Carroll County · New Hampshire
ADU rules in Tuftonboro, NH
Tuftonboro is on the eastern shore of Lake Winnipesaukee in Carroll County.
Tuftonboro 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 Tuftonboro.
Tuftonboro permits an ADU in all six of its zoning districts. The town text sets no square-foot cap of its own, so the state default of 950 sq ft applies.
- Size limit
- No town sq ft cap; ADU must be subordinate in size to the house (state default 950 sq ft max applies)
- Where it can go
- Attached, within the house, or detached in a separate structure
- Owner on site
- Owner must live in the house or the ADU; certified at building permit and in writing each year
- Parking
- 1 additional off-street space per ADU
- Approval
- Permitted (P) in all six districts
- Water setback
- Lakefront Residential: 50 ft shorefront setback; 25 ft from any wetland
Allowed
- Attached or detachedADUs may be inside or attached to the house, or detached in a separate structure on the lot.§3.7.6.1
- How manyOnly one ADU per single-family dwelling.§3.7.6.4
- SizeNo square-foot cap in the town text. The only size rule is that the ADU must be smaller than (subordinate to) the main house. With no town cap, the state default in RSA 674:72, VII (950 sq ft unless the town authorizes more) applies.§3.7.6.2
- Owner on siteOwner must live in either unit. Ownership is certified at the building permit stage and must be confirmed in writing to the Code Officer at the end of each calendar year.§3.7.6.3
- ParkingOne additional off-street parking space per ADU (residential dwellings otherwise need 1 space per dwelling unit, §6.2 f).§3.7.6.5; §6.2(f)
- DesignAn attached ADU must keep the house looking like a single-family dwelling. Where feasible, one driveway serves both units.§3.7.6.6, §3.7.6.7
- ApprovalADUs are 'P' (permitted) in LDR, MDR, LKR, NHB, OSF and ISC. The table defines P as allowed but subject to 'the applicable review process (e.g., Site Plan Review or Subdivision Review), as required'.§3.6 Table of Uses, A.6
- SepticOn lots of one acre or less, no building permit for expanding a structure or building an accessory building without proof the lot can take a septic system built to current NHDES standards. Leach fields must be at least 75 ft from a well, lake, pond, wetland or stream.§5.4.3; §5.2.3
- OtherSeparate from the ADU section: a lot that can support a duplex without variance or septic waiver may have two dwelling units; the second may stand alone or be in a garage or barn, and the Planning Board may require approved septic designs for both units.§3.7.4
- ShorelandNo separate town shoreland article found and no reference to RSA 483-B in the text. Lakefront Residential (LKR) covers lots abutting Lake Winnipesaukee, Mirror Lake, Dan Hole Pond and Lower Beech Pond, up to 600 ft from full lake elevation; its table setback in the shore-facing column is 50 ft. No structure or impervious surface within 25 ft of any wetland. Leach fields 75 ft from lake, pond, wetland or stream. No timber cutting within 200 ft of any lake, pond or stream unless stumped, graded and seeded.§3.4.7; §4.2 notes 6-7; §5.2.3; §5.2.5
Not allowed
- Not allowedNo more than one ADU per single-family dwelling.§3.7.6.4
Read 2026-11-15 from Zoning Ordinance, Town of Tuftonboro, New Hampshire (Amended: March 2026). Anything not listed here, we check with the Tuftonboro land-use office for your lot.
Setbacks
Front, side and rear in Tuftonboro.
NH RSA 674:71-73 (HB 577) - one attached or detached ADU by right on a single-family lot
Tuftonboro's dimensional table, as printed in the ordinance.
| District | Front | Side | Rear | Lot / cover / height |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LDRprimaryLow Density Residential§4.2 Table of Dimensional Requirements. LDR frontage 150 ft (continuous). | 30 ft | 25 ft | 25 ft | 2 acres · 20% (impervious); min 60% open space · Height 35 ft |
| MDRMedium Density Residential§4.2. MDR frontage 100 ft (continuous). | 30 ft | 25 ft | 25 ft | 1 acre · 25% (impervious); min 50% open space · Height 35 ft |
| LKRLakefront Residential§4.2 and notes 4, 6. LKR frontage 150 ft (waterfront lots measured in 50-ft increments). | 50 ft (footnote 6: shorefront setbacks do not apply to boathouses) | 20 ft | 25 ft | 1 acre · 20% (impervious); min 60% open space · Height 35 ft |
| NHBNeighborhood Business§4.2. NHB frontage 100 ft (continuous). | 50 ft | 20 ft | 40 ft | 1 acre · 40% (impervious); min 20% open space · Height 35 ft |
| OSFOpen Space/Forestry§4.2. OSF frontage 250 ft (continuous). | 50 ft | 40 ft | 50 ft | 4 acres · 10% (impervious); min 75% open space · Height 35 ft |
| ISCIslands' Conservation§4.2. ISC frontage 150 ft. | 50 ft (footnote 6) | 20 ft | 25 ft | 1 acre · 20% (impervious); min 60% open space · Height 35 ft |
Verified 2026-11-15 against Zoning Ordinance, Town of Tuftonboro, New Hampshire. Towns amend ordinances, so confirm with the land-use office before you build. Official source
FAQ
ADUs in Tuftonboro.
- How big can an ADU be in Tuftonboro?
- No town sq ft cap; ADU must be subordinate in size to the house (state default 950 sq ft max applies), per §3.7.6.2 as read 2026-11-15.
- Does the owner have to live on the lot in Tuftonboro?
- Owner must live in the house or the ADU; certified at building permit and in writing each year (§3.7.6.3).
- Can an ADU in Tuftonboro be detached?
- Attached, within the house, or detached in a separate structure, under §3.7.6.1.
Planning an ADU in Tuftonboro?
Call (978) 987-0089 and we will read the ordinance against your lot. See the ADU models