Bolthole Index

Plymouth County, Massachusetts

Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Lakeville, Massachusetts

The Town of Lakeville, Massachusetts requires a building permit for construction1, issued by the town's Building Department2. Lakeville administers its own Zoning Bylaw, not Plymouth County3. Septic systems fall under the state Title 5 code4, with permitting and inspections handled by the Lakeville Board of Health5.

At a glance

Building permit
Required; issued by the Lakeville Building Department12
Zoning
Yes, the town's own Zoning Bylaw (Chapter 270)3
Minimum lot (Residential district)
70,000 sq ft, with 175 ft of frontage6
Residential setbacks
40 ft front, 20 ft side, 20 ft rear7
Septic
State Title 5 rules; Lakeville Board of Health permits and inspects45
RV living
Not confirmed outside the floodplain overlay8
Accessory dwelling
One allowed in single-family districts under state law9

Who to call

Building permits

Lakeville Building Department

Building permits and inspections, plus enforcement of the Zoning Bylaw, for land inside Lakeville

(508) 946-8804

346 Bedford Street Lakeville, MA 02347

Online permits →

Septic permits

Lakeville Board of Health

Septic (subsurface sewage disposal) permits and inspections in Lakeville

(508) 946-3473

346 Bedford Street Lakeville, MA 02347

Online permits →

Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on October 23, 2026.

Off-grid gear

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

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Does Lakeville, Massachusetts have zoning?

Yes. The Town of Lakeville administers its own Zoning Bylaw, Chapter 270, and the county does not zone310. The base-district table lists Residential, Business, Industrial and Industrial-B columns11. In the Residential district, a lot needs at least 70,000 square feet and 175 feet of frontage6. Required yards are 40 feet in front and 20 feet on each side and the rear7. Structures, parking and paving may cover no more than 25% of a Residential lot12, and buildings are capped at 2.5 stories and 35 feet13. Overlay districts for floodplain, water resource protection and other purposes sit on top of the base districts11. State law bars any town from regulating the interior floor area of a single-family home, so Lakeville cannot set a minimum house size through zoning14.

Do you need a building permit in Lakeville, and who issues it?

Yes. Massachusetts applies one state building code to every town15, and Lakeville's Building Department enforces it together with the Zoning Bylaw2. Plymouth County has no county building department, so permits come from the town1. Building permit applications can be filed online through the town's Viewpoint portal, and the department accepts paper applications that may slow issuing2. Owner-occupants building their own home are exempt from home-improvement-contractor registration, but that exemption does not waive a building permit16. We could not confirm Lakeville's inspection steps, certificate of occupancy rules or permit fees; ask the Building Department.

How do septic permits work inside Lakeville?

Septic systems in Lakeville follow the state Title 5 code, 310 CMR 154. The Lakeville Board of Health handles subsurface sewage disposal system permitting and inspections5. Soils matter here: only about 2.6% of soils in Plymouth County rate as not limited for a conventional drain field, so expect a site evaluation and possibly an engineered system17. Converting a seasonal home to year-round use needs a Zoning Board of Appeals special permit with Board of Health approval of sewage disposal18. We could not confirm Lakeville's local septic regulations or well permit rules; ask the Board of Health, because a Massachusetts town may require a local site permit for private wells19.

Can you live in an RV, tiny home or manufactured home in Lakeville?

We could not confirm a general RV or tiny home rule for Lakeville, so ask the Building Department before you plan to live in either. The one RV rule we confirmed applies inside the floodplain overlay: in the flood zones named there, an RV must be elevated and anchored, stay fewer than 180 consecutive days, or be fully licensed and highway ready8. The state's tiny-house law applies only to designated seasonal communities20. State law lets an owner whose home burned or was destroyed by a natural disaster live in a manufactured home on the site for up to 12 months while rebuilding21. Lakeville's rules on manufactured homes outside a park are unconfirmed.

Can you add an accessory dwelling unit in Lakeville?

A single accessory dwelling unit in a single-family zoning district is protected under state law, though towns may apply reasonable rules such as setbacks, site plan review and the state septic code9. In Lakeville, building more than one accessory dwelling unit on a lot requires a special permit from the Zoning Board of Appeals22. Confirm the dimensional and septic conditions for your parcel with the Building Department2.

Building a home in Lakeville: the steps, in order

  1. Confirm the zoning district and overlays for your parcel with the Building Department, which enforces the Zoning Bylaw2.
  2. Check lot size, frontage and yards against the Residential table67.
  3. Ask the Board of Health about a septic design and permit under the state septic code5.
  4. If any part of the lot is in the floodplain overlay, a floodplain permit is required for development, and plans are circulated to the conservation commission, planning board, board of health and building commissioner2324.
  5. If you are dividing land, submit the plan to the planning board before subdividing25.
  6. Apply for the building permit through the Viewpoint portal or on paper2.

What stays with Plymouth County, and what to check before you buy in Lakeville

Plymouth County does not issue building permits, zoning or septic permits; those are town functions1. For land elsewhere in the county, see the Plymouth County page. Before buying in Lakeville, check the floodplain overlay, since development there needs its own permit and the Building Commissioner serves as floodplain administrator23. Plymouth County's effective property tax rate is 1.2%26. Ask the Building Department whether a parcel's driveway, permit fees and well rules carry local requirements, since we could not confirm them.

Watch-outs

  • Lakeville's zoning bylaw is amended at town meeting, so confirm current dimensional rules with the Building Department before you buy3.
  • Septic rules beyond the state septic code, including local Board of Health regulations, were not confirmed; call the Lakeville Board of Health before you rely on a perc test or design5.
  • Lakeville's permit fees, certificate of occupancy rules and short-term rental rules were not confirmed; ask the Building Department2.

Sources

  1. Mass.gov — 780 CMR Massachusetts State Building Code (Administration) (2026 county census)
  2. Lakeville Building Department (lakevillema.org)
  3. Town of Lakeville, MA code table of contents (eCode360) (Town of Lakeville), quoted and re-checked
  4. Article VII: Special Regulations, Chapter 270 Zoning, Town of Lakeville, MA (eCode360) (Town of Lakeville), quoted and re-checked
  5. Lakeville Board of Health (lakevillema.org)
  6. Article V: Intensity Regulations, Chapter 270 Zoning, Town of Lakeville, MA (eCode360) (Town of Lakeville), quoted and re-checked
  7. Article V: Intensity Regulations, Chapter 270 Zoning, Town of Lakeville, MA (eCode360) (Town of Lakeville), quoted and re-checked
  8. Article VII: Special Regulations, Chapter 270 Zoning, Town of Lakeville, MA (eCode360) (Town of Lakeville), quoted and re-checked
  9. Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 40A, Section 3 (Massachusetts statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  10. Mass.gov — Massachusetts law about zoning (2026 county census)
  11. Article V: Intensity Regulations, Chapter 270 Zoning, Town of Lakeville, MA (eCode360) (Town of Lakeville), quoted and re-checked
  12. Article V: Intensity Regulations, Chapter 270 Zoning, Town of Lakeville, MA (eCode360) (Town of Lakeville), quoted and re-checked
  13. Article V: Intensity Regulations, Chapter 270 Zoning, Town of Lakeville, MA (eCode360) (Town of Lakeville), quoted and re-checked
  14. General Law - Chapter 40A, Section 3 (Massachusetts statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  15. Massachusetts General Laws, Chapter 143, Section 3A: Enforcement of state building code (Massachusetts statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  16. Massachusetts General Laws, Chapter 142A, Section 14 (Massachusetts statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  17. Share of soils USDA rates "not limited" for a conventional septic drain field (SSURGO). A strict rating: the median county is about 6% and a tenth of counties are 0%, so a low figure means most lots need a site evaluation or an engineered system, not that septic is impossible. Cite it only with that caveat: Bolthole Index county data
  18. Article VII: Special Regulations, Chapter 270 Zoning, Town of Lakeville, MA (eCode360) (Town of Lakeville), quoted and re-checked
  19. Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 21G, Section 20 (Massachusetts statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  20. Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 23B, Section 32 (Massachusetts statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  21. Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 40A, Section 3 (Massachusetts statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  22. Article VII: Special Regulations, Chapter 270 Zoning, Town of Lakeville, MA (eCode360) (Town of Lakeville), quoted and re-checked
  23. Article VII: Special Regulations, Chapter 270 Zoning, Town of Lakeville, MA (eCode360) (Town of Lakeville), quoted and re-checked
  24. Article VII: Special Regulations, Chapter 270 Zoning, Town of Lakeville, MA (eCode360) (Town of Lakeville), quoted and re-checked
  25. Massachusetts General Laws c. 41, § 81O (Massachusetts statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  26. Effective property tax rate: Bolthole Index county data

Written October 23, 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 Lakeville

Town of Lakeville’s own rules

  • Building permitRequired

    Construction in the Lakeville floodplain overlay district only. Permit-requirement rules for ordinary construction outside the floodplain were not found.

    • Permit is conditional: the overlay permit must be obtained before development proceeds, and a permit checklist of all local, state and federal permits must be submitted (§ 270-7.1 g(8)).
    “the town of lakeville requires a permit for all proposed construction or other development in the floodplain overlay district”
  • Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

    Land inside Lakeville town limits: the Town of Lakeville administers its own Zoning Bylaw, Chapter 270 (eCode360), including the Table of Intensity Regulations.

    • Zoning bylaw is amended at town meeting; the eCode360 text read carries amendment dates through the 2023-2024 codification and must be confirmed against the current town-clerk copy.
    • Several overlay districts apply on top of the base districts (floodplain, water resource protection, planned special purpose, mixed use development, smart growth).
    “except as provided otherwise in this bylaw, no structure hereafter erected, altered, or placed in any district shall be located on a lot having less than the minimum requirements set forth in the table below”
  • Zoning districtsPartial

    Base zoning districts inside Lakeville town limits, as named in the Table of Intensity Regulations.

    • Only the dimensional table was read; the district designation section and zoning map (§ 270-3 and the zoning map) were not opened, so the full district list is not confirmed.
    • The table names Residential, Business, Industrial and Industrial-B columns; no separate agricultural or rural-residential column appears in it.
    • Overlay districts in Article VII include floodplain, water resource protection, planned special purpose, mixed use development, large-scale ground-mounted solar and smart growth overlays.
    “requirements residential business industrial industrial-b minimum lot dimension 70,000 sf.”
  • Minimum lot sizeSpecified

    Residential district (the first column of the Table of Intensity Regulations, § 270-5.1) inside Lakeville town limits.

    • Business and Industrial columns are 'same as residential' or 3 acres (Industrial-B) and are not covered by this claim.
    • Footnote b (§ 270-5.2): any portion of a lot less than 50 feet wide or deep is excluded from the minimum area and frontage.
    • The single-family dwelling minimum lot area is listed separately as 3 acres with an asterisk; see the separate claim minimum-lot-area-single-family-residential.

    minimum lot dimension: 70000 sf · minimum lot area, contiguous non-wetland alternative: 52500 sf (area of contiguous non-wetland as defined by MGL c. 131, § 40) · minimum frontage: 175 ft

    “minimum lot dimension 70,000 sf. (52,500 area in square feet in of contiguous non-wetland as defined by mgl c. 131, § 40) same as residential same as business 3 acres frontage in feet 175 175 175 200”
  • SetbacksSpecified

    Residential district (first column of § 270-5.1) inside Lakeville town limits.

    • Footnote g (§ 270-5.2): steps, stoops not exceeding 30 square feet in area, eaves, cornices, window sills, or belt courses may project into any required yard.
    • Footnote c (§ 270-5.2): corner clearance; no structure or foliage between 2 and 8 feet above curb grade within 15 feet of a street intersection.
    • Footnote b (§ 270-5.2): lot portions less than 50 feet wide or deep are excluded from required area and frontage.

    front yard: 40 ft · side yard: 20 ft · rear yard: 20 ft

    “minimum setback dimension front yard in feet 40 40 40 60 side yard in feet 20 40 40 40 rear yard in feet 20 40 40 40”
  • Lot coverageSpecified

    Residential district (first column of § 270-5.1) inside Lakeville town limits.

    • Footnote b.1 (§ 270-5.2): wetlands and drainage structures (detention and retention ponds, forebays, drainage swales) are excluded from the coverage calculation.
    • The density bonus in § 270-5.1 c applies only to business and industrial districts, not to Residential.

    maximum percentage of land covered by structures, parking and paved areas: <= 25 %

    “maximum percentage of land covered by structures parking and paved areas 25% 50% 50% 50%”
  • Building heightSpecified

    Residential district (first column of § 270-5.1) inside Lakeville town limits.

    • Height is limited by both number of stories and feet; both values in the table apply.

    maximum height of buildings: <= 2.5 stories · maximum height of buildings: <= 35 ft

    “maximum height of buildings number of stories 2.5 3 3 3 height in feet 35 35 35 35”
  • Living in an RVLimited

    Recreational vehicles placed on sites inside the Lakeville floodplain overlay in zones A1-30, AH, AE, V1-30, VE and V only. General RV occupancy elsewhere in town was not found.

    • RVs in those zones must be elevated and anchored to zone requirements, or stay on site fewer than 180 consecutive days, or be fully licensed and highway ready.
    • Definition of recreational vehicle in § 270-7.1 c: built on a single chassis, 400 square feet or less, designed to be self-propelled or permanently towable, and designed as temporary living quarters.

    consecutive days on site (alternative to elevation): < 180 days (applies only if not elevated and anchored under zone requirements; RV must be on site fewer than 180 consecutive days)

    “in a1-30, ah, ae zones, v1-30, ve, and v zones, all recreational vehicles to be placed on a site must be elevated and anchored in accordance with the zone's regulations for foundation and elevation requirements or be on the site for less than 180 consecutive days or be fully licensed and highway ready.”
  • Accessory dwellingsLimited

    Accessory dwelling units inside Lakeville town limits under the Zoning Bylaw special permit section.

    • Special permit granting authority is the Zoning Board of Appeals (board of appeals) for ADUs in all districts.
    • Construction of more than one ADU on a single lot requires a special permit; the text read does not state whether one ADU on a lot is allowed by right.
    • The separate accessory apartment section (§ 270-7.8) was not read; its rules may add conditions.
    “accessory dwelling units (adus). (a) spga: board of appeals. (b) construction of more than one adu on a single lot shall require a special permit from the board of appeals.”
  • Who permits septicLocal (with conditions)

    Conversion of a seasonal home or nonresidential building to year-round residence inside Lakeville town limits (special permit, Zoning Board of Appeals), where Board of Health approval of sewage disposal is required.

    • Applies to the year-round conversion special permit only; general Board of Health septic permit rules were not found in the text read.
    • Conditions may limit occupants and use characteristics for protection of water quality.
    “subject to board of health approval; must demonstrate adequacy of water supply, sewage disposal, and indoor and outdoor space without overloading the capacity of land or endangering water quality.”
  • Subdividing landLimited

    Subdivision proposals inside the Lakeville floodplain overlay district only. General subdivision regulation (planning board subdivision rules) was not found in the text read.

    • Proposals must minimize flood damage, locate and construct public utilities to minimize flood damage, and provide adequate drainage (§ 270-7.1 e(6)).
    • Base flood elevation data required for subdivisions over 50 lots or five acres, whichever is less, within unnumbered A zones (§ 270-7.1 e(5)).
    “all subdivision proposals must be designed to assure that:”
  • Building in a floodplainRequired

    Any development inside the Lakeville town floodplain overlay district (FEMA special flood hazard areas), overlaid on all other districts.

    • Covers new construction or changes to existing buildings, manufactured home placement, agricultural facilities, fences, sheds, storage, drilling, mining and paving within the floodplain overlay.
    • Development must also comply with 780 CMR floodplain requirements and 310 CMR 10.00, 310 CMR 13.00 and Title 5 (see § 270-7.1 b).
    • Floodplain administrator is the building commissioner (§ 270-7.1 g(3)); floodplain variances require state appeals-board steps (§ 270-7.1 g(5)-(6)).
    “permits are required for all proposed development in the floodplain overlay district.”
  • Permit processPartial

    Development plans in the Lakeville floodplain overlay district.

    • Plans are circulated for comment to the conservation commission, planning board, board of health and building commissioner before permits issue.
    • Compliance checklist of all local, state and federal permits must be submitted (§ 270-7.1 g(8)).
    • Special permits: plans are referred to conservation commission, board of health, highway surveyor, building inspector, fire chief, police chief and town planner within 14 days, with comments due within 35 days (§ 270-7.4 a(3)).
    “which will circulate or transmit one copy of the development plan to the conservation commission, planning board, board of health and building commissioner for comments which will be considered by the appropriate permitting board prior to issuing applicable permits.”

Rules another office applies inside Town of Lakeville

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

  • Building code adoptedPartial

    Construction in the Lakeville floodplain overlay district under the Massachusetts state building code (780 CMR) as referenced by the town bylaw.

    • The bylaw references 780 CMR for floodplain and coastal high hazard areas only; the town's general building code adoption (Chapter 120) was not read.
    • State-level adoption of 780 CMR is state law and was not separately verified here.
    “(a) 780 cmr of the massachusetts state building code, which address floodplain and coastal high hazard areas.”

Still unanswered

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

  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption from permits for owner-built homes inside Lakeville town limits.
  • Inspections — Building inspections for construction inside Lakeville town limits.
  • Certificate of occupancy — Certificate of occupancy for new homes inside Lakeville town limits.
  • Minimum dwelling size — Minimum dwelling floor area inside Lakeville town limits.
  • Camping on your land — Temporary camping on private land inside Lakeville town limits.
11 more unanswered
  • Tiny homes
  • Manufactured homes
  • Septic permit
  • Septic inspection
  • 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 Lakeville publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Plymouth County’s page lists the county offices to call.

← All of Plymouth County: county rules, score and offices