York County · Maine
ADU rules in Berwick, ME
Berwick is a York County town on the Salmon Falls River, across from Somersworth.
Berwick is in our service area. This page covers what the town ordinance says about ADUs.
Town ADU rules
What’s allowed on your lot in Berwick.
Berwick’s ADU rules are in §8.13 of its Land Use Ordinance, amended June 9, 2026.
- Size limit
- More than 190 sq ft; no town maximum
- Where it can go
- Created by converting part of a single-family house or an accessory building
- Owner on site
- No town rule
- Parking
- ADU section silent; parking schedule requires 1 space per dwelling unit in the growth area, 1.5 to 2 elsewhere
- Approval
- Code Enforcement Officer permit
- Water setback
- 100 ft from water bodies, tributary streams and wetlands (25 ft in Shoreland Commercial Industrial; 250 ft in Resource Protection)
Allowed
- ApprovalThe CEO may approve adding one dwelling unit to any existing lot where residential uses are permitted, including as a conditional use. Land Use Table: ADU 'P*' (permitted, permit required, Article VIII standard) in R1, R2, R3, V/C, RC/I, AP, LR, SC/I; 'X' in RP and SP.§ 8.13; § 6.2 Land Use Table
- Attached or detachedDefinition: an apartment created by converting part of a single-family dwelling or accessory building into a separate dwelling unit.§ 2.2 Definitions
- SizeADU must be more than 190 sq ft. No maximum size stated.§ 8.13(1)
- How manyOnly one ADU per lot. Not allowed in a single-family dwelling in an approved subdivision whose recorded plan has a note or condition allowing only single-family residential uses.§ 8.13(2)
- LotMinimum lot size standards of § 6.3 are waived for the ADU; all setbacks must be met.§ 8.13(3)
- SepticMust meet the Maine State Plumbing Code; a house on on-site wastewater may not be modified until a licensed soil evaluator shows a new system can be installed or the existing one has capacity.§ 8.13(4)
- OtherADUs do not count as permits toward the R-3 residential growth limitation.§ 6.3.1F
- Parking§ 8.13 says nothing about parking. The general schedule requires 1 space per dwelling unit in the growth area; outside it 2 spaces (2+ bedrooms) or 1.5 spaces (1 bedroom) per dwelling unit.Parking schedule (Article VII parking standards, p. 60)
- ShorelandArticle XIV Shoreland Zoning (250 ft of water bodies and wetlands; stream areas). All new principal and accessory structures set back at least 100 ft from the normal high-water line of GPA great ponds and rivers flowing to them, and 100 ft from other water bodies, tributary streams or the upland edge of a wetland; 25 ft in Shoreland Commercial Industrial; 250 ft in Resource Protection except for structures specifically allowed there. Where more than one dwelling unit is on a parcel, all dimensional requirements apply to each additional unit (§ 14.15A(5)). Village Overlay: 25 ft river setback.§ 14.15A, B(1); § 6.3 Note 10
- State lawThe ADU section sets no parking, so the general schedule of spaces per unit may be applied. Maine law bars parking for an ADU beyond what the single-family home requires.30-A M.R.S. §4364-B(4)(C)
Not allowed
- Not allowedMore than one ADU per lot.§ 8.13(2)
- Not allowedADU in a single-family dwelling in an approved subdivision whose recorded plan allows only single-family residential uses.§ 8.13(2)
- Not allowedADU in Resource Protection (RP) or Stream Protection (SP).§ 6.2 Land Use Table
Read 2026-11-15 from Town of Berwick Land Use Ordinance (§ 8.13 Accessory Dwelling Unit; § 6.2 Land Use Table; § 6.3 Dimensional Requirements; Article XIV Shoreland) (Adopted June 8, 1993; Amended June 9, 2026 (cover page)). Anything not listed here, we check with the Berwick land-use office for your lot.
Setbacks
Front, side and rear in Berwick.
Maine 30-A M.R.S. §4364-B - at least one ADU with a single-family home; from July 1, 2027, also with a two- or three-unit building, and at least three units per lot
Berwick's dimensional table, as printed in the ordinance.
| District | Front | Side | Rear | Lot / cover / height |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| R-1primaryUrban Residential§ 6.3 Dimensional Requirements Table; § 6.2 Land Use Table. R-1 frontage 100 ft (min lot width also 100 ft). R-1 accessory buildings: not separately stated. | 25 ft | 25 ft | 25 ft | 10,000 sq ft with public sewer and water; 20,000 sq ft with septic · 50% (lot coverage = all structures, parking lots and other non-vegetated surfaces) · Height 35 ft |
| R-2Transition Residential§ 6.3 Dimensional Requirements Table; § 6.2 Land Use Table. R-2 frontage 150 ft (min lot width also 150 ft). R-2 accessory buildings: not separately stated. | 50 ft (25 ft with public water and sewer, note 7) | 25 ft | 25 ft | 20,000 sq ft with public sewer and water; 60,000 sq ft with septic · 35% (lot coverage = all structures, parking lots and other non-vegetated surfaces) · Height 35 ft |
| R-3Rural Residential-Farm§ 6.3 Dimensional Requirements Table; § 6.2 Land Use Table. R-3 frontage 300 ft (min lot width also 300 ft). R-3 accessory buildings: not separately stated. | 75 ft | 50 ft | 50 ft | 90,000 sq ft with public sewer and water; 90,000 sq ft with septic · 20% (lot coverage = all structures, parking lots and other non-vegetated surfaces) (lots with only commercial or industrial uses may be allowed 50%) · Height 35 ft |
| V/CVillage/Commercial§ 6.3 Dimensional Requirements Table; § 6.2 Land Use Table. V/C frontage 100 ft (min lot width also 100 ft). V/C accessory buildings: not separately stated. | 25 ft | 15 ft | 25 ft | 10,000 sq ft with public sewer and water; 20,000 sq ft with septic · 80% (lot coverage = all structures, parking lots and other non-vegetated surfaces) · Height 45 ft |
| RC/IRural Commercial/Industrial§ 6.3 Dimensional Requirements Table; § 6.2 Land Use Table. RC/I frontage 200 ft (min lot width also 200 ft). RC/I accessory buildings: not separately stated. | 40 ft | 25 ft | 25 ft | 50,000 sq ft with public sewer and water; 90,000 sq ft with septic · 80% (lot coverage = all structures, parking lots and other non-vegetated surfaces) · Height 45 ft |
| APAquifer Protection (overlay with its own column)§ 6.3 Dimensional Requirements Table; § 6.2 Land Use Table. AP frontage 300 ft (min lot width also 300 ft). AP accessory buildings: not separately stated. | 75 ft | 50 ft | 50 ft | 20,000 sq ft with public sewer and water; 120,000 sq ft with septic · 20% (lot coverage = all structures, parking lots and other non-vegetated surfaces) · Height 35 ft |
| Village OverlayVillage Overlay District (form-based code)§ 6.3 table and Note 10; § 6.4. Village Overlay frontage See Note 10. Village Overlay accessory buildings: § 6.4. | See Note 10 / § 6.4 | See Note 10 / § 6.4 | See Note 10 / § 6.4 | See Note 10: exempt from underlying dimensional and density requirements; § 6.4 standards apply · See Note 10 · Height 45 ft |
| LRLimited Residential (shoreland)§ 14.15A(1) table; § 6.2. LR frontage 200 ft road frontage; 200 ft shore frontage; lot width 200 ft. LR accessory buildings: 100 ft from water. | 50 ft | 25 ft | 30 ft | 40,000 sq ft · 20% · Height 35 ft |
| SC/IShoreland Commercial Industrial§ 14.15A(1) table; § 6.2. SC/I frontage 100 ft road frontage; 100 ft shore frontage; lot width 100 ft. SC/I accessory buildings: 25 ft from water. | 25 ft | 15 ft | 25 ft | 10,000 sq ft · 70% · Height 45 ft |
Verified 2026-11-15 against Town of Berwick Land Use Ordinance (§ 8.13 Accessory Dwelling Unit; § 6.2 Land Use Table; § 6.3 Dimensional Requirements; Article XIV Shoreland). Towns amend ordinances, so confirm with the land-use office before you build. Official source
FAQ
ADUs in Berwick.
- How big can an ADU be in Berwick?
- More than 190 sq ft; no town maximum, per § 8.13(1) as read 2026-11-15.
- Does the owner have to live on the lot in Berwick?
- No town rule (Town of Berwick Land Use Ordinance (§ 8.13 Accessory Dwelling Unit; § 6.2 Land Use Table; § 6.3 Dimensional Requirements; Article XIV Shoreland)).
- Can an ADU in Berwick be detached?
- Created by converting part of a single-family house or an accessory building, under § 2.2 Definitions.
Planning an ADU in Berwick?
Call (978) 987-0089 and we will read the ordinance against your lot. See the ADU models