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

Town of Washington’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  Buildings and other structures erected, moved, altered, retrofitted, or added to inside Washington town limits.

  • Exceptions are those stated in Article IV, Section 3 of the ordinance.
  • Permits must conform to the ordinance, applicable state statutes, codes, rules, regulations, and local ordinances or codes, after necessary local approvals.

  “After adoption of this Ordinance, a permit issued by the Code Enforcement Officer shall be required for all buildings or other structures to be erected, moved, altered, retrofitted, or added to except as stated in Section 3, Work For Which a Permit is Not Required, below.”

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land inside Washington town limits.

  “This Ordinance applies to all land within the boundaries of the Town of Washington.”

• Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

  Land inside Washington town limits.

  • For a lot or portion of a lot in two or more districts, the more restrictive district applies unless the development is confined to one district.

  “The Town is divided into the following nine districts, as shown by the district boundary lines on the official Land Use Map:”

• Living in an RVLimited

  Private campsites in Washington town's shoreland zone.

  • No more than one recreational vehicle is allowed on a campsite.
  • For placement exceeding 120 days per year, all residential-structure requirements apply, including a compliant subsurface sewage-disposal system unless served by public sewage facilities.

  RV or similar shelter duration triggering residential standards: > 120 days per year

  “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 in compliance with the State of Maine Subsurface Wastewater Disposal Rules unless served by public sewage facilities.”

• Camping on your landLimited

  Individual private campsites in Washington town's shoreland zone.

  • One campsite per qualifying lot may be permitted.
  • A sewage-disposal plan is required and must be approved by the Local Plumbing Inspector.
  • Setbacks and vegetation-clearing limits apply.

  maximum private campsites: 1 campsite per lot (Lot existing on ordinance effective date or 30,000 square feet of lot area within the shoreland zone, whichever is less.)

  “Individual private campsites not associated with campgrounds are allowed provided the following conditions are met: One campsite per lot existing on the effective date of this Ordinance, or thirty thousand (30,000) square feet of lot area within the shoreland zone, whichever is less, may be permitted.”

• Accessory dwellingsLimited

  Accessory dwelling units inside Washington town limits.

  • An accessory dwelling unit must be on the same parcel as a single-family detached dwelling.

  minimum accessory dwelling unit area: >= 190 square feet · maximum accessory dwelling unit area: <= 800 square feet

  “ACCESSORY DWELLING UNIT: a self-contained dwelling unit located within, attached to or detached from a single-family detached dwelling unit located on the same parcel of land. An accessory dwelling unit must be a minimum of 190 square feet and not more than 800 square feet.”

• Septic permitRequired

  A proposed structure inside Washington town limits that will have pressurized water.

  • The permit must comply with the Maine State Plumbing Code.

  “A subsurface wastewater disposal permit is required, if the proposed structure will have pressurized water, in compliance with the Maine State Plumbing Code.”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Land proposed for subdivision inside Washington town limits.

  • The Washington Planning Board administers the ordinance.
  • A final plan must be approved before a subdivision plan is recorded.

  “The Planning Board of the Town of Washington, hereinafter called the Board, shall administer this ordinance. The provisions of this ordinance shall pertain to all land proposed for subdivision, as defined in Title 30A M.R.S.A., §4401, Subsection 4, within the boundaries of the Town of Washington.”

• Driveway accessLimited

  Building-permit applications inside Washington town limits.

  • An MDOT or town access, driveway, or entrance permit is required only if otherwise required.

  “An MDOT or town access, driveway or entrance permit, if required.”

• Permit feesVariable (with conditions)

  Town land-use permit applications.

  • The Board of Selectmen determines the fee schedule.
  • Planning Board administrative, legal, and consulting costs are additional and must be paid within 30 days of billing notice.
  • No permit is issued until all costs are paid.

  “Permit applications shall be accompanied by a fee or fees in accordance with a fee schedule determined by the Board of Selectmen.”

• Permit processPublished (with conditions)

  Town building-permit applications.

  • The application requires the listed plans, permits, intended-use statement, and 911 address.
  • For CEO-permitted uses, the CEO issues a written permit within 15 days when the activity conforms.
  • Other applications are routed to Planning Board review and hearing/decision procedures.

  CEO written-permit deadline for conforming CEO-permitted uses: <= 15 days

  “Applications for permits shall be made on forms available at the Town Office. Each application for a building permit shall be accompanied by the following:”

Rules another office applies inside Town of Washington

Town of Washington 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

  Farm & Forest District inside Washington town limits.

  • The applicable minimum depends on whether the lot is within or outside 500 feet measured from the property line nearest a public road.

  minimum lot area within 500 feet of public road: 3 acres · minimum lot area outside 500 feet of public road: 5 acres

  “Minimum lot area within 500’ measured from the property line nearest a public road ........3 acres b. Minimum lot area outside 500’ measured from the property line nearest a public road ........5 acres”

• SetbacksSpecified

  Farm & Forest District inside Washington town limits.

  • The normal-high-water-mark setback is defined in the ordinance's shoreland-zoning provisions.

  public or private road right-of-way setback: >= 50 feet · other lot-line setback: >= 25 feet

  “Minimum setbacks from: Public or private road right-of-way ........... 50 feet All other lot lines ............................25 feet”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-built residences inside Washington town limits.
• Building code adopted — Construction inside Washington town limits.
• Inspections — Building work inside Washington town limits.
• Certificate of occupancy — Occupancy of buildings inside Washington town limits.
• Minimum dwelling size — Primary dwellings inside Washington town limits.

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 Washington 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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