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

Town of Fairfield’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  Construction, alteration, enlargement, relocation, demolition or change of occupancy of buildings inside Fairfield town.

  • Permit must be obtained from the Code Enforcement Officer before work starts.
  • Building permits become invalid if work is not commenced within 365 days of issuance.

  “building permits issued shall become invalid unless the work authorized by such permit is commenced within 365 days after its issuance”

• InspectionsRequired

  Permitted construction inside Fairfield town.

  • Inspections are done by the code enforcement officer, who is the building inspector.

  “the ceo shall be responsible for issuing building permits and certificates of occupancy, for inspecting all permitted construction for compliance with mubec or successor codes.”

• Certificate of occupancyRequired

  Structures permitted inside Fairfield town.

  • Issued by the code enforcement officer after substantial completion of permitted work.

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

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  All land inside the limits of Fairfield town (Somerset County, Maine): the town's own Land Use Ordinance, administered by the Office of Code Enforcement.

  • Base ordinance effective 1999-04-14; amendments listed through 2023-12-27 on the ordinance cover page.
  • Shoreland zoning is a separate town ordinance (Shoreland Zone Ordinance, 2013) and is not reviewed in this record.
  • Subdivision is a separate town ordinance referenced by the land use ordinance.

  “the provision of this ordinance shall govern the use of all land and structures within the town of fairfield and, more specifically, the location and development of residential, commercial, industrial and public property within the town.”

• Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

  Land inside Fairfield town: official land use district map adopted with the Land Use Ordinance.

  • Districts listed in Table 7 are ms (main street), v (village), ur (urban residential), r (residential), rr (rural residential), c (commercial), i (industrial) and ru (rural).
  • The map itself was not opened; the district list is taken from the ordinance text.

  “ru= r= rr= ur= v= ms= c= i= rural district residential district rural residential district urban residential district village district main street district commercial district industrial district”

• Minimum dwelling sizeDistrict specific (with conditions)

  Mobile homes and manufactured housing units installed in the village (v) and urban residential (ur) districts inside Fairfield town. No general minimum dwelling size was found for other districts.

  • Applies to mobile homes/manufactured homes only, not site-built dwellings.
  • Units must also have residential-style siding, roof pitch of at least 3 in 12, and a permanent HUD-compliant foundation.

  minimum width: >= 14 feet · minimum living space: >= 750 square feet (mobile homes/manufactured homes in village (v) and urban residential (ur) districts only)

  “all units must be a minimum of 14 feet in width and contain at least 750 square feet of living space;”

• Minimum lot sizeDistrict specific (with conditions)

  Main single-family residential (r) district inside Fairfield town. Minimum lot size per principal structure/dwelling unit (Table 7).

  • Table 7 is district-specific. The text extraction of the table is garbled, so the numeric value for the r column was not confirmed and no number is recorded here.
  • Lots not served by municipal sewer must also meet the state minimum lot size law and the state subsurface wastewater rules.
  • Variances are the only relief from dimensional standards (land use board of appeals).

  “table 7: dimensional standards by land use district standards ms v ur r rr c i ru minimum lot size, (sf) per principal structure/dwelling unit”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • District specific (with conditions) — Rural (ru) district inside Fairfield town, the agricultural or rural district. Minimum lot size per principal structure/dwelling unit (Table 7).

    “table 7: dimensional standards by land use district standards ms v ur r rr c i ru minimum lot size, (sf) per principal structure/dwelling unit”

• SetbacksDistrict specific (with conditions)

  Rural (ru) district inside Fairfield town: front, side and rear setbacks (Table 7).

  • Numeric values not recorded; table alignment unverified.
  • Shoreland zoning may impose additional setbacks near water bodies.

  “setback requirements: means the minimum horizontal distance from a lot line, shoreline, or edge of road (or road right of way) to the nearest part of a structure”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • District specific (with conditions) — Main residential (r) district inside Fairfield town: front, side and rear setbacks for principal and accessory structures (Table 7).

    “street frontage- unsewered front setback 5,000 20,000 7,500 30,000 80,000”

• Camping on your landLimited

  Campgrounds and tenting grounds inside Fairfield town.

  • Campgrounds need at least 10 acres, state license and planning board review.
  • Campsites must be screened from public roads and neighboring residences.
  • No mobile home or manufactured housing unit may be in a campground except one for the owner or manager.
  • Campsites within the 100-year floodplain must be vacant from October 1 through May 1.

  minimum campground lot area: >= 10 acres · setback from property lines for RV and tent sites: >= 100 feet

  “a campground must be constructed on a lot containing a minimum of 10 acres. all recreational vehicles (rvs) or trailer sites and all structures shall be located at least 100 feet from any property line, front, side, and rear.”

• Manufactured homesLimited

  Manufactured and mobile homes inside Fairfield town: permitted in most districts; mobile home parks are allowed in all districts except main street (ms).

  • Mobile home parks are reviewed as subdivisions and need planning board approval.
  • Design standards apply in the village (v) and urban residential (ur) districts: 14 ft minimum width, 750 sq ft minimum living space, residential siding, 3:12 roof pitch, permanent HUD-compliant foundation.
  • Parks follow the dimensional standards in 30-a MRSA 4358(3).

  “mobile home parks/ manufactured housing communities are permitted in all districts except main street (ms).”

• Accessory dwellingsLimited

  Accessory dwelling units (ADUs) inside Fairfield town.

  • ADU building permit required before construction.
  • Owner must show adequate water and wastewater service before the certificate of occupancy.
  • ADU standards apply to residential units for which a permit is sought after January 1, 2024.
  • Permitted use in each district is set by the land use table in section 6.4, not reviewed here.

  “accessory dwelling unit building permits are required in the town of fairfield prior to the start of construction, when any owner or authorized agent intends to construct”

• Who permits septicLocal (with conditions)

  Septic (subsurface wastewater) systems on land inside Fairfield town: town local plumbing inspector verifies adequacy; state subsurface wastewater rules govern design.

  • Design plans must be prepared by a licensed site evaluator under the state subsurface wastewater disposal rules (10-144 CMR ch. 241).
  • The town's code enforcement officer also serves as plumbing inspector.

  “the septic system must be verified as adequate by a local plumbing inspector pursuant to 30-a mrs §4221.”

• Septic permitRequired

  Plumbing or septic work needed to make a building habitable inside Fairfield town.

  • No building permit is issued until the plumbing permit is secured.
  • Plumbing permit fees: engineered system $200; non-engineered system $250 (fee schedule).

  plumbing permit fee, engineered system: 200 USD · plumbing permit fee, non-engineered system: 250 USD

  “when plumbing or septic work is required to make a building habitable, no building permit shall be issued unless a plumbing permit has first been secured.”

• Mandatory utility hookupConditional

  New dwelling units and accessory dwelling units inside Fairfield town.

  • Owner must show written verification that the unit can connect to adequate water and wastewater service before the certificate of occupancy.
  • If connected to town sewer, proof of capacity and payment for the connection is required.
  • No general rule requiring connection to public sewer or water within a set distance was found.

  “the owner of all dwelling units and/or accessory dwelling units must provide written verification that the proposed unit(s) can be connected to adequate water and wastewater services prior to issuance of a cert”

• Agricultural exemptionAvailable (with conditions)

  Ordinary agricultural and forest operations inside Fairfield town. This is a permit exemption for operations, not an exemption for dwellings.

  • Applies only to the ordinary conduct of agricultural and forest operations; structures and dwellings still need the permits listed in section 3.1.

  “no permits shall be required for normal maintenance or decorative changes in existing structures or buildings, landscaping, or the ordinary conduct of agricultural and forest operations.”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Land divisions inside Fairfield town, governed by the separate Town of Fairfield Subdivision Ordinance.

  • Mobile home parks are reviewed as subdivisions.
  • The Subdivision Ordinance itself was not opened.

  “the office of code enforcement is responsible for maintaining and enforcing the town of fairfield's land use ordinance, subdivision ordinance, and other relevant ordinances”

• Driveway accessLimited

  Structures on lots reached by a private road or driveway inside Fairfield town.

  • A permit cannot be issued for a lot without public or private road frontage unless an access way is built in a deeded right-of-way at least 24 feet wide.
  • Private road/driveway minimum width: 12 feet for one dwelling unit, 15 feet for two or more.
  • Minimum 15 inches of bank-run gravel, with drainage as required by the public works director.
  • New driveway entrance permit and E911 address fee are listed in the fee schedule.

  access way minimum width: >= 24 feet (lots without frontage on public or private road) · driveway minimum width, one dwelling unit: >= 12 feet · driveway minimum width, two or more dwelling units: >= 15 feet

  “2. the private road/driveway shall be constructed to a minimum width of 12 feet if serving one dwelling unit, and 15 feet if serving two or more dwelling units.”

• Permit feesPublished (with conditions)

  Building, plumbing and related permits issued by the Office of Code Enforcement inside Fairfield town.

  • Fee schedule adopted 1-10-2018, amended 7-24-2024.
  • Some fees are set by the state and may not be altered by the town.
  • Building permit fees are listed by project type (residential, commercial, mobile home, decks, demolition); numeric building fees were not extracted cleanly.

  plumbing permit fee, engineered system: 200 USD · plumbing permit fee, non-engineered system: 250 USD

  “plumbing: engineered system $200.00 non-engineered system $250.00 primitive sys (includes 1 alternative toilet)”

• Permit processPublished (with conditions)

  Building permit application process in Fairfield town.

  • Application is a written application submitted to the code enforcement officer during normal office hours.
  • A permit is issued within three working days of a complete application.
  • Appeals go to the land use board of appeals within 30 days.

  decision time after complete application: <= 3 working days

  “upon determining that a complete application has been submitted, the ceo shall approve or deny the application, issue the permit, if approved, within three (3) working days.”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builders constructing a home inside Fairfield town.
• Lot coverage — Land inside Fairfield town: maximum lot coverage by land use district.
• Building height — Land inside Fairfield town: maximum building height by land use district.
• Tiny homes — Tiny homes (400 sq ft or less, as defined) used as dwellings inside Fairfield town.
• Septic inspection — Septic system installations inside Fairfield 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.