Bolthole Index

Providence County, Rhode Island

Building permits, zoning and septic in the Town of Foster, Rhode Island

The Town of Foster, Rhode Island requires building permits for regulated building work, with work-specific exemptions under state law.1 Foster’s Building Department issues building permits, and Foster Planning & Zoning handles local land-use review.23 Septic approval comes from Rhode Island DEM, rather than the town.4

At a glance

Building permits
Required for regulated work; apply to Foster online12
Zoning
Town zoning applies; ask Planning & Zoning about the parcel’s district53
Septic permits
Rhode Island DEM administers OWTS approval4
Owner-builder
Qualifying owner/occupant work has a registration exemption, but still needs building permits and inspections6
Accessory dwellings
Conditional ADU pathway; tourist or transient rental prohibited7
Private wells
State construction and completion-report rules apply; ask Foster about local well permits8

Who to call

Building permits

Town of Foster Building Department

Building, plumbing, electrical and demolition permits; building inspections

401-392-9203

181 Howard Hill Road Foster Town Hall Foster RI 02825

Online permits →

Zoning

Town of Foster Planning & Zoning Department

Town land-use and zoning questions; subdivision and land-development review

401-392-9203

Online permits →

Septic permits

Rhode Island DEM Office of Water Resources OWTS Program

State septic-system approval and inspection questions

(401) 222-3961

[email protected]

235 Promenade Street Providence, RI 02908-5767

Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on October 11, 2026.

Off-grid gear

Going off-grid in Town of Foster means bringing your own water and power. The kit we’d start with:

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Do you need a building permit in the Town of Foster, RI?

The Town of Foster requires building permits for work covered by Rhode Island building-permit law.1 Ordinary repairs and listed minor projects can be exempt, but an exemption does not authorize work that violates building codes or other ordinances.9

A qualifying owner/occupant who performs the work without compensated assistance can be exempt from contractor registration; the owner still must obtain a building permit, arrange local inspection and receive approval before using the completed alteration.6 Treat the owner-builder provision as a registration exemption when discussing your project with Foster’s Building Department.62

Who issues building permits in the Town of Foster?

Foster’s Building Department issues building, plumbing, electrical and demolition permits.2 Foster requires all building-permit applications and inspection requests to be submitted online through OpenGov.2 Call the Building Department at 401-392-9203 to discuss the building work and inspection requests for your project.2

Foster Planning & Zoning handles subdivision and land-development review and local land-use and zoning regulations.3 Planning and zoning applications also must be completed online through OpenGov, and development checklists are available through the application portal.3 Use the town’s building and planning offices for a Foster parcel, while taking septic-system approval to Rhode Island DEM.234

Does the Town of Foster have zoning, lot-size rules and setbacks?

The Town of Foster has municipal zoning, and the published code references districts including AR, GB and HC2.510 Ask Foster Planning & Zoning to identify the parcel’s district and applicable dimensional requirements before choosing a house location.3

Foster’s 30-acre minimum applies specifically to residential compound development, which is reviewed as a minor subdivision; that figure is not a general minimum for every single-family house lot.1112 Replacement or temporary manufactured homes must meet the setbacks of their zoning district.13 We could not confirm the general single-family lot-area, setback or minimum floor-area schedule; ask Foster Planning & Zoning for the requirements for your proposed use.3

How do septic permits work inside the Town of Foster?

Rhode Island DEM’s Office of Water Resources OWTS Program administers septic systems serving Foster properties.4 A new system must be designed by a DEM-licensed Class II or Class III designer and installed by a DEM-licensed installer; a new site also requires evaluation by a licensed Class IV Soil Evaluator.4

DEM must accept or concur with the soil evaluation before the new-construction OWTS application is submitted.14 For activities requiring OWTS approval, Foster cannot issue the building permit until the required written DEM approvals are presented and remain valid.14 DEM staff conduct field inspections during system siting and installation.15 A composting toilet still requires the applicable approved technology and a separate graywater OWTS; it does not remove the wastewater-approval step.16

Can you live in an RV or tiny home in the Town of Foster?

We could not confirm a general Foster rule allowing residential RV occupancy on private land or a rule specifically authorizing tiny-home occupancy; ask Foster Planning & Zoning about the proposed dwelling and parcel before relying on either option.3 Rhode Island’s RV-park and campground provisions apply to those regulated facilities, so those provisions do not establish permission to live in an RV on any private Foster parcel.17

Foster prohibits manufactured-home parks in all zoning districts, while individual manufactured-home installations follow a separate installation-permit process.1819 Foster has a conditional ADU pathway in AR, GB and HC2, including a by-right circumstance for residential lots of at least 20,000 square feet.7 Foster ADUs cannot be offered for tourist or transient use or hosting-platform rental.7

Building a home in the Town of Foster: what steps come first?

  1. Ask Foster Planning & Zoning to identify the parcel’s district and review your proposed land use; use the development checklist in the town application portal.3
  2. For a septic-served project, hire the licensed soil evaluator and OWTS designer, then secure valid DEM approval before the building permit is issued.414
  3. Submit the building-permit application and later inspection requests through Foster’s OpenGov portal.2
  4. Arrange the required inspections and obtain the building official’s certificate of use and occupancy before occupying a new home.2021

For a private-well home, the occupancy certificate requires drinking-water testing documentation, and the town may require additional testing or quality standards.21

What should you check before buying land in the Town of Foster?

Ask Foster’s Building Department for the current building-permit fee schedule and ask Planning & Zoning about access requirements and your intended agricultural structures; we could not confirm Foster-specific answers for those topics.23 Access to a state highway requires a Rhode Island DOT Physical Alteration Permit before access is made.22

Private wells must follow state construction rules, and some municipal building or zoning officials may require a well permit; ask Foster’s offices before well work begins.8 For wider geographic context, see Providence County, but Rhode Island counties do not administer building permits or municipal zoning.2324 Foster’s own land-use review and state septic approval are the relevant starting points for land inside the town.34

Watch-outs

  • Foster requires building-permit applications and inspection requests online through OpenGov.2
  • The 30-acre residential-compound threshold does not establish the minimum area for an ordinary Foster house lot.11
  • Ask Foster Planning & Zoning to confirm residential RV occupancy, tiny-home use and the general single-family dimensional schedule before buying.3

Sources

  1. Foster Code Chapter 10, Article III, Building Permits (Town of Foster), quoted and re-checked
  2. Town of Foster Building Department (townoffosterri.gov)
  3. Town of Foster Planning & Zoning Department (townoffosterri.gov)
  4. Obtaining a Permit for a New Home’s Septic System (Rhode Island statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  5. Foster Code § 38-282, Development standards for accessory dwelling units (Town of Foster), quoted and re-checked
  6. R.I. Gen. Laws § 23-27.3-113.3.2 — Applications for work requiring registered workers (Rhode Island statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  7. Foster Code § 38-282, Development standards for accessory dwelling units (Town of Foster), quoted and re-checked
  8. Private Well Care, Repairs, and Construction (Rhode Island statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  9. R.I. Gen. Laws § 23-27.3-113.1 — When permit is required (Rhode Island statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  10. Foster Code § 38-282, Development standards for accessory dwelling units (Town of Foster), quoted and re-checked
  11. Foster Code § 38-356, Residential compounds (Town of Foster), quoted and re-checked
  12. Foster Code § 38-356, Residential compounds (Town of Foster), quoted and re-checked
  13. Foster Code § 16-83, Standards to govern issuance of replacement or temporary manufactured home license (Town of Foster), quoted and re-checked
  14. Rules Establishing Minimum Standards Relating to Location, Design, Construction and Maintenance of Onsite Wastewater Treatment Systems (Rhode Island statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  15. Rhode Island DEM Onsite Wastewater Treatment Systems (Town of Foster), quoted and re-checked
  16. Rules Establishing Minimum Standards Relating to Location, Design, Construction and Maintenance of Onsite Wastewater Treatment Systems (Rhode Island statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  17. R.I. Gen. Laws § 32-7-7 — Definitions (Rhode Island statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  18. Foster Code § 16-121, Manufactured home parks prohibited (Town of Foster), quoted and re-checked
  19. Foster Code § 16-57, Procedure for applying for installation permit for manufactured home (Town of Foster), quoted and re-checked
  20. R.I. Gen. Laws § 23-27.3-111.2 — Inspection (Rhode Island statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  21. R.I. Gen. Laws § 23-27.3-120.1 — New buildings (Rhode Island statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  22. Physical Alteration Permit Application Manual (Rhode Island statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  23. R.I. Gen. Laws § 23-27.3-100.1 — Short title — Applicability (Rhode Island statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  24. R.I. Gen. Laws § 45-24-50 — Adoption — Power of council to adopt (Rhode Island statewide rule), quoted and re-checked

Written October 11, 2026 from the rules quoted below, each taken from an official source and re-checked by an independent reviewer. This is research, not legal advice: rules change, so confirm with the office before you buy or build.

Answers from the rulebook for Town of Foster

Town of Foster’s own rules

  • Local zoningPresent

    Land inside Foster town; Foster has an adopted municipal zoning chapter.

    “An accessory dwelling unit (ADU) which meets the requirements [of] G.L. § 45-24-31 and G.L. § 45-24-73(a) shall be permitted in the AR, GB, and HC2 zoning districts.”
  • Zoning districtsPublished

    Foster zoning districts referenced in the adopted code, including AR, GB, HC2, GBM, and NC.

    • The available sections are not the complete zoning map or district schedule.
    “An accessory dwelling unit (ADU) which meets the requirements [of] G.L. § 45-24-31 and G.L. § 45-24-73(a) shall be permitted in the AR, GB, and HC2 zoning districts.”
  • Minimum lot sizeSpecified

    Residential compound development inside Foster town.

    • Residential compound development is reviewed as a minor subdivision; a compound may include not more than three single-family dwelling units, with up to two additional LMI units, and the minimum lot size for consideration is 30 acres.

    minimum lot size: >= 30 acres (residential compound development)

    “The minimum lot size for consideration shall be 30 acres.”
  • SetbacksSpecified

    Replacement or temporary manufactured homes inside Foster town.

    • The manufactured home must meet the setbacks of the zoning district in which it is located; the source does not provide the general district numeric setback table.
    “The manufactured home must meet the setbacks of the zoning district in which it is located.”
  • Lot coverageSpecified

    Multifamily dwellings and comprehensive-permit affordable-housing applications governed by Foster Code § 38-281.

    • The standard applies to multifamily structures and accessory buildings in the covered development; other residential districts or uses may have different controls.

    maximum lot coverage: <= 20 percent

    “shall not exceed 20 percent of the total area of the lot.”
  • Building heightSpecified

    Multifamily dwellings and comprehensive-permit affordable-housing applications governed by Foster Code § 38-281.

    • The principal-building limit is also two stories; accessory buildings and other permitted structures have a separate lower limit.

    principal building maximum height: <= 35 feet (and no more than two stories) · accessory building maximum height: <= 20 feet

    “No principal building shall exceed 35 feet in height or two stories.”
  • Manufactured homesLimited

    Manufactured homes and manufactured-home parks inside Foster town.

    • Manufactured-home parks are prohibited in all zoning districts; an individual manufactured-home installation requires an installation permit following RISBC-2 Appendix E; replacement or temporary licensing requires compliance with zoning-district setbacks and utility/building-service requirements.
    “Manufactured home parks shall be prohibited in all zoning districts”
  • Accessory dwellingsAllowed (with conditions)

    ADUs inside Foster town in the AR, GB, and HC2 zoning districts and ADUs meeting the specified right-by-law conditions.

    • One ADU is allowed by right for an owner-occupied property as reasonable accommodation for family members with disabilities; on a residential lot of at least 20,000 square feet; or within the existing footprint of the primary or existing accessory structure without footprint expansion. Studio/one-bedroom ADUs are limited to 900 square feet or 60 percent of the principal dwelling, whichever is less; two-bedroom ADUs are limited to 1,200 square feet or 60 percent, whichever is less; one off-street parking space is required per ADU bedroom; tourist or transient use and hosting-platform rental are prohibited.

    minimum lot area for one by-right ADU circumstance: >= 20000 square feet (primary use must be residential) · studio or one-bedroom ADU maximum: 900 or 60% square feet or principal-dwelling floor area (whichever is less) · two-bedroom ADU maximum: 1200 or 60% square feet or principal-dwelling floor area (whichever is less) · parking: per 1 space per bedroom

    “Pursuant to G.L. § 45-24-37, one accessory dwelling unit (ADU) shall be allowed by right under the following circumstances: [...] On a lot with a total lot area of 20,000 square feet or more for which the primary use is residential; [...] A studio or one-bedroom ADU shall be no larger than 900 square feet, or 60 percent of the floor area of the principal dwelling, whichever is less.”
  • Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

    Residential compound development inside Foster town.

    • Residential compound development must be reviewed as a minor subdivision under chapter 32.
    “Residential compound development shall be reviewed as a minor subdivision”
  • Permit processPartial

    Manufactured-home installation and ADU applications inside Foster town.

    • Manufactured-home installation applications follow RISBC-2 Appendix E; qualifying ADU applications follow the standards required for a single-family residential building permit and are reviewed by the building official.
    “Application for an installation permit for a manufactured home shall follow the procedures established in RISBC-2—R102.5 Appendices, Appendix E.”

Rules another office applies inside Town of Foster

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

  • Building permitRequired

    Building work in Foster town subject to Rhode Island building-permit law.

    • The Foster code cross-references Rhode Island General Laws § 23-27.3-113.1; statutory exemptions and work-specific exceptions may apply.
    “Building permit required, G.L. 1956, § 23-27.3-113.1.”
  • Septic inspectionRequired

    OWTS installation and siting inside Foster town.

    • DEM field inspections occur during key stages of system siting and installation.
    “Field inspections are conducted by DEM staff”

Still unanswered

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

  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder work inside Foster town.
  • Inspections — General building inspections for construction inside Foster town.
  • Minimum dwelling size — Minimum floor area for single-family dwellings in Foster town.
  • Living in an RV — Long-term or residential RV occupancy on private land inside Foster town.
  • Tiny homes — Tiny-home occupancy inside Foster town.
7 more unanswered
  • Off-grid sanitation
  • Well permit
  • Mandatory utility hookup
  • Agricultural exemption
  • Driveway access
  • Short-term rentals
  • Permit fees

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 Foster publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Providence County’s page lists the county offices to call.

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