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

Town of Machiasport’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  Construction and alteration work inside Machiasport town, permitted through the town Planning Board / Code Enforcement Officer under the town's Building Permit Ordinance

  • Permit is required for listed work (new construction, additions beyond original footprint, replacement or relocation, manufactured or mobile homes, foundations, driveways or culverts, bedroom additions, change of use and others listed on the page).
  • The page says the landowner must obtain all necessary permits before starting construction, and that when in doubt the Planning Board should be consulted.
  • Thresholds listed on the page: porch/deck over 25 sq. ft.; free-standing structure not attached to another building over 120 sq. ft.; temporary structure for more than 90 days.

  porch or deck area requiring permit: > 25 sq ft · free-standing structure area requiring permit: > 120 sq ft (structure not attached to another building) · temporary structure duration requiring permit: > 90 days

  “building permits from the planning board are required for: building new construction”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Division of land into lots inside Machiasport town

  • Subdivision regulations are listed among the town's ordinances; their thresholds and procedure were not opened.

  “subdivision regulations volunteer-fire department regulations wind energy ordinance - july 15, 2016”

• Driveway accessRequired

  New driveways or culverts on town roads, private roads, or deeded access roads inside Machiasport town. State road driveways are a separate MDOT permit.

  • Permit comes from the Road Commissioner; the town office should be contacted for details.
  • If a state road is involved, a Maine DOT driveway/culvert permit applies instead and must be attached to the building permit (per town documents page).

  “if a driveway/culvert is being added on a town road, private road, or deeded access road, the landowner must obtain a driveway/culvert permit from the road commissioner.”

Rules another office applies inside Town of Machiasport

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

• Who permits septicLocal (with conditions)

  Subsurface wastewater (septic) systems on land inside Machiasport town. The town Code Enforcement Officer issues plumbing (septic) permits, acting as the municipal local plumbing inspector under the state subsurface wastewater rules.

  • Installation is governed by the state Subsurface Wastewater Disposal Rules, 10-144 CMR chapter 241, as stated on the state HHE-200 form.
  • The municipality's permitting role is the local plumbing inspector; the town page assigns plumbing permits to the Code Enforcement Officer.

  “permits are needed from the code enforcement officer for the following: moving 10 cu. yds of material in/out of the shoreland zone adding any construction in the shoreland zone installing a septic system (hhe-200)”

• Septic permitRequired

  New or replacement subsurface wastewater (septic) systems inside Machiasport town

  • Permit is issued by the local plumbing inspector on the state HHE-200 application before installation.
  • Septic design is prepared on the HHE-200 form by a site evaluator per state rules.

  “a subsurface wastewater disposal system may not be installed until a permit is issued by the local plumbing inspector.”

• Septic inspectionRequired

  Subsurface wastewater (septic) systems installed inside Machiasport town

  • The local plumbing inspector must sign the permit and inspect the installation before it is put into service; the state form has an inspector statement certifying compliance.

  “caution: lpi signature & inspection required”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption from permit requirements inside Machiasport town
• Building code adopted — Construction inside Machiasport town
• Inspections — Building (non-septic) construction inspections inside Machiasport town
• Certificate of occupancy — Occupancy certificates for new buildings inside Machiasport town
• Minimum dwelling size — Minimum dwelling size inside Machiasport 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.