Windsor County, Vermont
Town of Chester is a town in Windsor County, Vermont. Town of Chester adopts its own zoning, so inside its limits Town of Chester’s rules apply, not the county’s. Septic permits inside Town of Chester come from the state health agency. 18 rules below are quoted from official sources and independently re-checked, most recently on October 29, 2026. Rules for unincorporated land are on the Windsor County page.
New residential construction inside Chester town.
“construction of a new house on undeveloped property will require a state wastewater system & potable water supply permit, a town highway access permit or state highway access and work permit, and a town zoning permit.”
Land inside Chester town, Vermont.
“The Zoning Administrator administers the Town of Chester Unified Development Bylaws (Zoning Regulations) and is the person to contact for all building and subdivision permit applications.”
All land inside Chester town.
“a full and detailed written description of the precise boundaries of all districts, which is a part of these bylaws, is on file with the town clerk of the town of chester.”
Camping trailers and campgrounds inside Chester town.
minimum campsite area: >= 2500 square feet · minimum campsite width: >= 25 feet
“nothing in this section shall prevent a property owner from parking his/her own camping trailer on his/her property. trailers located on private property shall be registered with the department of motor vehicles.”
Tent and travel-trailer campgrounds inside Chester town.
minimum campsite area: >= 2500 square feet · minimum campsite width: >= 25 feet
“each camp site must provide a minimum area of 2,500 square feet; and, 2. a minimum width of 25 feet must be provided for each camp site.”
Mobile, modular, and other prefabricated homes inside Chester town.
“a mobile home, modular housing or other forms of prefabricated housing shall be considered a single-family dwelling and shall meet the same zoning requirements applicable to single-family dwellings, except when unoccupied and displayed in a mobile home sales establishment or allowed as a temporary structure under these Bylaws.”
Accessory dwelling units inside Chester town.
“A single accessory dwelling unit, as defined in these Bylaws, shall be a permitted use. A second accessory dwelling unit may be approved by the Development Review Board following review under the conditional use criteria of these regulations.”
Proposed subdivisions inside Chester town.
“The Development Review Board may require the extension of public waters and sewers to and within a proposed subdivision, without cost to the municipality where existing lines are, in the judgment of the Development Review Board, within a reasonable distance of the proposed subdivision.”
Subdivisions and boundary-line adjustments inside Chester town.
“all subdivisions and boundary line adjustments must be reviewed and approved by the development review board following a public hearing. all subdivisions and boundary line adjustments must be surveyed.”
New or modified driveways from town roads inside Chester town.
“a highway access permit is required from the town selectboard for a new or modified driveway off a town road.”
Short-term rentals inside Chester town.
annual non-hosted STR fee: 600 USD · townwide annual registration cap: <= 65 registrations per year · registrations per person or entity: <= 2 dwelling units per calendar year
“The Select Board adopted an amended Short-Term Rental Ordinance on June 19, 2024, that raises the annual fee for a non-hosted short-term rental from $300 to $600, imposes a one year waiting period after the sale or transfer of a property before it can be registered as a short-term rental, sets a town-wide registration cap of 65 short-term rental registrations per year, and allows a person or entity to register only up to 2 short-term rental dwelling units in the town in any calendar year.”
Development applications inside Chester town.
“Some permits can be issued without a hearing and others must be reviewed in a public hearing before the DRB.”
Town of Chester does not set these itself; the county, a health district or the state does, and they apply to every address inside its limits.
New houses and heated or cooled additions inside Chester town.
“your builder is required to submit a state residential energy building standards (rbes) certificate when the house is complete.”
New house construction inside Chester town.
“construction of a new house on undeveloped property will require a state wastewater system & potable water supply permit, a town highway access permit or state highway access and work permit, and a town zoning permit.”
Primitive camps inside Chester town.
maximum consecutive occupancy: <= 3 weeks per year (Primitive camp exemption) · maximum total occupancy: <= 60 days per year (Primitive camp exemption)
“a primitive camp is exempt from the requirement for a state wastewater and water supply permit if the camp has no interior plumbing other than a sink with water and is occupied for no more than 3 consecutive weeks per year and no more than a total of 60 days per year. a permit for a primitive camp will contain those conditions.”
New homes inside Chester town that require potable-water supply approval.
“construction of a new house on undeveloped property will require a state wastewater system & potable water supply permit, a town highway access permit or state highway access and work permit, and a town zoning permit.”
Development within Chester's Special Flood Hazard Areas.
“conditional use approval (see section 4.8) by the development review board (drb) is required for: 1. new buildings, 2. substantial improvement of existing buildings, and 3. development in a floodway; prior to being permitted by the zoning administrator.”
We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Town of Chester or Windsor County directly.
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 Chester publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Windsor County’s page lists the county offices to call.
Off-grid gear
Going off-grid in Town of Chester means bringing your own water and power. The kit we’d start with:
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