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

Town of Peterborough’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  Buildings, structures, and land that are used, occupied, erected, moved, or structurally altered within Peterborough town.

  • The work or use must conform to regulations for the district in which it is located.

  “until a permit has been obtained from the Building Inspector.”

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land within Peterborough town, Hillsborough County, New Hampshire.

  • The ordinance regulates use, construction, erection, establishment, repair, alteration, location, and occupancy of buildings, structures, and land.

  “occupancy of all land in the Town of Peterborough are hereby regulated and restricted by this chapter.”

• Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

  Zoning districts within Peterborough town.

  • The written boundary descriptions in Article X control if they conflict with the District Map.

  “The written descriptions as provided for in Article X shall be the official delineations of Zoning District boundaries”

• Building heightSpecified

  Structures erected within Peterborough town where no different provision applies.

  • Church steeples, specified wireless communication facilities, and specified small wind energy systems are excepted.
  • Utility structures may exceed the limit only after a Board of Adjustment special exception.

  maximum structure height: <= 50 feet (unless otherwise specified or an enumerated exception applies)

  “Except where otherwise specified, no structure other than church steeples or Wireless Communication Facilities”

• Mandatory utility hookupConditional

  Proposed new dwellings and subdivisions in Traditional Neighborhood Overlay Zone I within Peterborough town.

  • Lots must already be served by town water and sewer or be able to connect to existing service.
  • DPW Director approval is required for proposed new-dwelling connections.

  “lots must either be already served by Town water and sewer or are able to connect to existing service.”

Rules another office applies inside Town of Peterborough

Town of Peterborough 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 sizeSpecified

  Single-family dwellings in Peterborough's Family District.

  • The ordinance separately sets a 50,000-square-foot minimum for construction or conversion to a two-family dwelling.

  minimum lot size: >= 40000 square feet (single-family dwelling)

  “For construction of a single family dwelling: forty thousand (40,000) square feet”

• SetbacksSpecified

  Single-family and two-family dwellings in Peterborough's Family District.

  front setback: >= 30 feet · side setback: >= 25 feet · rear setback: >= 25 feet

  “Setbacks: front, thirty (30) feet; side and rear, twenty-five (25) feet.”

• Lot coverageSpecified

  Dwellings and accessory buildings in Peterborough's General Residence District.

  maximum lot coverage: <= 25 percent (dwellings and accessory buildings)

  “Dwellings and accessory buildings may cover no more than twenty-five percent (25%) of a lot.”

• Who permits septicState (with conditions)

  On-site septic systems inside Peterborough town.

  • Local regulations may impose additional management requirements.

  “To require the filing with the department of plans and specifications of the installation of systems and devices for handling, treating, or disposing of sewage”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-built residences within Peterborough town.
• Building code adopted — Building-code adoption for land within Peterborough town.
• Inspections — Construction within Peterborough town.
• Certificate of occupancy — Buildings within Peterborough town.
• Minimum dwelling size — Dwellings within Peterborough 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.