York County · Maine
ADU rules in North Berwick, ME
North Berwick is a York County town on the Great Works River.
North 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 North Berwick.
North Berwick allows an ADU of 190 to 650 sq ft with a building permit from the Code Enforcement Officer, in the districts its table marks YES.
- Size limit
- 190 to 650 sq ft; max one bedroom, two occupants
- Where it can go
- Within or attached to a house or accessory structure, or a separate accessory structure
- Owner on site
- No town rule
- Parking
- No parking beyond what the house requires
- Approval
- Building permit from the Code Enforcement Officer in districts marked YES
- Rentals
- No short-term rental rule in the ADU section
- Water setback
- 100 ft from water bodies and wetlands; 75 ft in Shoreland General Development I; 250 ft in Resource Protection
Allowed
- Attached or detachedAn ADU may be built within or attached to a single-family dwelling or an accessory structure, or as a separate accessory structure on the lot.§5.2.20.3
- How manyNo more than one ADU on a lot with one or more single-family dwellings. No ADU at all on a lot that already has an in-law accessory apartment (one permitted before July 1, 2024).§5.2.20.2; §3.2 "In-Law Accessory Apartment"
- SizeFloor area at least 190 sq ft and no more than 650 sq ft. No more than one bedroom, and occupancy no more than two persons.§5.2.20.5
- ParkingNo parking beyond what the single-family dwelling(s) on the lot require.§5.2.20.7
- LotA complying ADU is not counted as a dwelling unit for minimum lot size, road frontage, lot coverage (Table 4.3), private-road/driveway definitions, the subdivision definition, growth-management permits, or PUD density. A non-complying ADU counts as a separate dwelling unit and must meet Table 4.3.§5.2.20 (preamble)
- LotSetbacks: an ADU within or attached to the house or an accessory structure meets the district's Table 4.3 yard setbacks. An ADU attached to an existing accessory structure meets the accessory-structure setbacks of §4.2.b if applicable. A separate ADU, or one attached to a proposed accessory structure, must meet principal-structure setbacks.§5.2.20.4
- OtherBuilding an ADU under §5.2.20 is not an expansion, enlargement or change of use of a nonconforming use or structure.§1.4.3.f
- ApprovalADUs are allowed with a permit in the districts marked in the use table. The table key defines YES as permitted with a Code Enforcement Officer building permit. ADU = YES in Village Center, Village A/B, Shoreland Limited Residential, Shoreland General Development, Residential Districts, Farm/Forest, Commercial and Commercial II. ADU = NO in Resource Protection, Shoreland Stream Protection and Industrial.§5.2.20.1; Land Uses table p. 4-11A (key)
- SepticThe sanitation and potable water standards of §5.1.17 apply. Before a certificate of occupancy, the permit holder must give the CEO written proof of adequate water and wastewater service (for sewer: proof of capacity and of payment for the connection).§5.2.20.6; §5.1.17
- Other§5.2.20 does not exempt an ADU from the rest of the ordinance, including shoreland zoning.§5.2.20.8
- HeightNo ADU-specific height rule. District maximum building height is 35 ft in every district in Table 4.3.Table 4.3
- ShorelandShoreland districts are separate zoning districts in this ordinance (Resource Protection, Shoreland Limited Residential, Shoreland Stream Protection, Shoreland General Development I). New principal and accessory structures must be set back 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 and wetland edges. The setback is 75 ft in General Development I and 250 ft in Resource Protection (except for objects specifically allowed there). Table 4.3 shoreland-setback row: SLR 100, SGD 75(n), Stream 100, Comm II & Industrial 200, R1 100, R2 100, F&F 100, Vill. Ctr. & Comm'l 75, Village B 100; blank for Village A. Shore frontage is 200 ft in most districts and 300 ft in Farm and Forest.§4.2.c(1); Table 4.3; §5.2.17
Not allowed
- Not allowedNo second ADU: at most one ADU per lot with one or more single-family dwellings.§5.2.20.2
- Not allowedNo ADU on a lot that already has an in-law accessory apartment permitted before July 1, 2024.§5.2.20.2; §3.2
- Not allowedNo ADU in Resource Protection, Shoreland Stream Protection or Industrial districts (use table NO).Land Uses table p. 4-11A
- Not allowedADU over 650 sq ft, with more than one bedroom, or occupied by more than two persons does not qualify as an ADU (it would be a separate dwelling unit that must meet Table 4.3).§5.2.20 preamble and .5
Read 2026-11-15 from Town of North Berwick Zoning Ordinance (Revised April 18, 2026 (cover: "Revised April 18, 2026"; printed April 2026)). Anything not listed here, we check with the North Berwick land-use office for your lot.
Setbacks
Front, side and rear in North 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
North Berwick's dimensional table, as printed in the ordinance.
| District | Front | Side | Rear | Lot / cover / height |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| VCprimaryVillage Center (dimensional column "Vill. Ctr. & Comm'l")Table 4.3 (p. 4-12); notes to Table 4.3; single-family permission from Land Uses table p. 4-11A. VC frontage 25 ft. VC accessory buildings: Accessory buildings to the rear of the main building: 10 ft from side/rear lines (100 ft from normal high-water for non-boathouse accessory buildings); to the side of the principal building: principal-building setbacks; never closer than the front setback. Not applied to ADUs that comply with §5.2.20. | 10 ft | 0 ft (note d) | 10 ft (note d) | 20,000 sq ft without public water & sewer; 10,000 sq ft with public water & sewer (notes k, m) · 80% (structures, residential) · Height 35 ft |
| VAVillage ATable 4.3 (p. 4-12); notes to Table 4.3; single-family permission from Land Uses table p. 4-11A. VA frontage 100 ft. VA accessory buildings: Accessory buildings to the rear of the main building: 10 ft from side/rear lines (100 ft from normal high-water for non-boathouse accessory buildings); to the side of the principal building: principal-building setbacks; never closer than the front setback. Not applied to ADUs that comply with §5.2.20. | 35 ft | 20 ft (note g) | 25 ft (note g) | 20,000 sq ft (note k) · 25% (structures, residential) · Height 35 ft |
| VBVillage BTable 4.3 (p. 4-12); notes to Table 4.3; single-family permission from Land Uses table p. 4-11A. VB frontage 125 ft. VB accessory buildings: Accessory buildings to the rear of the main building: 10 ft from side/rear lines (100 ft from normal high-water for non-boathouse accessory buildings); to the side of the principal building: principal-building setbacks; never closer than the front setback. Not applied to ADUs that comply with §5.2.20. | 50 ft | 25 ft (note g) | 30 ft (note g) | 30,000 sq ft (note k) · 25% (structures, residential) · Height 35 ft |
| R1Residential District 1Table 4.3 (p. 4-12); notes to Table 4.3; single-family permission from Land Uses table p. 4-11A. R1 frontage 150 ft. R1 accessory buildings: Accessory buildings to the rear of the main building: 10 ft from side/rear lines (100 ft from normal high-water for non-boathouse accessory buildings); to the side of the principal building: principal-building setbacks; never closer than the front setback. Not applied to ADUs that comply with §5.2.20. | 50 ft | 35 ft | 50 ft | 40,000 sq ft (note k) · 10% (structures, residential) · Height 35 ft |
| R2Residential District 2Table 4.3 (p. 4-12); notes to Table 4.3; single-family permission from Land Uses table p. 4-11A. R2 frontage 200 ft. R2 accessory buildings: Accessory buildings to the rear of the main building: 10 ft from side/rear lines (100 ft from normal high-water for non-boathouse accessory buildings); to the side of the principal building: principal-building setbacks; never closer than the front setback. Not applied to ADUs that comply with §5.2.20. | 80 ft | 60 ft | 60 ft | 80,000 sq ft · 5% (structures, residential) · Height 35 ft |
| FFFarm and ForestTable 4.3 (p. 4-12); notes to Table 4.3; single-family permission from Land Uses table p. 4-11A. FF frontage 300 ft. FF accessory buildings: Accessory buildings to the rear of the main building: 10 ft from side/rear lines (100 ft from normal high-water for non-boathouse accessory buildings); to the side of the principal building: principal-building setbacks; never closer than the front setback. Not applied to ADUs that comply with §5.2.20. | 100 ft | 75 ft | 75 ft | 160,000 sq ft · 5% (structures, residential) · Height 35 ft |
| CCommercial (dimensional column "Vill. Ctr. & Comm'l")Table 4.3 (p. 4-12); notes to Table 4.3; single-family permission from Land Uses table p. 4-11A. C frontage 25 ft. C accessory buildings: Accessory buildings to the rear of the main building: 10 ft from side/rear lines (100 ft from normal high-water for non-boathouse accessory buildings); to the side of the principal building: principal-building setbacks; never closer than the front setback. Not applied to ADUs that comply with §5.2.20. | 10 ft | 0 ft (note d) | 10 ft (note d) | 20,000 sq ft without public water & sewer; 10,000 sq ft with (notes k, m) · 80% (structures, residential) · Height 35 ft |
| CIICommercial II (dimensional column "Comm II & Industrial")Table 4.3 (p. 4-12); notes to Table 4.3; single-family permission from Land Uses table p. 4-11A. CII frontage 100 ft. CII accessory buildings: Accessory buildings to the rear of the main building: 10 ft from side/rear lines (100 ft from normal high-water for non-boathouse accessory buildings); to the side of the principal building: principal-building setbacks; never closer than the front setback. Not applied to ADUs that comply with §5.2.20. | 50/30 ft (50 ft from abutting residential lot; 30 ft from abutting non-residential lot) | 100/20 ft (100 ft from abutting residential district; 20 ft from non-residential district) | 20 ft (notes d, g) | 40,000 sq ft (note k) · 25% (structures, residential) · Height 35 ft |
| SLRShoreland Limited ResidentialTable 4.3 (p. 4-12); notes to Table 4.3; single-family permission from Land Uses table p. 4-11A. SLR frontage 200 ft road; 200 ft shore. SLR accessory buildings: Accessory buildings to the rear of the main building: 10 ft from side/rear lines (100 ft from normal high-water for non-boathouse accessory buildings); to the side of the principal building: principal-building setbacks; never closer than the front setback. Not applied to ADUs that comply with §5.2.20. | 50 ft | 25 ft | 25 ft | 60,000 sq ft (notes o, r) · 10% (structures, residential) · Height 35 ft |
| SGDShoreland General Development ITable 4.3 (p. 4-12); notes to Table 4.3; single-family permission from Land Uses table p. 4-11A. SGD frontage 100 ft road; 200 ft shore. SGD accessory buildings: Accessory buildings to the rear of the main building: 10 ft from side/rear lines (100 ft from normal high-water for non-boathouse accessory buildings); to the side of the principal building: principal-building setbacks; never closer than the front setback. Not applied to ADUs that comply with §5.2.20. | 50 ft | 20 ft | 25 ft | 40,000 sq ft (notes o, r, s) · 70% (structures, residential) · Height 35 ft |
Verified 2026-11-15 against Town of North Berwick Zoning Ordinance. Towns amend ordinances, so confirm with the land-use office before you build. Official source
FAQ
ADUs in North Berwick.
- How big can an ADU be in North Berwick?
- 190 to 650 sq ft; max one bedroom, two occupants, per §5.2.20.5 as read 2026-11-15.
- Does the owner have to live on the lot in North Berwick?
- No town rule (Town of North Berwick Zoning Ordinance).
- Can an ADU in North Berwick be detached?
- Within or attached to a house or accessory structure, or a separate accessory structure, under §5.2.20.3.
Planning an ADU in North Berwick?
Call (978) 987-0089 and we will read the ordinance against your lot. See the ADU models