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

Town of Stratham’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  Commercial and residential construction or remodeling inside Stratham town limits, including pools and decks.

  • Permits are not needed for accessory structures under 200 square feet or repairs listed in IRC 2021 Chapter 1.
  • A completed application, checklist, and all fees are required.

  “The Town of Stratham requires building permits for all commercial and residential construction or remodeling, including pools and decks. Bed Bottom Inspections are required for new septic systems with state approvals. Under RSA 155-A:4, permits are not needed for accessory structures under 200 sq. ft. or repairs listed in IRC 2021 Chapter 1.”

• InspectionsRequired

  Construction authorized by a local building permit inside Stratham town limits.

  • The inspection occurs upon completion of the construction authorized by the local building permit.

  “Upon completion of the construction authorized by a local Building Permit, the permit grantee shall return the permit to the Building Inspector. The Building Inspector will then make a final inspection of the authorized work in order to ensure compliance with this Ordinance and all applicable codes.”

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land inside Stratham town limits.

  • Zoning ordinance was last amended March 2026.

  “This Ordinance is enacted in accordance with the authority conferred in Chapters 673, 674, 675, 676, and 677 of the Revised Statutes Annotated and subsequent amendments thereto and is hereby adopted by the voters of the Town of Stratham, New Hampshire in official meeting convened.”

• Manufactured homesLimited

  Manufactured housing and mobile homes inside Stratham town limits.

  • Manufactured housing is allowed in all residential districts.
  • Mobile homes are allowed only in the Manufactured Housing/Mobile Home district.

  “Manufactured housing as defined in Section 2.1.53 is allowed in all residential districts of Stratham. Mobile homes as defined in Section 2.1.55 are allowed in the Manufactured Housing/Mobile Home district only.”

• Accessory dwellingsLimited

  Accessory dwelling units on legal lots developed with detached single-family dwellings inside Stratham town limits.

  • Only one ADU is permitted on a legal lot or property already approved for or developed with a detached single-family dwelling.
  • The property must be owner-occupied.
  • The ADU must be 400 to 1,000 square feet and no more than two bedrooms.
  • No new curb cut may serve an ADU.
  • A certificate of occupancy is required before occupancy.

  ADU minimum size: >= 400 square feet · ADU maximum size: <= 1000 square feet · ADU maximum bedrooms: <= 2 bedrooms

  “No more than one (1) accessory dwelling unit (ADU) will be permitted on a legal lot or property which is already approved for or developed with a detached single-family dwelling. Further, an ADU may be created within a single-family dwelling or within an accessory structure, in accordance with these regulations.”

• Who permits septicMixed (with conditions)

  New septic systems inside Stratham town limits.

  • Town-required bed-bottom inspection applies to new septic systems with state approvals.

  “The Town of Stratham requires building permits for all commercial and residential construction or remodeling, including pools and decks. Bed Bottom Inspections are required for new septic systems with state approvals.”

• Septic inspectionRequired

  New septic systems with state approvals inside Stratham town limits.

  • Applies to new septic systems with state approvals.

  “The Town of Stratham requires building permits for all commercial and residential construction or remodeling, including pools and decks. Bed Bottom Inspections are required for new septic systems with state approvals.”

• Off-grid sanitationLimited

  Residential Open Space Cluster Developments inside Stratham town limits.

  • Individual or community septic systems must comply with New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services standards.

  “Subdivisions constructed under Section VIII may employ either individual wells or community water systems, and individual or community septic systems. All such systems shall be constructed in compliance with the standards prescribed by the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services.”

• Agricultural exemptionConditional

  Primary dwellings or duplexes on parcels in Residential/Agricultural and Route 33 Legacy Highway Heritage Districts inside Stratham town limits.

  • The exemption applies where agriculture is the primary use of the parcel.
  • It exempts the parcel from the ordinance's one-primary-dwelling-or-duplex requirement, not from all land-use regulation.

  “Only one primary dwelling or duplex shall be permitted on individual parcels within the Residential/Agricultural and Route 33 Legacy Highway Heritage Districts. Parcels where agriculture is the primary use shall be exempt from this requirement.”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Subdivision plans inside Stratham town limits.

  • A plan is presented to the Stratham Planning Board for approval and, if approved, submitted for recording in Rockingham County.

  “Plat: The final map, drawing, or chart, on which the subdivider's plan of subdivision is presented to the Stratham Planning Board for approval and which, if approved, shall be submitted to the Register of Deeds of Rockingham County for recording.”

• Driveway accessLimited

  Premises seeking a certificate of occupancy inside Stratham town limits.

  • The proposed use, buildings, driveway, and other structures must comply with the ordinance, applicable approvals and codes, and the requirements for a Town Driveway Permit.

  “No certificate of occupancy shall be issued for any premises unless the proposed use of the land, buildings, driveway and other structures thereon comply with: a. The provisions of this Ordinance or the terms of a variance and/or special exception issued by the Board of Adjustment.”

• Building in a floodplainRequired

  Proposed development in any special flood hazard area inside Stratham town limits.

  • Applications must include general information, site plan, surveyor's certification, building plans, and certified floodproofing methods for nonresidential structures, among other materials.

  “All proposed development in any special flood hazard areas shall require a Flood Hazard Development Permit. Applications for the Permit shall include the following: general information, site plan, surveyor's certification, building plans, certified flood proofing methods for non-residential structures, etc.”

• Permit feesPublished (with conditions)

  Building permits inside Stratham town limits.

  • A non-refundable application fee is charged for all permits.
  • The complete fee schedule is available at the Planning & Building Department and on the Town website.

  “A non-refundable application fee is charged for all permits. A complete fee schedule at the Planning & Building Department and on the Town website.”

• Permit processPublished (with conditions)

  Building-permit applications inside Stratham town limits.

  • Completed application, checklist, and all fees must be submitted.
  • Incomplete submissions significantly delay approvals.
  • Other boards or commissions may need to approve some projects.

  “In order to obtain a permit, the following information must be submitted to the Building Department: 1.) Completed Building Permit Application(s) 2.) Completed Checklist 3.) All fees paid”

Rules another office applies inside Town of Stratham

Town of Stratham does not set these itself; the county, a health district or the state does, and they apply to every address inside its limits.

• Lot coverageSpecified

  Residential/Agricultural District inside Stratham town limits.

  • The listed dimensional table applies unless modified by other ordinance sections.

  maximum building coverage: <= 20 percent

  “MAXIMUM % BUILDING COVER/LOT: 20% 25% 30% 40% 60% 40% 40’ 40% 10%”

• Building heightSpecified

  Residential/Agricultural District inside Stratham town limits.

  • The listed dimensional table applies unless modified by other ordinance sections.

  maximum structure height: <= 35 feet

  “MAXIMUM HEIGHT OF STRUCTURE: 35’ 35’ 35’ 35’ 50’ 35’ (d) 35’ (d) 45’ 35’”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-built residential construction inside Stratham town limits.
• Building code adopted — Building construction inside Stratham town limits.
• Minimum dwelling size — Single-family dwellings inside Stratham town limits.
• Living in an RV — Long-term RV occupancy on private land inside Stratham town limits.
• Camping on your land — Temporary camping on private land inside Stratham 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 Stratham 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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