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

Town of West Tisbury’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  Non-habitable sheds exceeding 200 square feet inside West Tisbury town.

  • The cited town FAQ describes a specific shed category; other construction must be evaluated under the applicable state code and town rules.
  • A special permit may be sought for setback relief.

  shed floor area: > 200 square feet (Non-habitable shed category described in the town FAQ.)

  “Non-habitable Sheds >200sqft are required to meet 50' setbacks and would require a Building Permit. A Special Permit could be applied for setback relief from the 50-foot requirement.”

• Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

  Land inside West Tisbury town.

  • The zoning map is on file in the Town Clerk's office and is part of the bylaw.
  • Overlay districts impose additional requirements.

  land-use districts: RU; VR; MB; LI; LI 2 (As listed in § 2.1-1.)

  “USE CATEGORY USE DISTRICTS [...] RU VR MB LI [...] Light Industrial Districts (LI) 1 & 2”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Subdivision development inside West Tisbury town.

  • The zoning bylaw contains Open Space Development provisions and regulates rate of development in subdivisions.

  “The Planning Board performs master planning functions; oversees land subdivisions; drafts zoning by-laws and amendments; is the special permit granting authority under some sections of the zoning bylaw, and performs Site Plan Review.”

• Permit processPublished (with conditions)

  Town building permit applications inside West Tisbury town.

  • An electronic submission is preliminary until all required Town Department sign-offs are approved.
  • Applicants must establish an account to use the online system.

  “Once you have filled out a permit or license application and submitted it electronically, it is only in a preliminary stage. Each permit may require multiple Town Department sign-offs. The Building Department will send the permit application to the appropriate departments. Permits are not considered officially submitted to the building department until all sign-offs have been approved.”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-built residential work inside West Tisbury town.
• Certificate of occupancy — Residential construction and occupancy inside West Tisbury town.
• Minimum dwelling size — Principal single-family dwellings in the Rural (RU) district inside West Tisbury town.
• Lot coverage — Residential development inside West Tisbury town.
• Living in an RV — RV occupancy on private land inside West Tisbury town.

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 West 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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