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

Town of Granville’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  New house construction, additions, renovations and demolition inside Granville town

  • Permit is obtained from the Building Inspector and the building approval sheet (BAS) must be signed by the boards listed in the guide.
  • Construction may proceed only after the signed building permit card and approvals; the guide lists the required signatures.
  • Plans must be approved by the building inspector before the permit card is signed.

  “13. obtain a building permit from the granville building inspector.”

• Owner-builder exemptionConditional

  Owner-builder construction of a house in Granville town

  • A homeowner exemption form is required with the permit application.
  • If a licensed contractor is used, a copy of the home improvement contractor's or construction supervisor's license must be provided instead.
  • State owner-builder limits were not checked.

  “complete building application, provide appendix j energy report, insurance affidavits, homeowner exemption form and copy of home improvement contractor’s license or”

• InspectionsRequired

  New construction and renovation permitted under the building permit process in Granville town

  • Owner must arrange each inspection individually with the inspectors (building, electrical, plumbing, Board of Health, DPW, fire) and pay the permit fees.
  • Re-inspections cost $60 each.
  • Septic installation has its own inspection (see septic_inspection).

  re-inspection fee: 60 USD

  “you are required to make your own arrangements with these inspectors individually and to pay the appropriate permit fees to the town.”

• Certificate of occupancyRequired

  New houses and other dwellings built or altered under a Granville building permit

  • The dwelling may not be inhabited until the building permit card is signed by all inspectors, the Board of Health administrator, the DPW superintendent and the fire chief.
  • The town guide says the owner will not receive a certificate of occupancy until those approvals are obtained.

  “please note that you will not receive a certificate of occupancy and you may not inhabit the dwelling until these approvals are obtained.”

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  All land inside Granville town limits: the town adopts and administers its own Zoning Bylaw

  • The bylaw states the whole town is one agricultural-residential district; a floodplain overlay district also exists (see zoning_districts claim).
  • Permitted uses, special permits and dimensional rules in the bylaw apply inside town limits only.

  “the town of granville shall be considered an agricultureresidential district”

• Zoning districtsPublished

  All land inside Granville town limits: the bylaw's two zoning districts, the agricultural-residential district (whole town) and the floodplain overlay district

  • The floodplain overlay covers only special flood hazard areas designated by FEMA; its rules are in bylaw section 4.3, which was not read.
  • The agricultural-residential district is the only general-use district named in section 2.1.

  “2.1.2 floodplain overlay district includes special flood hazard areas as designated by the federal emergency management administration.”

• Minimum lot sizeSpecified

  Main residential district: the agricultural-residential district, which covers the whole town; buildings erected in it

  • Applies to a building erected in the agricultural-residential district; the bylaw says lots listed in tax records, shown on a plan, or described in a recorded deed before adoption may be considered compliant even if smaller.
  • Back land lot (section 3.9) may be created with reduced frontage: a lot with frontage under 200 feet needs three acres minimum excluding the access strip; a lot with frontage over 240 feet needs five acres minimum excluding access.
  • Planning Board may approve a back land lot; no more than one back land lot may be created from an existing parcel at the time the bylaw was enacted.

  minimum lot area: >= 44000 square feet (Lots existing before adoption that were listed or recorded may be considered compliant; back land lot rules in section 3.9 apply) · minimum frontage on a way: >= 200 feet (Back land lot rules in section 3.9 may reduce frontage)

  “a building hereafter erected in agricultural-residential district shall be located on a plot having not less than forty-four thousand (44,000) square feet of area and not less than two hundred (200) feet of frontage on a way.”

• SetbacksSpecified

  Main residential district: the agricultural-residential district (whole town); buildings and additions on lots there

  • The 40-foot distance is measured from the property line as the bylaw states; the bylaw text read does not repeat the word front, so the front reading is inferred from the placement in section 3.8.2.
  • Accessory buildings have separate yard rules (see the accessory-building setback claim).
  • Back land lot rules in section 3.9 may change the setbacks.

  distance from property line (front): >= 40 feet (As stated in section 3.8.2) · side yard: >= 25 feet · rear yard: >= 25 feet

  “a building hereafter erected and any addition to an existing building shall be so located on the lot as to provide a side yard of not less than twenty-five (25) feet and a rear yard of not less than twenty-five (25) feet.”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Specified — Accessory buildings in the agricultural-residential district (whole town)

    “no accessory building shall be located in any side yard nearer to the side lot than twenty-five (25) feet, nor in the rear yard nearer to the rear lot line than twenty-five (25) feet.”

• Camping on your landLimited

  Rental of campsites as part of a commercial recreation operation in Granville town

  • Requires a special permit from the Board of Appeals, which must find the area consistent with the master plan and safe for health, traffic and fire.
  • Campsite use must be temporary and short-term; the bylaw defines short-term as no longer than 180 days in any calendar year for any site in the same recreation area.
  • Campsites must be at least 100 feet from any other commercial activity or building, and the recreation area must be at least 50 acres.
  • Campsite water supply and waste disposal fall under the Board of Health and state Department of Public Health; electrical work must meet town and state electrical standards.

  minimum recreation area: >= 50 acres · maximum occupancy per site per calendar year: <= 180 days (Defined as short-term occupancy) · minimum distance of campsite from other commercial activity or building: >= 100 feet

  “g. when involving campsites, the use is to be temporary in nature for short-term occupancy. for the purpose of this code “short-term” shall mean occupancy in any site in the same recreation are for no longer than 180 days in any calendar year;”

• Who permits septicLocal (with conditions)

  Septic (Title 5 disposal works) for new homes inside Granville town

  • The Granville Board of Health administers the state sanitary code (Title 5) locally through its Board of Health administrator.
  • The Board of Health administrator signs off the building approval sheet for septic work.

  “information on title v, state sanitary codes may be obtained from the board of health administrator”

• Septic permitRequired

  Septic disposal works for new homes inside Granville town

  • A percolation test must be done by a licensed Massachusetts soil evaluator (engineer or sanitarian) and paid for before the test.
  • A Conservation Commission copy of the disposal-works plan carries an additional $100 fee.
  • The Board of Health administrator must review and sign the building approval sheet after review and correction.

  percolation test fee: 300 USD (Paid to Granville town hall with the test application) · disposal works plan review fee: 400 USD (Plan forwarded to the town with the original and two copies) · Conservation Commission review of disposal works plan: 100 USD (Additional fee)

  “using the perk test results, your professional engineer or sanitarian will draw plans for a disposal works system and forward an original and two copies with a fee of $400.00 to the town of granville.”

• Septic inspectionRequired

  Septic installation for new homes inside Granville town

  • The system must be inspected by the engineer and the Board of Health administrator before backfilling.
  • At least 24 hours' notice is required to schedule the Board of Health review.
  • After installation, submit a certificate of compliance and an as-built drawing to the Board of Health.

  minimum notice for Board of Health review: >= 24 hours

  “your system must be inspected by both your engineer and the board of health administrator prior to backfilling. twenty-four hours notice (minimum) is required to schedule the review by the board of health administrator.”

• Well permitLimited

  Private drinking-water wells for new homes on private land inside Granville town

  • Well must be drilled in accordance with Granville and state regulations.
  • The well driller must certify to the Board of Health that a potable water supply exists on the property.
  • The town does not require water testing, though the guide recommends it.
  • No separate well permit form or fee was located; the requirement is a driller certification.

  “have your well drilled on the lot in accordance with granville and state regulations and provide the board of health with a letter of certification from your well driller that there is a potable water- supply on the property. the town does not require that your water be tested, but it is a good idea to do so.”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Creating new lots or dividing land inside Granville town, reviewed by the Planning Board

  • Lots created by division must go to the Planning Board; a plan endorsed 'approval not required under subdivision control law' is one route.
  • A lot must meet the buildable-lot criteria (frontage and acreage) to be used for building.
  • Subdivision details are in the Planning Board's subdivision rules and regulations, which were not opened.

  planning review fee for a new-lot plan: 125 USD (Payable to the Town of Granville with the plot plan submission)

  “for new lots, submit to the planning board, a form a application, a mylar original and five (5) copies of a surveyed plot plan. include a check in the amount of $125.00 for the plan review fee”

• Driveway accessRequired

  New residential driveway access from a Granville town road for a new house

  • The DPW Superintendent must certify that runoff will not enter the traveled way or create hazardous highway conditions.
  • The DPW will require a pipe, generally N-12 ADS, 18 inches minimum, smooth core or equivalent, for drainage.
  • Water may not be drained, ditched, pumped or conveyed into the roadside drainage system.

  minimum drainage pipe diameter: >= 18 inches (Generally N-12 ADS or equivalent)

  “11. obtain a driveway permit from the dpw superintendent certifying that water runoff from your property will not enter the traveled way at any time or create hazardous highway conditions.”

• Permit feesPublished

  Building construction permits issued by Granville town

  • New house permit is charged per square foot and includes four inspections.
  • Each re-inspection costs extra.
  • The fetched fee page shows no effective or adoption date; septic perc-test and plan fees are on the septic claims.

  new house construction permit: 0.45 USD per square foot (Includes 4 inspections) · other construction permit (minimum): >= 125 USD (Includes 2 inspections) · re-inspection fee: 60 USD (Per re-inspection visit)

  “new construction (house)……………………$.45 sq. ft. (includes 4 inspections; $60.00 for each re-inspection)”

Still unanswered

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

• Minimum dwelling size — Minimum dwelling floor area inside Granville town
• Lot coverage — Lot coverage in the agricultural-residential district (whole town)
• Building height — Building height in the agricultural-residential district (whole town)
• Living in an RV — Long-term RV or camper occupancy on private land inside Granville town
• Tiny homes — Tiny home occupancy inside Granville 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 Granville 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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