Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Town of Raymond, New Hampshire

Town of Raymond’s own rules

• Local zoningPresent

  Land inside Raymond town limits; the town's own zoning ordinance (Chapter 197, Zoning) applies there

  • The zoning ordinance text is the eCode360 Chapter 197 as amended through the 3-12-2024 town meeting; amendment dates are not effective dates.
  • Article 15 dimensional tables were not opened in this run (see dimensional claims).

  “[history: adopted by the town of raymond as amended through the 3-12-2024 atm. subsequent amendments noted where applicable.]”

• Zoning districtsPublished

  Land inside Raymond town limits; zoning districts defined in Raymond town Chapter 197

  • Zone A and Zone B are the residential districts relevant to single-family use; zones C.1, C.2, C.3, D, E, F and G also exist.
  • District boundaries are shown on the official zoning map (§ 197-3.1).

  “article 4 zones § 197-4.1 zone a, residential. § 197-4.2 zone b, residential/agricultural.”

• SetbacksSpecified

  Buildings over 30 feet tall in Raymond town, measured from the property line; not a district-specific setback

  • This requirement does not supersede the minimum dimensional requirements of Article 15 (§ 197-2.7.3); district setbacks in Article 15 still apply and were not opened in this run.

  minimum setback from property line for buildings over 30 ft: equal to building height feet (does not supersede Article 15 minimums)

  “for any building exceeding 30 feet in height, the minimum building setbacks from the property line shall equal the height of the building. this requirement shall not supersede the minimum dimensional requirements of article 15 of the zoning ordinance”

• Building heightSpecified

  New construction in Zone A (residential, single-family) inside Raymond town

  • Story height is treated as a maximum of 10 feet (§ 197-2.7.1).
  • Height is measured on 2/3 of the building perimeter from average adjoining ground level to the uppermost ceiling (§ 197-2.7.2).
  • Church spires, belfries, cupolas, smokestacks, flagpoles, antennae and unenclosed mechanical equipment are excepted (§ 197-2.7.4).
  • Buildings over 30 feet also trigger the setback rule in the setbacks claim.

  maximum building height: <= 3 stories (four stories for sprinkled buildings) · maximum story height: <= 10 feet

  “the maximum building height for all new construction within the town of raymond shall be three stories (four stories for sprinkled buildings) in the commercial (c.1), commercial/residential (c.2), industrial (d), manufactured housing (e), residential (a) and residential/agricultural (b) zoning districts;”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Specified — New construction in Zone B (residential/agricultural) inside Raymond town

    “the maximum building height for all new construction within the town of raymond shall be three stories (four stories for sprinkled buildings) in the commercial (c.1), commercial/residential (c.2), industrial (d), manufactured housing (e), residential (a) and residential/agricultural (b) zoning districts;”

• Living in an RVLimited

  Campers and RVs on private land inside Raymond town

  • Campers may be stored unoccupied at the owner's premises or permanent domicile in any zone for any period (§ 197-2.10.1).
  • Occupancy as camping is limited to up to 90 days per year with proper sanitary facilities as determined by the health officer (§ 197-2.10.2); see temporary_camping.
  • Campers may not be occupied as a permanent dwelling (§ 197-2.10.3).

  maximum camping occupancy: <= 90 days per year (proper sanitary facilities as determined by the health officer)

  “campers shall not be occupied as a permanent dwelling at any time in the town of raymond.”

• Camping on your landLimited

  Campers or tents used for camping on land inside Raymond town

  • Allowed in all zones for up to 90 days of the year.
  • Requires proper sanitary facilities as determined by the health officer.
  • Campers may not be occupied as a permanent dwelling.

  maximum camping days: <= 90 days per year (proper sanitary facilities as determined by the health officer)

  “campers or tents may be occupied for camping in all zones of the town of raymond for up to 90 days of the year, providing proper sanitary facilities are available as determined by the health officer.”

• Manufactured homesLimited

  New placements and replacements of manufactured homes inside Raymond town

  • New placements and replacements must meet the HUD standards in effect at time of manufacture.
  • Manufactured homes older than five years are not allowed.
  • Other manufactured-home rules (Zone E, manufactured home parks in § 197-6.3) were not opened in this run.

  maximum manufactured home age: <= 5 years (must meet HUD standards at time of manufacture)

  “all new placements of manufactured homes and replacements of all existing manufactured homes shall meet all existing u.s. department hud standards at the time of manufacture. manufactured homes older than five years shall not be allowed.”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption from permit or inspection in Raymond town
• Building code adopted — State and local building codes applied by Raymond town
• Inspections — Building inspections inside Raymond town
• Certificate of occupancy — Certificates of occupancy for new homes inside Raymond town
• Minimum dwelling size — Minimum dwelling size inside Raymond town

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.

Off-grid gear

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

• Water Crystal Quest Filter any source — well, rain, or creek — to drinking-clean.
• Power Bluetti Solar generators and home battery backup for living off the grid.
• Septic Soil percolation test kit Run your own perc test before paying an engineer — the first thing a septic office asks about.
• Water Well water test kit Bacteria, nitrates, hardness — know what the well on a parcel is really pumping.

These are affiliate links — we may earn a commission, at no cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, Bolthole Index earns from qualifying purchases.