Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Town of Shaftsbury, Vermont

Town of Shaftsbury’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  Construction, reconstruction, conversion, relocation, or enlargement of a building inside Shaftsbury town.

  • The permit must be obtained from the Zoning Administrator by the landowner.
  • The provision also covers roads, utilities, site improvements, mining, and changes or extensions of use.

  “Before any land development, including the division of a parcel into two or more parcels, the construction, reconstruction, conversion, relocation, or enlargement of any building or other structure, the construction of roads, utilities, and any site improvements; any mining, or any change in the use of any building, structure, or land, or extension of use of land., a permit shall be obtained from the Zoning Administrator by the landowner.”

• Certificate of occupancyRequired

  An approved project inside Shaftsbury town before occupation or use, in whole or part.

  • The certificate is a Certificate of Zoning Compliance from the Zoning Administrator.
  • It verifies conformance with approved plans, the bylaw, and builder certification of Vermont residential or commercial energy-standard compliance.

  “When an approved project is completed, a Certificate of Zoning Compliance must be obtained from the Zoning Administrator prior to the occupation or utilization, in whole or in part, to ensure that the work was performed in accordance with the approved plans and specifications and the requirements of this Bylaw, including certification by the builder of compliance with the Vermont Residential or Commercial Building Energy Standards.”

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land inside Shaftsbury town.

  • The Development Review Board implements bylaws concerning conditional uses and subdivisions.

  “The Development Review Board (DRB) is a quasi-judicial body, implementing bylaws regarding "conditional uses" (that is, uses the Zoning Administrator may not sign off on) and subdivisions.”

• Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

  Zoning districts inside Shaftsbury town.

  • The Rural Districts have the same permitted and conditional uses but separate dimensional requirements.

  “The Rural Districts include the R-40, R-80, and R-200 Districts. The permitted and conditionally permitted uses are the same in each district, while the separate dimensional requirements for each are included in Section 4.2.4.”

• Camping on your landAllowed

  Primitive camping used as a short-term rental in Shaftsbury's Rural Districts.

  • The exemption specifically covers tents, tents on platforms, yurts, teepees, lean-tos, and similar shelters.

  “Primitive camping involving tents, tents on platforms, yurts, teepees. lean-tos and similar shelters shall be exempt from these regulations.”

• Tiny homesLimited

  Tiny houses treated as manufactured homes inside Shaftsbury town.

  • The unit must be on a lot meeting one-family-dwelling requirements in its district.
  • It must be anchored to a permanent masonry foundation and comply with municipal and state water-supply and wastewater-disposal requirements.

  “A Mobile Home may be used as a One Family dwelling, provided that it is located on a lot meeting all of the requirements of these Regulations applicable to a One Family dwelling in the district in which it is located, is suitably anchored to a permanent masonry foundation, and complies with all municipal and state requirements regarding water supply and wastewater disposal.”

• Manufactured homesLimited

  Manufactured or mobile homes used as one-family dwellings inside Shaftsbury town.

  • The lot must meet all one-family-dwelling requirements applicable in its district.
  • The home must be anchored to a permanent masonry foundation and comply with municipal and state water-supply and wastewater-disposal requirements.

  “A Mobile Home may be used as a One Family dwelling, provided that it is located on a lot meeting all of the requirements of these Regulations applicable to a One Family dwelling in the district in which it is located, is suitably anchored to a permanent masonry foundation, and complies with all municipal and state requirements regarding water supply and wastewater disposal.”

• Accessory dwellingsAllowed (with conditions)

  Accessory dwelling units in Shaftsbury's Village Residential District.

  • One ADU is allowed per lot containing one one-family dwelling.
  • The ADU cannot exceed 50 percent of the primary dwelling's floor area.
  • It is subject to dimensional, water-supply, and wastewater-disposal requirements.

  maximum ADU floor area: <= 50 percent of primary dwelling size

  “One Accessory Dwelling Unit per lot that contains a single One Family Dwelling Unit; the floor area of the Accessory Dwelling Unit shall be no larger than 50 percent of the size of the primary Dwelling Unit on the lot.”

• Off-grid sanitationLimited

  Camps in Shaftsbury's Forest and Recreation District.

  • Sanitary waste must use self-contained portable toilets emptied into a functioning offsite sewer or septic system, or a vault or pit privy.
  • Another method is possible only if it has no land discharge of effluent other than wash water and is approved by the Zoning Administrator.

  “Camps in the FR District shall dispose of sanitary wastes by using self-contained portable toilets, emptied into an off-site functioning sewer or septic system, or by using a Vault or Pit Privy (see Definitions – Appendix A).”

• Agricultural exemptionConditional

  Farm structures and Required Agricultural Practices inside Shaftsbury town.

  • The exemption applies to Required Agricultural Practices as defined by the Secretary of Agriculture and accepted silvicultural practices.
  • A person must notify the Zoning Administrator and comply with setbacks approved by the Secretary of Agriculture.
  • In the Special Flood Hazard Area, only qualifying farm structures compliant with Required Agricultural Practices do not require a permit.

  “A person shall notify the Zoning Administrator of the intent to build a Farm Structure and shall abide by setbacks approved by the Secretary of Agriculture, Food and Markets. No municipal permit for a Farm Structure shall be required.”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Dividing land into two or more parcels inside Shaftsbury town.

  • A permit must be obtained from the Zoning Administrator before division.
  • The DRB implements bylaws regarding subdivisions.

  “Before any land development, including the division of a parcel into two or more parcels, the construction, reconstruction, conversion, relocation, or enlargement of any building or other structure, the construction of roads, utilities, and any site improvements; any mining, or any change in the use of any building, structure, or land, or extension of use of land., a permit shall be obtained from the Zoning Administrator by the landowner.”

• Building in a floodplainRequired

  All development in Shaftsbury's Special Flood Hazard Area.

  • The land-development permit is obtained from the Zoning Administrator by the landowner.

  “A permit is required for all development in the Special Flood Hazard Area.”

• Permit feesVariable (with conditions)

  Administration of Shaftsbury's zoning bylaw.

  • The Select Board may prescribe reasonable fees.

  “The Select Board may prescribe reasonable fees to be charged with respect to the administration of this Bylaw.”

Rules another office applies inside Town of Shaftsbury

Town of Shaftsbury 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)

  Water and wastewater permitting that applies to land inside Shaftsbury town.

  • The town directs applicants to the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation for its state permit programs.

  “The Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation administers many State permit programs, including those related to water and wastewater, stormwater, rivers and streams, wetlands, floodplains, underground oil tanks, and more.”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-built residences inside Shaftsbury town.
• Building code adopted — Residential construction inside Shaftsbury town.
• Inspections — Residential building work inside Shaftsbury town.
• Minimum dwelling size — Dwellings inside Shaftsbury town.
• Septic permit — New or altered onsite wastewater systems serving land inside Shaftsbury town.

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 Shaftsbury 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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