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

Town of Mason’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  Erection, use, or relocation of a structure, sign, or building in Mason town.

  • The exception is an accessory building under 200 square feet that is not for human occupancy.
  • Remodeling or repair does not require a permit where the use is not changed, the building is not enlarged, and the use is not extended.

  accessory-building exemption threshold: < 200 square feet (Accessory building must not be for human occupancy.)

  “After passage of this Ordinance, it shall be unlawful to erect and use any structure, sign, or building, or relocate any building (except an accessory building less than 200 sq. ft. in size not for human occupancy), in any District without first obtaining a permit from the Building Inspector.”

• InspectionsLimited

  Accessory dwelling units inside Mason town.

  • Required inspections may be performed by the Town Building Inspector, Fire Chief, or as determined by the Selectmen.

  “Required inspections of the accessory dwelling unit shall be performed by the Town Building Inspector, Fire Chief, or as determined by the Selectmen.”

• Certificate of occupancyLimited

  Establishment of an accessory dwelling unit inside Mason town.

  • The certificate must be approved and issued by the Building Inspector.

  “Establishment of an accessory dwelling unit requires: [...] 2. A Certificate of Occupancy, approved and issued by the Building Inspector.”

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Uses, structures, and lots inside Mason town, New Hampshire.

  • The ordinance excepts property publicly owned by a unit of government.
  • Uses not listed as permitted are construed to be prohibited.

  “The provision of this Ordinance shall apply to all uses, structures, and lots within the Town of Mason, New Hampshire, except those publicly owned by a unit of government. [...] Any use not listed as a permitted use shall be construed to be prohibited.”

• Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

  Zoning districts inside Mason town.

  • The GRAF District consists of the town boundaries excluding land in the VR and HP Districts.

  “For the purpose of this Ordinance the Town of Mason is divided into the following three zoning districts hereinafter referred as "District" and including the following: (1) Village Residential (VR) District; (2) General Residential, Agricultural, and Forestry (GRAF) District; (3) Historic Preservation (HP) District.”

• Minimum dwelling sizeSpecified

  Accessory dwelling units inside Mason town.

  • A one-bedroom ADU has a 350-square-foot minimum.
  • A two-bedroom ADU has a 500-square-foot minimum.
  • All ADUs are limited to two bedrooms and 1,000 square feet maximum.

  one-bedroom ADU minimum gross living area above ground: >= 350 square feet (One-bedroom ADU.) · two-bedroom ADU minimum gross living area above ground: >= 500 square feet (Two-bedroom ADU.)

  “The gross living area above ground (GLAAG) of an ADU shall be a minimum of 350 square feet for a 1-bedroom ADU, 500 sq. ft. for a 2-bedroom ADU and a maximum of 1,000 sq. ft. for any ADU. All ADUs are limited to 2 bedrooms.”

• Accessory dwellingsAllowed (with conditions)

  One accessory dwelling unit on a lot containing a single residential structure in Mason's GRAF, VR, or HP district.

  • The unit must be secondary and accessory to a principal single-family dwelling.
  • The owner of record must reside in either the principal dwelling or ADU.
  • A complete plan set and compliance with applicable state and municipal dwelling codes are required for the building permit.

  ADUs allowed per qualifying lot: 1 ADU (Lot must contain a single residential structure.)

  “One accessory dwelling unit shall be allowed on a lot containing a single residential structure.”

• Off-grid sanitationLimited

  Private wastewater and sewage disposal inside Mason town.

  • Wastewater or sewage may not run free into a public water body or be discharged in a manner offensive or detrimental to others' health.
  • Waste must be conveyed underground through an accepted sanitary system or otherwise so that it is not offensive or detrimental to health.

  “No waste waters or sewage shall be permitted to run free into a public water body or be discharged in any way that may be offensive or detrimental to the health of others. All such waste shall be conveyed away underground through use of an accepted sanitary system or in such a way that it will not be offensive or detrimental to health.”

• Permit processPartial

  Building permits under Mason's Planning Ordinance.

  • The Building Inspector issues a requested permit only when it accords with the ordinance.

  “The Building Inspector shall issue any and all permits requested when such permit is in accordance with the provisions of this Ordinance.”

Rules another office applies inside Town of Mason

Town of Mason 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)

  Each dwelling unit on a conventional lot in Mason's General Residential, Agricultural, and Forestry (GRAF) District.

  • The minimum frontage is 350 feet on a Class V highway or better.
  • A lot approved by the Planning Board before March 11, 2008 is deemed conforming to the GRAF minimum size and frontage requirements.

  minimum lot area per dwelling unit: >= 174240 square feet (Conventional lot in GRAF District.)

  “A conventional lot shall be 350 ft. on a Class V highway or better and the minimum lot area shall be 174,240 sq. ft. per dwelling unit.”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • District specific (with conditions) — Each dwelling in Mason's Village Residential (VR) District.

    “The minimum frontage shall be 200 ft. on a Class V highway or better and the minimum lot size shall be 88,000 sq. ft. per dwelling.”

• SetbacksDistrict specific (with conditions)

  Buildings in Mason's General Residential, Agricultural, and Forestry (GRAF) District.

  front-side-rear setback: >= 35 feet (Measured from any road right-of-way or any other lot in GRAF District.)

  “Front, Side and Rear Set Back. No building shall be located within 35 ft. of any road right-of-way or of any other lot.”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • District specific (with conditions) — Buildings in Mason's Village Residential (VR) District.

    “Front, Side and Rear Set Back. No building shall be located within 35 ft. of any right-of-way or lot line.”

• Building heightDistrict specific (with conditions)

  Residential structures in Mason's Multi-Family Housing Overlay District.

  • The overlay applies along both sides of NH State Highway 31 on qualifying GRAF lots.

  maximum residential structure height: <= 2 stories (Multi-Family Housing Overlay District.)

  “No residential structure shall be greater than 2 stories in height, to protect the safety of residents.”

• Manufactured homesLimited

  Mobile homes, defined by the ordinance as manufactured residential dwelling units, in Mason's General Residential, Agricultural, and Forestry (GRAF) District.

  • The mobile home must be placed on a permanent foundation.
  • It must comply with applicable area, frontage, setback, and other GRAF requirements.
  • It must comply with U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Mobile Home Construction and Safety Standards.

  “Mobile homes may be used as permanent dwellings only in the GRAF District, providing that they comply with all area, frontage, setback and other requirements as set forth for that District.”

• Who permits septicState (with conditions)

  Sanitary systems inside Mason town.

  • Mason also imposes local siting and wastewater-disposal provisions.

  “All buildings and sanitary systems shall be constructed and maintained in accordance with the standards set and enforced by the New Hampshire State Department of Health and by the New Hampshire Water Pollution Commission.”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-built residential construction inside Mason town.
• Lot coverage — Lots inside Mason town.
• Camping on your land — Temporary camping on private land inside Mason town.
• Tiny homes — Tiny-home occupancy inside Mason town.
• Septic permit — On-site septic construction inside Mason 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.