Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Town of Alton, New Hampshire

Town of Alton’s own rules

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land within Alton town, New Hampshire.

  • The ordinance was adopted August 29, 1970 and may be amended under NH RSA Chapters 672-677 and other law.

  “This ordinance was adopted August 29, 1970, and may be amended as provided in NH RSA Chapters 672-677, as amended, and as otherwise provided by law.”

• Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

  Land within Alton town.

  • The Table of Uses identifies LR, RS, R, RC, RU, and RR zones.

  “LR Lakeshore Residential Zone (Sec. 410) Y = allowed in zone RS Recreation Service Zone (Sec. 420) N = not allowed in zone R Residential Zone (Sec. 430) E = allowed by Special Exception (see Sec. 520) RC Residential Commercial Zone (Sec. 440) * = additional requirements (see notes) RU Rural Zone (Sec. 450) RR Residential Rural Zone (Sec. 460)”

• Manufactured homesLimited

  Temporary manufactured-home occupancy within Alton town.

  • Temporary occupancy is limited to one year during construction, reconstruction, or repair of a permanent residence on the same lot, or for related office, storeroom, or shop use.
  • The temporary home must be connected to approved domestic water and sewage disposal, and a building permit must be approved for the permanent residence.

  temporary occupancy duration: <= 1 year (During construction, reconstruction, or repair of a permanent residence on the same lot.)

  “A manufactured home may be brought to the property and occupied for up to one (1) year in the following circumstances:”

• Who permits septicLocal (with conditions)

  Septic installations and septic design review within Alton town.

  • The Code Official/Health Officer performs septic design review and pre-approval; applicable state and town health rules also apply.

  “The Code Official / Health Officer, is responsible for the following: [...] Septic design review and pre-approval.”

• Short-term rentalsLimited

  Short-term rentals within Alton town, in districts shown as allowed by the Table of Uses.

  • A Code Official permit is required.
  • Access must be by a town- or state-maintained road unless an RSA 674:41 waiver has been recorded and remains complied with.
  • Parking, septic capacity, water testing where not on public water, and code compliance requirements apply.
  • For a single-family home with an ADU, only one of the two units may be a short-term rental.

  “Each of the following must be documented to the satisfaction of the Code Official prior to the issuance of a permit for a short-term rental:”

• Permit processPartial

  Building permit applications within Alton town.

  • Online submission is available.
  • A full-size plan set is required for all new construction before permit review.
  • Incomplete applications are held until all information is received.

  average processing time: two to four weeks (The page attributes this to a high volume of permit applications.)

  “The Building Department has been and is receiving a high volume of Permit applications. As a result, the average processing time to review and approve a permit is approximately two to four weeks. Incomplete permit applications are on hold until all information is received.”

Rules another office applies inside Town of Alton

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

• Building code adoptedAdopted (with conditions)

  Construction within Alton town.

  • All construction must conform with the listed state building codes and other applicable state and town laws, codes, ordinances, regulations, and rules.

  “The State of New Hampshire (under RSA 155-A) has adopted a set of Building Codes administered by the International Code Council (ICC) and the National Fire Protection Agency (NFPA). All construction must be in conformance with these codes, and other applicable State and Town Statutes (Laws), Codes, Ordinances, Regulations, and Rules including but not limited to:”

• Building in a floodplainRequired

  Proposed development in any Alton special flood hazard area.

  • The requirement applies to all proposed development in any special flood hazard area.

  “All proposed development in any special flood hazard areas shall require a permit.”

Still unanswered

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

• Building permit — General residential construction within Alton town.
• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-built residences within Alton town.
• Inspections — Residential construction within Alton town.
• Certificate of occupancy — Residential occupancy within Alton town.
• Minimum dwelling size — Dwellings within Alton 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.