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

Town of Dalton’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  New construction inside Dalton town limits; the permit described is the town zoning permit, not a separately verified building permit

  • Zoning permit is issued by the Board of Selectmen or its designee before construction begins.
  • Repairs, renovation or rebuilding that does not violate the ordinance do not need a zoning permit (Article VIII.1b).
  • Items listed in Article IV, section 2 do not need a zoning permit (Article VIII.1c).

  “all new construction must obtain a zoning permit from the board of selectmen or its designee prior to construction.”

• Zoning districtsPublished

  Zoning districts inside Dalton town limits

  • The ordinance names one zoning district, Rural Residential (Article IV), and one overlay district, Floodplain (Article VII, Appendix B).
  • Dimensional and use rules below apply to the Rural Residential district.

  “the town consists of one zoning district, rural residential; and one overlay district, floodplain (as defined by fema).”

• Minimum lot sizeSpecified

  Single-family, manufactured home, camp or vacation home lots in the Rural Residential district (the town's only zoning district) inside Dalton town limits

  • Only one dwelling per lot unless an ADU or multiunit development has been approved (Article IV, dimensional requirements 1b).
  • Lots must also have minimum frontage of 200 feet on a class V or better state/municipal road.

  minimum lot area: >= 2 acres · minimum road frontage: >= 200 feet (on a class V or better state/municipal road)

  “each dwelling unit (full time residence, manufactured home, camp or vacation home) shall be placed on a lot of 2 acres or more in area.”

• SetbacksSpecified

  Structures in the Rural Residential district (the town's only zoning district) inside Dalton town limits

  • Well and septic setbacks follow RSA 482:B and RSA 485-A:29 and other state or federal requirements (Article IV, dimensional requirements 2b).
  • Nonconforming structures destroyed by fire or other causes may be restored within 2 years, but no nearer than the lesser of the original building and the setbacks (Article VI.5).

  front setback from edge of right-of-way: >= 50 feet · side setback from side property line: >= 20 feet · rear setback from rear property line: >= 30 feet

  “structures shall be 50ft back from the edge of the right of way, 20ft from the side property lines and 30ft from the rear property line.”

• Building heightSpecified

  All structures on lots in the Rural Residential district inside Dalton town limits

  • Height measured from the horizontal grade line.
  • Exceptions: silos and barns used for agricultural purposes; communication towers (RSA 12-K); wind energy systems (RSA 674:63).

  maximum structure height: <= 35 feet (whichever is less of 35 feet or 2 1/2 stories) · maximum stories: <= 2.5 stories (whichever is less of 35 feet or 2 1/2 stories)

  “no structure erected on any lot shall exceed 35 feet or 2 ½ stories in height (measured from the horizontal grade line), whichever is less.”

• Manufactured homesAllowed (with conditions)

  Manufactured homes on individual lots or in parks inside the Rural Residential district of Dalton town

  • Permitted upon issuance of a zoning permit by the Select Board or its designee.
  • Must comply with required setbacks and all applicable state/federal regulations.
  • Lot must meet the 2-acre minimum lot size and other dimensional requirements.

  “b) manufactured homes, both in parks and on individual lots”

• Accessory dwellingsLimited

  Accessory dwelling units inside Dalton town limits

  • Allowed only by special exception from the Zoning Board of Appeals after notice and public hearing (Article IV, item 4b).
  • Parcel must be a legally created lot of record, contain only one existing single-family dwelling, and contain no other ADU.
  • Maximum ADU size 1,000 sq. ft.; one ADU per primary residence; ADU may not be sold separately unless subdivision requirements are met.
  • ADU must comply with single-family development standards, including setbacks and height limits.

  maximum ADU floor area: <= 1000 sq ft

  “one accessory dwelling unit (adu) shall be permitted by special exception on a parcel which, in addition to the special exception criteria, must meet the following conditions”

• Agricultural exemptionAvailable (with conditions)

  Agricultural uses in the Rural Residential district inside Dalton town limits

  • Agriculture is allowed without a zoning permit only in accordance with RSA 674:32-a, 674:32-b and 674:32-c, and provided setbacks and state/federal regulations are complied with.
  • Forestry and logging, farm stands and other listed uses are also allowed without a zoning permit under the same section.

  “the following uses are allowed without a zoning permit from select board, provided they comply with required setbacks and all applicable state/federal regulations”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Subdivisions of land inside Dalton town limits

  • Subdivision approval by the Dalton Planning Board under the town of Dalton subdivision regulations (Article VIII.2) is required before any sale, lease, land clearing, road construction or building.
  • The subdivision regulations themselves were not opened.

  “whenever any subdivision is proposed and prior to any contract of offer for sale, rent, condominium conveyance, or lease of such subdivision or any part thereof shall have been negotiated, before any land clearing, road construction, or building is begun”

• Driveway accessLimited

  Zoning permit site plans for new construction inside Dalton town limits

  • Driveway must be shown on the site plan with the building site and setbacks; the ordinance does not set driveway standards or a separate driveway permit.
  • State or town curb cut or road access rules were not verified.

  “site plan must include proposed driveway, building site and all applicable setbacks.”

• Building in a floodplainRequired

  Land inside the Dalton town floodplain overlay district (FEMA-defined flood areas)

  • The ordinance refers development in the floodplain overlay to Appendix B, which was not opened, so the specific permit and standards are not verified.
  • Applies only to land within the mapped floodplain overlay.

  “see appendix b for floodplain overlay district requirements”

• Permit processPartial

  Zoning permit applications for new construction inside Dalton town limits

  • Application requires a site plan with contours, elevations, gradient and slope if required, and any application fee if required.
  • Process covers zoning permits only; no building permit, inspection or certificate of occupancy process was found in the ordinance.
  • No fee schedule was found.

  “zoning permit applications shall include a site plan (with contours, elevations, gradient and slope if required), as well as the payment of any application fee (if required).”

Rules another office applies inside Town of Dalton

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

• Who permits septicState (with conditions)

  Septic systems on land inside Dalton town limits (state rule referenced by the Dalton ordinance applies there)

  • The ordinance defers septic setbacks to state law (RSA 485-A:29), and says other setbacks follow state or federal requirements.
  • Whether a septic permit or inspection is required, and by which state office, was not verified (see septic_permit and septic_inspection).

  “prior approval of the plans and specifications”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption for construction inside Dalton town limits
• Building code adopted — Building code adoption inside Dalton town limits
• Inspections — Building inspections for new homes inside Dalton town limits
• Certificate of occupancy — Certificates of occupancy for new homes inside Dalton town limits
• Minimum dwelling size — Minimum dwelling floor area inside Dalton 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 Dalton 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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