Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Town of Surry, New Hampshire
Town of Surry is a town in Cheshire County, New Hampshire. Town of Surry adopts its own zoning, so inside its limits Town of Surry’s rules apply, not the county’s. Septic permits inside Town of Surry come from the county and state together. 19 rules below are quoted from official sources and independently re-checked, most recently on October 29, 2026. Rules for unincorporated land are on the Cheshire County page.
Answers from the rulebook for Town of Surry
Town of Surry’s own rules
Building code adoptedAdopted
New construction and alterations inside Surry town
Adoption applies to the New Hampshire state building code as amended by the state building code review board.
Surry also adopts the New Hampshire state fire code in the same article.
Enforcement mechanics are unclear: the 08/11/2025 selectmen minutes say a locally adopted enforcement ordinance is needed for the town to issue building permits under the state code.
“Surry adopts the New Hampshire State Building Code in full”
Certificate of occupancyRequired
Structures built under a Surry town building permit, before occupancy or use
Certificate is required unless specifically exempted, citing IRC R110.1 on the town's form.
“a Certificate of Occupancy is required to be issued before occupying or using a structure unless specifically exempted”
Local zoningPresent
Land inside the town limits of Surry town, NH. The town adopts and administers its own zoning ordinance, titled Town of Surry Zoning Ordinance.
Ordinance effective date 3/13/2026 as printed on the document; revision stamp Rev 3.26 is not treated as the effective date.
Article I cites RSA chapters 672-677 as its authority.
“This ordinance shall be known and may be cited as the "Town of Surry Zoning Ordinance"”
Zoning districtsPublished
Zoning districts inside Surry town
Four districts: village residential (VR), rural residential (RR), commercial/industrial (C/I) and general (GEN).
District boundaries are shown on the Surry zoning map, attached to the ordinance.
“the Town of Surry is divided into four districts”
Minimum dwelling sizeSpecified
Primary dwellings erected in a residence district within 300 feet of the centerline of any public street inside Surry town
Applies only to primary dwellings in a residence district within 300 feet of a public street centerline.
Minimum is measured as ground floor area, outside dimensions, for each family unit.
The ordinance does not define 'residence district' in the text captured; the three residential districts VR, RR and GEN are the likely reading and should be confirmed.
minimum ground floor area per family unit: >= 600 sq ft (residence district primary dwelling within 300 ft of a public street centerline)
“shall have at minimum ground floor area of six hundred (600) square feet”
Minimum lot sizeSpecified
Rural residential (RR) district land inside Surry town
Minimum lot width 200 ft, measured over the full lot depth (table footnote 1); minimum lot depth 300 ft; minimum frontage 200 ft.
The table columns are flattened in the PDF text; the RR column reading (2 acres) is inferred from column order.
minimum lot size: >= 2 acre (rural residential (RR) district)
“table district min, lot size (acres) vr rr c/i gen 1 2 3 2 min lot width (1) 150 200 300 200 min lot depth front set back side set back rear set back frontage stories height 200 300 300 300 30 50 50 50 10 15 25 15 10 15 25 15 150 200 300 200 3 3 3 3 40 40 40 40 (in feet unless otherwise indicated)”
One more reviewed finding on this topic
Specified — Village residential (VR) district land inside Surry town, the main single-family residential district
“table district min, lot size (acres) vr rr c/i gen 1 2 3 2 min lot width (1) 150 200 300 200 min lot depth front set back side set back rear set back frontage stories height 200 300 300 300 30 50 50 50 10 15 25 15 10 15 25 15 150 200 300 200 3 3 3 3 40 40 40 40 (in feet unless otherwise indicated)”
SetbacksSpecified
Rural residential (RR) district land inside Surry town
Front setback 50 ft; side setback 15 ft; rear setback 15 ft.
Accessory dwelling units must also meet all lot setback requirements.
front setback: 50 ft · side setback: 15 ft · rear setback: 15 ft
“table district min, lot size (acres) vr rr c/i gen 1 2 3 2 min lot width (1) 150 200 300 200 min lot depth front set back side set back rear set back frontage stories height 200 300 300 300 30 50 50 50 10 15 25 15 10 15 25 15 150 200 300 200 3 3 3 3 40 40 40 40 (in feet unless otherwise indicated)”
One more reviewed finding on this topic
Specified — Village residential (VR) district land inside Surry town
“table district min, lot size (acres) vr rr c/i gen 1 2 3 2 min lot width (1) 150 200 300 200 min lot depth front set back side set back rear set back frontage stories height 200 300 300 300 30 50 50 50 10 15 25 15 10 15 25 15 150 200 300 200 3 3 3 3 40 40 40 40 (in feet unless otherwise indicated)”
Building heightSpecified
Rural residential (RR) district land inside Surry town
Table lists maximum height and stories for this district; the RR column reading is inferred from column order.
maximum building height: <= 40 ft · maximum stories: <= 3 stories
“table district min, lot size (acres) vr rr c/i gen 1 2 3 2 min lot width (1) 150 200 300 200 min lot depth front set back side set back rear set back frontage stories height 200 300 300 300 30 50 50 50 10 15 25 15 10 15 25 15 150 200 300 200 3 3 3 3 40 40 40 40 (in feet unless otherwise indicated)”
One more reviewed finding on this topic
Specified — Village residential (VR) district land inside Surry town
“table district min, lot size (acres) vr rr c/i gen 1 2 3 2 min lot width (1) 150 200 300 200 min lot depth front set back side set back rear set back frontage stories height 200 300 300 300 30 50 50 50 10 15 25 15 10 15 25 15 150 200 300 200 3 3 3 3 40 40 40 40 (in feet unless otherwise indicated)”
Living in an RVTemporary only (with conditions)
Recreational vehicles used as a dwelling on land inside Surry town
A recreational vehicle may be used as a temporary dwelling for recreation or vacation for up to 30 days per calendar year, provided the selectmen are satisfied about sewage, waste water and solid waste disposal.
On request, selectmen may extend use of a properly installed recreational vehicle as a temporary dwelling up to 24 months when the primary dwelling is uninhabitable and being repaired or reconstructed.
Use outside a legally existing recreational vehicle park is covered by the 30-day rule.
temporary RV dwelling limit: <= 30 days per calendar year (selectmen may extend up to 24 months when the primary dwelling is uninhabitable)
“No recreational vehicle, as defined by this ordinance, shall be used or occupied as a permanent dwelling within the Town of Surry.”
Camping on your landLimited
Recreational vehicles used as a temporary dwelling for recreation or vacation inside Surry town. Tent camping and other camping are not addressed in the text opened.
Limit is 30 days per calendar year, provided the selectmen are satisfied about sewage, waste water and solid waste disposal.
Use inside a legally existing recreational vehicle park is not covered by this 30-day rule.
temporary RV camping limit: <= 30 days per calendar year (outside a legally existing recreational vehicle park)
“shall not exceed thirty (30) days in any calendar year”
Manufactured homesLimited
Manufactured housing and mobile homes on individual lots inside Surry town
The use table lists manufactured housing and mobile homes on individual lots as a separate use, but the permitted, special-exception and not-permitted codes by district did not extract cleanly from the PDF text.
Use is district-dependent; check the Article V use table district by district before relying on any district answer.
“Manufactured Housing and Mobile Homes on Individual Lots NP NP NP P”
Accessory dwellingsLimited
Accessory dwelling units on lots with a single-family principal dwelling inside Surry town
The ADU is no larger than 750 square feet of living space; porches, decks and similar areas combined may not exceed 30 percent of the ADU living area.
No third floors on self-standing buildings.
Independent ingress and egress, or ingress through a common space to an exterior door.
Either the ADU or the principal dwelling must be the owner's principal residence and legal domicile; if not, the property must meet multi-family zoning requirements.
At least one off-street parking space.
Adequate water supply and sewage disposal per RSA 485-A:38 and NH DES regulations; ADU must comply with all lot setback requirements.
Use table row for duplex/accessory dwelling unit by district was not cleanly extracted.
maximum ADU living area: <= 750 sq ft · off-street parking spaces: >= 1 space
“The Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) will be no larger than 750 square feet”
Who permits septicMixed (with conditions)
Septic systems for land inside Surry town: state approval plus town setback rules
State approval (NH DES, under RSA 485-A) is required for septic system construction.
Surry's zoning ordinance adds setbacks from poorly drained soils and wetlands. The sentence that opens that setback provision is truncated in the text captured, so the subject noun could not be confirmed.
The county health department does not appear in the pages opened for Surry town.
“All ‘individual sewage disposal systems’ in the Town of Surry shall be setback 100 feet from very poorly drained soils or jurisdictional wetlands”
Driveway accessRequired
Lots inside Surry town that need vehicle access
Access must be by a driveway that meets the town's driveway regulations.
The driveway regulations themselves were not located or opened.
Permit checklist asks whether the driveway has been approved.
“All lots shall have access by means of a driveway that meets the requirements of the Driveway Regulations of the Town of Surry NH.”
Permit feesPublished
Building/zoning permits for residential construction inside Surry town
Minimum fee $60.
Commercial construction is $0.30 per total square foot on the same form.
The form's revision stamp (rev 03/26) is not an effective date.
residential building permit fee: per 0.2 USD per total square foot (including finished, unfinished, and ancillary space) · minimum building permit fee: >= 60 USD
“BUILDING PERMIT FEE (minimum fee $60) Residential Construction - $0.20 per Total square foot”
Permit processPartial
Building permit application review inside Surry town
The checklist lists site plan, septic state approval, floor plan, energy code form, town checklist and fee, and asks about zoning dimensional compliance, driveway approval and state septic approval.
Review waits for select board and building inspector confirmation of a complete application.
The full step-by-step process and approval timing are not in the pages opened.
“The application review process cannot begin until the Select Board and Building Inspector have confirmed that the application is complete”
Still unanswered
We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Town of Surry or Cheshire County directly.
Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builders building or renovating a home inside Surry town
Lot coverage — Maximum lot coverage for land inside Surry town
Tiny homes — Tiny homes used as dwellings inside Surry town
Septic inspection — Septic system inspection inside Surry town
Off-grid sanitation — Off-grid or non-septic sanitation for homes inside Surry town
6 more unanswered
Well permit
Mandatory utility hookup
Agricultural exemption
Subdividing land
Building in a floodplain
Short-term rentals
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 Surry publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Cheshire County’s page lists the county offices to call.
Off-grid gear
Going off-grid in Town of Surry means bringing your own water and power. The kit we’d start with:
