Bolthole Index

Androscoggin County, Maine

Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Durham, Maine

The Town of Durham, Maine (Androscoggin County) has its own zoning under its Land Use Code, and the Town's Code Enforcement Officer issues building permits for new structures over 200 square feet12. Septic work also needs a permit, and driveways onto a Town road need one from the Road Commissioner34. Call the Code Enforcement Officer before you build5.

At a glance

Zoning
Yes, Town Land Use Code; unlisted uses are prohibited1
Building permit
Required for new structures over 200 sq ft, plus plumbing and electrical work2
Septic permit
Required for all septic work except pumping or filter cleaning3
Main residential district
RRA: 90,000 sq ft per dwelling, 35 ft height limit67
Driveway permit
Required from the Durham Road Commissioner4
Manufactured homes
Allowed where a single-family home is allowed, with design standards8
Tiny homes
State law requires towns to allow them as a house or accessory structure9

Who to call

Building permits

Town of Durham Code Enforcement Officer

Building, plumbing and electrical permits, driveway and septic permit requirements, and zoning questions inside the Town of Durham

207-844-1774

[email protected]

630 Hallowell Road Durham, Maine 04222

Septic permits

Maine CDC Subsurface Wastewater Program

State rules and fee schedule for septic permits; the Local Plumbing Inspector reviews applications

Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on October 23, 2026.

Off-grid gear

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

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Does Durham, Maine have zoning?

Yes. The Town of Durham zones land under its own Land Use Code, and any use not specifically listed in the Table of Land Uses is prohibited1. The two primary districts are Rural Residential and Agricultural (RRA) and Resource Protection (RP), with aquifer protection and shoreland overlays on top10.

In the RRA district, the main one for houses, the minimum lot size is 90,000 square feet, and each lot needs a contiguous 40,000-square-foot building envelope free of wetlands, resource protection areas and slopes over 20%6. Residential setbacks are 50 feet in front and 20 feet on the sides and rear11. Structures top out at 35 feet and impervious surfaces, buildings included, are capped at 25%712.

Manufactured homes are allowed on any RRA lot where a single-family home is allowed, if they meet roof, siding and foundation standards8. Splitting land is regulated too: the Planning Board reviews subdivisions under Article 6 of the Land Use Code13.

Do you need a building permit in Durham, Maine, and who issues it?

Yes. The Town of Durham requires a permit from its Code Enforcement Officer for building or placing any new structure over 200 square feet, for demolition, for new plumbing, for all electrical work, and for septic work2. One-story detached sheds and similar structures up to 200 square feet, finish work and replacement windows need no permit2. Homes in the historic district, or within 1500 feet of historic property, have special circumstances, so call first2.

Durham applies the 2021 International Residential Code to residential work permitted after April 7, 202514. Applications are completed online, and the Town publishes a fee schedule adopted April 28, 20261516. Reach the Code Enforcement Officer at 207-844-1774 or [email protected]5.

How do septic permits work in Durham, Maine?

Any work on a septic system in Durham other than periodic pumping or filter cleaning needs a permit3. Maine's rules also require a permit for a new, expanded or replacement subsurface wastewater system, and work must not begin until the Local Plumbing Inspector issues it17. Applications need a site evaluation by a licensed professional, and a permit is valid for work started within 24 months18.

Installation must pass two inspections: one at site preparation and one before final backfilling19. The state's scheduled fee for a complete non-engineered system is $250, plus listed add-on amounts20. Across Androscoggin County, conventional drain fields rate poorly in many soils, since only 13.8% of soils rate as not limited, so expect a site evaluation and possibly an engineered system21. We could not confirm whether a new Durham home must connect to public water or sewer, or any private well rule; ask the Code Enforcement Officer.

Building a home in Durham, Maine: the steps, in order

  1. Call the Code Enforcement Officer at 207-844-1774 and confirm your district and the setbacks5.
  2. Check the lot against the RRA rules: 90,000 square feet and a 40,000-square-foot building envelope6.
  3. Hire a licensed site evaluator and apply for the septic permit18.
  4. Get a driveway permit from the Road Commissioner if the driveway enters a Town road4.
  5. Apply online for the building, plumbing and electrical permits15.
  6. Build to the 2021 residential code and pass the septic inspections1419.

What stays with the state and Androscoggin County in Durham?

Septic rules come from Maine CDC and are administered locally by a Local Plumbing Inspector, not a county office22. Androscoggin County has no county building or zoning department, so land in Durham answers to the Town. For rules on other towns, see the Androscoggin County page.

Before you buy, note that county figures are not Durham-specific: Androscoggin County's effective property tax rate is 1.3%23. Check flood zones too, because floodplain overlays apply on top of Durham's districts1.

Watch-outs

  • Any use not listed in Durham's Table of Land Uses is prohibited, so confirm your planned use with the Code Enforcement Officer before buying15.
  • We could not confirm a certificate of occupancy, owner-builder, minimum house size or private well rule for Durham; ask the Code Enforcement Officer at 207-844-17745.
  • The Town's Land Use Code was readopted at the June 2026 Town Meeting, so older copies of the ordinance may be out of date1.

Sources

  1. Town of Durham, Maine Land Use Code as adopted at Town Meeting June 13, 2026 (Town of Durham), quoted and re-checked
  2. Code Enforcement - Town of Durham, Maine (Town of Durham), quoted and re-checked
  3. Code Enforcement - Town of Durham, Maine (Town of Durham), quoted and re-checked
  4. Code Enforcement - Town of Durham, Maine (Town of Durham), quoted and re-checked
  5. Town of Durham Code Enforcement Officer (durhammaine.gov)
  6. Town of Durham, Maine Land Use Code as adopted at Town Meeting June 13, 2026 (Town of Durham), quoted and re-checked
  7. Town of Durham, Maine Land Use Code as adopted at Town Meeting June 13, 2026 (Town of Durham), quoted and re-checked
  8. Town of Durham, Maine Land Use Code as adopted at Town Meeting June 13, 2026 (Town of Durham), quoted and re-checked
  9. Title 30-A, §4363: Regulation of tiny homes, quoted and re-checked
  10. Town of Durham, Maine Land Use Code as adopted at Town Meeting June 13, 2026 (Town of Durham), quoted and re-checked
  11. Town of Durham, Maine Land Use Code as adopted at Town Meeting June 13, 2026 (Town of Durham), quoted and re-checked
  12. Town of Durham, Maine Land Use Code as adopted at Town Meeting June 13, 2026 (Town of Durham), quoted and re-checked
  13. Town of Durham, Maine Land Use Code as adopted at Town Meeting June 13, 2026 (Town of Durham), quoted and re-checked
  14. Code Enforcement - Town of Durham, Maine (Town of Durham), quoted and re-checked
  15. Code Enforcement - Town of Durham, Maine (Town of Durham), quoted and re-checked
  16. Code Enforcement - Town of Durham, Maine (Town of Durham), quoted and re-checked
  17. Subsurface Wastewater System Permitting, quoted and re-checked
  18. Subsurface Wastewater System Permitting (Maine statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  19. Subsurface Wastewater System Permitting, quoted and re-checked
  20. Subsurface Wastewater System Permitting, quoted and re-checked
  21. Share of soils USDA rates "not limited" for a conventional septic drain field (SSURGO). A strict rating: the median county is about 6% and a tenth of counties are 0%, so a low figure means most lots need a site evaluation or an engineered system, not that septic is impossible. Cite it only with that caveat: Bolthole Index county data
  22. Subsurface Wastewater Licensing & Certification, quoted and re-checked
  23. Effective property tax rate: Bolthole Index county data

Written October 23, 2026 from the rules quoted below, each taken from an official source and re-checked by an independent reviewer. This is research, not legal advice: rules change, so confirm with the office before you buy or build.

Answers from the rulebook for Town of Durham

Town of Durham’s own rules

  • Building permitRequired

    Work inside Durham town, administered by the Town Code Enforcement Officer

    • Permit is required for new structures over 200 square feet, demolition, new plumbing work, added plumbing fixtures, all electrical work, driveway/entrance work in a road right-of-way, and septic work other than periodic pumping or filter cleaning.
    • Listed exemptions include finish work, replacement windows without reframing, replacement plumbing fixtures and faucets, one-story detached tool and storage sheds up to 200 square feet, and similar minor work.
    • Special circumstances apply within the historic district or within 1500 feet of historic property; contact the Code Enforcement Officer.

    threshold for new structures requiring permit: > 200 square feet (one-story detached accessory tool and storage sheds, playhouses and similar uses are exempt when floor area does not exceed 200 square feet)

    “permit required if you do any of the following: building or placing any new structures over 200 square feet.”
  • Building code adoptedAdopted

    New residential construction and alterations inside Durham town

    • The Town's code enforcement page lists the IRC 2021 for residential work permitted after April 7, 2025 and the IBC 2021 for commercial work; prior 2015 IRC and IBC editions are listed as the prior code.
    • Maine state codes (e.g., Maine Uniform Building and Energy Code) also apply; this claim covers only the Town's own listed building code.
    “current durham building code: residential building code manual used by the town of durham irc 2021 (if permitted after april 7, 2025) (ibc) 2021 international building code”
  • Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

    Land inside the limits of the Town of Durham, Maine, administered by the Town under its own Land Use Code (Chapter 250)

    • Uses are allowed only as listed in the Table of Land Uses in § 250-4.1; any use not specifically listed is prohibited (§ 250-4.1.b).
    • Shoreland zoning, aquifer protection and floodplain overlays apply in addition to the primary districts.
    “the table of land uses below establishes the uses allowed in each zoning district. b. any use not specifically listed in the table of land uses is prohibited.”
  • Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

    Zoning districts of Durham town

    • Primary districts are the Rural Residential and Agricultural district (RRA) and the Resource Protection district (RP).
    • Overlay districts: aquifer protection, resource protection (shoreland zoning), and limited residential (shoreland zoning).
    • Official zoning map is the digital map entitled 'Town of Durham' adopted under § 250-3.1.
    “the town shall be divided into two primary districts as shown on the zoning map and shall also have three overlay districts that shall exist within the primary districts as set forth below.”
  • Minimum lot sizeDistrict specific (with conditions)

    Rural residential and agricultural district (RRA), the main single-family residential district, inside Durham town

    • Each lot must contain a contiguous 40,000-square-foot building envelope free of resource protection district, wetlands, or slopes greater than 20%.
    • Lot area per dwelling unit is 90,000 square feet per dwelling unit; accessory dwelling units are exempt.
    • Maximum three dwelling units per lot.
    • Resource protection district has its own 90,000 square foot minimum lot size (§ 250-4.2) and is not residential.

    minimum lot size: 90000 square feet

    “(1) minimum lot size: 90,000 square feet. (a) minimum buildable area. each lot must contain a contiguous 40,000-square-foot building envelope which does not contain areas in resource protection district, wetlands, or slopes greater than 20%.”
  • SetbacksDistrict specific (with conditions)

    Rural residential and agricultural district (RRA), inside Durham town; setbacks measured from road right-of-way or easement line where the lot line abuts a road

    • Nonresidential front setback is 100 feet; nonresidential side and rear setbacks are 100 feet.
    • Resource protection district setbacks are 100 feet front, side and rear (§ 250-4.2).

    front setback, residential: 50 feet · side setback, residential: 20 feet · rear setback, residential: 20 feet

    “(c) side lot line residential: 20 feet. (d) side lot line nonresidential: 100 feet. (e) rear lot line residential: 20 feet. (f) rear lot line nonresidential: 100 feet.”
  • Lot coverageDistrict specific (with conditions)

    Rural residential and agricultural district (RRA), inside Durham town

    • Applies to impervious surfaces including structures.
    • Resource protection district has a 5% maximum impervious coverage (§ 250-4.2).

    maximum impervious surface coverage (including structures): <= 25 percent

    “(6) maximum coverage for impervious surfaces (including structures): 25%”
  • Building heightDistrict specific (with conditions)

    Rural residential and agricultural district (RRA), inside Durham town

    • Chimneys, towers, spires and electric transmission structures may exceed the maximum height.
    • Schools and municipal structures: 50 feet (§ 250-4.2).
    • Resource protection district maximum structure height is 20 feet.

    maximum structure height: <= 35 feet (chimneys, towers, spires and electric transmission structures; schools and municipal structures 50 feet)

    “maximum structure height: 35 feet. (note: features of structures such as chimneys, towers, spires and structures for electric power transmission and distribution lines may exceed the maximum structure height requirement.)”
  • Camping on your landLimited

    Campgrounds where tents or recreational vehicles are placed for temporary overnight stays inside Durham town; not a general rule for camping on private land

    • Campgrounds must meet state licensing requirements and the Town standards in § 250-5.9.
    • Campsites, roads and facilities may not cover more than 20% of the campground land.
    • Campsites are not permitted in a resource protection zone.
    • Time limit on any one camping space: 12 weeks from May 15 to October 15, and two weeks at other times.

    minimum campground size: >= 20 acres · minimum setback of camping units from property line: >= 100 feet

    “a time limit is placed on the occupancy of any one camping space on a continuing basis as follows: 12 weeks for the period may 15 to october 15 of each year, and two weeks for all other times.”
  • Manufactured homesAllowed (with conditions)

    Manufactured housing as a dwelling on any lot inside Durham town where a single-family home is permitted (RRA district)

    • Must have a pitched roof with a minimum pitch of 2 inches of rise for every 12 inches of run.
    • Exterior siding must be residential in appearance.
    • Must be placed on a permanent foundation under the Maine Uniform Building and Energy Code (MUBEC) or Maine Manufactured Housing Board foundation standards.
    • Must meet the Maine State Plumbing Code.
    • Homes legally sited as of August 4, 1988 may be replaced even if they do not meet these design criteria.
    “manufactured housing is allowed on any lot where a single-family home is permitted subject to the 62 following requirements:”
  • Accessory dwellingsLimited

    Accessory dwelling units on lots inside Durham town, used for rental or in-law accommodation

    • Subject to the requirements listed in § 250-5.1 (sub-items a. and following were not all reviewed).
    • Accessory dwelling units are exempt from the lot-area-per-dwelling requirement in the rural residential and agricultural district (§ 250-4.2.a.7).
    • Table of Land Uses marks accessory dwelling units 'cer' in the RRA column; the key for 'cer' was not captured.
    “accessory dwelling units may be utilized for rental purposes as well as in-law accommodations subject to the following requirements:”
  • Septic permitRequired

    Installing, altering or repairing a septic system inside Durham town

    • Permit is required for all work related to a septic system other than periodic pumping of the tank or cleaning of the tank filters.
    • State septic permit requirements may also apply and were not reviewed.
    “all work related to a septic system other than periodic pumping of the tank or cleaning of the tank filters.”
  • Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

    Division of land inside Durham town

    • Subdivision standards are in Article 6 (Subdivision of Land) of the Land Use Code; the Planning Board reviews subdivisions.
    • Cluster subdivisions may reduce lot size and road frontage by up to 50% in return for common open space.
    “article 6 subdivision of land § 250-6.1. purposes. the purposes of these regulations are: a. to provide for an expeditious and efficient process for the review of proposed subdivisions;”
  • Driveway accessRequired

    Driveways, entrances and approaches within the right-of-way of Town or private roads in Durham town

    • Permit is issued by the Town from the Durham Road Commissioner.
    • Land Use Code access standards require minimum sight distances by highway speed (§ 250-5 access provisions).
    “driveway, entrance, or approach within the limits of the right-of-way for any town of durham public road or private road requires a permit issued by the town of durham from the durham road commissioner.”
  • Permit feesPublished (with conditions)

    Building, plumbing, septic and related permit fees for work inside Durham town

    • The Town publishes a fee schedule adopted April 28, 2026; the schedule itself was not opened, so individual fee amounts are not recorded here.
    • Land Use Code also refers to fees set by order of the select board (e.g., contract zoning application fee).
    “fee schedule - adopted april 28,2026 gis town of durham, maine tax maps”
  • Permit processPublished (with conditions)

    Building, plumbing, septic and driveway permits for work inside Durham town

    • Applications are completed online; the Code Enforcement Officer should be called ahead before building, plumbing or wiring work (207-844-1774, [email protected]).
    “permits documents instructions for completing online applications: click here.”

Still unanswered

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

  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption for work inside Durham town
  • Inspections — Inspections of construction inside Durham town
  • Certificate of occupancy — Certificate of occupancy for new homes inside Durham town
  • Minimum dwelling size — Minimum floor area of a dwelling inside Durham town
  • Living in an RV — Long-term RV occupancy on private land inside Durham town
7 more unanswered
  • Tiny homes
  • Septic inspection
  • Off-grid sanitation
  • Well permit
  • Mandatory utility hookup
  • Agricultural exemption
  • Short-term rentals

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.

Unanswered questions are usually a sign that Town of Durham publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Androscoggin County’s page lists the county offices to call.

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