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

Town of Acworth’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  Erecting, relocating, or altering the bulk of a dwelling, building, or structure within Acworth.

  • Exempt: one building under 64 square feet in Crescent Lake District, under 100 square feet in Village Districts, or under 144 square feet in Rural District, if applicable setbacks are met.
  • No permit is required for remodeling when the use does not change and exterior walls are not altered.
  • The Board of Selectmen issues permits when the proposal complies with the ordinance or an approved variance or special exception.

  “after passage of this ordinance, it shall be unlawful to erect or relocate any dwelling, building or structure or alter the bulk of any dwelling, building or structure without first obtaining a permit from the board of selectmen except in the following instances:”

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land within Acworth town limits.

  • Uses not listed for a zoning district are nonconforming and may be approved by special exception from the Zoning Board of Adjustment.

  “for the purpose of this ordinance, the town of acworth is divided into the following districts: a. residential district. 1. acworth village 2. south acworth village b. rural district. c. crescent lake district. d. conservation zone.”

• Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

  Zoning districts within Acworth town limits.

  • Residential District includes Acworth Village and South Acworth Village.

  “article ii: districts for the purpose of this ordinance, the town of acworth is divided into the following districts: a. residential district. 1. acworth village 2. south acworth village b. rural district. c. crescent lake district. d. conservation zone.”

• Living in an RVTemporary only (with conditions)

  Guest recreational vehicles on private property within Acworth town limits.

  • One guest RV may be accommodated by a property owner or lessee for no more than 90 days in one year.
  • State-mandated sanitary requirements must be met.

  maximum guest RV period: <= 90 days per year

  “ninety (90) days in one year regardless of whether the property contains other dwelling units provided that all of the sanitary requirements mandated by state law are met.”

• Tiny homesAllowed (with conditions)

  Tiny houses and yurts meeting the ordinance definitions within Acworth town limits.

  • A building-permit application must be filed with the Board of Selectmen.
  • They must meet dwelling standards, state sanitary rules, boundary setbacks, and all other ordinance provisions.

  “Tiny houses and yurts which meet this Ordinance’s definitions are allowed in order to provide opportunities for green and affordable housing in the Town and pursuant to filing a building permit application with the Board of Selectmen.”

• Manufactured homesLimited

  Mobile homes/manufactured housing within Acworth town limits.

  • Temporary use may be approved by the Selectmen for specified construction or timber-harvest circumstances and must satisfy sanitary protection requirements.
  • A mobile home may be a Rural District residence after a Select Board permit and compliance with sanitary and lot-size requirements; mobile-home parks are prohibited in all districts.

  “3. a mobile home may be maintained as a residence in the rural district after obtaining a building permit from the board of selectmen.”

• Accessory dwellingsLimited

  Accessory dwelling units within Acworth town limits.

  • Permission requires a building-permit application; one ADU per lot.
  • The owner must permanently occupy the primary dwelling or ADU, and the acknowledgement is recorded at the Sullivan County Registry of Deeds.
  • The ADU must meet sanitary, driveway, parking, and setback requirements; manufactured housing and RVs cannot be used as an ADU.

  “adu shall be subject to the same permitting and construction standards used for primary dwellings insofar as they apply and will be limited to one per lot.”

• Off-grid sanitationLimited

  Dwellings and other buildings using on-site sanitation within Acworth.

  • Systems must be constructed and maintained to NHDES-approved standards.
  • Occupancy of a building with connected running water cannot begin until the approved sanitary system is completed and operable.

  “occupancy of a building with running water connected shall not commence until an approved sanitary system is completed and operable.”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Subdivision of land for development within Acworth town limits.

  • Subdivision must meet the Land Subdivision Control Regulations as amended by the Acworth Planning Board.

  “Any subdivision of land for development shall meet the requirements of Land Subdivision Control Regulations adopted and effective April 28, 1972, and recorded May 1, 1972, Vol. 508 pg. 309, Sullivan County Registry of Deeds, and as amended by the Acworth Planning Board.”

• Driveway accessRequired

  New, changed, or relocated driveways within Acworth town limits.

  • Planning Board approval is required.

  “New, changed or relocated driveways require Planning Board approval.”

• Permit processPartial

  Building-permit applications within Acworth town limits.

  • Application requires project, zoning, flood-zone, driveway, and setback information; separate layout and drawing materials are requested.
  • Construction must begin within one year of approval or a new permit is required.

  construction commencement deadline: <= 1 year after approval (a new permit is required if construction has not started)

  “Construction must begin within one year of approval date. If construction hasn’t started within one year, a new permit is required.”

Rules another office applies inside Town of Acworth

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

• Building code adoptedPartial

  Owners and contractors undertaking construction within Acworth town limits.

  • Acworth has not adopted a local building-code ordinance; the application directs compliance with New Hampshire minimum building and fire code requirements under RSA 155-A:2 I and VII.

  “Although the Town of Acworth has not adopted a local building code ordinance, owners and contractors MUST still comply with New Hampshire building and fire code’s minimum requirements per RSA 155-A:2 I and VII.”

• Minimum lot sizeSpecified

  Residential Districts in Acworth, including Acworth Village and South Acworth Village.

  • Each lot must have at least 200 feet of frontage.
  • A second principal dwelling or use needs Planning Board subdivision approval and twice the district minimum lot area and frontage.

  minimum lot area: >= 40000 square feet · minimum frontage: >= 200 feet

  “The lot area in Residential Districts shall be not less than forty thousand (40,000) square feet, with the frontage of each lot not less than two-hundred (200) feet.”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Specified — Rural District in Acworth.

    “1. lot area: the lot area of the rural district shall be not less than three (3) acres and every lot shall have a minimum frontage of three hundred (300) feet.”

• SetbacksSpecified

  Residential Districts in Acworth.

  • A building may be closer to the right-of-way if it conforms to buildings on either side of the property.

  right-of-way setback: >= 40 feet (conforming placement with buildings on either side) · side or rear setback: >= 20 feet

  “No building or other structure may be erected closer than forty (40) feet to the nearest edge of the abutting right of way, excepting, however, that a building may be erected closer to the abutting right of way if in conformity with the buildings on either side of the property. No building may be erected closer than twenty (20) feet to any side or rear property line.”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Specified — Rural District in Acworth.

    “2. setback requirements: no building or other structure shall be erected closer than forty (40) feet to the nearest edge of the abutting right of way nor closer than fifty (50) feet to any side or rear property line.”

• Building heightSpecified

  Crescent Lake District in Acworth.

  • Height is measured from average ground level around the structure to the highest roof point, excluding chimneys.
  • Where its listed land standards are less stringent, the state Shoreland Protection Act standards govern.

  maximum height: <= 35 feet (chimneys excluded)

  “No building or structure shall exceed thirty-five (35) feet in height as measured from the average ground level around the structure to the highest point on the roof, excluding chimneys.”

• Septic permitRequired

  Building-permit applications for projects requiring a proper septic system within Acworth.

  • State approval for a proper septic system is required before the town issues the building permit.

  “Prior to a permit being issued, an approval from the state for a proper septic system is required: Approval #___________________”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-built construction within Acworth town limits.
• Inspections — Building construction within Acworth town limits.
• Certificate of occupancy — Completed buildings within Acworth town limits.
• Minimum dwelling size — Dwellings in Acworth zoning districts.
• Lot coverage — Land in Acworth zoning districts.

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 Acworth 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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