Bolthole Index

Cumberland County, Maine

Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Gorham, Maine

The Town of Gorham, Maine requires a building permit from its code enforcement officer before any building is erected, moved, added to or structurally altered1. Gorham sets its own zoning through its Land Use and Development Code2. Septic permits are separate: the town's Licensed Plumbing Inspector issues them under state rules3.

At a glance

Building permit
Required from the Gorham code enforcement officer1
Zoning
Yes, town zoning under the Land Use and Development Code2
Certificate of occupancy
Required; apply before the building permit issues4
Septic permit
Required; issued locally by the plumbing inspector under state rules53
Rural district lot size
60,000 sq ft per dwelling unit for lots outside a subdivision6
Rural district front setback
50 feet on a local street7
RV living
We could not confirm; ask the Code Office8
Accessory apartment
Permitted use in the Rural district9

Who to call

Building permits

Town of Gorham Code Division (Community Development)

Building permits, certificates of occupancy and zoning interpretation inside Gorham town limits

(207) 222-1605

75 South Street, Suite 1, Gorham, ME 04038

Septic permits

Maine CDC Subsurface Wastewater Program

Sets statewide septic rules and licenses site evaluators; the town's Licensed Plumbing Inspector issues and inspects the permit

subsurface.wastewater@maine.gov

11 State House Station, Augusta, Maine 04333

Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on October 24, 2026.

Off-grid gear

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

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Do you need a building permit in Gorham, Maine?

Yes. Inside the Town of Gorham, no building or other structure may be erected, moved, added to or structurally altered without a permit issued by the code enforcement officer1. The Code Division adds that any new structure, including decks, sheds and pools, needs a building permit and possibly electrical or plumbing permits8.

A building permit lapses if the work is not substantially completed within 18 months, though it can be renewed without charge1. Occupancy is gated too: Gorham requires a certificate of occupancy, and the code says no building permit is issued until an application for that certificate has been made4.

We could not confirm Gorham's building permit fee or its owner-builder rules; ask the Code Division.

Who issues building permits in Gorham, and how do you reach them?

The Town of Gorham Code Division, part of Community Development, issues building permits inside town limits; the Code Enforcement Officer is the person who signs them8. The office is at 75 South Street, Suite 1, Gorham, ME 04038, and its phone is (207) 222-16058.

The town's Land Use and Development Code is enforced by the same officer2. Plumbing, electrical and septic permits are separate from the building permit1.

The county does not issue building permits for land inside Gorham. For land outside the town, see the Cumberland County page.

Does Gorham have zoning, and what does it mean for lot size and setbacks?

Yes. Gorham zones its own land under Chapter 300 of the town code, the Land Use and Development Code2. The figures below are for the Rural district only; other districts have different standards.

In the Rural district, a residential lot that is not part of a subdivision needs at least 60,000 square feet per dwelling unit and at least 200 feet of street frontage6. The minimum front yard is 50 feet on a local street and 70 feet on a collector or arterial street, and the minimum residential side and rear yard is 20 feet7. The Rural district sets no maximum building height10.

Accessory apartments are a permitted use in the Rural district9. Manufactured housing on single-family lots there is limited to designated manufactured housing subdistricts11. For dwellings on back lots, a driveway must be at least 12 feet wide for a single-family home and 16 feet for a two-family home or one with an accessory unit12.

How do septic permits work in Gorham?

A permit is required before installing a new, expanded or replacement septic system in Gorham, and normal maintenance and repair are excepted5. The town's Licensed Plumbing Inspector examines the application and issues the permit, while the Maine CDC sets the statewide rules3. Gorham's own wastewater chapter was not confirmed, so ask the Code Division which local office takes septic applications.

Applications generally need a site evaluation prepared by a licensed site evaluator or professional engineer5. Soils matter: USDA rates only about 1.4% of Cumberland County soils as not limited for a conventional drain field, so expect a site evaluation and sometimes an engineered system13.

The state fee is $250 for a complete non-engineered system and $200 for an engineered one, plus listed add-on amounts14. A permit is valid for work started within 24 months, and the system must pass two inspections, one before installation and one before final backfilling515.

Can you live in an RV or tiny home in Gorham?

We could not confirm Gorham's rules for living in an RV on private land; the Code Division at (207) 222-1605 is the office to ask8.

For tiny homes, Maine law says a municipality must permit a tiny home on an individual house lot where single-family dwellings are allowed, subject to the same land-use requirements as a single-family dwelling16. Building, septic and other requirements still apply16.

Building a home in Gorham: the steps, in order

  1. Confirm the zoning district and its lot, frontage and setback standards in the Land Use and Development Code2.
  2. Apply for a certificate of occupancy; no building permit issues until that application is made4.
  3. Get a building permit from the code enforcement officer1.
  4. Hire a licensed site evaluator, then get the septic permit before any work starts5.
  5. If the driveway meets a state or state-aid highway, a MaineDOT written permit is needed; inside an urban compact area the municipality issues it17.
  6. Pass the septic inspections, then obtain the certificate of occupancy before moving in4.

What stays with Cumberland County and the state, and what to check before you buy

Gorham sits in Cumberland County, but inside town limits the town, not the county, issues building permits and sets zoning12. The state sets the septic rules3 and MaineDOT permits driveways onto state highways17.

Flood development permits depend on the local floodplain ordinance and the flood map, and we could not confirm Gorham's specifics18. Cumberland County's effective property tax rate is 1.1%19. Ask the Code Division about mapped floodplain, shoreland and any pending zoning changes before closing.

Watch-outs

  • Zoning figures here come from the Rural district only; a lot in another Gorham district can have different lot sizes, setbacks and uses6.
  • We could not confirm Gorham's building permit fee, owner-builder rules, RV rules or septic office details; call the Code Division at (207) 222-16058.
  • Gorham is a different place from Gorham, New Hampshire; search results often mix the two8.

Sources

  1. Article 1-3 Administration, Chapter 300 Land Use and Development Code (eCode360) (Town of Gorham), quoted and re-checked
  2. Town of Gorham, ME code of ordinances table of contents (eCode360) (Town of Gorham), quoted and re-checked
  3. Subsurface Wastewater Unit, quoted and re-checked
  4. Article 1-3 Administration, Chapter 300 Land Use and Development Code (eCode360) (Town of Gorham), quoted and re-checked
  5. Subsurface Wastewater System Permitting, quoted and re-checked
  6. Article 1-8 Rural District, Chapter 300 Land Use and Development Code (eCode360) (Town of Gorham), quoted and re-checked
  7. Article 1-8 Rural District, Chapter 300 Land Use and Development Code (eCode360) (Town of Gorham), quoted and re-checked
  8. Town of Gorham Code Division (Community Development) (gorhammaine.gov)
  9. Article 1-8 Rural District, Chapter 300 Land Use and Development Code (eCode360) (Town of Gorham), quoted and re-checked
  10. Article 1-8 Rural District, Chapter 300 Land Use and Development Code (eCode360) (Town of Gorham), quoted and re-checked
  11. Article 1-8 Rural District, Chapter 300 Land Use and Development Code (eCode360) (Town of Gorham), quoted and re-checked
  12. Chapter 300 Part 1 general provisions incl. back-lot standards (eCode360) (Town of Gorham), quoted and re-checked
  13. 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
  14. Subsurface Wastewater System Permitting, quoted and re-checked
  15. Subsurface Wastewater System Permitting, quoted and re-checked
  16. Title 30-A, §4363: Regulation of tiny homes (Maine statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  17. Title 23, §704: Entrances to highways regulated, quoted and re-checked
  18. Floodplain Ordinances & Permit Forms (Maine statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  19. Effective property tax rate: Bolthole Index county data

Written October 24, 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 Gorham

Town of Gorham’s own rules

  • Building permitRequired

    Erecting, moving, adding to, or structurally altering a building or other structure inside Gorham town

    • Permit is issued by the code enforcement officer and must conform to the land use and development code.
    • Permit lapses if the building or part is not substantially completed within 18 months of issuance; it may be renewed without charge.
    • Plumbing, electrical, and septic permits are separate and were not verified in this record.

    permit lapse period: 18 months (permit may be renewed without charge)

    “no building or other structure shall be erected, moved, added to or structurally altered without a permit therefor, issued by the code enforcement officer.”
  • Certificate of occupancyRequired

    Occupancy or use of a building or land created, changed, or altered inside Gorham town

    • Certificate is issued by the code enforcement officer and endorsed as conforming to the land use code.
    • No building permit is issued until an application for a certificate of occupancy has been made.
    “no building permit shall be issued until an application has been made for a certificate of occupancy”
  • Local zoningPresent

    Land inside Gorham town limits, administered under the Town of Gorham Land Use and Development Code, Chapter 300 Part 1 (Zoning Regulations)

    • Part 1 of Chapter 300 contains the zoning districts, space standards, and permitted-use lists; only the Rural district (Article 1-8) and the general, administration, and back-lot provisions were read for this record.
    “it shall be the duty of the code enforcement officer or other person duly authorized by the town of gorham to enforce the provisions of this part 1.”
  • Minimum lot sizeDistrict specific (with conditions)

    Residential lots not part of a subdivision in the Rural district (Article 1-8) inside Gorham town

    • Rural rural-entrepreneurial and agricultural-building reuse uses require at least five acres (§ 300-1.45).
    • Under the § 300-1.44 note, lots within a subdivision may vary if the subdivision conforms to the overall net residential density, but no single-family lot may be smaller than 40,000 square feet.
    • Cluster development under Part 2, Article 2-4 may modify space standards; not read.

    minimum lot size for residential lots not part of a subdivision: >= 60000 square feet per dwelling unit (subdivision lots per § 300-1.44 note; no single-family lot under 40,000 sq ft) · minimum street frontage: >= 200 feet (may be reduced up to 50% for lots fronting on turning circles)

    “(1) minimum lot size for residential lots which are not a part of a subdivision: 60,000 square feet per dwelling unit.”
  • SetbacksDistrict specific (with conditions)

    Buildings on residential lots in the Rural district (Article 1-8) inside Gorham town

    • Front yard figures apply to local streets as stated; collector or arterial street front yard is 70 feet.
    • Front and side/rear yards may be reduced up to 50% for lots fronting on turning circles if lot width at the front setback line equals or exceeds the required frontage.
    • Nonresidential side and rear yard is 50 feet.

    front yard, local street: >= 50 feet (collector or arterial street: 70 feet) · side and rear yard, residential: >= 20 feet (may be reduced up to 50% for lots fronting on turning circles)

    “(5) minimum front yard: (a) *local street: 50 feet. (b) *collector or arterial street: 70 feet.”
  • Building heightNone

    Buildings in the Rural district (Article 1-8) inside Gorham town

    • Rural district only; no maximum building height is set in its space standards.
    • Suburban Residential and Urban Residential heights were not verified.
    “(6) minimum side and rear yard: (a) *residential: 20 feet. (b) *nonresidential: 50 feet. (7) maximum building height: none.”
  • Manufactured homesLimited

    Manufactured housing units on single-family residential lots in the Rural district (Article 1-8) inside Gorham town

    • Permitted only in designated manufactured housing subdistricts; the Rural district list excludes mobile homes from one- and two-family dwellings.
    • Other districts (including Suburban Residential) were not read.
    “h. manufactured housing units on single-family residential lots in designated manufactured housing subdistricts.”
  • Accessory dwellingsAllowed

    Accessory apartments in the Rural district (Article 1-8) inside Gorham town

    • Listed as a permitted use in the Rural district only; other districts were not read.
    • Back-lot driveways serving a two-family or single-family dwelling with an accessory dwelling unit must be sixteen feet wide.
    “q. funeral homes. r. accessory apartments. s. reuse of an existing agricultural building for a nonresidential use that meets the performance standards of § 300-1.45.”
  • Mandatory utility hookupConditional

    Dwellings on back lots (lots reached by a deeded right-of-way or access street rather than frontage) inside Gorham town

    • Connection is required only when a public sewer or water line is located in the public street giving access to the back lot.
    • Underground utilities are also required for new dwelling units on back lots, unless the town engineer waives them.
    “(9) any dwellings on the back lot shall connect to public sewer or water when a public sewer or water line is located in the public street giving access to the back lot.”
  • Driveway accessLimited

    Back-lot dwellings inside Gorham town

    • Back-lot access and driveway standards apply; the back-lot standards also require combined driveways where feasible, and the town engineer may waive that requirement.
    • General driveway permit requirements (§ 300-1.20 driveway permits) were not read.

    driveway width, single-family dwelling: >= 12 feet (back lots) · driveway width, two-family or single-family dwelling with ADU: >= 16 feet (back lots)

    “a twelve-foot-wide driveway shall service a single-family dwelling, or a sixteen-foot-wide driveway shall serve a two-family or single-family dwelling with adu”
  • Permit processPartial

    Zoning-code building permit and certificate of occupancy process inside Gorham town

    • Permit issued by the code enforcement officer; certificate of occupancy requires an application before a building permit issues.
    • Application requirements (§ 300-1.17) and the building permit fee (§ 300-1.19) were not read.
    “no building permit shall be issued until an application has been made for a certificate of occupancy”

Still unanswered

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

  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder construction inside Gorham town
  • Building code adopted — Building construction inside Gorham town
  • Inspections — Building inspections inside Gorham town
  • Minimum dwelling size — Minimum dwelling floor area inside Gorham town
  • Lot coverage — Lot coverage limits inside Gorham town
13 more unanswered
  • Living in an RV
  • Camping on your land
  • Tiny homes
  • Who permits septic
  • Septic permit
  • Septic inspection
  • Off-grid sanitation
  • Well permit
  • Agricultural exemption
  • Subdividing land
  • Building in a floodplain
  • 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 Gorham publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Cumberland County’s page lists the county offices to call.

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