Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Town of Rangeley, Maine

Town of Rangeley’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  Construction, structural alteration, addition, removal, demolition, relocation and occupancy of buildings inside Rangeley town

  • Permit issued by the code enforcement officer (building official).
  • Permits expire if work is not begun within 12 months.

  “permits shall be required for all construction, structural alteration, addition, removal, demolition, relocation, and occupancy of all buildings and structures.”

• Building code adoptedAdopted

  All construction inside Rangeley town

  • Adopts the Maine Uniform Building and Energy Code (MUBEC) as amended from time to time.

  “the town of rangeley adopts and enforces the maine uniform building and energy code ("m.u.b.e.c.")”

• InspectionsRequired

  Permitted construction inside Rangeley town

  • Inspection is by the code enforcement officer for compliance with MUBEC.

  “the code enforcement officer shall be responsible for inspecting all permitted construction for compliance with all components of m.u.b.e.c.”

• Certificate of occupancyRequired

  Buildings inside Rangeley town issued by the code enforcement officer

  • Occupancy of buildings is covered by the permit requirement in section 3A.2.1.

  “shall be responsible for issuing building permits and certificates of occupancy.”

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land inside Rangeley town limits, Franklin County, Maine. The town's own Zoning Ordinance (Code Chapter 38) administers zoning here; county zoning does not apply.

  • Shoreland zone standards in Article 38.7 overlay the district rules.
  • Chapter 38 was amended 09/16/25 per the PDF title; that is a revision stamp, not an effective date.

  “this chapter shall be administered and enforced by a code enforcement officer appointed by the selectmen.”

• Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

  Land inside Rangeley town limits

  • Districts named in Chapter 38 include resource protection, shoreland, woodland, residential, village, commercial, industrial, downtown commercial and RT 17 overlay.

  “zoning district resource protection shoreland woodland residential village commercial industrial downtown commercial rt 17 overlay”

• SetbacksDistrict specific (with conditions)

  Land inside Rangeley town, by zoning district, including individual private campsites

  • Numeric setback distances were not extracted; see followups.

  “campsite placement on any lot, including the area intended for a recreational vehicle or tent platform, shall meet setback requirements for the district”

• Living in an RVLimited

  Recreational vehicles on individual private campsites inside Rangeley town

  • Only one recreational vehicle is allowed per campsite.
  • No permanent foundation except a gravel pad; no attached structure except a canopy.
  • Clearing for an RV in the resource protection district is limited to 1,000 sq ft.

  maximum recreational vehicles per campsite: <= 1 count

  “recreational vehicles shall not be located on any type of permanent foundation except for a gravel pad, and no structure(s) except canopies shall be attached to the recreational vehicle”

• Manufactured homesLimited

  Mobile homes inside Rangeley town

  • Mobile homes must have a pitched roof and traditional site-built exterior walls.
  • Must sit on a continuous perimeter concrete foundation at least 4 feet deep (8-inch reinforced wall), or another permanent foundation approved by the code enforcement officer.
  • Mobile home parks must comply with 30-a M.R.S.A. section 4358.

  “mobile homes shall have a pitched roof and have exterior walls of traditional site-built appearance.”

• Accessory dwellingsLimited

  Accessory dwelling units inside Rangeley town

  • One ADU within the principal dwelling and one in a separate structure per lot.
  • ADU must be at least 190 sq ft and no more than 50% of the principal dwelling's floor area.
  • ADU needs sufficient wastewater disposal capacity if on private septic and potable water access.
  • ADU must meet setbacks and off-street parking requirements for single-family dwellings.

  minimum accessory dwelling unit area: >= 190 sq ft (higher minimum may be adopted by the technical standards board)

  “the creation, conversion to, or construction of a new accessory dwelling unit shall require a permit to be issued by the code enforcement officer”

• Who permits septicLocal (with conditions)

  Subsurface wastewater (septic) systems inside Rangeley town

  • Town Planning Department handles septic installation permitting and inspection; the local plumbing inspector (LPI) acts under the sewer ordinance.

  “permitting and inspection of any new structure plumbing and septic system installation in the town of rangeley”

• Off-grid sanitationLimited

  Private wastewater disposal where a public sewer is not connected, inside Rangeley town

  • Owner must operate and maintain private disposal facilities sanitarily at no town expense (section 30.3.4).
  • Continued use of private system may be allowed by the Sewer Commission for up to 10 years after public sewer becomes available, after LPI inspection.

  “upon inspection and to the satisfaction of the local plumbing inspector (lpi), the sewer commission may allow the continued use of a private wastewater disposal system for the duration of its useful life up to a period not exceeding ten (10) years”

• Mandatory utility hookupSewer (with conditions)

  Buildings abutting a public sanitary sewer in Rangeley town

  • Connection required only where the public sewer is within 200 feet of the property line, unless prevented by topography or other reasons.
  • Connection due within 90 days after official notice.
  • Sewer Commission may grant exceptions for newly installed private septic systems under 5 years old, excavation bans, ledge, or financial hardship.

  distance to public sewer triggering connection: <= 200 ft (topographical or other reasons)

  “within ninety (90) days after receipt of official notice to do so, provided that said public sewer is within two hundred (200) feet of the property line, unless prevented by topographical or other reasons.”

• Short-term rentalsLimited

  Accessory dwelling units inside Rangeley town only; no general short-term rental rule was located

  • Accessory dwelling units may not be rented for periods shorter than six months.

  minimum rental period for accessory dwelling units: >= 6 months (ADU rentals nonconforming if already rented short-term in the 12 months before the chapter's effective date)

  “accessory dwelling units may not be rented for periods of less than six (6) months.”

• Permit feesVariable (with conditions)

  Building permits inside Rangeley town

  • Fee schedule is set annually by the board of selectmen; the 2025 Planning Fee Schedule was not opened.

  “for each project, a fee for plan examination, building permit, and inspections shall be paid in accordance with a fee schedule set annually by the board of selectmen.”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builders inside Rangeley town
• Minimum dwelling size — Single-family dwellings inside Rangeley town
• Lot coverage — Lots inside Rangeley town
• Building height — Buildings inside Rangeley town
• Tiny homes — Tiny homes inside Rangeley 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.