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

Town of Troy’s own rules

• InspectionsRequired

  New construction of homes, additions, garages and barns inside Troy town.

  • At least four inspections: ground, drainage and foundation; rough framing, electrical and plumbing; insulation; and a final for the certificate of occupancy.
  • Inspections are paid by the permit applicant at $50 per hour (inspection and travel time) plus mileage at the IRS rate ($0.725 as of June 2026).
  • The town contracts with an individual inspector on an as-needed basis; scheduling is through town hall.

  inspection rate: 50 USD per hour (plus mileage at IRS reimbursement rate) · minimum inspections for new construction: >= 4 inspections

  “permits for new construction of homes, additions, garages and barns require at least 4 inspections”

• Certificate of occupancyRequired

  Occupancy or use of land or any building erected, altered or moved in Troy town, including any change or extension of use.

  • Issued by the Board of Selectmen; issued within ten days after the permittee notifies the town that the building is ready.
  • Violations are punishable by a fine of up to $100 per day.

  fine for violation: <= 100 USD per day

  “no land shall be occupied or used and no building hereafter erected or altered or moved shall be occupied or used on whole or part for any purpose until a certificate of occupancy has been issued by the board of selectmen, stating that the land or building complies with all the provisions of these regulations.”

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land inside Troy town limits (Town of Troy zoning districts and dimensional rules); not the unincorporated county area.

  • The ordinance is titled the Town of Troy Zoning Ordinance; the page version is dated as of March 10, 2026.
  • The Planning Board and Board of Adjustment administer parts of the ordinance (special exceptions, conditional uses, site plan review).

  “this ordinance shall be known, and may be cited as, the "town of troy zoning ordinance"”

• Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

  Land inside Troy town limits.

  • Districts named in Article II: village, residential, rural, highway business, light industrial, mill, and mountain.
  • The official zoning map is filed with the town clerk; the map itself was not opened in this research.

  “for the purpose of this ordinance, the town of troy is divided into the following districts, as shown on the official zoning map filed with the town clerk:”

• Minimum lot sizeDistrict specific (with conditions)

  Residential District (Article VI) inside Troy town: one- and two-family dwellings.

  • Lot must have at least 100 feet of contiguous frontage.
  • Planning Board conservation subdivision rules (Article IV) can set different lot sizes for clustered developments.

  minimum lot area: >= 1 acre · minimum contiguous frontage: >= 100 feet

  “each lot shall have a minimum area of one (1) acre, with at least one hundred (100) feet of contiguous frontage.”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • District specific (with conditions) — Rural District (Article VII) inside Troy town: one- and two-family dwellings and agricultural uses.

    “each lot shall have a minimum area of two (2) acres, with at least two hundred (200) feet of contiguous frontage.”

• SetbacksDistrict specific (with conditions)

  Residential District (Article VI) inside Troy town.

  • Measured from the edge of an approved right-of-way: 35 feet for structures or parking areas.
  • Side and rear property line setback: 20 feet.
  • Dumpsters are subject to the front setback requirements for each district (Article III).

  front setback from approved right-of-way: >= 35 feet · side and rear setback: >= 20 feet

  “no structure or parking area shall be located closer than 35 feet from the edge of an approved right-of-way, nor closer than twenty 20 feet from the side and rear property lines.”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • District specific (with conditions) — Rural District (Article VII) inside Troy town.

    “no structure or parking area shall be located closer than 35 feet from the edge of an approved right-of-way, nor closer than 20 feet from the side and rear property lines.”

• Building heightSpecified

  Any building or structure inside Troy town, all districts (general provisions, Article III).

  • The limit is stated in stories, not feet.

  maximum building height: <= 3 stories

  “no building or structure shall be built to a height of more than three (3) stories.”

• Living in an RVLimited

  Recreational vehicle used as an auxiliary temporary living unit on an occupied residential lot inside Troy town, any district.

  • Requires a special permit from the Board of Selectmen.
  • Maximum 180 consecutive days in a calendar year.
  • Adequate sewage disposal and all applicable district setback requirements must be met.

  maximum auxiliary occupancy period: <= 180 consecutive days per calendar year (requires special permit of the selectmen)

  “recreational vehicles may, by special permit of the selectmen, be used as an auxiliary temporary living unit on any occupied residential lot in any district for a period not to exceed 180 consecutive days in a calendar year, provided that adequate sewage disposal and all applicable setback requirements for the district can be met.”

• Manufactured homesLimited

  Manufactured housing on individual lots or in parks inside Troy town.

  • Permitted on individual lots and in manufactured housing parks or subdivisions created for manufactured housing only in the rural district.
  • Subject to the Troy manufactured housing park ordinance and subdivision and/or site plan review regulations.
  • Expressly not permitted in the mill district (Article XI), on individual lots or in parks.
  • Temporary placement allowed for up to 12 months on an occupied lot after a catastrophe rendering the existing dwelling unusable, provided safe sewage and water are available.

  “manufactured housing is permitted in manufactured housing parks or in subdivisions created specifically for manufactured housing in the rural district, subject to the provisions of the troy manufactured housing park ordinance and the troy subdivision and/or site plan review regulations, as applicable; and on individual lots in the rural district.”

• Accessory dwellingsLimited

  Accessory dwelling units on lots where residential uses are allowed inside Troy town.

  • Permitted only in association with a single-family dwelling; one ADU per single-family dwelling.
  • The ADU may be within, attached to, or in a separate structure on the same lot.
  • If attached or within the primary dwelling, the ADU may not be larger than the primary dwelling.
  • The owner must show adequate sewage disposal and water supply for both dwellings.

  maximum ADU size: <= 1000 square feet

  “accessory dwelling units (adu’s) are permitted by right in all districts where residential uses are allowed, subject to the following:”

• Driveway accessLimited

  Building permits for lots inside Troy town; access is tied to street frontage, not a driveway permit.

  • No building permit may issue unless the street on which the lot has actual frontage meets RSA 674:41.
  • No separate driveway permit rule was located.

  “no building permit shall be issued for any building unless the street upon which the lot has actual frontage corresponds with the requirements of rsa 674:41.”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption for homeowners in Troy town.
• Building code adopted — Building code adoption inside Troy town.
• Minimum dwelling size — Minimum dwelling size inside Troy town.
• Lot coverage — Lot coverage limits inside Troy town.
• Tiny homes — Tiny home occupancy inside Troy 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.

Off-grid gear

Going off-grid in Town of Troy 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.

These are affiliate links — we may earn a commission, at no cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, Bolthole Index earns from qualifying purchases.