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

Town of Sharon’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  Construction of a new residence, or renovation or enlargement of an existing structure to provide an ADU, inside Sharon town limits.

  • The cited requirement expressly covers a new residence and renovation or enlargement to provide an ADU.
  • Accessory-structure construction or enlargement requires prior notice through a Notice of Intent to Construct/Enlarge a Structure.

  “The construction of a new residence, or the renovation or enlargement of an existing structure to provide for an Accessory Dwelling Unit, requires the Application for a Building Permit.”

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land inside Sharon town limits.

  “For the purpose of this ordinance, there shall be a Wetlands Conservation District, Highland Conservation District and a Rural-Residential District.”

• Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

  Zoning districts inside Sharon town limits.

  • Wetland and Highland Conservation Districts may be superimposed over the Rural-Residential District; the ordinance supplies overlay-specific controls.

  “For the purpose of this ordinance, there shall be a Wetlands Conservation District, Highland Conservation District and a Rural-Residential District.”

• Minimum lot sizeSpecified

  Lots other than buildable back lots inside Sharon town limits.

  • Buildable back lots have a 10-acre minimum.
  • Overlay-district requirements may apply.

  minimum building lot area: 5 acres (All lots that are not buildable back lots.) · minimum buildable back-lot area: 10 acres (Buildable back lots.)

  “the minimum building lot area for all lots which are not buildable back lots shall be five (5) acres.”

• SetbacksSpecified

  Buildings and accessory buildings inside Sharon town limits.

  • Overlay-district and workforce-housing setback requirements prevail for lots within or partly within the overlay or constructed as workforce housing.
  • Buildable back lots have different public-way and private-way setbacks.

  front-yard setback: >= 100 feet (Measured between nearest right-of-way edge and extreme front of any building or accessory building.) · side-and-back-yard setback: >= 50 feet (From any abutter property line.)

  “No building or accessory building, or any part thereof, shall be located nearer than fifty (50) feet from the property lines of any abutter.”

• Building heightSpecified

  Buildings, accessory buildings, and structures inside Sharon town limits.

  • The Zoning Board of Adjustment may grant special exceptions for farm silos, church spires, antennas, flagpoles, and wind-energy systems where appropriate under Article XII.
  • The ordinance separately lists stated exemptions from the height requirement.

  maximum height: <= 45 feet (Measured above the lowest point of land abutting the building or structure.)

  “The height of any building or accessory building or structure, shall not exceed forty-five (45) feet above the lowest point of land abutting the building or structure.”

• Who permits septicState (with conditions)

  Newly designed or newly approved sewage-disposal systems for an ADU inside Sharon town limits.

  • The application is required before adding an ADU.
  • A newly designed or approved system need not be installed unless the existing system is in failure or never received state approval.

  “the owner(s) shall submit an application for approval of a newly-designed or newly approved sewage disposal system to the NH Department of Environmental Services (NHDES)”

• Septic permitRequired

  An ADU requiring a newly designed or newly approved sewage-disposal system inside Sharon town limits.

  • The owner must submit the NHDES approval application before adding an ADU.
  • Installation is required before the conditional-use permit only if the existing sewage system is in failure or never received state approval.

  “Copies of the NHDES approval(s) must be provided to the Planning Board prior to final approval of an ADU.”

• Off-grid sanitationLimited

  Waste or sewage disposal inside Sharon town limits.

  • Waste or sewage cannot run freely into a public water body or be discharged in a manner offensive or detrimental to health.
  • Waste must be conveyed underground through an accepted sanitary system or in another manner that is not offensive or detrimental to health.

  “All such wastes shall be conveyed away underground through the use of an accepted sanitary system or in such a way that it will not be offensive or detrimental to health.”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Subdivision of land inside Sharon town limits.

  • The town official documents page publishes 2026 Land Control Subdivision Regulations.
  • The current zoning ordinance imposes additional Highland Conservation District approval requirements when a subdivision is proposed there.

  “Whenever any subdivision is proposed to be made, the owner thereof or his authorized agent, must apply for, and secure the approval of such subdivision from the Planning Board of the Town of Sharon”

• Driveway accessLimited

  Driveways in Sharon's Highland Conservation District and access to buildable back lots.

  • In the Highland Conservation District, an application must be submitted for approval where driveway construction or reconstruction is proposed.
  • No driveway portion in that district can exceed 15 percent.
  • A buildable back lot driveway over a private way must meet the Driveway Regulations.

  maximum Highland Conservation District driveway grade: <= 15 percent (No portion of a driveway in the district.)

  “No portion of a driveway in the Highland Conservation District can exceed fifteen percent (15%).”

• Permit feesVariable (with conditions)

  Building permits inside Sharon town limits.

  • The Board of Selectmen determines the fee.
  • The fee is payable to the town and related to town inspection costs.

  “The fee for such permits shall be determined by the Board of Selectmen and payable to the Town”

• Permit processPartial

  Local land-use applications inside Sharon town limits.

  • The official page provides applications but does not itself establish a complete universal building-permit workflow.

  “Application – Intent to Consruct [...] ZBA Application for Special Exception Home-Based Business [...] ZBA Variance Application [...] Lot-Line Adjustment Application [...] Driveway-Permit-Application [...] Subdivision-Application”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-built residential work inside Sharon town limits.
• Building code adopted — Residential construction inside Sharon town limits.
• Inspections — Building construction inside Sharon town limits.
• Certificate of occupancy — Residential occupancy inside Sharon town limits.
• Minimum dwelling size — Dwellings inside Sharon 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.