Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Town of Tisbury, Massachusetts

Town of Tisbury’s own rules

• SetbacksDistrict specific (with conditions)

  Principal structures in Tisbury R10, R20, R25, R50, and R3A residential districts.

  • The applicable front, side, and rear setback changes by district.

  R10 setbacks: front 20; side 10; rear 20 feet · R20 setbacks: front 20; side 15; rear 20 feet · R25 setbacks: front 25; side 25; rear 25 feet · R50 setbacks: front 50; side 35; rear 50 feet · R3A setbacks: front 50; side 50; rear 50 feet

  “Front Setback (Minimum) 20’ 20’ 25’ 50’ 50’”

• Living in an RVProhibited

  Use of a camper, camping trailer, vehicle, or trailer as a dwelling structure inside Tisbury town limits.

  • The bylaw's stated exception is use provided for under Mobile Home Parks.

  “Any mobile home, trailer, car, bus, van, wagon, truck or camper, regardless of design, arrangement, modification, equipage, method of securing or siting, is not a dwelling structure; and, dwelling structure use is prohibited, except as provided for under Mobile Home Parks.”

• Who permits septicLocal (with conditions)

  Septic systems inside Tisbury town limits.

  • The Board acts under Massachusetts General Laws and local direction.

  “The pumper will contact the Board of Health office to obtain a permit.”

• Septic inspectionRequired

  Properties with septic systems inside Tisbury town limits.

  • Required when selling or transferring property if the septic system and/or Title 5 report is more than two years old.
  • May be required after more than four pumpouts in a year, overflow, signs of failure, or renovations increasing wastewater flow.
  • A state-certified inspector must submit results within 30 days; accepted reports are valid two years.

  pumpouts triggering possible inspection: > 4 per year (The Board may require an inspection if exceeded.)

  “An inspection is also required when selling or transferring a property”

• Permit processPublished (with conditions)

  Building and trade permit applicants inside Tisbury town limits.

  • Applications are completed through the town's online permitting portal.

  “All building and trade permit applications are now completed online!”

Rules another office applies inside Town of Tisbury

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

• Owner-builder exemptionConditional

  A titleholder seeking a building permit for work on a Tisbury parcel.

  • Applicant must hold legal title.
  • The project cannot involve field erection of manufactured buildings under 780 CMR 110.R.3.
  • Applicant must qualify as a homeowner under 780 CMR 110.R5.1.2.
  • A person constructing more than one home in two years is not a homeowner.
  • Applicant may not hold a valid Massachusetts construction supervision license and must supervise hired work.

  “I am seeking a building permit pursuant to the homeowner exemption to the permit requirements of the Massachusetts State Building Code”

Still unanswered

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

• Building permit — New residential construction inside Tisbury town limits.
• Building code adopted — Building work inside Tisbury town limits.
• Inspections — Residential construction inside Tisbury town limits.
• Certificate of occupancy — New residential construction inside Tisbury town limits.
• Minimum dwelling size — Single-family dwellings inside Tisbury town limits.

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.

Off-grid gear

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

• Water Crystal Quest Filter any source — well, rain, or creek — to drinking-clean.
• Power Bluetti Solar generators and home battery backup for living off the grid.
• Septic Soil percolation test kit Run your own perc test before paying an engineer — the first thing a septic office asks about.
• Water Well water test kit Bacteria, nitrates, hardness — know what the well on a parcel is really pumping.

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