Bolthole Index

York County, Maine

Zoning, building permits and septic rules in the Town of Kittery, Maine

The Town of Kittery, Maine issues building permits through its Code Enforcement office, which enforces the Maine Uniform Energy & Building Code1. Kittery sets its own zoning under Title 162. Septic permits are also required inside town and are issued under state rules by a local plumbing inspector34. For land outside Kittery, see the York County page.

At a glance

Building permit
Issued by Kittery Code Enforcement1
Zoning
Yes, town zoning under Title 16 with zone-by-zone uses2
Building code
Maine Uniform Energy & Building Code, enforced by the town1
Septic permit
Required; the town's local plumbing inspector issues it under state rules34
Minimum lot (R-RL)
40,000 square feet5
Accessory dwelling unit
Permitted use in the rural residential zone (R-RL)6
Tiny home
Maine requires towns to allow a tiny home where single-family homes are allowed7
RV living
Not confirmed; ask Code Enforcement1

Who to call

Building permits

Town of Kittery Code Enforcement

Residential and commercial building permits, plumbing and electrical permits, inspections and code violations inside Kittery

207-475-1304

200 Rogers Road, Kittery, ME 03904

Zoning

Town of Kittery Planning & Development

Plan reviews, land-use questions, the planning board and board of appeals information for Kittery

207-475-1304

200 Rogers Rd. Kittery, ME 03904

Septic permits

Maine CDC, Subsurface Wastewater Program

Statewide septic (subsurface wastewater) rules, forms and fee schedule; the permit itself is issued by the town's Local Plumbing Inspector

(207) 287-2070

11 State House Station, Augusta, Maine 04333

Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on October 24, 2026.

Off-grid gear

Going off-grid in Town of Kittery means bringing your own water and power. The kit we’d start with:

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Do you need a building permit in Kittery, Maine?

Yes, building activity inside the Town of Kittery goes through the town: Kittery's Code Enforcement office reviews and issues permits for residential and commercial building activity1. The town enforces the Maine Uniform Energy & Building Code1, which Maine applies to all buildings constructed or renovated in the state8.

A building cannot be occupied until the building official issues a certificate of occupancy in any Maine municipality of more than 2,000 inhabitants9. We could not confirm Kittery's own fee schedule for building permits or its owner-builder rules; Code Enforcement can tell you. Maine's owner-builder contract exemption only relaxes the home-construction-contract chapter and does not waive permits or inspections10.

Who issues building permits in Kittery, and how do you reach them?

Kittery Code Enforcement handles building, plumbing and electrical permits, at 200 Rogers Road1. Call 207-475-13041. Planning & Development, at the same address, helps residents with plan reviews and building permits11.

The town has posted updated fees, including a $60 administrative fee for a subsurface wastewater disposal system permit1. For land outside Kittery, the York County page covers the county-level picture.

Does Kittery have zoning, and what does it mean for lot size and setbacks?

Yes. Kittery adopts its own zoning in Title 16 of the town code, and any use not listed as permitted or a special exception in a zone is prohibited there2. Zones include R-RL (rural), R-S (suburban), R-KPV (Kittery Point Village), R-U (urban), R-V (village) and R-RC (rural conservation)12. Check the zone of your parcel on the town's zoning map before you buy.

In the rural residential zone (R-RL), the minimum lot size is 40,000 square feet5. Principal buildings need a 40-foot front yard and 20-foot side and rear yards, building coverage is capped at 15% and height at 35 feet131415.

In the suburban zone (R-S), a lot without public sewage disposal needs 40,000 square feet, and 30,000 with public sewage disposal unless reduced16. R-S requires 40-foot front yards and 15-foot side and rear yards, and coverage is capped at 20%1718. Shoreland, resource protection and stream overlays add further limits2.

How do septic permits work in Kittery, Maine?

Septic permits are required inside Kittery before a private sewage disposal system is built, and the town's code also provides for inspections319. Maine's state rules apply on top: a permit is required to install a new, expanded or replacement system20, a licensed site evaluator prepares the application21, and work cannot start until the local plumbing inspector issues the permit21. The system must pass two inspections, one for site prep and one before final backfilling22.

The state's scheduled fee for a complete non-engineered system is $2502021, and the town charges its own $60 administrative fee1. York County soils are tough for conventional drain fields: only about 4.2% rate as not limited, so expect a site evaluation and possibly an engineered system23. Ask Code Enforcement whether public sewer reaches your lot.

Can you live in an RV or tiny home on your land in Kittery?

We could not confirm whether Kittery allows long-term living in an RV on private land; ask Code Enforcement at 207-475-1304 before parking one on a lot1. Maine's campground licensing rule covers commercial campgrounds and does not answer whether you may live in an RV on your own lot24.

Tiny homes are different: Maine requires every municipality to permit a qualifying tiny home on a house lot where single-family dwellings are allowed, subject to the same land-use requirements as single-family dwellings7. Manufactured housing is a permitted use in R-RL25. Accessory dwelling units are a permitted use in R-RL and the other residential zones6, and Maine sets a 190-square-foot minimum for an accessory dwelling unit26.

Building a home in Kittery: the steps, in order

  1. Find your parcel's zone and confirm the lot meets that zone's minimum lot size and setbacks12.
  2. Hire a licensed site evaluator and apply for the septic permit, or confirm a public sewer connection with Code Enforcement21.
  3. If the driveway meets a state road, get a MaineDOT driveway permit first, because the town cannot issue permits for land abutting state roadways without it27.
  4. Apply for the building permit at Code Enforcement, 200 Rogers Road1.
  5. Schedule inspections through Code Enforcement during construction1.
  6. Get the certificate of occupancy before anyone moves in9.

What stays with York County and the state, and what to check before you buy

Septic rules come from the state, and the town's local plumbing inspector issues the permit4. For land outside Kittery, use the York County page.

Prices matter: a typical York County home is valued at $537,22428, with a median property tax bill of $3,691 a year29. We could not confirm Kittery's rules on private wells, floodplain development or driveways onto town streets; ask Code Enforcement before you buy.

Watch-outs

  • We could not confirm Kittery's rules on long-term RV living; ask Code Enforcement at 207-475-1304 before you move one onto a lot1.
  • Shoreland, resource protection and stream overlay zones add limits on top of the base zone, so check the overlay maps for waterfront or wetland parcels2.
  • A MaineDOT driveway permit must be issued before the town issues permits for land abutting a state road27.
  • Lot size in R-S depends on whether public sewage disposal serves the lot16.

Sources

  1. Town of Kittery Code Enforcement (kitteryme.gov)
  2. Town of Kittery, ME code table of contents (eCode360) (Town of Kittery), quoted and re-checked
  3. Town of Kittery Title 13 Chapter 13.1 Sewer Service System (eCode360) (Town of Kittery), quoted and re-checked
  4. Subsurface Wastewater Unit, quoted and re-checked
  5. Town of Kittery Title 16 Land Use and Development Code (eCode360) (Town of Kittery), quoted and re-checked
  6. Town of Kittery Title 16 Land Use and Development Code (eCode360) (Town of Kittery), quoted and re-checked
  7. Title 30-A, §4363: Regulation of tiny homes (Maine statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  8. Maine Uniform Building and Energy Code, Chapter 1, quoted and re-checked
  9. Title 25, §2357-A: No occupancy without certificate; appeal (Maine statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  10. Title 10, §1489: Exemption (Maine statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  11. Town of Kittery Planning & Development (kitteryme.gov)
  12. Town of Kittery Title 16 Land Use and Development Code (eCode360) (Town of Kittery), quoted and re-checked
  13. Town of Kittery Title 16 Land Use and Development Code (eCode360) (Town of Kittery), quoted and re-checked
  14. Town of Kittery Title 16 Land Use and Development Code (eCode360) (Town of Kittery), quoted and re-checked
  15. Town of Kittery Title 16 Land Use and Development Code (eCode360) (Town of Kittery), quoted and re-checked
  16. Town of Kittery Title 16 Land Use and Development Code (eCode360) (Town of Kittery), quoted and re-checked
  17. Town of Kittery Title 16 Land Use and Development Code (eCode360) (Town of Kittery), quoted and re-checked
  18. Town of Kittery Title 16 Land Use and Development Code (eCode360) (Town of Kittery), quoted and re-checked
  19. Town of Kittery Title 13 Chapter 13.1 Sewer Service System (eCode360) (Town of Kittery), quoted and re-checked
  20. Subsurface Wastewater System Permitting, quoted and re-checked
  21. Maine CDC, Subsurface Wastewater Program (maine.gov)
  22. Subsurface Wastewater System Permitting, quoted and re-checked
  23. Share of soils USDA rates "not limited" for a conventional septic drain field (SSURGO). A strict rating: the median county is about 6% and a tenth of counties are 0%, so a low figure means most lots need a site evaluation or an engineered system, not that septic is impossible. Cite it only with that caveat: Bolthole Index county data
  24. Maine Revised Statutes Title 22, §2491: Definitions (Maine statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  25. Town of Kittery Title 16 Land Use and Development Code (eCode360) (Town of Kittery), quoted and re-checked
  26. Maine Revised Statutes Title 30-A, §4364-B: Accessory dwelling units (Maine statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  27. Driveway and Entrance Permitting, quoted and re-checked
  28. Typical home value (Zillow): Bolthole Index county data
  29. Median property tax bill: Bolthole Index county data

Written October 24, 2026 from the rules quoted below, each taken from an official source and re-checked by an independent reviewer. This is research, not legal advice: rules change, so confirm with the office before you buy or build.

Answers from the rulebook for Town of Kittery

Town of Kittery’s own rules

  • Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

    Land inside Kittery town's limits, administered by the Town of Kittery under its Title 16 Land Use and Development Code

    • Zone-by-zone uses and standards apply under chapter 16.4; a use not listed as permitted or special exception in a zone is prohibited there.
    • Shoreland, resource protection and stream overlay zones add further limits.
    “any use not listed as a permitted or a special exception use is prohibited in the zone.”
  • Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

    Zoning districts inside Kittery town's limits

    • Zones named in the adopted chapter 16.4 include R-RL, R-S, R-KPV, R-U, R-V, R-RC, B-L, B-L1, C-1, C-2, C-3, and others; the zoning map is referenced in the code but was not opened.
    “§ 16.4.10 residential — rural (r-rl). § 16.4.11 residential — suburban (r-s). § 16.4.12 residential — kittery point village (r-kpv). § 16.4.13 residential — urban (r-u). § 16.4.14 residential — village (r-v). § 16.4.15 residential — rural conservation (r-rc).”
  • Minimum lot sizeSpecified

    New single-family lots in the Residential - Suburban (R-S) zone inside Kittery town

    • The lot size depends on whether public sewage disposal serves the lot.
    • The reduction referred to in the 30,000 square foot figure is governed by note a, which was not opened.
    • Minimum net residential acreage for developments not served by public water and sewer is 40,000 square feet per the same section.

    minimum lot size without public sewage disposal: 40000 square feet · minimum lot size with public sewage disposal: 30000 square feet (unless reduced in accordance with note a)

    “(b) minimum lot size: [1] without public sewage disposal: 40,000 square feet. [2] with public sewage disposal: 30,000 square feet unless reduced in accordance with note a.”
    One more reviewed finding on this topic
  • SetbacksSpecified

    Principal buildings on lots in the Residential - Rural (R-RL) zone inside Kittery town

    • Applies unless modified per chapter 16.10, conservation subdivision.
    • Buildings higher than 40 actual feet must have side and rear yards not less than 50% of building height (note in the code).
    • Minimum water body setback for functionally water-dependent uses is zero feet; setbacks from streams, water bodies and wetlands follow table 16.5.30 and section 16.4.28.

    minimum front yard: >= 40 feet · minimum rear and side yards: >= 20 feet (buildings higher than 40 actual feet: 50% of building height)

    “(d) minimum front yard: 40 feet. (e) maximum building coverage: 15%. (f) minimum rear and side yards: 20 feet. (note: buildings higher than 40 actual feet are to have side and rear yards not less than 50% of building height.)”
    One more reviewed finding on this topic
    • Specified — Principal buildings on lots in the Residential - Suburban (R-S) zone inside Kittery town
      “(d) minimum front yard: 40 feet. (e) maximum building coverage: 20%. (f) minimum rear and side yards: 15 feet. (note: buildings higher than 40 actual feet must have side and rear yards not less than 50% of the building height.)”
  • Lot coverageSpecified

    Maximum building coverage on lots in the Residential - Rural (R-RL) zone inside Kittery town

    • Applies unless modified per chapter 16.10, conservation subdivision.

    maximum building coverage: <= 15 percent

    “(d) minimum front yard: 40 feet. (e) maximum building coverage: 15%. (f) minimum rear and side yards: 20 feet.”
    One more reviewed finding on this topic
  • Building heightSpecified

    Buildings in the Residential - Rural (R-RL) zone inside Kittery town

    • Minimum distance between principal buildings on the same lot is the height equivalent to the taller building.

    maximum building height: <= 35 feet

    “(g) maximum building height: 35 feet. (note: minimum distance between principal buildings on the same lot is the height equivalent to the taller building.)”
    One more reviewed finding on this topic
  • Manufactured homesAllowed

    Manufactured housing dwellings in the Residential - Rural (R-RL) zone inside Kittery town

    • Listed as a permitted use in R-RL; manufactured housing siting standards in chapter 16.5 were not opened.
    • Manufactured housing is also permitted in R-RC, R-U, R-V, B-L and B-L1 per chapter 16.4.
    “(3) dwelling, manufactured housing. (4) dwelling, single-family.”
  • Accessory dwellingsAllowed

    Accessory dwelling units on residential lots in the Residential - Rural (R-RL) zone inside Kittery town

    • Listed as a permitted use in R-RL; accessory dwelling unit standards in chapter 16.5 were not opened.
    • ADUs are also permitted uses in R-S, R-KPV, R-U, R-V, R-RC, B-L, B-L1, C-1, C-2 and C-3 per chapter 16.4.
    “b. permitted uses. the following uses are permitted in the r-rl zone: (1) accessory dwelling unit.”
  • Septic permitRequired

    Construction of a private sewage disposal system inside Kittery town

    • Permit and inspection fees are set by the Town; the amounts were not opened.
    • State Subsurface Wastewater Disposal Rules may impose further permit requirements; not verified.
    “§ 13.1.5.2 permit required to construct system; application; permit and inspection fees.”
  • Septic inspectionRequired

    Construction of a private sewage disposal system inside Kittery town

    • Section 13.1.5.3 provides for inspections of construction; the inspection stages were not opened.
    “§ 13.1.5.3 effective date of permit; inspections of construction.”

Still unanswered

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

  • Building permit — Building permits for new construction inside Kittery town
  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder construction inside Kittery town
  • Building code adopted — Building codes for new construction inside Kittery town
  • Inspections — Building inspections inside Kittery town
  • Certificate of occupancy — Certificates of occupancy inside Kittery town
9 more unanswered
  • Minimum dwelling size
  • Living in an RV
  • Tiny homes
  • Off-grid sanitation
  • Well permit
  • Agricultural exemption
  • Driveway access
  • Building in a floodplain
  • Permit process

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.

Unanswered questions are usually a sign that Town of Kittery publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. York County’s page lists the county offices to call.

← All of York County: county rules, score and offices