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

Town of Derry’s own rules

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land inside Derry town limits; Derry's own zoning ordinance (Chapter 165, Zoning) governs use and dimensional standards there

  • Presence confirmed from the town code table of contents only; the zoning articles and district tables were not opened in this run.

  “chapter 165 zoning (§ 165-1 – § 165-162)”

• Minimum lot sizeSpecified

  Lots created by subdivision in Derry town where municipal sewer is not available; applies in addition to the Chapter 165 district minimum

  • Lot area must meet Table A, Minimum Lot Area by Soil Type, which was not opened.
  • Applies only in the absence of municipal sewerage facilities.

  “in the absence of municipal sewerage facilities, minimum lot sizes within all subdivisions shall, in addition to meeting the requirements of chapter 165, zoning, for the district wherein the subdivision is proposed, also meet the lot area requirements specified in table a, minimum lot area by soil type.”

• Mandatory utility hookupSewer (with conditions)

  Buildings inside Derry town that abut a street with a public sanitary sewer of the town; a new home must connect to the sewer when it is within 125 feet of the structure

  • Connection is required only where the public sewer is within 125 feet of the structure to be served.
  • Owners must connect within 90 days after official notice to do so.
  • Only a Town-licensed utility service contractor may make service connections (per search snippet of Chapter 122, not opened).

  distance to public sewer for mandatory connection: <= 125 feet · connection deadline after official notice: 90 days

  “to connect such facilities directly with the public sewer in accordance with the provisions of this chapter within 90 days after date of official notice to do so, provided that said public sewer is within 125 feet of the structure to be served.”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Land divisions inside Derry town limits under Chapter 170, Land Development Control Regulations

  • Subdivisions must also meet the Chapter 165 zoning district requirements and, where no municipal sewer is available, the soil-type lot area table.

  “in the absence of municipal sewerage facilities, minimum lot sizes within all subdivisions shall, in addition to meeting the requirements of chapter 165, zoning, for the district wherein the subdivision is proposed, also meet the lot area requirements specified in table a, minimum lot area by soil type.”

• Driveway accessLimited

  Lots created by subdivision in Derry town; driveway access and curb cut placement under Chapter 170 subdivision standards

  • Each lot must take driveway access through its own frontage.
  • A driveway curb cut may not be closer than 75 feet to an intersection of public streets.
  • Single-family driveway permits for lots outside subdivision review were not opened.

  minimum curb cut distance from street intersection: >= 75 feet

  “(5) each lot shall have its driveway access through its own frontage, and no driveway may be laid out such that its curb cut will be closer than 75 feet to an intersection of public streets.”

Still unanswered

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

• Building permit — New home construction inside Derry town limits
• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder construction of a home inside Derry town limits
• Building code adopted — Building construction inside Derry town limits
• Inspections — Building inspections inside Derry town limits
• Certificate of occupancy — Certificates of occupancy for new homes inside Derry 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 Derry 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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