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

Town of Plainfield’s own rules

• Building permitLimited

  Building and regulated-system work inside Plainfield town limits.

  • Listed exemptions include certain small detached nonresidential structures, fences, retaining walls, minor driveways, finish work, and specified repairs.

  “Permits required by any owner or authorized agent: Construct, enlarge, alter, repair, move, demolish, or change the occupancy of a building or structure. Replacing windows that involve structural changes or windows in areas that require an egress window.”

• Building code adoptedAdopted (with conditions)

  Construction projects inside Plainfield town limits.

  • Applicable codes include state-adopted codes and Town of Plainfield ordinances.

  “Plainfield is governed by the set of codes adopted by the State of New Hampshire and the Town of Plainfield. The list of State adopted codes can be found on-line:”

• InspectionsRequired

  Projects issued a Plainfield permit.

  • At least 24 hours’ notice is requested for inspections; a final inspection is required for all permits.

  “The inspections checked below are required for your project. Please provide at least 24 hours’ notice for all inspections.”

• Certificate of occupancyRequired

  Occupancy of a residence inside Plainfield town limits.

  • Issued following a satisfactory final inspection.

  “Upon satisfactory final inspection either a Certificate of Occupancy or a Certificate of Completion will be issued. A Certificate of Occupancy is required to occupying a residence.”

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land inside Plainfield town limits.

  “In accordance with the laws of New Hampshire Chapters 672-677, NH. Revised Statutes Annotated (RSA) and amendments thereto, a Zoning Ordinance for the Town of Plainfield, NH is hereby established.”

• Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

  Land inside Plainfield town limits.

  • The ordinance also establishes Water Resources Conservation, Floodplain Conservation, and Shoreland Conservation overlay districts.

  basic zoning districts: Village Residential; Rural Residential; Rural Conservation I; Rural Conservation II; Conservation

  “For purposes of this Ordinance, the Town of Plainfield as shown on the District Map is divided into five basic zoning districts which are (1) Village Residential (VR), (2) Rural Residential (RR), (3) Rural Conservation (RC-I), (4) Rural Conservation II (RC-II), and (5) Conservation (CON), and three conservation overlay districts”

• Minimum dwelling sizeSpecified

  Residence and seasonal dwelling units, including manufactured housing, inside Plainfield town limits.

  minimum ground-floor area: >= 320 square feet (Includes manufactured housing units.)

  “Floor area: Residence and seasonal dwelling units, including manufactured housing units, shall have a ground floor area not less than 320 square feet.”

• Minimum lot sizeDistrict specific (with conditions)

  Village Residential and Rural Residential districts inside Plainfield town limits.

  • VR size varies with public-water and sewer availability.

  VR minimum lot size: 20000-40000 square feet (20,000 with public water and sewer; 30,000 with either; 40,000 with neither.) · RR minimum lot size: 3.5 acres

  “Minimum Lot Size: 20,000 square feet with public water and sewer, 30,000 square feet with public water or sewer, 40,000 square feet with not public water or sewer”

• SetbacksDistrict specific (with conditions)

  Village Residential and Rural Residential districts inside Plainfield town limits.

  • Additional public-right-of-way setback conditions apply in the district tables.

  VR setbacks: front 30; side 15; rear 15 feet · RR setbacks: front 30; side 20; rear 30 feet

  “Minimum Setbacks: Front: 30’; Side: 15’; Rear: 15’ (linear)”

• Lot coverageDistrict specific (with conditions)

  Village Residential and Rural Residential districts inside Plainfield town limits.

  • The VR standard includes paved and unpaved parking, driveways, and turn-around areas.

  VR maximum impervious surface: <= 40 percent · RR maximum impervious surface: <= 20 percent

  “Maximum Lot Coverage: 40% Impervious Surface”

• Building heightSpecified

  Village Residential and Rural Residential districts inside Plainfield town limits.

  • A structure exceeding the general 35-foot limitation needs Zoning Board approval.

  maximum building height: <= 35 feet (Without Zoning Board approval.)

  “Maximum Lot Coverage: 40% Impervious Surface Maximum Building Height: 35’”

• Living in an RVTemporary only (with conditions)

  Camping trailers and motor coaches occupied inside Plainfield town limits.

  • Occupancy beyond 14 consecutive days requires a special permit from the Zoning Administrator; the permit cannot exceed 90 days in any 12-month period.

  occupancy without special permit: <= 14 consecutive days · special-permit maximum: <= 90 days in any 12-month period

  “Camping trailers (whether of the truck-mounted or tow varieties) or motor coaches may be occupied for a period of 14 consecutive days in the Town of Plainfield without a special permit. For a period of longer than 14 consecutive days, a special permit authorizing occupancy must be issued by the Zoning Administrator.”

• Camping on your landLimited

  Camping-trailer and motor-coach occupancy inside Plainfield town limits.

  • This finding concerns temporary vehicle-based camping; occupancy beyond 14 consecutive days requires a special permit.

  occupancy without special permit: <= 14 consecutive days

  “Camping trailers (whether of the truck-mounted or tow varieties) or motor coaches may be occupied for a period of 14 consecutive days in the Town of Plainfield without a special permit.”

• Manufactured homesLimited

  Manufactured housing placed inside Plainfield town limits.

  • A zoning permit is required before siting; new-residence permits require an acceptable sanitary system; homes moved into Town after April 1, 1998 must meet the specified manufacture date and HUD-certification condition.

  minimum ground-floor area: >= 320 square feet (Applies to residence and seasonal dwelling units, including manufactured housing units.)

  “No building construction, land development, or citing of manufactured housing may commence and no land or structure may be devoted to a new or changed use within the Town unless permitted under this Ordinance or approved by the Zoning Board and until a Zoning Permit has been issued by the Zoning Administrator.”

• Off-grid sanitationLimited

  New residences and manufactured housing inside Plainfield town limits.

  • An acceptable sanitary sewage-disposal system is a prerequisite to the Town permit.

  “All permits for new residence construction, including the citing of manufactured housing units, shall be granted only upon provision of acceptable sanitary systems of sewage disposal.”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Subdivision and minor lot-line adjustments inside Plainfield town limits.

  • The regulations do not apply to voluntary mergers defined by RSA 674:39-a.

  “These regulations apply to Planning Board review and approval or disapproval of all subdivisions as defined by RSA 672:14 and minor lot line adjustments or boundary agreements. They do not apply to voluntary mergers as defined by RSA 674:39-a.”

• Driveway accessLimited

  Subdivision applications inside Plainfield town limits.

  • Driveway permits are considered during Planning Board subdivision review.

  “Lot size, street frontage and driveway permits, as well as State approval of septic systems, where needed, are considered in the Planning Board's review of subdivision applications.”

• Building in a floodplainRequired

  Land in Plainfield's Floodplain Conservation Overlay District.

  • The overlay applies to FEMA-designated special flood hazard areas; where overlays are superimposed, the more restrictive regulations apply.

  “The Floodplain Conservation Overlay District in this ordinance shall apply to all lands designated as special flood hazard areas by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) in its "Flood Insurance Study for the County of Sullivan, N.H." dated May 23, 2006 or as amended together”

Rules another office applies inside Town of Plainfield

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

• Who permits septicState (with conditions)

  On-site septic systems for subdivision and residential development inside Plainfield town limits.

  • State approval is considered where needed during Planning Board subdivision review.

  “Lot size, street frontage and driveway permits, as well as State approval of septic systems, where needed, are considered in the Planning Board's review of subdivision applications.”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-built construction inside Plainfield town limits.
• Tiny homes — Tiny-home occupancy inside Plainfield town limits.
• Septic inspection — On-site septic systems inside Plainfield town limits.
• Well permit — Private wells inside Plainfield town limits.
• Agricultural exemption — Agricultural construction or land use inside Plainfield 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 Plainfield 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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