Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Town of Goshen, New Hampshire
Town of Goshen is a town in Sullivan County, New Hampshire. Town of Goshen adopts its own zoning, so inside its limits Town of Goshen’s rules apply, not the county’s. 16 rules below are quoted from official sources and independently re-checked, most recently on October 29, 2026. Rules for unincorporated land are on the Sullivan County page.
Answers from the rulebook for Town of Goshen
Town of Goshen’s own rules
Building permitRequired
New buildings, reconstruction, and conversion of existing structures into habitable dwellings or apartments inside Goshen town
Construction may proceed only after a building permit is issued; the permit becomes void unless operations start within six months of approval unless the building inspector extends it in writing.
Remodeling into habitable dwellings, conversion into apartment units, attached ells and accessory buildings fall within the building ordinance.
“No building shall be erected in Goshen without a valid building permit issued by the town official or employee designated by the Board of Selectmen.”
Building code adoptedPartial
New buildings and reconstruction for habitation inside Goshen town
The town building ordinance (adopted 1968, amended 1989, 2002, 2003) sets permit, chimney, electrical, plumbing and septic rules and requires conformance with the state fire and state building code.
The ordinance does not name a model code edition; responsibility for state building code compliance stays with the landowner and contractor per RSA 155-A:2, VIII as cited in the ordinance.
The 2026 amended combined PDF was not checked for a building-code section; the claim rests on the 1968 building ordinance text.
“If he finds the proposed building to conform with the law and this ordinance, including the State Fire and State Building Code, he may at once issue the permit in writing over his signature.”
Certificate of occupancyRequired
Permanent occupancy of buildings inside Goshen town
Certificate of occupancy fees are set by the board of selectmen under RSA 41:9-a after a public hearing.
Refers to the zoning ordinance section b2 cross-reference for occupancy.
“No building may be occupied permanently until a certificate of occupancy has been issued by the Building Inspector”
Local zoningPresent (with conditions)
All land inside Goshen town limits; the Town of Goshen's own zoning ordinance (amended March 25, 2026) governs use and dimensions there.
Special exceptions and variances are handled by the zoning board of adjustment, as the ordinance refers to it throughout.
Dimensional, district and occupancy rules are set in the town ordinance and are split out into the separate claims below.
“For the purpose of regulating the use of land and the location and construction of buildings, the Town of Goshen shall be considered as four districts with the following regulations and restrictions:”
Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)
Zoning districts of Goshen town as listed in Section III.a of the zoning ordinance
Residential or agricultural district (III.a.1) covers all areas not otherwise defined as another district.
Tourist related district along Brook Road (III.a.2), limited to parcels with Brook Road frontage as of March 8, 1988.
Light commercial district (III.a.3) listed but not opened.
Recreation district at the Mount Sunapee resort leasehold (III.a.4).
Zoning map not opened; district boundaries are described in text only.
“For the purpose of regulating the use of land and the location and construction of buildings, the Town of Goshen shall be considered as four districts with the following regulations and restrictions:”
Minimum dwelling sizeSpecified
Dwelling units used by a single family inside Goshen town
Smaller dwelling units may be permitted by special exception, with a limit set by the zoning board of adjustment on the number of occupants.
This rule is in the 1968 building ordinance text; the 2026 amended combined PDF was not checked for a different figure.
minimum living space per single-family dwelling unit: >= 800 square feet (smaller units may be permitted by special exception of the zoning board of adjustment)
“Every dwelling unit to be used by a single family shall have a minimum living space of 800 square feet. Smaller dwelling units may be permitted by special exception, with a limit placed by the Zoning Board of Adjustment on the number of occupants allowed in the unit.”
Minimum lot sizeDistrict specific (with conditions)
Residential or agricultural district (Section III.a.1), which covers all areas of Goshen town not otherwise defined as another district
One lot of not less than two acres may be created when land is proposed for subdivision.
Land refers to all lots in existence on 03/13/1979 for this rule.
Other districts (tourist related, light commercial, recreation) were not verified within budget.
minimum lot size: >= 3 acres (one lot of not less than two acres may be created in a proposal to subdivide land)
“lots shall be at least three (3) acres in size, providing however, that in proposals to subdivide land, one lot of not less than two acres may be created.”
SetbacksSpecified
Buildings in the residential or agricultural district (Section III.a.1) under the general setback rules of Section III.d
Front setback is measured from the right-of-way line to any building.
Side and rear setback is measured from lot side and rear lines; the d.2 proviso reduces the distance for small detached buildings not larger than 100 square feet and states ten feet, while a campground provision elsewhere in the ordinance refers to a reduced 20-foot distance; verify before relying on the small-building figure.
Frontage: the lot on which a building is sited must have at least 175 feet of frontage on a regularly maintained public road or a road built to town specifications (Section III.d.4).
front setback from right-of-way: >= 50 feet · side and rear setback from lot lines: >= 40 feet (small detached buildings not larger than 100 square feet have a reduced distance under the d.2 proviso)
“front setback: minimum distance between any building and a right-of-way shall be fifty feet (50’).”
Building heightSpecified
Buildings anywhere in Goshen town under the general dimensional provisions of Section III.d
Height is measured from the average finished grade to a point midway between the highest and lowest points of the highest roof.
Silos and barns for agricultural purposes and church towers are excepted.
Ground-mounted telecom and other specialized structures have separate rules not reviewed here.
maximum building height: <= 35 feet (silos and barns for agricultural purposes and church towers are excepted)
“height: maximum height of any building shall be thirty-five feet (35’), with determination being the vertical distance from the average finished grade surrounding the building to a point midway between the highest and lowest points of the highest roof.”
Manufactured homesLimited
Mobile and manufactured homes placed for habitation inside Goshen town
Mobile homes are subject to the building ordinance in all respects except living space area, which follows RSA 674:31.
Mobile homes must also meet the general minimum living space rule unless the RSA 674:31 provision applies.
“Mobile homes shall come within the scope of these regulations in all respects except the living space area, where the provisions of RSA 674:31 shall apply.”
Off-grid sanitationLimited
Household sanitation on land inside Goshen town where no public sewer system is available
A private sewerage disposal system is required; septic tanks and drainage fields must be approved and built under state law.
No composting, privy or other non-septic sanitation option was found in the opened text.
“Septic tanks and drainage fields are required with flush bowls and size, type and construction must be approved.”
Mandatory utility hookupConditional
New homes inside Goshen town on lots where public sewer may or may not be available
Where no public sewer system is available, a private sewerage disposal system is required.
The opened text states no distance threshold and does not expressly require connection to a public sewer where one is available.
No water connection rule was found in the opened ordinances; water is therefore not recorded as required.
“When a public system is not available, a private sewerage disposal system is required.”
Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)
Open space developments (clustered subdivisions) inside Goshen town; conventional subdivisions are governed by the separate Goshen subdivision regulations, which were not opened
Planning board subdivision approval is required for open space developments regardless of whether lot lines are created.
A zoning permit follows only after the planning board approves the final plat under the Goshen subdivision regulations.
Minimum overall tract size for an open space development is 12 acres of developable land.
“With the adoption of subdivision and site plan regulations, and zoning ordinances, the Planning Board is also responsible for receiving and reviewing plans for subdivisions, commercial development and other similar land use activity to ensure that they are in compliance with the regulations and ordinances of the town.”
Driveway accessRequired
New driveways serving buildings inside Goshen town
A driveway permit must be obtained before a building permit can be issued.
Where a new driveway or roadway could interfere with drainage on town roads, culvert installation and grading may be required at the owner's expense; the town maintains the required culvert as a permit condition.
The driveway permit form and driveway standards were not opened.
“A driveway permit must be obtained before a building permit can be issued.”
Permit feesVariable (with conditions)
Building permit and certificate of occupancy fees inside Goshen town
Fees are set by the board of selectmen after a public hearing under RSA 41:9-a, at amounts calculated to cover the town's regulatory, administrative and enforcement costs.
If a building permit is denied, all but $5 of the fee is refunded.
The town forms page lists a building permit fee schedule (updated November 2024) that was not opened in this research.
“Fees for building permits and for certificates of occupancy shall be set by the Board of Selectman under the provisions of RSA 41:9-a, at amounts reasonably calculated to cover the Town’s actual regulatory, administrative, and enforcement costs in connection with this Ordinance.”
Permit processPartial
Building permit applications inside Goshen town
Applications must be in writing and include a sketch or plan with a wiring diagram and enough detail to assess compliance.
The building inspector may approve, attach conditions, or refuse; a driveway permit must come first (Section III.b.1 of the 2026 PDF).
Appeals go to the zoning board of adjustment sitting as the building ordinance board of appeals.
The application and inspection forms are on the town forms page, which was not opened.
“All applications for a permit to build or reconstruct such a class of building shall be accompanied by a sketch or plan of the proposed building including a wiring diagram.”
Still unanswered
We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Town of Goshen or Sullivan County directly.
Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builders constructing homes inside Goshen town
Inspections — Building inspections inside Goshen town
Lot coverage — Maximum building coverage of a lot inside Goshen town
Camping on your land — Tent or RV camping on private land inside Goshen town
Tiny homes — Tiny homes used as dwellings inside Goshen town
6 more unanswered
Septic permit
Septic inspection
Well permit
Agricultural exemption
Building in a floodplain
Short-term rentals
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.
Unanswered questions are usually a sign that Town of Goshen publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Sullivan County’s page lists the county offices to call.
Off-grid gear
Going off-grid in Town of Goshen means bringing your own water and power. The kit we’d start with:
