Zoning, building permits and septic rules in New Bedford, Massachusetts

New Bedford’s own rules

• Local zoningPresent

  All land inside New Bedford city

  • Zoning is codified as Chapter 9, Comprehensive Zoning, with a use table by district.

  “appendix a - table of principal use regulations table 2230-principal and accessory use by district”

• Zoning districtsPublished

  Zoning districts inside New Bedford city

  • Table lists conventional districts RA, RAA, RB, RC, MUB, IA, IB, IC, WI and overlay districts (KHTOD, CCTOD, A, B, C).

  “conventional districts overlay districts khtod cctod ra raa rb rc mub ia ib ic wi khtod a b c”

• Living in an RVLimited

  Major recreational equipment stored on residential lots in New Bedford city

  • Storage only in carport, enclosed building or behind the rear building line; may be parked anywhere on residential premises up to 48 hours.
  • Not closer than 8 feet to a side lot line or 6 feet to a rear lot line.
  • Unless otherwise provided by law, no living or housekeeping use when stored on a residential lot or any location not approved for such use.

  temporary parking limit: <= 48 hours

  “unless otherwise provided by law, no such equipment shall be used for living or housekeeping purposes when stored on a residential lot, or in any location not approved for such use.”

• Tiny homesLimited

  Stationary tiny houses inside New Bedford city

  • Defined as a dwelling of 400 sq ft or less, not on a chassis; allowed where single-household dwellings are allowed or as an accessory dwelling unit.

  stationary tiny house max floor area: <= 400 square feet (excluding lofts, bay projections, open decks, porches, exterior utility and storage compartments)

  “tiny house, stationary: a dwelling that is 400 square feet or less in floor area, excluding lofts, projections from bay windows, open decks, porches, or exterior utility and storage compartments, intended for residential use on an individual house lot where single-household dwellings are allowed or as an accessory dwelling unit. a stationary tiny house is not built on a frame or chassis and cannot be driven, towed or otherwise moved from the site on which it was built to another site.”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask New Bedford or Bristol County directly.

• Building permit — Building permits inside New Bedford city
• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption inside New Bedford city
• Building code adopted — Building code inside New Bedford city
• Inspections — Building inspections inside New Bedford city
• Certificate of occupancy — Certificates of occupancy inside New Bedford city

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.