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

Town of Dedham’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  Erecting, altering, removing or demolishing any structure inside Dedham town, handled by the Town Code Enforcement Officer

  • The permit must be obtained before work commences.
  • Also required for digging, filling, dredging, constructing roadways, clearing trees, and other uses the ordinances list as needing special permits.
  • Application is filed with the code enforcement officer; a permit fee is assessed (amount not stated on the page).

  “this permit is required of anyone intending to erect, alter, remove, or demolish any structure, to dig, fill, dredge, construct roadway(s), clear trees, etc, as well as for other uses described in the ordinances as needing special permits. the permit must be obtained before work commences.”

• InspectionsRequired

  Permitted construction inside Dedham town under the Land Use/Building Permit

  • Inspections listed: site inspection; rough-in once the building is framed up; final inspection when completed or in move-in condition.
  • A separate plumbing permit with its own rough-in and final inspections exists per the town site (page not opened).

  “inspections required: site inspection rough-in (once the building is framed up) final inspection (when completed or in "move-in" condition)”

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land inside Dedham town limits (Town of Dedham, Maine), administered by the Town's Code Enforcement Officer and Planning Board

  • The Town's ordinances page lists a Dedham Land Use ordinance dated June 2009 and approved by the Maine DEP in September 2009; the ordinance text itself was not opened.
  • Land Use permit form lists zoning districts RP, RR, GA 1, GA 2A, GA 2B and wetland.
  • Lucerne-in-Maine village ordinances (separate Lucerne Land Use Ordinance listed on the town site) were not reviewed and may add rules inside Lucerne.

  “dedham land use june 2009 - approved by dep september 2009”

• Zoning districtsPartial

  Land inside Dedham town limits; district names only, as listed on the Town's permit application

  • Only district codes are confirmed (RP, RR, GA 1, GA 2A, GA 2B, wetland). District boundaries and standards were not verified.
  • Shoreland Zoning Ordinance (updated 6/15/2023 per ordinances page) is a separate ordinance and was not opened.

  “zoning district(s): [] rp [] rr [] ga 1 [] ga 2a [] ga 2b [] wetland”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Subdivisions of land inside Dedham town, administered by the Planning Board and Code Enforcement Officer

  • Ordinance is dated June 14, 2003 in its title; the Town's ordinances page lists a subdivision ordinance without a date, so currency is unconfirmed.
  • Minor and major subdivision review paths, sketch plan review and public hearings are described in the ordinance table of contents.
  • Utility hookups, road completion and development before approval are restricted under the same ordinance.

  “no plan of a division of land within the municipality which would constitute a subdivision under this ordinance shall be recorded in the registry of deeds until a final plan has been approved by the board in accordance with this ordinance.”

• Short-term rentalsLimited

  Short-term rental of dwellings inside Dedham town

  • A registration application is reviewed by the Code Enforcement Officer and/or Planning Board; the officer accepts, accepts with conditions, or denies it.
  • Registration fee is $50 per the town homepage, payable to the town office; fee applies per dwelling unit under the ordinance.
  • If RV or tent camping is permitted on the property, the code enforcement officer must be informed and additional permits may be required.
  • Ordinance adoption date and full regulatory terms were not verified beyond the cited excerpts.

  short-term rental registration fee: 50 USD (Per the town homepage; ordinance says fee is set by Board of Selectmen order and may be amended)

  “once deemed complete, the code enforcement officer shall either accept, accept with conditions, or deny each application.”

• Permit processPartial

  Land use and building permits inside Dedham town

  • Process described at a high level only: obtain the permit before work commences; file the application with the code enforcement officer; pay a fee; site, rough-in and final inspections.
  • Fee schedule, review timelines and the full ordinance-based approval steps are not stated on this page.

  “you must file your application with the code enforcement officer and a permit fee will be assessed.”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption from permit requirements inside Dedham town
• Building code adopted — Building code adopted for construction inside Dedham town
• Certificate of occupancy — Certificate of occupancy for new homes inside Dedham town
• Minimum dwelling size — Minimum dwelling size inside Dedham town
• Minimum lot size — Minimum lot size in Dedham town zoning districts (RP, RR, GA 1, GA 2A, GA 2B named on the permit form); main single-family residential district not identified

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 Dedham 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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