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

Town of Kennebunk’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  Buildings, signs, and other structures erected, altered, moved, or demolished in Kennebunk.

  • Permit issues only if plans and intended use meet the ordinance and MUBEC, and after payment of building-permit fees.

  “No building, sign or other structure shall be erected, altered, moved or demolished in the Town without a written permit issued by the Code Enforcement Officer.”

• Building code adoptedAdopted (with conditions)

  Construction inside the Town of Kennebunk.

  • Town states that it adheres to and enforces Maine Uniform Building & Energy Codes, including the listed 2021 editions.

  “The Town of Kennebunk adheres to and enforces the following: State of Maine Uniform Building & Energy Codes, which include:”

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land inside the Town of Kennebunk.

  “The Zoning Ordinance of the Town of Kennebunk is designed for all the purposes of zoning, as embraced in the Maine Revised Statutes, including, but not limited to:”

• Who permits septicLocal (with conditions)

  On-site wastewater permitting inside Kennebunk.

  • The Town identifies its Code Enforcement officers as local plumbing inspectors.

  “The Code Enforcement officers also act in the capacity of local plumbing inspector (LPI), Shoreland Zoning administrator, and Flood Plain Management administrator.”

• Mandatory utility hookupConditional

  Proposed subdivisions inside Kennebunk.

  • For public sewer, the subdivision application must include a written Sewer District capacity statement; for subsurface disposal, it must include licensed-site-evaluator test-pit analysis and septic design.

  “When sewage disposal is to be accomplished by connection to the public sewer, a written statement from the Sewer District stating the district has the capacity to collect and treat the waste-water shall be provided.”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  All land and buildings proposed for subdivision within Kennebunk.

  • The Planning Board administers the standards; a subdivision is generally division into three or more lots within five years.

  subdivision lot threshold: >= 3 lots (within a five-year period, as defined in Title 30-A M.R.S.A. §4401)

  “w. subdivision: the term subdivision shall mean the division of a tract or parcel of land into three (3)or more lots within a five (5) year period as defined in title 30-a, m.r.s.a., section 4401, as amended.”

• Building in a floodplainRequired

  Subdivisions located in a 100-year flood area inside Kennebunk.

  • Plan must conform to the Town Floodplain Management Ordinance and condition approval on lowest-floor elevation at least two feet above the 100-year flood elevation.

  lowest-floor elevation above 100-year flood elevation: >= 2 feet (includes basement; applies to principal structures in a subdivision)

  “If located within a 100-year flood area, will conform to the Town of Kennebunk Floodplain Management Ordinance and shall include a condition of plan approval requiring that principal structures in the subdivision will be constructed with their lowest floor, including the basement, at least two (2) feet above the 100-year flood elevation;”

• Permit feesPublished (with conditions)

  Town permits processed by Code Enforcement.

  • $45 application processing fee applies to all permits; building-permit minimum is $40 and additional fees are calculated from project cost and size.

  application processing fee: 45 USD (all permits) · building permit minimum fee: 40 USD (additional fees calculated based on project cost and size)

  “There is a $45 Application Processing Fee for all permits. The minimum fee for a building permit is $40, additional fees are calculated by the Code Enforcement Officer based on the cost and size of the project.”

• Permit processPublished (with conditions)

  Town building-permit applications.

  • Applications are reviewed only after they are complete; Town states approval or denial occurs within 30 days after complete filing.

  approval-or-denial period: <= 30 days (from filing a complete application)

  “The Code Enforcement Officer will approve or deny applications for building permit within thirty (30) days from the date of filing a complete application.”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-built residential construction inside Kennebunk.
• Inspections — Building construction inside Kennebunk.
• Certificate of occupancy — Occupancy of buildings inside Kennebunk.
• Minimum dwelling size — Residential zoning districts in Kennebunk.
• Minimum lot size — Residential zoning districts in Kennebunk.

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 Kennebunk 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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