, so a low figure means most lots need a site evaluation or an engineered system, not that septic is impossible. Cite it only with that caveat: Bolthole Index county data
  26. Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 40A, Section 3 (Massachusetts statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  27. Clarksburg Zoning Bylaws (PDF posted on clarksburgma.gov) (Town of Clarksburg), quoted and re-checked
  28. Massachusetts General Laws c. 41, § 81O (Massachusetts statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  29. Clarksburg Zoning Bylaws (PDF posted on clarksburgma.gov) (Town of Clarksburg), quoted and re-checked
  30. Clarksburg Zoning Bylaws (PDF posted on clarksburgma.gov) (Town of Clarksburg), quoted and re-checked
  31. Commission & Committees - Berkshire Regional Planning Commission, quoted and re-checked
  32. Effective property tax rate: Bolthole Index county data
  33. Wooded share of land: Bolthole Index county data
  34. General Law - Chapter 40A, Section 3 (Massachusetts statewide rule), quoted and re-checked

Written October 23, 2026 from the rules quoted below, each taken from an official source and re-checked by an independent reviewer. This is research, not legal advice: rules change, so confirm with the office before you buy or build.

Answers from the rulebook for Town of Clarksburg

Town of Clarksburg’s own rules

  • Building permitRequired

    New construction and building permit applications inside Clarksburg town limits.

    • A zoning permit from the zoning enforcement officer must come before the inspector of buildings issues a building permit.
    • The zoning enforcement officer must certify compliance with the bylaw, other town bylaws, the state sanitary code, board of health regulations, planning board subdivision rules, and the wetlands protection act if applicable.
    • Construction may proceed only after the permit is issued.
    “no permit shall be issued by the inspector of buildings until the zoning enforcement officer has issued a zoning permit certifying the application for a building permit is in compliance with this by-law”
  • Certificate of occupancyLimited

    Home occupations and other permitted accessory uses with on-premises sales of articles or services inside Clarksburg town limits; no general occupancy certificate was found for ordinary homes.

    • Certificate of occupancy is required only for the listed accessory uses involving on-premises sale of articles or services.
    “any home occupation or other permitted accessory use established hereafter under this bylaw, involving on-premises sale of articles or services, shall require a certificate of occupancy from the inspector of buildings.”
  • Local zoningPresent

    Land inside Clarksburg town limits: the town adopts and administers its own zoning bylaw (Chapter 310 Zoning of the town code).

    • Dimensional table in Article 5 was amended 5-31-2023 by art. 21 and art. 22 (source bracket).
    • The bylaw is adopted under chapter 40A of the general laws (M.G.L. c. 40A).
    “this by-law is adopted in accordance with the provisions of chapter 40a of the general laws as amended to regulate the use of land, buildings”
  • Zoning districtsPublished

    Zoning districts of Clarksburg town: U-C, A-R, R-30, C-1, I-1, I-S.

    • The zoning map is on file with the town clerk; the bylaw cites a map dated 12/28/2017.
    • Table legend uses the district codes U-C, A-R, R-30, C-1, I-1, I-S.
    “for the purpose of this by-law the town of clarksburg is divided into the following zoning districts”
  • Minimum lot sizeDistrict specific (with conditions)

    R-30 residential district inside Clarksburg town limits; lot size depends on public water and sewer service.

    • Amended 5-31-2023 by art. 21 and art. 22 (source bracket).
    • Source § 310-5.1 cross-references §§ 150-5.6 and 150-5.7, an older numbering; this claim reads them as § 310-5.6 and § 310-5.7.
    • Article 5 height exception: height rules do not apply to agricultural buildings, churches, spires, chimneys, antennas and similar appurtenances.

    minimum lot size: >= 1 acre (no public water or sewer (no s/w)) · minimum lot size: >= 0.75 acre (public water or sewer (s or w)) · minimum lot size: >= 1/3 acre (public water and sewer (s and w))

    “r-30 no s/w: 1 100 * 20 30 25% 30 s or w: 3/4 s and w: 1/3 75”
    One more reviewed finding on this topic
  • SetbacksDistrict specific (with conditions)

    A-R agricultural-residential district inside Clarksburg town limits

    • Front setback follows the street-line schedule in § 310-5.6.
    • Accessory buildings have the same setbacks as primary buildings.

    side setback: >= 20 feet · rear setback: >= 40 feet

    “* front setbacks shall conform to the requirements established in § 150-5.6.”
    One more reviewed finding on this topic
    • District specific (with conditions) — R-30 residential district inside Clarksburg town limits
      “* front setbacks shall conform to the requirements established in § 150-5.6.”
  • Lot coverageDistrict specific (with conditions)

    A-R agricultural-residential district inside Clarksburg town limits

    • Amended 5-31-2023 by art. 21 and art. 22 (source bracket).

    maximum lot coverage: <= 15 %

    “a-r 2 125 * 20 40 15% 30 r-30 no s/w: 1 100 * 20 30 25% 30”
    One more reviewed finding on this topic
  • Building heightDistrict specific (with conditions)

    R-30 residential district inside Clarksburg town limits

    • Accessory buildings: height not to exceed 20 feet (table note).
    • Height rules do not apply to agricultural buildings and structures, churches, spires, chimneys, antennas, or other appurtenances (§ 310-5.4).

    maximum building height: <= 30 feet · maximum accessory building height: <= 20 feet (accessory buildings)

    “r-30 no s/w: 1 100 * 20 30 25% 30 s or w: 3/4 s and w: 1/3 75”
    One more reviewed finding on this topic
    • District specific (with conditions) — A-R agricultural-residential district inside Clarksburg town limits
      “a-r 2 125 * 20 40 15% 30 r-30 no s/w: 1 100 * 20 30 25% 30”
  • Living in an RVLimited

    Living in a trailer or mobile home on private land inside Clarksburg town limits, as the bylaw allows it

    • Guest use: one trailer, not for compensation, no more than four weeks in a calendar year, only on a lot of one acre or more.
    • Construction use: a board-issued temporary permit for one trailer on the site of a dwelling under construction, six months, extendable by three months.
    • Use table row 9 allows a trailer or mobile home for living while a permanent dwelling is actively under construction on the same lot, for up to twelve months, subject to board of health approval before occupation.
    • Trailer camps and mobile home parks of two or more trailers are prohibited (see temporary-camping claim).

    guest trailer stay: <= 4 weeks per calendar year (lot of one acre or more; no compensation) · construction trailer temporary permit: <= 6 months (extendable by 3 months; permit from board)

    “not more than one trailer or mobile home may be placed upon a lot otherwise occupied containing an area of one acre or more by a guest of the occupant of said lot, and not for compensation, for a period not exceeding four weeks during any calendar year”
  • Camping on your landProhibited

    Trailer camps and mobile home parks (two or more trailers parked on one parcel) inside Clarksburg town limits, in any district.

    • Existing trailer camps or mobile home parks may not be expanded to park more trailers than at adoption of the bylaw.
    • Tent camping and other temporary camping not addressed in the bylaw text reviewed; not covered by this claim.
    “trailer camps or mobile home parks: no parcel of land or premises in any district shall be used as a trailer camp or mobile home park for the parking of two or more trailers, whether occupied or not.”
  • Manufactured homesLimited

    Mobile homes (defined to include trailers built as dwellings) inside Clarksburg town limits

    • New mobile home placement is limited to locations already occupied by a mobile home on the bylaw adoption date, subject to planning board written application and conditions.
    • Mobile homes must comply with public sanitary codes the same as stationary homes.
    “a mobile home shall be permitted only on locations occupied by a mobile home on the date this by-law is adopted: subject to the following conditions”
  • Who permits septicMixed (with conditions)

    Septic and on-site sanitary systems for uses inside Clarksburg town limits.

    • The bylaw names two sources of sanitary rules: the state sanitary code and the town board of health regulations.
    • The bylaw does not name a county health district as the septic authority; the homepage lists the Berkshire Public Health Alliance as a department, but its service role for Clarksburg was not confirmed.
    “every use permitted by right or authorized by special permit under the provisions of this by-law shall be subject to the state building code, state sanitary code, and the town’s board of health regulations”
  • Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

    Division of land for building lots inside Clarksburg town limits

    • Zoning permits are conditioned on compliance with the planning board's subdivision control regulations.
    “the planning board’s subdivision control regulations, and the wetlands protection act, if applicable.”
  • Driveway accessRequired

    Driveways serving lots inside Clarksburg town limits

    • Maximum unpaved grade 8% (§ 310-8.4.1).
    • Driveway design standards apply; entrance and culvert requirements also listed in § 310-8.4.

    maximum unpaved driveway grade: <= 8 % (unpaved driveways)

    “8.4.1 maximum grade: unpaved = 8% 8.4.2 whenever feasible, the driveway should be level for a distance of at least 12 feet from its intersection with the roadway.”
  • Building in a floodplainLimited

    Uses in any zoning district overlaid by the floodplain district inside Clarksburg town limits

    • Uses are permitted only subject to the restrictions in § 310-7.1 (floodplain district section, not separately opened).
    “any use permitted and as regulated in the portion of any zoning district overlaid by floodplain district shall be permitted subject to the restrictions set forth in section 7.1.”
  • Permit processPartial

    Zoning and building permit sequence inside Clarksburg town limits

    • A zoning permit from the zoning enforcement officer comes first; if the officer does not respond within 14 days of the zoning permit application, it is deemed approved.
    • Application forms, fees and the inspection sequence were not located; process is only partly published in the bylaw.

    zoning permit response period: 14 days (deemed approved if no response)

    “if the zoning enforcement officer does not respond within 14 days from the date of the application for a zoning permit, it shall be deemed approved.”

Rules another office applies inside Town of Clarksburg

Town of Clarksburg does not set these itself; the county, a health district or the state does, and they apply to every address inside its limits.

  • Building code adoptedAdopted (with conditions)

    Every use and building inside Clarksburg town limits; the town bylaw makes the state building code apply to all permitted and special-permit uses.

    • The bylaw also subjects uses to the state sanitary code and the town board of health regulations.
    • The Massachusetts state building code is the operative code; this claim records the town bylaw's reference to it, not the code text itself.
    “every use permitted by right or authorized by special permit under the provisions of this by-law shall be subject to the state building code, state sanitary code, and the town’s board of health regulations”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Town of Clarksburg or Berkshire County directly.

  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-built homes inside Clarksburg town limits
  • Inspections — Inspections of new construction inside Clarksburg town limits
  • Minimum dwelling size — Minimum dwelling floor area inside Clarksburg town limits
  • Tiny homes — Tiny homes inside Clarksburg town limits
  • Accessory dwellings — Accessory dwelling units inside Clarksburg town limits
7 more unanswered
  • Septic permit
  • Septic inspection
  • Off-grid sanitation
  • Well permit
  • Agricultural exemption
  • Short-term rentals
  • Permit fees

Each answer was extracted from an official source and independently re-checked against that source by a second reviewer. That is an evidence check, not legal advice. Rules change; confirm with the authority before you buy or build.

Unanswered questions are usually a sign that Town of Clarksburg publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Berkshire County’s page lists the county offices to call.

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