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

Town of Sanbornton’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  Erecting, relocating, or altering the bulk of a structure or building inside Sanbornton town limits.

  • Listed permit-required work includes buildings, dwellings, accessory structures, dimensional expansions, pads, decks, docks, in-ground pools, and listed towers or storage facilities.
  • Repair, maintenance, and interior remodeling that do not change the building's use do not require a permit.
  • Certain small or personal-property items are excluded by Article 20(E).

  small storage-shed and shipping-container exception: <= 200 square feet (Listed in Article 20(E) among structures that do not require a Town permit.)

  “after passage of this ordinance, it shall be unlawful to erect any structure, or building, or alter the bulk of any building or relocate any building without first obtaining a permit from the board of selectmen in accordance with the provisions of this ordinance.”

• Living in an RVTemporary only (with conditions)

  Temporary use of recreational vehicles on private land in the General Agricultural, General Residence, Forest Conservation, Historical Preservation, Commercial, and Recreational districts inside Sanbornton town limits.

  • No more than a combined total of two listed tents, trailers, campers, motor homes, or other recreational vehicles may be used by an owner or the owner's guests.
  • Use may not exceed 120 consecutive days per calendar year.
  • Sewage disposal must be reviewed and permitted by the Health Officer and, if necessary, NHDES.
  • Special-event quantities above two require written application and a Selectmen permit.

  maximum combined temporary units: <= 2 units (Special events may receive a Selectmen permit after written application.) · maximum consecutive duration: <= 120 days per calendar year

  “use of not more than a combined total of two of any of the following: tents, travel trailers, wheel campers, motor homes or other recreational vehicles, by a property owner and/or the owner’s guests in the general agricultural, general residence, forest conservation, historical preservation, commercial, and recreational districts, subject to the following conditions: (a) such use shall not exceed 120 consecutive days per calendar year;”

• Accessory dwellingsAllowed (with conditions)

  Accessory dwelling units on single-family-home lots inside Sanbornton town limits.

  • Only one ADU is allowed per principal dwelling unit and/or lot, and it must have a separate house number.
  • The owner must occupy either the primary dwelling or ADU as a principal residence.
  • An attached ADU and a detached ADU within a garage, barn, or similar structure are permitted in all zoning districts.
  • Stand-alone ADUs are limited to the listed districts and lots meeting the applicable requirements, with an absolute two-acre minimum.
  • ADUs are limited to two bedrooms and 850 square feet, excluding dedicated heating-equipment areas.
  • A licensed septic designer must certify existing-system capacity, subject to Health Officer approval.

  maximum bedrooms: <= 2 bedrooms · maximum floor area: <= 850 square feet (Dedicated areas for heating equipment are excluded.) · minimum lot size for stand-alone ADU: >= 2 acres (Also subject to applicable district minimum lot size, frontage, and setbacks.)

  “accessory dwelling units shall be permitted within or attached to an existing single family home (primary dwelling) or as a separate housing unit on the single family home's lot.”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Subdivision applications inside Sanbornton town limits.

  • The plan must be prepared as required by the Planning Board.
  • If approved, the Board submits it to the Belknap County Registry of Deeds for recording at the applicant's expense.

  “Plan shall mean the maps, drawings and charts on which the applicant's plan of subdivision is indicated, prepared as required by the Planning Board, and which, if approved by the Board, will be submitted by the Board to the Beknap County Registry of Deeds for recording at the applicant's expense.”

Rules another office applies inside Town of Sanbornton

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

• Building heightSpecified

  Buildings in Sanbornton's General Agricultural District.

  maximum building height: <= 35 feet

  “Description of General Agricultural District: The boundaries of this zoning district are as described in graphic form on the official zoning district map of the Town of Sanbornton entitled Zoning Map, Sanbornton, NH, 2015. C. Height Limit: [May 2008] The maximum building height of any building shall be 35 feet.”

• Manufactured homesAllowed (with conditions)

  Manufactured homes in Sanbornton's General Agricultural District.

  • The manufactured home must meet the stated American Standards Association or manufacturer standards.
  • The district frontage setback, side-yard, back-yard, and minimum-land-area requirements must be met.

  “A manufactured home may be located anywhere in this District, provided that said manufactured home meets the requirements of American Standards Association Code Provision A119.1, 1963, and/or subsequent revisions, American Standard for installation in Manufactured Homes of Electrical, Heating and Plumbing Systems, or Manufactured Home Manufacturer's Association's "Manufactured Home Standards for Plumbing, Heating and Electrical Systems", and provided further that the frontage set-back, side and back yard, and the minimum land area requirements of this District are adhered to.”

• Building in a floodplainRequired

  Proposed development in FEMA-designated special flood hazard areas inside Sanbornton town limits.

  • The Floodplain Conservation District overlays and supplements the zoning ordinance.
  • Where the floodplain ordinance conflicts with another town ordinance or regulation, the greater restriction or more stringent standard controls.
  • The designation incorporates the FEMA study and associated maps identified in Article 13.

  “c. permits all proposed development in any special flood hazard area shall require a certificate of zoning compliance (czc) permit.”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-built residential construction inside Sanbornton town limits.
• Building code adopted — Building construction inside Sanbornton town limits.
• Inspections — General residential construction inside Sanbornton town limits.
• Certificate of occupancy — Residential occupancy inside Sanbornton town limits.
• Minimum dwelling size — Principal dwellings inside Sanbornton 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 Sanbornton 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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