Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Town of East Bridgewater, Massachusetts

Town of East Bridgewater’s own rules

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land inside East Bridgewater town limits. The town's own Zoning By-Law governs use and dimensional rules there.

  • The by-law text was opened as compiled through June 14, 2021; later amendments listed on the town's 2026 Zoning By-Law Proposals page were not verified and may not be reflected.
  • The 1956 date is the original by-law effective date and is not recorded as effective_at.

  “zoning by law of the town of east bridgewater massachusetts effective may 22, 1956 amended to annual town meeting june 14, 2021”

• Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

  Zoning districts of East Bridgewater town (R-1 through R-5, B-1 through B-5, I-1, M and overlays)

  • Zoning map 2023 is listed on the town site but was not opened.

  “e. district r-5 (adult retirement planned unit development)”

• Living in an RVProhibited

  Land in the Industrial 1 (I-1) overlay district in East Bridgewater town only; residential districts were not confirmed by this excerpt.

  • Specifically prohibited use (f) in the Industrial 1 overlay section, near page 91.

  “exterior storage or occupancy of mobile homes, camper trailers, inoperative or unlicensed motor vehicles”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Temporary only (with conditions) — Trailers or mobile homes (including RVs used as dwellings) placed outside a trailer or mobile home park in East Bridgewater town

    “the board of appeals may issue a temporary special permit for trailers or mobile homes situated outside of a trailer or mobile home park or courts, for a period not to exceed twelve (12) months”

• Manufactured homesLimited

  Mobile homes outside a trailer or mobile home park in East Bridgewater town

  • Only by a temporary special permit from the Board of Appeals, for no more than 12 months.
  • Must meet principal-building lot area, frontage and setback requirements in section 6.a.

  maximum permit period: <= 12 months (temporary special permit outside a park)

  “the board of appeals may issue a temporary special permit for trailers or mobile homes situated outside of a trailer or mobile home park or courts, for a period not to exceed twelve (12) months”

• Driveway accessLimited

  Lots served by an approved common driveway in East Bridgewater town (not a general driveway-permit rule)

  • Each lot served by an approved common driveway may have no more than one single-family dwelling unit and related accessory buildings and uses.
  • Common driveways must meet the common-driveway requirements in the zoning by-law and the Planning Board rules.

  “use limitation each residential lot having access from an approved common driveway may be improved with no more than one (1) single family dwelling unit and related accessory building(s) and uses.”

• Building in a floodplainLimited

  Building permit applications for land that may involve the flood plain and wetlands protection district in East Bridgewater town

  • Applies only to land the building inspector believes may involve the flood plain and wetlands protection district; the applicant must provide a certified elevation plan with two-foot contours and bench marks.
  • Land in the district may count toward residence-district lot area only up to 50 percent of the minimum lot area.

  “whenever an application is made for a building permit on land which the building inspector believes may involve the use of land in the flood plain and wetlands protection district, he shall require the applicant for such permit to provide as part of such application a plan of the lot on which such building is intended to be built showing elevations above mean sea level at two (2) foot contour levels, indicating the bench marks used and certified by a registered land surveyor.”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder permit exemption inside East Bridgewater town
• Building code adopted — Building code in force inside East Bridgewater town
• Inspections — Building inspections inside East Bridgewater town
• Certificate of occupancy — Certificate of occupancy inside East Bridgewater town
• Minimum dwelling size — Minimum dwelling size in East Bridgewater town's single-family districts (R-1 and R-2)

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 East Bridgewater 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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