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

Town of Carroll’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  Commercial and home construction, building moves, additional dwelling units, changes in use, and added uses inside Carroll town limits.

  • Home-construction exceptions include the specifically listed small accessory buildings, fences, certain water tanks, low sidewalks/driveways, finish work, playground equipment, shallow prefabricated pools, limited awnings, and limited interior improvements.
  • The Board of Selectmen or designee acts on the application within 30 days; a permit is valid one year and may receive a one-year extension on application.

  “802.1 A Zoning & Building Permit shall be required prior to: A-1: For Commercial construction all new or altered structures A-2: For home construction all new or altered structures except:”

• InspectionsRequired

  Buildings or property after a Carroll Zoning & Building Permit is granted and before the Certificate of Occupancy is granted.

  • The ordinance grants the Selectmen or designee an inspection right after permit issuance; inspection is required before a Certificate of Occupancy.

  “The Selectmen or designee shall have the right to inspect a building and/or property after a Zoning & Building Permit is granted, and an inspection is required before a Certificate of Occupancy is granted.”

• Certificate of occupancyRequired

  A building for which a Carroll Zoning & Building Permit was granted, before renting, leasing, or using it.

  • All zoning and town ordinances and all permit restrictions or requirements must be complied with.
  • An inspection is required before issuance.

  “A Certificate of Occupancy will be required before renting, leasing, or using building for which Zoning & Building Permit was granted.”

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land inside Carroll town limits.

  • Uses must be specifically allowed by the applicable zoning district; special exceptions and conditional uses require the stated board approval.

  “A person shall not use any lot in any zoning district in the town of Carroll except as hereinafter specifically allowed.”

• Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

  Land inside Carroll town limits.

  • The zoning map dated April 1, 2017 is part of the ordinance and is available at the Town Office.

  districts: RES 1; RES 2; R-B; IND; RU

  “The Town of Carroll is hereby divided into the following Districts: RES 1: Residential 1 RES 2: Residential 2 R-B: Residential – Business IND: Industrial RU: Rural”

• Living in an RVLimited

  Campers and recreational vehicles used as dwellings on private lots inside Carroll town limits.

  • During active dwelling construction, an owner may receive a temporary permit for up to one year, renewable for one additional year while construction remains active.
  • A registered camper/RV may be a seasonal dwelling up to 14 days annually without a permit; on an undeveloped lot, greater use requires a permit, proof of another primary residence, and monthly NHDES-compliant waste-disposal documentation.

  seasonal dwelling without permit: <= 14 days per year (Registered camper or RV on a private lot with or without a single-family dwelling.)

  “A registered camper or recreational vehicle on a private lot with or without a single-family dwelling may be used as a seasonal dwelling for up to fourteen (14) days per year without a permit.”

• Camping on your landLimited

  Camper or recreational-vehicle dwelling use during active dwelling construction inside Carroll town limits.

  • Temporary permit period may not exceed one year.
  • A one-year renewal requires an application and active construction.
  • Monthly proof of NHDES-compliant waste disposal is required.

  initial temporary permit period: <= 1 year (Owner living in a camper or recreational vehicle during active construction of a dwelling.)

  “Temporary permits may be issued to a lot owner by the Selectmen or their designee to allow said owner to live in a camper or recreational vehicle during the active construction of a dwelling for a period not exceeding one year.”

• Accessory dwellingsLimited

  Accessory dwelling units in RES 1, RES 2, R-B, and RU districts inside Carroll town limits.

  • A conditional use permit is required in the listed residential districts; ADUs are marked not allowed in IND.
  • Only one ADU per single-family dwelling; it must meet access, location, size, parking, and aesthetic-continuity requirements.
  • A camper, recreational vehicle, or manufactured home cannot be used as an ADU.

  maximum ADU area: <= 30 percent of total single-family dwelling floor area (Or 750 feet, whichever is larger.)

  “Where permitted by Conditional Use Permit, an Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) shall comply with the following: 1. Only one (1) ADU shall be permitted per single family dwelling.”

• Off-grid sanitationLimited

  Outhouses and RV/camper waste disposal inside Carroll town limits.

  • An outhouse must use an impermeable plastic or concrete holding tank.
  • RV/camper permits require monthly documentation of waste disposal compliant with NHDES regulations.

  “Outhouses will have an impermeable holding tank constructed of either plastic or concrete.”

• Permit feesPublished (with conditions)

  Certificate of Occupancy applications for dwelling units inside Carroll town limits.

  • The published form states an additional $50 fee for reinspections.
  • The ordinance states Selectmen establish permit-application fee structure and collect the total sum before signing the Certificate of Occupancy.

  certificate of occupancy fee: 50 USD (Dwelling-unit Certificate of Occupancy application.) · reinspection fee: 50 USD (Each reinspection.)

  “$50.00 Fee for Certificate of Occupancy **Any reinspections will be subject to an additional $50 fee**”

• Permit processPublished (with conditions)

  Carroll Zoning & Building Permit applications.

  • Two copies of the application must be submitted with the listed plan information, including lot dimensions, structures, driveway, and sewage approvals.
  • The Board of Selectmen or designee acts within 30 days; denial reasons must be stated clearly.

  application copies: 2 (Zoning & Building Permit application.) · action deadline: <= 30 days after receipt (Board of Selectmen or designee.)

  “802.2 Two copies of an application shall be submitted and shall include a plan showing:”

Rules another office applies inside Town of Carroll

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

• Minimum lot sizeDistrict specific (with conditions)

  Residential development in Carroll's RU (Rural) district.

  • A single-family dwelling may use a one-acre minimum where municipal water is available.
  • Multifamily buildings require additional area of 10,000 square feet per 1,000 square feet of livable space beyond the single-family minimum.

  minimum lot size: 2 acres (RU district; one acre for single-family dwellings where municipal water is available.)

  “The minimum lot size in this district shall be two acres. The minimum lot size for single- family dwellings in this district shall be one acre where municipal water is available and shall meet the setback requirements as stated in Residential 1.”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • District specific (with conditions) — Residential development in Carroll's RES 1 district.

    “The minimum lot size in this district shall be one acre. Multi-family buildings in this district shall have an additional area of 10,000 square feet for every 1,000 square feet of livable space in addition to the minimum lot area required for a single-family dwelling.”

• Building heightDistrict specific (with conditions)

  Buildings in Carroll's RES 1 district.

  maximum building height: <= 33 feet (Also limited to 2 1/2 stories, whichever is less.)

  “The maximum building height shall be 2 1/2 stories or 33 feet, whichever is less.”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • District specific (with conditions) — Buildings in Carroll's RU (Rural) district.

    “The maximum building height shall be 2½ stories or 33 feet, whichever is less.”

• Building in a floodplainRequired

  All proposed development in Carroll's Flood and Erosion Hazard Area Overlay District.

  • The overlay includes Flood Hazard Areas and Fluvial Erosion Hazard Areas.
  • The Select Board or designee reviews applications for new construction, additions, and substantial improvements.

  “All proposed development in the Flood and Erosion Hazard Area Overlay District shall require a permit.”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-built residential construction inside Carroll town limits.
• Building code adopted — Residential construction inside Carroll town limits.
• Minimum dwelling size — Single-family dwellings inside Carroll town limits.
• Lot coverage — Land inside Carroll town limits.
• Tiny homes — Tiny-home occupancy inside Carroll 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 Carroll 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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