Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Town of Wells, Maine
Town of Wells is a town in York County, Maine. Town of Wells adopts its own zoning, so inside its limits Town of Wells’s rules apply, not the county’s. 4 rules below are quoted from official sources and independently re-checked, most recently on October 23, 2026. Rules for unincorporated land are on the York County page.
Answers from the rulebook for Town of Wells
Town of Wells’s own rules
Building code adoptedAdopted (with conditions)
All construction inside Wells town limits
Town notice says the applicable code is MUBEC, consisting of the 2021 IRC, IBC, IEBC and IECC as listed on the notes page.
Articles II and III of Chapter 91 (based on the 2003 IRC and 2006 IBC) are stated to be out of date and not to apply.
All construction in the town must comply with applicable standards of MUBEC.
“please be advised, pursuant to 10 m.r.s. § 9724(1), that the applicable building code of the town of wells is the maine uniform building and energy code ("mubec").”
Local zoningPresent (with conditions)
Land inside Wells town limits, under the Town of Wells Chapter 145 (Land Use) zoning and land-use code
Lots and structures must meet the dimensional requirements specified for the district in which they are located, except nonconforming ones.
Verified from one passage of Chapter 145 general provisions only; the district list and dimensional tables were not reached in this research pass.
“all lots (except lots being merged with an abutting parcel or otherwise exempt by this chapter) and structures shall comply with dimensional requirements specified for the district in which they are located, except those considered nonconforming.”
Zoning districtsPartial
Zoning districts inside Wells town limits
Chapter 145 refers to district regulations in its Article V; the district list and map were not captured in this pass.
“c. a residential lot with a dwelling unit may be used for keeping noncommercial domestic poultry and domestic livestock in conformance with article v, district regulations.”
Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)
Division of land inside Wells town limits
Governed by Chapter 202 Subdivision of Land (§ 202-1 through § 202-17) as listed in the code table of contents.
Only the table-of-contents listing was verified; the Chapter 202 standards themselves were not opened.
“chapter 202 subdivision of land (§ 202-1 – § 202-17)”
Still unanswered
We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Town of Wells or York County directly.
Building permit — New residential construction inside Wells town limits
Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder construction inside Wells town limits
Inspections — Building inspections inside Wells town limits
Certificate of occupancy — Certificate of occupancy for new homes inside Wells town limits
Minimum dwelling size — Minimum dwelling size in the main single-family residential district inside Wells town limits
20 more unanswered
Minimum lot size
Setbacks
Lot coverage
Building height
Living in an RV
Camping on your land
Tiny homes
Accessory dwellings
Who permits septic
Septic permit
Septic inspection
Off-grid sanitation
Well permit
Mandatory utility hookup
Agricultural exemption
Driveway access
Building in a floodplain
Short-term rentals
Permit fees
Permit process
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 Wells publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. York County’s page lists the county offices to call.
Off-grid gear
Going off-grid in Town of Wells means bringing your own water and power. The kit we’d start with:
