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

Town of Monroe’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  Erecting, constructing, moving, or expanding a building or structure inside Monroe town limits.

  • The zoning permit is valid for one year from issuance.
  • Site Plan Review approval is required before issuance where it is in effect for the described multi-family, non-residential, or business-change applications.
  • The application must include the specified site and driveway information and proof of required individual-sewage-disposal approvals.

  zoning permit validity: 1 year

  “A zoning permit shall be obtained from the Board of Selectmen or designee before any action is taken to erect, construct, move, or expand any building or structure. A zoning permit shall be valid for one year from the date of issuance.”

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land inside Monroe town limits.

  “This ordinance shall be known and may be cited as the "Monroe, N.H. Zoning Ordinance" and is hereby referred to as "this Ordinance".”

• Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

  Land inside Monroe town limits.

  • Zone C comprises all town land not included in Zones A and B.
  • The district boundary descriptions refer to the April 1, 2015 official tax maps as amended by the 2016 Lot Line Adjustment affecting specified lots.

  “zone c - rural: this district shall include all land in the town of monroe not included in zone a and b. the lot boundaries described above shall refer to the locations as shown on the april 1, 2015 official tax maps of the town of monroe as amended by the 2016 lot line adjustment affecting lots u01-11 and u01-15.”

• SetbacksSpecified

  Every structure inside Monroe town limits.

  front setback: >= 50 feet · side setback: >= 30 feet · rear setback: >= 30 feet

  “every structure shall be set back from the front property line not less than 50 feet, not less than 30 feet from the side line, and not less than 30 feet from the rear line.”

• Living in an RVLimited

  A registered recreational vehicle on a lot inside Monroe town limits.

  • Owner or nonpaying-guest occupancy for up to 14 days per calendar year is without a permit if applicable fuel-system, fire, life-safety, plumbing, and electrical codes are met.
  • Occupancy beyond 14 days and up to six months per calendar year needs a Board of Selectmen or designee permit.
  • On an undeveloped lot, proof of another primary residence is required.

  permit-free occupancy: <= 14 days per calendar year (Only for the lot owner or nonpaying guests and subject to applicable codes.) · permitted occupancy maximum: <= 6 months per calendar year (Requires a permit after the first 14 days.)

  “a registered camper, recreational vehicle, or tiny home on wheels on a lot with or without a single family dwelling may be occupied by the lot owner or nonpaying guests for up to fourteen (14) days per calendar year without a permit, provided that the unit is in compliance with applicable fuel system, fire, life safety, plumbing and electrical codes.”

• Camping on your landLimited

  Temporary occupancy in a registered camper on a lot inside Monroe town limits.

  • Occupancy exceeding 14 days and up to six months per calendar year requires a permit from the Board of Selectmen or designee.
  • Undeveloped-lot occupancy requires proof of a primary residence other than that lot and may require NHDES-compliant waste-disposal documentation.

  permit-free occupancy: <= 14 days per calendar year (Applies to a registered camper occupied by the lot owner or nonpaying guests, subject to listed codes.)

  “occupancy for greater than fourteen (14) days, up to six months per calendar year, is allowed only upon issuance of a permit from the Board of Selectmen or their designee.”

• Tiny homesLimited

  A tiny home on wheels on a lot inside Monroe town limits.

  • The provision concerns a registered tiny home on wheels.
  • Occupancy longer than 14 days, up to six months per calendar year, requires a permit.
  • For an undeveloped lot, proof of another primary residence and NHDES-compliant waste-disposal documentation on request are required.

  permit-free occupancy: <= 14 days per calendar year (Only for the lot owner or nonpaying guests and subject to applicable codes.)

  “a registered camper, recreational vehicle, or tiny home on wheels on a lot with or without a single family dwelling may be occupied by the lot owner or nonpaying guests for up to fourteen (14) days per calendar year without a permit, provided that the unit is in compliance with applicable fuel system, fire, life safety, plumbing and electrical codes.”

• Septic permitRequired

  Individual sewage disposal systems associated with zoning-permit applications inside Monroe town limits.

  • Proof that all approvals required for an individual sewage disposal system have been obtained must be submitted with the zoning-permit application.

  “proof shall be submitted that all approvals required for individual sewage disposal systems have been obtained.”

• Off-grid sanitationLimited

  Temporary occupancy in a registered camper, recreational vehicle, or tiny home on wheels inside Monroe town limits.

  • The unit must comply with applicable fuel-system, fire, life-safety, plumbing, and electrical codes.
  • For permitted occupancy on an undeveloped lot, the applicant must prove a primary residence elsewhere.
  • Waste disposal documentation compliant with NHDES regulations must be provided upon request.

  “documentation of disposal of waste in compliance with NHDES regulations must be provided to the Board of Selectmen or their designee upon request.”

• Building in a floodplainRequired

  Proposed development in a FEMA-designated special flood hazard area inside Monroe town limits.

  • The ordinance applies to lands designated as special flood hazard areas in the cited FEMA study and maps, as amended.
  • The Board of Selectmen reviews building-permit applications for new construction or substantial improvements.

  “all proposed development in any special flood hazard area shall require a permit.”

• Short-term rentalsLimited

  Short-term rentals in Zones A, B, and C inside Monroe town limits.

  • A short-term rental is offered for transient use for compensation; transient means increments of less than 30 days.
  • The use requires Site Plan Review approval from the Planning Board.
  • The definition limits an owner-occupied dwelling guest-room rental to up to five guest rooms and 10 lodgers.
  • A single registered camper, recreational vehicle, or tiny home on wheels may be included only if it complies with applicable fuel-system, fire, life-safety, plumbing, and electrical codes.

  maximum guest rooms: <= 5 guest rooms (Owner-occupied single-family dwelling.) · maximum lodgers: <= 10 lodgers (Owner-occupied single-family dwelling.)

  “short term rental: a single family dwelling or accessory dwelling unit, or up to five guest rooms with no more than a total of 10 lodgers in an owner-occupied single family dwelling, offered for transient use for compensation, with site plan review approval from the planning board.”

• Permit processPublished (with conditions)

  Zoning-permit applications inside Monroe town limits.

  • Two application copies are required.
  • The application must show the lot, proposed buildings or structures, and any private driveway entering a right-of-way.
  • The Board of Selectmen or designee must issue or deny within 60 days, subject to extensions where further research is needed.
  • Compliance with all ordinance provisions is required before issuance.

  decision period: <= 60 days (Extensions can be made where additional research by the Board or developer is needed.)

  “a zoning permit shall be issued or denied within 60 days of its request by the board of selectmen or designee. extensions can be made in situations where additional research by the board or developer is needed.”

Rules another office applies inside Town of Monroe

Town of Monroe 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)

  Zone A residential district inside Monroe town limits.

  • Existing legal lots are subject to the ordinance's existing-lot provision.

  minimum lot size: 1 acre

  “the minimum lot size in zone a shall be one (1) acre.”

  2 more reviewed findings on this topic

  • District specific (with conditions) — Zone B residential-business district inside Monroe town limits.

    “the minimum lot size in zone b shall be two (2) acres.”

  • District specific (with conditions) — Zone C rural district inside Monroe town limits.

    “the minimum lot size in zone c shall be three (3) acres.”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-built residential construction inside Monroe town limits.
• Building code adopted — Building-code adoption for land inside Monroe town limits.
• Inspections — Residential building inspections inside Monroe town limits.
• Certificate of occupancy — Residential certificates of occupancy inside Monroe town limits.
• Minimum dwelling size — Dwelling units inside Monroe 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 Monroe 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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