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

Town of South Hampton’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  New construction, renovation, storage containers, and demolition inside South Hampton town.

  • Permits must be approved before work begins.
  • Under the zoning ordinance, after issuance construction must commence within six months and be substantially completed within two years; the Board of Adjustment may extend completion time on application.

  “Building Permits are required for any new construction, renovation, storage containers, and demolition.”

• Building code adoptedAdopted (with conditions)

  Construction and renovation of structures within South Hampton town.

  • The town ordinance identifies plumbing-code amendments; statewide technical requirements also apply.

  “All construction and renovation of structures within the Town of South Hampton shall conform to applicable sections of the New Hampshire State Building Code established by RSA 155-A, as amended below”

• InspectionsRequired

  Buildings in the process of construction inside South Hampton town.

  • The Building Inspector reports violations to the Selectmen.

  “he shall make inspections of all buildings in the process of construction and report any or all violations to the Selectmen.”

• Certificate of occupancyRequired

  New or additional dwelling units and other buildings to be occupied as a residence or place of employment inside South Hampton town.

  • The Building Inspector/Approved Agency must find that the structure meets all applicable building-code requirements.
  • Before issuance, the inspector may require a licensed plumber, electrician, or engineer inspection and written report; the owner bears that inspection cost.

  “No new or additional dwelling unit or other building shall be occupied as a residence or place of employment until an occupancy permit is issued by the Building Inspector/ Approved Agency”

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land inside South Hampton town.

  • The ordinance divides the town into named zoning districts and applies regulations to land and uses.

  “the Town of South Hampton is divided into the following districts as shown on the South Hampton Zoning Map”

• Minimum dwelling sizeSpecified

  Every dwelling inside South Hampton town.

  minimum ground floor area: >= 800 square feet

  “Every dwelling shall have a minimum ground floor area of 800 square feet. (Adopted 3/5/74)”

• Minimum lot sizeSpecified

  Building lots in the Rural Residential District inside South Hampton town.

  • A building lot must also have at least 200 continuous feet of frontage on an existing town-approved road.
  • Existing lots of record may have a single-family-residence exception subject to the listed ownership and on-site water/sewer approval conditions.

  minimum lot area: >= 2 acres · minimum road frontage: >= 200 feet

  “Every building lot shall have a frontage of not less than 200 continuous feet on an existing town approved road and shall not be less than two acres in area. (Amended 3/5/74 and 3/12/86)”

• SetbacksSpecified

  Buildings inside South Hampton town.

  • A new building may use the adjoining dwellings' lesser existing front setback where an existing line of dwellings is less than 40 feet.
  • A building lost by fire or other cause may be rebuilt in the same location within one year.
  • Certain one-story farm-related structures up to 200 square feet have 10-foot side and rear setbacks.

  front setback: >= 40 feet (Existing-line and rebuilding exceptions stated in Article III §2.5.) · side setback: >= 25 feet (Farm-structure exception stated in Article III §13.) · rear setback: >= 25 feet (Farm-structure exception stated in Article III §13.)

  “All buildings shall be set back at least 25 feet from rear and side lot lines (except for types of buildings listed in section 13 of article iii), except that in a case where a person loses an existing building by fire or other cause, said person may rebuild on the same location within a period of one year.”

• Building heightSpecified

  Buildings inside South Hampton town.

  • Telecommunications towers in the Commercial District have separately stated height rules.

  maximum building height: <= 32 feet (Measured from finished average grade to highest peak.)

  “No building shall exceed 32 feet in height measured from the finished average grade to the highest peak. (Amended 3/5/74)”

• Tiny homesLimited

  Dwellings inside South Hampton town, including a dwelling characterized as a tiny home.

  • Every dwelling has a minimum ground-floor area requirement.

  minimum ground floor area: >= 800 square feet

  “Every dwelling shall have a minimum ground floor area of 800 square feet. (Adopted 3/5/74)”

• Manufactured homesAllowed (with conditions)

  Manufactured housing in the Rural Residential District inside South Hampton town.

  • One single-family dwelling per lot is permitted and the manufactured housing must meet all other ordinance provisions.

  “One single family dwelling per lot including manufactured housing that meets all of the other provisions of this ordinance. (Amended 3/11/87)”

• Septic inspectionLimited

  Percolation tests and test-pit analysis for septic-system siting inside South Hampton town.

  • Only State-licensed or certified soil scientists and septic-system designers may perform the tests and analysis.
  • The Town Health Officer or agent observes the tests.

  “Only soil scientists and septic system designers who are licensed or certified by the State of New Hampshire shall perform percolation tests and analyze test pits. The Town's Health Officer or his agent shall observe the tests.”

• Driveway accessRequired

  Residential or commercial lots laid out as part of a subdivision plan inside South Hampton town, accessing an accepted Town road or street.

  • State-highway access is governed by RSA 236:13 and applicable DOT regulations.
  • Town-road/street access requires a Planning Board-issued driveway permit administered and enforced by the Town Road Agent.
  • Sight-distance and grade standards apply.

  safe sight distance at 30 mph or less: >= 300 feet in each direction · safe sight distance over 30 mph: >= 400 feet in each direction

  “Town Road/Street access shall require a Driveway Permit issued in accordance with the requirements of this section.”

• Building in a floodplainRequired

  Proposed development in South Hampton special flood hazard areas.

  • Applies to all lands designated Special Flood Hazard Areas by FEMA's January 29, 2021 Rockingham County Flood Insurance Study or amendments and the stated town FIRM panels.
  • The more restrictive or stringent provision controls if the flood ordinance conflicts with another town regulation.

  “All proposed development in any special flood hazard areas shall require a permit.”

• Permit feesPublished (with conditions)

  Town permits inside South Hampton town.

  • The permits page says to contact each inspector for exact pricing.
  • The town ordinance separately states that fees for structures of 5,001 square feet or over are determined by the Selectmen.

  large-structure threshold: >= 5001 square feet (Permit fee determined by the Selectmen.)

  “Permits must be approved before the start of work. Contact each inspector directly for any questions and for exact pricing.”

• Permit processPublished (with conditions)

  Building-permit applications inside South Hampton town.

  • Adequate plans and specifications must be submitted.
  • The Building Inspector must make the decision in writing within 15 days of receiving the application.

  building-inspector decision deadline: <= 15 days (Measured from the date the application is received.)

  “The Building Inspector shall make known his decision in writing within 15 days from the date he received the application”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-built residential construction inside South Hampton town.
• Lot coverage — Lots inside South Hampton town.
• Mandatory utility hookup — New homes inside South Hampton town.
• Agricultural exemption — Agricultural construction and land uses inside South Hampton 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 South Hampton 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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