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

Town of Parsonsfield’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  Activities, land uses, structures, expansions, changes, replacements, and renewal of discontinued nonconforming uses requiring a permit in their Parsonsfield district.

  • A permit must be obtained first where the district requires one.
  • parameters are determined by the applicable district and Table 1.
  • The issued permit must be kept on site while authorized work is performed.

  “no person shall, without first obtaining a permit, engage in any activity or use of land or structure requiring a permit in the district in which such activity or use would occur, or expand, change, or replace an existing use or structure; or renew a discontinued nonconforming use.”

• InspectionsLimited

  Properties and structures inside Parsonsfield town limits subject to compliance inspection.

  • Entry for inspection is at reasonable hours and requires consent of the property owner, occupant, or agent.

  “Enter any property at reasonable hours, with the consent of the property owner, occupant or agent, to inspect the property or structure for compliance with pertinent laws or ordinances.”

• Certificate of occupancyRequired

  Uses marked P in the Town's Table 1 of permissible uses, inside Parsonsfield town limits.

  • A building permit and certificate of occupancy are obtained from the Code Enforcement Officer.
  • Only applies to Table 1 uses marked P.

  “A building permit and certificate of occupancy must be obtained from the Code Enforcement Officer for the uses so marked in Table 1, Table of Permissible Uses by District.”

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land and structures inside Parsonsfield town limits.

  • Uses and structures must conform to the applicable land-use district unless a variance is granted.

  “This Ordinance is known and may be cited as the "Land Use and Development Ordinance of the Town of Parsonsfield, Maine"”

• Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

  Land-use districts inside Parsonsfield town limits.

  • The official land-use district map controls district locations and boundaries.

  “ARTICLE II: LAND USE DISTRICTS AND USES [...] Section 1. Establishment of Districts [...] A. Village (V) [...] B. Village Residential (VR) [...] C. Rural Residential [...] D. Light Industrial/Office (LIO) [...] E. Forest and Farm (FF) [...] F. Resource Protection (RP) [...] G. Resource Conservation (RC) [...] H. Shoreland Districts [...] I. Public Water Protection (PW)-Overlay District”

• Permit processPublished (with conditions)

  Town land-use permit applications inside Parsonsfield town limits.

  • Application is on a Town form, with scaled site plan, and must be signed by an owner or authorized applicant.
  • A valid plumbing permit or completed plumbing application with approved site evaluation is required where subsurface sewage disposal is required.

  “Every permit applicant shall submit, on a form provided by the Town, a written application including a scaled site plan, to the appropriate official as indicated in Section 2.”

Rules another office applies inside Town of Parsonsfield

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

• Septic permitRequired

  Installation of a subsurface wastewater disposal system or its components inside Parsonsfield town limits.

  • The state permit rule applies; the Town's Local Plumbing Inspector issues the local permit.
  • Permit is valid for work commenced within 24 months after issuance.

  permit commencement period: 24 months (Work must be commenced within this period after permit issuance.)

  “a permit is required for the following activities and is valid for work commenced within 24 months after the permit is issued”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-built residential construction inside Parsonsfield town limits.
• Living in an RV — RV occupancy on private land inside Parsonsfield town limits.
• Camping on your land — Temporary camping on private land inside Parsonsfield town limits.
• Tiny homes — Tiny-home occupancy inside Parsonsfield town limits.
• Accessory dwellings — Accessory dwelling units inside Parsonsfield town limits.

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 Parsonsfield 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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