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

Town of Westford’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  Land development, including construction or structural alteration of buildings or structures, inside Westford town.

  • The requirement concerns land development under the town's Land Use and Development Regulations; the permit is issued by the administrative officer.

  “Zoning Permits are required for land development. Defined as: (1) Constructing, reconstructing, converting, structurally altering, relocating, or enlarging any building or structure”

• Certificate of occupancyRequired

  Use or occupancy of all new principal structures and dwellings inside Westford town.

  • The town states this requirement was incorporated into its Land Use and Development Regulations on June 10, 2021.

  “Town of Westford requires a Certificate of Occupancy to use or occupy or permit the use or occupancy of all new principal structures and dwellings, said requirement having been incorporated into the Land Use and Development Regulations on June 10, 2021.”

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land inside Westford town, Chittenden County, Vermont.

  • The town's Land Use and Development Regulations were adopted June 10, 2021 and are amended from time to time.

  “Town of Westford has Land Use and Development Regulations, duly adopted on June 10, 2021, as amended from time to time, providing generally that no land development may be commenced within the area affected by such regulations without a permit therefore issued by the administrative officer.”

• Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

  Zoning districts inside Westford town.

  • The town's official Land Use and Development Regulations page links both the amended regulations and a zoning-districts map.

  “2021 Westford Land Use & Development Regulations – Amended 2024 [...] Zoning Districts Map”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Division of land into two or more lots, plots, or parcels inside Westford town.

  • The town requires applicable plats to be approved and recorded in conformance with cited Vermont statutes and applicable local regulations.

  “Town of Westford has Land Use and Development Regulations, duly adopted on June 10, 2021, as amended from time to time, requiring generally local subdivision approval to divide any parcel or area of land, for the purpose of conveyance, transfer, improvement, or sale into two (2) or more lots, plots or parcels.”

• Driveway accessRequired

  A new-home curb cut onto a town road inside Westford town.

  • For a curb cut onto Route 128 or Route 15, State approval rather than Selectboard approval is required, and the state approval must be recorded in Westford Land Records.

  “Access permit - Must be approved by the Selectboard for a curb cut onto a town road, or by the State for a curb cut onto Route 128 or Route 15. (The State approval must be recorded in the Westford Land Records.)”

• Building in a floodplainRequired

  Land development within Westford's Flood Hazard Overlay District.

  • The town identifies this as a conditional-use permit requirement for land development in the overlay district.

  “Conditional Use Permits are required for nonresidential development listed as a conditional use in the zoning district and/or land development within the Water Resource Overlay District and/or Flood Hazard Overlay District.”

• Permit feesPublished (with conditions)

  Development-review applications inside Westford town.

  • The town directs applicants to submit the appropriate checklist and associated application fee from its Development Fee Schedule.

  “The appropriate Application Requirement Checklist (below) must be completed and submitted with a Development Review Application and associated application fee from the Development Fee Schedule (also below).”

• Permit processPublished (with conditions)

  Zoning and development-review applications inside Westford town.

  • Applicants must use the applicable checklist and submit the associated fee.

  “The appropriate Application Requirement Checklist (below) must be completed and submitted with a Development Review Application and associated application fee from the Development Fee Schedule (also below).”

Rules another office applies inside Town of Westford

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

• Septic permitRequired

  New wastewater systems serving property inside Westford town, under Vermont's statewide program.

  • The cited state guidance addresses new construction; exemptions and repairs may have different treatment under the state rules.

  “Building a new water supply or wastewater system: A permit is required for new construction.”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder work inside Westford town.
• Building code adopted — Building-code adoption for land inside Westford town.
• Inspections — Building inspections inside Westford town.
• Minimum dwelling size — Dwellings inside Westford town.
• Minimum lot size — Residential zoning districts inside Westford 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.