Town of Concord’s own rules
Building permitRequired
Development inside Concord town limits; the town issues zoning permits under its land use regulations. This is the town permit found, not a separate building permit ordinance.
- Exempt: normal maintenance and repair with no change in exterior dimensions or use; small accessory structures under 100 sq ft, 10 ft high, meeting setbacks; residential fences up to 4 ft; above-ground pools and hot tubs meeting setbacks; and other listed items (Section 201.1).
- Exemptions do not apply within the flood hazard area.
“except within the flood hazard area, a zoning permit is not required for the following development”
Certificate of occupancyRequired
Any use or occupancy of land or structure inside Concord town limits
- Certificate of occupancy is not issued until all approvals and permits are obtained and the project is completed per approvals (Section 709.4).
- Application must include a state water supply and wastewater permit or a letter of determination that none is required (Section 709.3).
- Zoning administrator may inspect within 30 days of application (Section 709.5).
“no use or occupancy of any land or structure may commence until the administrative officer has issued a certificate of occupancy in accordance with 24 v.s.a. § 4449(2).”
Local zoningPresent (with conditions)
Land inside Concord town limits. The Concord town selectboard adopted its own land use regulations (zoning), not county zoning.
- Copy located on nvda.net (regional planning host), not opened on concordvt.us; the town's own copy should be confirmed.
- Regulations cover zoning districts, dimensional standards, specific use standards, flood hazard areas, and subdivision.
“the town of concord selectboard hereby establishes the land use regulations for the town of concord which are set forth in the text and map that constitute these regulations.”
Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)
Zoning districts within Concord town limits
- Districts are Rural Lands (RL), Low Density (LD), Medium Density (MD), High Density (HD), and Lakeshore (lake).
- The official zoning map is on file in the town zoning office; a small-scale unofficial map is included in the regulations.
- Shadow Lake and Miles Pond shoreline are in the lakeshore district; state shoreland rules also apply within 250 feet of mean water level.
“these regulations establish the following zoning districts as shown on the official zoning map”
Minimum lot sizeSpecified
Rural Lands (RL) district in Concord town (agricultural and forestry, low-density land)
- Maximum density of one new lot for every 10 acres of land in single and separate ownership.
- Lots must be greater than one acre; original lot must keep enough acreage to stay eligible for current use enrollment.
- Frontage and setback requirements may be reduced by the development review board to minimize fragmentation of working lands.
minimum lot size: >= 1 acre · minimum road frontage: >= 200 feet
“minimum lot size in acres: 1 minimum road frontage in feet: 200 minimum yard dimensions in feet front 50 side 25 rear 25 maximum height in feet: 35”
One more reviewed finding on this topic
- Specified — Low Density (LD) district in Concord town (main single-family residential district outside the villages)
“minimum lot size in acres: 5 minimum width of lot in feet: 200 minimum yard dimensions in feet front 50 side 50 rear 50 maximum height in feet: 35”
SetbacksSpecified
Rural Lands (RL) district in Concord town
- Setbacks may be reduced by the development review board to minimize fragmentation of working lands.
- Buffer of 200 feet may be required from residences and wells to agricultural operation lot lines unless a smaller setback is shown to have no adverse impact.
- Structures, including porches and decks, may not project into minimum front, side, or rear yards (Section 403.3).
front yard: >= 50 feet · side yard: >= 25 feet (Reducible by development review board) · rear yard: >= 25 feet (Reducible by development review board)
“minimum yard dimensions in feet front 50 side 25 rear 25 maximum height in feet: 35 *frontage and setback requirements may be reduced per approval of the development review board in order to minimize fragmentation of working lands.”
One more reviewed finding on this topic
- Specified — Low Density (LD) district in Concord town (main single-family residential district)
“minimum yard dimensions in feet front 50 side 50 rear 50 maximum height in feet: 35”
Building heightSpecified
Rural Lands (RL) district in Concord town
- Solar devices projecting not more than 10 feet above a sloped roof, or any height on a flat roof, may exceed district height limits (Section 201.1(vii)).
maximum height: <= 35 feet (Solar devices as above)
“minimum yard dimensions in feet front 50 side 25 rear 25 maximum height in feet: 35”
One more reviewed finding on this topic
- Specified — Low Density (LD) district in Concord town (main single-family residential district)
“minimum yard dimensions in feet front 50 side 50 rear 50 maximum height in feet: 35”
Living in an RVLimited
Recreational vehicles parked on private land inside Concord town, outside an approved campground
- RVs may not be occupied as permanent living quarters or hooked up to utilities for more than 180 days in a calendar year.
- No more than two RVs (one in the lakeshore district), including the owner's, may be parked on a lot that is not an approved campground.
- RVs must be parked at least six feet from any lot line, for the owner's RV or a visitor's RV without special approval.
occupancy limit: <= 180 days per calendar year (Not applicable inside an approved campground) · RVs per lot: <= 2 vehicles (One in the lakeshore district) · setback from lot line: >= 6 feet
“parked recreational vehicles shall not be occupied as permanent living quarters, and not be hooked up to any utilities, for more than a total of 180 days in a calendar year.”
Camping on your landLimited
Camping or RV occupancy on private land inside Concord town outside an approved campground
- The RV rules in Section 505.1 apply except when located in an approved campground.
- Campground is a conditional use in the rural lands district under Section 404.4 and must be approved by the zoning board of adjustment.
“owners or users of recreational vehicles (or any conveyance constructed so as to allow occupancy thereof) shall abide by the following regulations except when located in an approved campground.”
Manufactured homesAllowed
Mobile homes and modular or prefabricated homes on land inside Concord town
- Same terms and conditions as conventional homes.
- Mobile home parks are allowed under the same terms as other residential subdivisions or developments.
- Permits are contingent on state requirements (Section 104.1).
“mobile homes, modular homes and prefabricated homes are allowed in concord under the same terms and conditions as conventional homes.”
Accessory dwellingsAllowed (with conditions)
One accessory dwelling per single-family dwelling on the same lot or lots inside Concord town
- Lot must have sufficient water and wastewater capacity, evidenced by a state wastewater system and potable water supply permit.
- A detached accessory dwelling (other than a preexisting building) must sit at least 20 feet further from the street than the single-family dwelling facade, be no wider than 60% of the house width parallel to the street, and have an eave height no more than 80% of the house eave height.
- No additional parking is required.
- Standards may be waived after conditional use review by the zoning board of adjustment (Section 501.2).
accessory dwellings per single-family dwelling: 1 dwelling · setback behind house facade (detached): >= 20 feet (Preexisting buildings such as carriage houses)
“one accessory dwelling is allowed for each single-family dwelling provided these requirements are followed.”
Agricultural exemptionConditional
Accepted agricultural and silvicultural practices, including farm structures, inside Concord town
- The farm residence must still meet the district setback requirements.
- Anyone building a farm structure other than a farm residence must notify the administrative officer and follow setbacks approved by the secretary of agriculture, food and markets (Section 202.1).
“these land use regulations shall not regulate accepted silvicultural practices and accepted agricultural practices”
Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)
Division of land inside Concord town
- Minor subdivision (two lots) is reviewed administratively by the administrative officer.
- Major subdivision (three or more lots) is also subject to planning commission site plan review after public notice and hearing (Section 512.2).
- No lot created may have more than 50% of its buildable area on slopes greater than 20%.
- Final plat on mylar must be submitted before filing in the town land records.
“for the purposes of these regulations minor subdivision is defined as the division of a lot into two lots and a major subdivision is defined as the division of a lot into three or more lots.”
Driveway accessRequired
Land development on any lot inside Concord town
- Lot needs frontage on a maintained public road or a permanent easement or right of way at least 50 feet wide to a public road (Section 502.1).
- Driveways and rights of way in the rural lands district are located nearest the new lot (Section 404.4).
- Road access requirements are not separately sized in the regulations read.
access easement width: >= 50 feet
“no land development may be permitted on lots that do not have adequate means of access, either frontage on a maintained public road or access by means of a permanent easement or right of way, at least 50 feet in width, to such a public road.”
Building in a floodplainRequired
Development within the Concord town flood hazard area (areas of special flood hazard on the national flood insurance maps adopted by reference)
- Requires a conditional use permit from the zoning board of adjustment (Section 602.1).
- Application copy mailed to the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources; permit issues after its comments or 30 days, whichever is sooner (Section 602.2).
- Development standards in Section 605 apply.
“are permitted within an area of special flood hazard only upon the granting of a conditional use permit by the zoning board of adjustment.”
Permit processPartial
Zoning permit process for land use inside Concord town
- Permitted uses need at least administrative review by the zoning administrator.
- Most permitted uses other than single and two-family dwellings and accessory dwellings also need planning commission site plan review after public notice and hearing (Section 404.2).
- Conditional uses go to the zoning board of adjustment after administrative review (Section 404.3).
- A zoning permit is not issued until the required approvals are obtained (Section 510.1 and 511.1).
“permitted uses are those that require, at a minimum, administrative review by the zoning administrator.”
Rules another office applies inside Town of Concord
Town of Concord 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-lot wastewater (septic) systems for land inside Concord town. The state regulates these systems, not the town. Scope is recorded as state because the state is the rule-maker; the rule applies inside Concord town.
- Town regulations say they do not replace state rules on on-lot potable water and wastewater systems regulated by the Department of Environmental Conservation.
- Any permit issued by the town is contingent on proof of compliance with state requirements (Section 104.1).
“on-lot potable water and wastewater systems, outdoor wood furnaces, underground storage tanks, regulated by the department of environmental conservation”
Still unanswered
We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Town of Concord or Essex County directly.
- Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder construction inside Concord town limits
- Building code adopted — Construction inside Concord town limits
- Inspections — Construction inside Concord town limits
- Minimum dwelling size — Minimum floor area of a dwelling inside Concord town
- Lot coverage — Lot coverage limits inside Concord town
6 more unanswered
- Tiny homes
- Septic inspection
- Off-grid sanitation
- Mandatory utility hookup
- 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.
