Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Town of Franklin, Maine
Town of Franklin is a town in Hancock County, Maine. Town of Franklin adopts its own zoning, so inside its limits Town of Franklin’s rules apply, not the county’s. 21 rules below are quoted from official sources and independently re-checked, most recently on October 29, 2026. Rules for unincorporated land are on the Hancock County page.
Answers from the rulebook for Town of Franklin
Town of Franklin’s own rules
Building permitRequired
Buildings, uses and sanitary facilities inside Franklin town limits
Construction may proceed only after the building or use permit and plumbing permit are issued by the code enforcement officer.
Any increase in habitable living space requires a building permit (section 6.2(6)).
Any change of use requires a building permit (section 6.2(7)).
“any increase in habitable living space shall require a building permit.”
Local zoningPresent (with conditions)
Land inside Franklin town limits. The town's own Zoning Ordinance applies in the general purpose district, which covers all town land outside the shoreland, resource protection and stream protection districts.
The ordinance states it is administered by a code enforcement officer appointed by the municipal officers (section 6.1).
Shoreland, resource protection and stream protection districts are managed under a separate shoreland zoning ordinance for the town, which was not opened for this research.
The revision date 06/28/2021 is an ordinance revision stamp; the stated effective date in section 1.8 is March 26, 2011.
“this ordinance shall be known as the “zoning ordinance of the town of franklin, maine”, and will be referred to herein as this “ordinance.””
Zoning districtsPartial
Zoning districts of Franklin town
The ordinance names four districts: resource protection, shoreland, general purpose, and stream protection (section 2.1). The general purpose district is the only district with the use and dimensional rules in article 4; the shoreland, resource protection and stream protection districts are managed under the separate shoreland zoning ordinance.
The official zoning map ("zoning map of franklin, maine") is referenced in section 2.2 but was not opened; no agricultural or rural-residential district was named in the ordinance.
“the shoreland district, resource protection district and stream protection district are managed under the provisions of the shoreland zoning ordinance for the town of franklin, maine”
Minimum dwelling sizeSpecified
Mobile homes inside Franklin town limits. The ordinance sets a minimum size only in the mobile home definition.
No minimum floor area was found for site-built or other dwellings in the zoning ordinance text reviewed; this claim does not establish that none applies.
Minimum is gross floor area measured by the mobile home definition.
minimum gross floor area, mobile home: >= 450 sq ft
“a mobile home shall contain not less than four hundred fifty (450) square feet of gross floor area.”
Minimum lot sizeSpecified
Lots created by subdivision in the general purpose district inside Franklin town limits
This provision conflicts with the section 4.1.6 table (20,000 sq ft without sewer, 10,000 sq ft with sewer); the ordinance does not state which controls.
Frontage of not less than 100 feet is also required by this provision.
minimum lot area for subdivision lots: >= 40000 sq ft (conflicts with section 4.1.6 table) · minimum lot frontage: >= 100 ft
“divided into lots of no less than forty thousand (40,000) square feet, with the minimum frontage of not less than one hundred (100) feet.”
SetbacksSpecified
Principal and accessory structures fronting a public road in the general purpose district inside Franklin town limits
The greater of 50 feet from the right-of-way line or 75 feet from the centerline applies (section 5.2(4)).
Combined width of both side yards must be at least 20 feet (section 5.2(4)).
Side and rear yard values in the section 4.1.6 table are garbled in the text extraction and were not confirmed from the PDF.
Shoreland district setbacks are in the separate shoreland zoning ordinance and were not reviewed.
front yard depth from road right-of-way line: >= 50 ft (or 75 ft from centerline, whichever is greater) · front yard depth from road centerline: >= 75 ft (or 50 ft from right-of-way line, whichever is greater) · combined side yard width: >= 20 ft
“a front yard abutting a public road shall have a minimum depth of fifty (50) feet from the right of way line or seventy-five (75) feet from the center line whichever distance is greater.”
One more reviewed finding on this topic
Specified — Accessory buildings located to the rear of the main building in the general purpose district inside Franklin town limits
“when located to the rear of the main building, the accessory building shall be set back at least 10 (ten) feet from the side or rear lot lines.”
Lot coverageSpecified
Lots in the general purpose district inside Franklin town limits
Lot coverage is the percentage of the lot covered by all buildings (definition, section 3.2).
The 20 percent value is read from the garbled section 4.1.6 table and should be checked against the PDF.
maximum lot coverage by buildings: <= 20 percent
“lot coverage (%) 20 a. a lot abutting a public road shall have a minimum road-frontage of one hundred (100) feet.”
Building heightSpecified
Buildings in the general purpose district inside Franklin town limits
Chimneys, towers, ventilators and spires may exceed 35 feet but must be set back at least their height from the nearest lot line (section 4.1.6(4)(a)).
Certain uninhabited roof features are excluded from height under listed conditions (sections 3.2 and 4.1.6(4)(b)).
maximum building height: <= 35 ft (no building shall exceed 2 1/2 stories or thirty-five (35) feet in height) · maximum stories: <= 2.5 stories
“no building shall exceed 2 1/2 stories or thirty-five (35) feet in height.”
Living in an RVLimited
Recreational vehicles placed on private land inside Franklin town limits outside a licensed campground
Up to 120 days per year on site, the ordinance imposes no residential-structure standards; beyond 120 days per year the residential requirements apply, including a subsurface sewage disposal system unless served by public sewer (section 5.4(1)).
Recreational vehicles must be registered with the state division of motor vehicles to be treated as vehicles rather than structures (definition of recreational vehicle, section 3.2).
Campgrounds are a special exception use (see temporary camping claim).
days per year before residential standards apply: > 120 days
“individual, private campsites not associated with campgrounds are permitted provided the following conditions are met: (1) when a recreational vehicle, tent or similar shelter is placed on-site for more than one hundred and twenty (120) days per year all requirements for residential structures shall be met including the installation of a subsurface sewage disposal system”
Camping on your landLimited
Temporary camping on private land inside Franklin town limits in the general purpose district
Individual private campsites not associated with campgrounds are permitted only if the conditions in section 5.4 are met.
Campgrounds, including rural campgrounds, may be allowed only by special exception permit from the planning board (section 4.1.4(1)); campgrounds must also meet state licensing (section 5.3).
Campground sites require at least 5,000 square feet each, 200 square feet of off-street parking, a picnic table, trash receptacle and fireplace, and a 100-foot setback from exterior lot lines of the camping area (section 5.3(1)-(2)).
“the following uses may be allowed only upon the granting of a special exception permit by the planning board, in accordance with the provisions of article 6: (1) rural campgrounds”
Manufactured homesLimited
Mobile home parks (three or more mobile homes on one plot) inside Franklin town limits
Mobile home parks are a special exception use requiring planning board approval under article 6 (section 4.1.4(2)).
Mobile home park performance standards in section 5.6 were not opened within the research budget.
minimum mobile homes on one plot to form a mobile home park: >= 3 mobile homes
“mobile home park: a plot of land laid out to accommodate at least three (3) mobile homes.”
One more reviewed finding on this topic
Allowed — A single mobile home used as a dwelling on a single lot inside Franklin town limits in the general purpose district
“mobile homes not in a mobile home park shall meet all to the requirements of this ordinance for single family dwellings.”
Accessory dwellingsLimited
A second residential dwelling unit on a single parcel inside Franklin town limits. The ordinance has no accessory dwelling unit section.
A second dwelling unit on one parcel is allowed only if all dimensional requirements are met for each additional dwelling unit (section 5.1(b)).
Two-family dwellings are a permitted use in the general purpose district (section 4.1.3(2)).
Multi-family dwellings (three or more units) require a special exception (section 4.1.4(2)).
“if more than one residential dwelling unit or more than one principal commercial structure is constructed on a single parcel, all dimensional requirements shall be met for each additional dwelling unit or principal structure.”
Septic permitRequired
Sanitary facilities, including subsurface sewage disposal, inside Franklin town limits
Building permits for structures involving plumbing facilities are not issued until a valid plumbing permit is secured in conformance with the sanitary provisions (section 6.3).
Whether a stand-alone septic-only permit is issued separately was not established from the ordinance text.
“no building permit shall be issued for any structure or use involving the construction, installation or alteration of plumbing facilities unless a valid plumbing permit has been secured by the applicant or his authorized agent in conformance with the sanitary provisions of this ordinance.”
Off-grid sanitationLimited
Privies on land inside Franklin town limits not served by public sewer
Privies may be permitted only where other means of sewage disposal are not feasible, and only under the conditions listed in section 5.9(4)(a) onward; no plumbing may be connected to or discharge into a privy (section 5.9(4)(a)).
The remaining privy conditions in section 5.9(4)(b) onward were not opened within the research budget.
“privies may be permitted in areas not served by community sewer facilities and where other means of sewage disposal are not feasible under the following conditions:”
Mandatory utility hookupConditional
A new home inside Franklin town limits, for sewer connection
Connection is required only when public collection and treatment facilities are available; the ordinance does not state a distance threshold.
Public water connection rule was not established from the ordinance; the town site lists a water department but its service area was not verified.
Planned unit developments and cluster developments must connect to a public sewer system if available (section 5.8(j)).
“all plumbing shall be connected to public collection and treatment facilities when such facilities are available.”
Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)
Division of land inside Franklin town limits into three or more lots within five years
The ordinance defines subdivision by reference to state law (30-A MRSA section 4401); land kept by the subdivider as a single-family residence for five years is excluded.
Lots of 40 acres or more are excluded unless the sale is intended to avoid the subdivision objectives.
Subdivision application fee is $250 plus $25 per lot (section 6.4(b)).
Subdivision review procedure in the planning board was not opened within the research budget.
minimum lots that make a division a subdivision: >= 3 lots (within any five (5) year period)
“a subdivision is the division of a tract or parcel of land into three (3) or more lots within any five (5) year period as defined in mrsa 30a, sec. 4401”
Building in a floodplainLimited
Buildings on recent flood plain soils inside Franklin town limits
The elevation requirement applies to structures on the soil series listed as recent flood plain soils, as identified by the national cooperative soil survey.
Fill and earth-moving that would impair floodways or drainage are restricted (sections 4.1.5 and 5.5).
Floodplain land in the shoreland, resource protection and stream protection districts is managed under the separate shoreland zoning ordinance and was not reviewed.
minimum first floor elevation above 100-year flood: >= 1 ft (applies to recent flood plain soils)
“the first floor elevation or openings of all buildings and structures including basements shall be elevated at least one foot above the elevation of the 100 year flood as defined by soil types identified as recent flood plain soils.”
Permit feesPublished (with conditions)
Building, use and subdivision permits inside Franklin town limits
Fees are set in the zoning ordinance schedule (section 6.4); no later fee schedule was found on the town site within the research budget.
Change-of-use and non-structure permits are $30 ($20 to the code enforcement officer and $10 for administration) (section 6.4(a)(1)).
Permit extensions are 50 percent of the original permit fee (section 6.4(a)(6)).
structure permit fee: 0.05 USD per sq ft of footprint (plus $10.00 for administration) · administration fee for structure permit: 10 USD · subdivision application fee: 250 USD (plus $25.00 per lot created)
“permits for structures shall require the payment of a fee, which shall be $.05 per square foot of floor area, to be retained by the code enforcement officer, plus $10.00 for administration.”
Permit processPublished (with conditions)
Building and use permit applications inside Franklin town limits, submitted to the code enforcement officer
Applications are written, on town forms, signed by the owner or an authorized agent with a letter of authorization (section 6.2(1)).
Code enforcement officer decides within seven days of a complete application, or refers to the planning board for a special exception (section 6.2(2)).
A permit lapses if no substantial start is made within one year; one-year extension available from the code enforcement officer (section 6.2(5)).
decision deadline after complete application: <= 7 days (code enforcement officer approves, denies, or refers to planning board)
“following the issuance of a permit, if no substantial start is made in construction within one year of the date of the permit, the permit shall lapse and become void.”
Still unanswered
We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Town of Franklin or Hancock County directly.
Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder construction inside Franklin town limits
Building code adopted — Construction inside Franklin town limits
Inspections — Construction inside Franklin town limits
Certificate of occupancy — Occupancy of new structures inside Franklin town limits
Septic inspection — Subsurface sewage disposal inspections inside Franklin town limits
4 more unanswered
Well permit
Agricultural exemption
Driveway access
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 Franklin publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Hancock County’s page lists the county offices to call.
Off-grid gear
Going off-grid in Town of Franklin means bringing your own water and power. The kit we’d start with:
