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

Town of Andover’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  Accessory dwelling units (ADUs) inside Andover town; the general building permit requirement in Article VII was not opened.

  • Applies to accessory dwelling units only, per the ADU condition quoted.

  “A Building Permit and a Certificate of Completion are required in accordance with Article VII.”

• Local zoningPresent

  Land inside Andover town's limits, administered under the town's own Zoning Ordinance (Updated 2023).

  • Text opened is the 2023 version on the town site; the town sitemap also lists a 'Zoning Ordinance Updated - 2026' that was not opened.

  “This Ordinance shall apply to all structures, uses, and lots within the Town of Andover.”

• Zoning districtsPublished

  Zoning districts of Andover town, including the agricultural and residential (AR) district and the rural residential (RR) district.

  • The 2023 ordinance text names the districts; a district map was not opened.

  “The Town of Andover is divided into four zoning districts hereinafter referred to as "Districts or Zones,"”

• Minimum lot sizeDistrict specific (with conditions)

  New lots created in the agricultural and residential (AR) district inside Andover town.

  • Applies to each lot created after the effective date of the ordinance; lots already in existence must have a minimum frontage of 50 feet to change use.
  • The forest/agriculture (FA) district text also states a 2-acre, 250-foot minimum for new lots; not separately claimed here.

  minimum lot area: >= 2 acres (new lots created after the ordinance effective date) · minimum lot frontage: >= 250 feet (new lots created after the ordinance effective date)

  “Each lot created after the effective date of this ordinance shall have a minimum frontage of 250 feet and an area of at least 2 acres.”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • District specific (with conditions) — New lots created in the rural residential (RR) district inside Andover town.

    “Each lot created after the effective date of this ordinance shall have a minimum frontage of 150 feet and an area of at least one acre.”

• SetbacksSpecified

  Structures on lots inside Andover town; setbacks are measured from lot lines and street right-of-way.

  • The opened text states the measurement rule and a front-yard requirement for all districts; the numeric front, side and rear distances were cut off in the captured text and are not recorded here.

  “Side and Rear Yards - A distance of a minimum of fifteen (15) feet will be maintained between any part of any structure and the lot line.”

• Tiny homesLimited

  Tiny houses in the rural residential (RR) district inside Andover town, which the ordinance lists as a special exception.

  • Requires a special exception from the Zoning Board of Adjustment under the ordinance's special-exception process.
  • The same tiny-house special exception also appears in the agricultural and residential (AR) district list.

  “(c) parks, playgrounds and other similar outdoor recreational areas and facilities. (d) tiny houses.”

• Manufactured homesAllowed

  Mobile homes on lots inside Andover town (the ordinance uses the term mobile homes).

  • Subject to the provisions of the ordinance; the ordinance does not state a separate occupancy limit in the opened text.

  “Mobile homes are allowed in all districts, subject to the provisions of this Ordinance.”

• Accessory dwellingsLimited

  Accessory dwelling units (ADUs) inside Andover town; detached ADUs are reviewed by the Zoning Board of Adjustment.

  • Detached ADU: the Board of Adjustment may set minimum lot size, minimum frontage, space limits or other controls when deciding a special exception.
  • ADU must have adequate water supply and sewage disposal under NHDES rules (RSA 485-a:38).
  • A building permit and certificate of completion are required, and no ADU may be occupied without a certificate of completion.

  “Except in the Forest and Agriculture (FA) District, the Board of Adjustment may grant a Special Exception for a detached ADU.”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Conservation subdivisions and lot creation inside Andover town under the town's zoning ordinance.

  • Conservation subdivision yield is computed from the minimum lot size of the district; the separate subdivision regulations were not opened.

  “Conservation Subdivisions shall comply with all provisions of this Ordinance and the Andover Subdivision Regulations.”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption from permits or inspections inside Andover town
• Building code adopted — Building code adopted for construction inside Andover town
• Inspections — Building inspections inside Andover town
• Minimum dwelling size — Minimum dwelling floor area inside Andover town
• Lot coverage — Maximum lot coverage inside Andover 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.

Off-grid gear

Going off-grid in Town of Andover 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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