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

Town of Litchfield’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  New construction homes and listed construction work inside Litchfield town.

  • The Town list expressly exempts roofing replacement, siding replacements, in-kind window replacements, interior flooring replacements, fences, driveway repair, and painting.

  “Requires a Permit [...] New construction homes”

• Certificate of occupancyLimited

  Accessory dwelling units inside Litchfield town.

  • The ADU must comply with federal, state, and local requirements for a Town building permit and certificate of occupancy.

  “Complies with all Federal, State and local requirements for issuance of a building permit and issuance of a certificate of occupancy as a dwelling unit from the Town of Litchfield;”

• Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

  Zoning districts inside Litchfield town.

  • District boundaries, permitted uses, regulations, standards, and conditions are defined in district-specific ordinance sections; general locations are depicted on Map I.

  “The following districts are established for the purpose of promoting the health, safety, and welfare of the population;”

• Living in an RVLimited

  Recreational vehicles placed within FEMA Zones A and AE inside Litchfield town.

  • An RV must either remain fewer than 120 consecutive days, remain fully licensed on wheels or jacking system with only quick-disconnect utilities and no permanently attached additions, or meet ordinance and manufactured-home elevation and anchoring standards.

  maximum consecutive days on site: < 120 days (Alternative compliance choices in § 1106.02(d) may apply.)

  “Recreational vehicles placed on sites within Zones A and AE shall either: 1) be on the site for fewer than 120 consecutive days;”

• Manufactured homesLimited

  Temporary placement of manufactured housing after a Litchfield residence becomes uninhabitable because of fire or other disaster.

  • Temporary occupancy expires 12 months after placement or when a certificate of occupancy is issued, whichever occurs first. A permit must be obtained from the Building Inspector/Code Enforcement Officer. The permit may be renewed as deemed appropriate and necessary by that officer. The placement does not become a vested nonconforming use.

  temporary occupancy period: 12 months (Expires earlier upon issuance of a certificate of occupancy.)

  “The period of such occupancy as set forth in RSA 674:32, II shall expire in 12 months from the placement of such structure or upon the issuance of a certificate of occupancy, whichever comes first.”

• Accessory dwellingsLimited

  Accessory dwelling units on a lot containing a single-family dwelling inside Litchfield town.

  • An ADU may be constructed at the same time as the principal unit. It must meet building-permit and certificate-of-occupancy requirements, be incidental and subordinate, be no more than 1,200 square feet or 75% of the principal dwelling's living space but not restricted below 750 square feet, have one ADU per single-family dwelling, have owner occupancy of one unit, meet wastewater requirements, and contain no more than two bedrooms.

  maximum ADU living space: <= 1200 square feet (Also no more than 75% of principal dwelling living space; may not be restricted below 750 square feet.) · maximum bedrooms: <= 2 bedrooms

  “the total living space of the ADU shall not exceed 1,200 sq. ft. and shall not exceed 75% of the total living space of the principal dwelling. Notwithstanding the above, no ADU shall be restricted to less than 750 sq. ft. of total living space;”

• Well permitRequired

  Wells inside Litchfield town.

  “Pools In-ground or above Solar systems New driveways (not replacement) New construction homes Wells Signs”

• Mandatory utility hookupConditional

  Applications for multi-family housing inside Litchfield town.

  • Connection is required only where municipal water supply and/or wastewater systems are available. If water connection is not possible, applicants must demonstrate current building-code compliance for multi-family residential sprinklers. If wastewater connection is not possible, applicants must demonstrate compliance with NH DES Wq 1000 rules.

  “Where available, applications for multi-family housing are required to connect to existing municipal water supply and/or wastewater systems.”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Subdivision of land or property inside Litchfield town in the multi-family-development context.

  • The Building Inspector refers applicants to the Planning Board for site-plan and/or subdivision review under regulations in effect when the application is made. The Board holds one or more public hearings and may approve, approve with modifications, or disapprove.

  “the building inspector shall refer the applicant for a building permit to the Planning Board for site plan and/or subdivision review in accordance with the Site Plan Review and Subdivision Regulations in effect at the time of application.”

• Driveway accessRequired

  New driveways inside Litchfield town.

  • Replacement driveways and driveway repair are listed as not requiring a permit.

  “New driveways (not replacement) [...] Does Not Require a Permit [...] Driveway Repair”

• Building in a floodplainRequired

  Proposed development in any special flood-hazard area inside Litchfield town.

  • The Code Enforcement Officer reviews new-construction and substantial-improvement building permit applications for flood safety and may not grant a building permit until the applicant certifies receipt of required federal or state approvals, including Clean Water Act § 404 permits.

  “Permit Required. All proposed development in any special flood hazard area shall require a permit.”

• Permit processPublished (with conditions)

  Online building-permit applications inside Litchfield town.

  • Applicants create and verify a collaborator account, await credential approval, select permit type, complete required starred fields, upload plans when required, submit for review, await approval, and then receive an invoice if fees apply.

  “Once your credentials are approved you will be able to use the permitting module. Select the request for a new job/ permit module. Then select the permit type that best fits your job or trade.”

Rules another office applies inside Town of Litchfield

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

• Lot coverageDistrict specific (with conditions)

  Sites in Litchfield's Highway Commercial District.

  • The maximum includes impervious surfaces and buildings, structures, parking areas, driveways/roads, and other site improvements, excluding landscaping.

  maximum impervious surface or site coverage: <= 65 percent of gross site area (Excludes landscaping.)

  “A maximum of 65 percent of the gross area of the site shall be comprised of impervious surfaces or occupied by buildings, structures, parking areas, driveways/roads and other site improvements excluding landscaping.”

• Building heightDistrict specific (with conditions)

  Multi-family residential units permitted under Litchfield Zoning Ordinance § 525.

  • The multi-family development must be in the locations specified by § 525.02 and subject to its other performance standards.

  maximum building height: <= 35 feet

  “527.03 Building Height. Maximum building height is thirty-five (35) feet.”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-built residential construction inside Litchfield town.
• Building code adopted — Building-code adoption for construction inside Litchfield town.
• Inspections — General residential building inspections inside Litchfield town.
• Minimum dwelling size — Principal dwellings inside Litchfield town.
• Camping on your land — Temporary camping on private land inside Litchfield 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.