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

Town of Hooksett’s own rules

• Certificate of occupancyLimited

  Commercial site-plan development inside Hooksett town limits.

  • A hard-copy as-built plan must be provided to the Town for DPW review and approval before issuance of the Certificate of Occupancy.

  “Prior to the issuance of the Certificate of Occupancy, a hard copy “As-Built” plan(s) must be provided to the Town for review and approval by DPW Director or designee.”

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land inside Hooksett town limits.

  • The Planning Board administers subdivision and site-plan matters under the Town's Zoning Ordinance.

  “The Planning Board of the Town of Hooksett was authorized and empowered by the voters of the Town of Hooksett on March 8, 1966 to act upon subdivision plans and site plans in accord with the Subdivision Regulations and the Zoning Ordinance.”

• Off-grid sanitationLimited

  Site developments and developments providing places of employment inside Hooksett town limits.

  • Toilets, lavatories, sinks, and other plumbing fixtures having drains must connect to an approved on-site effluent disposal area.

  “All toilets, lavatories, sinks and other plumbing fixtures having drains shall be connected to an approved on-site effluent disposal area (EDA).”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Subdivision development inside Hooksett town limits.

  • No person or entity may begin residential subdivision development by clearing, grading, stumping, or excavating before obtaining prior written Planning Board approval.

  “No person, corporation, partnership or other entity shall begin any nonresidential site development or residential subdivision development by clearing (including trees and vegetation), grading, stumping or excavating any parcel of land until the prior written approval of the Planning Board has been obtained.”

• Building in a floodplainRequired

  Development subject to the Town Development Regulations with land identified as Special Flood Hazard Area inside Hooksett town limits.

  • Planning Board must assure that all necessary federal or state permits have been received.
  • New development exceeding 50 lots or 5 acres, whichever is lesser, must include base-flood-elevation data.
  • Construction drawings, grading plans, and land-treatment plans must support determinations concerning flood damage, utilities, and drainage.

  proposal threshold: greater than 50 lots or 5 acres, whichever is lesser

  “the planning board shall require that all proposed new developments greater than fifty (50) lots or five (5) acres, whichever is the lesser, include base flood elevation (bfe) data within such proposals”

• Permit feesPublished (with conditions)

  Town building-permit and listed Code Enforcement permits inside Hooksett town limits.

  • The fee schedule changes were approved October 28, 2015 and stated to be effective immediately.
  • Electrical/plumbing minimum is $50 plus fixture cost.
  • A $25 reinspection fee applies for each reinspection required after the Code Enforcement Officer's second job-site visit and must be paid before a Certificate of Occupancy or final approval.

  single-family application fee: 50 USD · residential fee per square foot: 0.15 USD per square foot · septic system fee: 75 USD

  “at their meeting on wednesday, october 28, 2015, the hooksett town council approved the following changes to the building permit fees schedule effective immediately.”

Still unanswered

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

• Building permit — Residential construction inside Hooksett town limits.
• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-built residential construction inside Hooksett town limits.
• Zoning districts — Land inside Hooksett town limits.
• Minimum dwelling size — Single-family dwellings inside Hooksett town limits.
• Minimum lot size — Residential lots inside Hooksett 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.

Off-grid gear

Going off-grid in Town of Hooksett 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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