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

Town of Tremont’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  Buildings, structures, land uses, new lots, and land-use activities governed by the Tremont Land Use Ordinance inside Tremont town limits.

  • Permit is obtained from the Code Enforcement Officer after approval of the appropriate review authority.
  • Other permits required by law or ordinance remain required.
  • For plumbing facilities or an increase in bedrooms, an LPI permit and, where required, a site-evaluator/LPI-approved wastewater application must be secured before a building permit.

  “A permit shall be obtained from the Code Enforcement Officer after approval of the appropriate review authority. Any permit required by this Ordinance shall be in addition to any other permits required by other law or ordinance.”

• Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

  Zoning districts within Tremont town limits.

  • The zone designation for a site is determined from the Official Shoreland Zoning Map.
  • Table 1 identifies Stream Protection, Resource Protection, Limited Residential, Residential-Business, Residential, Commercial Fishery/Maritime Activity, Rural Residential, Harbor, and Island Protection zones.

  “The zone designation for a particular site shall be determined from the Official Shoreland Zoning Map.”

• Living in an RVLimited

  Recreational vehicles used at individual private campsites or recreational lodging facilities inside Tremont town limits.

  • Only one recreational vehicle is allowed on an individual private campsite.
  • The vehicle may not be on a permanent foundation except a gravel pad, and no structure except a canopy may be attached.
  • Occupancy for more than 90 days per year triggers residential-structure requirements and compliant subsurface sewage disposal unless served by public sewage.
  • Within recreational lodging facilities from November 1 through May 1, occupancy beyond two consecutive weeks requires permanent sewage, water, electricity, and heat meeting state and local codes; renewal requires one week of non-occupancy.
  • Recreational vehicles are not permitted in recreational lodging facilities approved after May 9, 2022.

  individual private campsite RV maximum: 1 recreational vehicle · occupancy threshold: > 90 days per year (Residential-structure and wastewater requirements apply.)

  “Only one (1) recreational vehicle shall be allowed on a campsite. The Recreational vehicles shall not be located on any type of permanent foundation except for a gravel pad, and no structure except a canopy shall be attached to the recreational vehicle. [...] When a recreational vehicle, tent or similar shelter is occupied on-site for more than 90 days (90) per year, all requirements for residential structures shall be met, including the installation of a subsurface sewage disposal system in compliance with the State of Maine Subsurface Wastewater Disposal Rules unless served by public sewage facilities.”

• Camping on your landLimited

  Individual private campsites inside Tremont town limits.

  • One campsite per lot is permitted outside the shoreland zone.
  • Within the shoreland zone, one campsite may be permitted per vacant lot existing on the effective date of the ordinance or per 30,000 square feet of lot area, whichever is less.
  • Existing principal uses or structures require compliance for that use plus 30,000 additional square feet per campsite.
  • A written sewage-disposal plan approved by the Licensed Plumbing Inspector is required.

  shoreland campsite lot area: per 30000 square feet (Per individual private campsite; subject to the ordinance's vacant-lot and existing-principal-use conditions.)

  “One campsite per lot is permitted outside of shoreland zone. One campsite is allowed per vacant lot existing on the effective date of this Ordinance, or thirty thousand square feet (30,000 Ft. Sq.) of lot area within the shoreland zone, whichever is less, may be permitted.”

• Manufactured homesLimited

  A single manufactured-housing or mobile-home dwelling on an individually owned lot inside Tremont town limits.

  • The cited provision only exempts this placement from site-plan approval; it expressly preserves possible building, plumbing, state, and other local approvals.
  • Flood-hazard placement requires a Flood Hazard Development Permit except as provided in Article VII of Tremont's Floodplain Management Ordinance.

  “The placement, alteration, or enlargement of a single manufactured housing, or mobile home dwelling, including accessory buildings and structures on individually owned lots.”

• Accessory dwellingsLimited

  Accessory residential dwelling units in Tremont's Residential-Business, Residential, Island Protection, and Rural Residential zones.

  • Wastewater disposal arrangements must meet town and state standards.
  • The principal residential dwelling must be on a lot conforming to current minimum lot-size standards.
  • The accessory dwelling must be accessory, incidental, and subordinate to the principal use or structure.
  • It may not exceed a 600-square-foot footprint or one bedroom.

  maximum footprint: <= 600 square feet · maximum bedrooms: <= 1 bedroom

  “The accessory residential dwelling unit shall not exceed six hundred square feet (600 Sq. Ft.) footprint and shall not include more than one bedroom.”

• Who permits septicLocal (with conditions)

  Subsurface wastewater approvals associated with construction and campsites inside Tremont town limits.

  • The Local Plumbing Inspector must secure the plumbing permit.
  • When a subsurface wastewater disposal system is required, the permit application must include the application approved by the site evaluator and Local Plumbing Inspector.
  • Systems must conform to State of Maine Subsurface Wastewater Disposal Rules.

  “When a subsurface wastewater disposal system is required, the application approved by the site evaluator and the Local Plumbing Inspector must be included in the permit application.”

• Septic permitRequired

  Construction or use involving plumbing facilities or an increase in bedrooms inside Tremont town limits.

  • Permit must be secured from the Local Plumbing Inspector by the applicant or authorized agent.
  • Where a subsurface wastewater disposal system is required, the site evaluator and Local Plumbing Inspector must approve the application before it is included with the building-permit application.

  “No building permit shall be issued for any structure or use involving the construction, installation or alteration of plumbing facilities or an increase in the number of bedrooms unless a permit has been secured from the Local Plumbing Inspector by the applicant or his or her authorized agent, according to the requirements of this Ordinance.”

• Off-grid sanitationLimited

  Campsites and other uses using subsurface sewage disposal inside Tremont town limits.

  • All subsurface sewage disposal systems must conform to State of Maine Subsurface Wastewater Disposal Rules.
  • Each individual private campsite requires a written sewage disposal plan approved by the Licensed Plumbing Inspector.
  • Off-site disposal requires written authorization from the receiving facility or land owner.

  “A written sewage disposal plan describing the proposed method and location of sewage disposal shall be required for each campsite and shall be approved by the Licensed Plumbing Inspector. Where disposal is off-site, written authorization from the receiving facility or land owner is required.”

• Agricultural exemptionConditional

  Agricultural activities, including agricultural buildings and structures, inside Tremont town limits.

  • This is an exemption only from site-plan approval under the Tremont Site Plan Review Ordinance.
  • The ordinance states that listed exemptions may still require a building permit, plumbing permit, or other state or local approvals.

  “The following activities shall not require site plan approval under the Tremont Site Plan Review Ordinance (certain of these activities will, however, require the owner to obtain a building permit, plumbing permit, or other state or local approvals): [...] Agricultural activities, including agricultural buildings and structures”

• Driveway accessRequired

  Lots proposed for development inside Tremont town limits.

  • The access must be driveway or road access as defined in the Land Use Ordinance.

  “No lot can be developed unless it has driveway or road access as defined in this Ordinance.”

• Building in a floodplainRequired

  Construction or other development, including placement of manufactured homes, in areas of special flood hazard established by Tremont's Floodplain Management Ordinance.

  • A Flood Hazard Development Permit is issued by the Code Enforcement Officer.
  • Exception: as provided in Article VII of Tremont's Floodplain Management Ordinance.

  “Before any construction or other development, including the placement of manufactured homes, begins in any areas of special flood hazard established in Article I of the Floodplain Management Ordinance of the Town of Tremont, a Flood Hazard Development Permit shall be obtained from the Code Enforcement Officer except as provided in Article VII of the Floodplain Management Ordinance of the Town of Tremont.”

• Permit feesVariable (with conditions)

  Tremont permit applications governed by the Land Use Ordinance.

  • The Select Board may set an application fee from time to time reflecting costs to the Town.
  • A dated receipt is issued upon receipt of the application and the appropriate application fee.

  “The Select Board reserves the right to set an application fee from time to time reflecting the costs to the Town.”

• Permit processPublished (with conditions)

  Permit applications under Tremont's Land Use Ordinance.

  • Applicant submits a written Town form to the appropriate official with a scaled site plan.
  • For shoreland development, preconstruction photos and postconstruction photos no later than 20 days after completion are required.
  • The reviewing authority notifies the applicant of completeness within 35 calendar days; incomplete applications generally have 30 days to cure, with one possible 30-day extension for just cause.
  • Final approval is conditional on receipt of any required local, state, and federal permits.

  completeness determination: <= 35 calendar days (Measured from dated receipt.) · incomplete application cure period: <= 30 calendar days (One 30-day extension may be granted for just cause.)

  “Within 35 calendar days from the dated receipt, the reviewing authority shall notify the applicant either that the application is a complete or an incomplete application.”

Rules another office applies inside Town of Tremont

Town of Tremont does not set these itself; the county, a health district or the state does, and they apply to every address inside its limits.

• Minimum lot sizeSpecified

  First residential dwelling unit in Tremont's Residential (R) Zone.

  • Each additional residential unit requires 20,000 square feet.
  • Land below normal high-water line or wetland upland edge and land beneath roads serving more than two lots cannot count toward minimum lot area for lots created since May 1992.

  minimum lot area for first residential unit: 40000 square feet · minimum lot area for each additional residential unit: per 20000 square feet

  “Minimum lot area per residential dwelling unit [1] Forty thousand square feet (40,000 sq. ft.) for the first unit [2] Twenty thousand square feet (20,000 sq. ft.) for each additional unit.”

• SetbacksSpecified

  Structures in Tremont's Residential (R) Zone.

  • The 15-foot road measurement applies if the lot has frontage on a road.

  minimum setback from lot lines: 15 feet · minimum setback from edge of road right-of-way: 15 feet (If lot has frontage on road.)

  “Structure Standards (a) Minimum Setbacks [1] Fifteen feet (15’) from lot lines and fifteen feet (15’) from edge of right of way if lot has frontage on road.”

• Lot coverageSpecified

  Structures in Tremont's Residential (R) Zone.

  maximum lot coverage: <= 20 percent

  “(b) Maximum Height [1] Forty-feet (40’) (c) Maximum Lot Coverage [1] Twenty percent (20%).”

• Building heightSpecified

  Structures in Tremont's Residential (R) Zone.

  maximum height: <= 40 feet

  “(b) Maximum Height [1] Forty-feet (40’) (c) Maximum Lot Coverage [1] Twenty percent (20%).”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-built residential construction inside Tremont town limits.
• Building code adopted — Residential construction inside Tremont town limits.
• Inspections — Residential construction inside Tremont town limits.
• Certificate of occupancy — Residential occupancy inside Tremont town limits.
• Minimum dwelling size — Residential dwellings in Tremont zoning districts.

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 Tremont 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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