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

Town of Cherryfield’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  New construction, replacement, remodeling, relocation, expansion, or plumbing (including subsurface wastewater disposal) of buildings and structures inside Cherryfield town.

  • Exception: no building permit is required for the construction or placement of any new structure for which site plan approval has been granted pursuant to chapter iv (site plan review); replacement, relocation, or expansion of such a structure requires a site plan amendment.
  • The permit is issued by the planning board, not a code enforcement officer, under the ordinance's Chapter V building permit regulations.
  • The ordinance cross-references chapter vii (building regulations) in the planning board duties, but its building permit section is chapter V; this discrepancy was noted and not resolved.

  “prior to starting any construction, replacement, remodeling, relocating, expansion, or plumbing (such as internal, external, or subsurface wastewater disposal) of any building, structure, or parts of a building or structure, the property owner must obtain a building permit from the planning board.”

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  All land and structures inside the boundaries of the Town of Cherryfield, Maine (Washington County), other than land and water area subject to the town's separate shoreland zoning ordinance.

  • The Land Use Ordinance was enacted at a special town meeting on November 19, 2025 (originally enacted March 12, 2007 and revised since).
  • Land within the shoreland zone is excluded from this ordinance and is governed by the town's shoreland zoning ordinance, which was not opened in this research.
  • Chapter III land use districts and the table of uses determine which uses are allowed in each district; the district content was not opened in this research.

  “the provisions of this ordinance shall govern all land and all structures within the boundaries of the town of cherryfield, exclusive of the land and water area subject to the town's shoreland zoning ordinance”

• Septic permitRequired

  Installation, replacement, or alteration of subsurface wastewater disposal (septic) systems on land inside Cherryfield town.

  • The town permit is a building permit issued by the planning board under Chapter V, section V-1(a); the state subsurface wastewater rules also apply and were not opened in this research.
  • Work covered by the exception in V-1(b) (site plan approved new structures) does not need this building permit, but that exception was not checked against septic work in the site plan.

  “prior to starting any construction, replacement, remodeling, relocating, expansion, or plumbing (such as internal, external, or subsurface wastewater disposal) of any building, structure, or parts of a building or structure, the property owner must obtain a building permit from the planning board.”

• Permit processPartial

  Building permit and site plan review applications in Cherryfield town.

  • The planning board administers the ordinance and reviews and acts on building permit applications.
  • The town publishes a building permit and site plan review application form on the planning board page; fees, review standards and timelines were not established.

  “download building permit & site plan review application”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Whether owner-builders are exempt from permit requirements in Cherryfield town.
• Building code adopted — Whether Cherryfield town has adopted a building code inside the town.
• Inspections — Whether building inspections are required in Cherryfield town.
• Certificate of occupancy — Whether a certificate of occupancy is required in Cherryfield town.
• Minimum dwelling size — Minimum dwelling size inside Cherryfield 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.