Strafford County

Do you need a permit for a carport in Strafford County? Plan on yes, and plan on getting it from your city or town, since Strafford County does not issue building permits. Rochester requires at least an Express Building Permit even for a shed of 200 square feet or less, and a minor building permit for anything larger. Somersworth's Code Enforcement office says all work requires a permit unless the office tells you otherwise. Dover is the exception for small sheds, which skip the permit under 200 square feet, but a carport or garage of normal size will still need one.

Permit office: Strafford County does not issue building permits. Start with the building office in the city or town where the building will go:

• City of Rochester Building and Licensing Services
  Address: 33 Wakefield Street, Rochester, NH 03867
  Phone: 603-332-3508
  Rochester shed handout
• City of Dover Inspection Services
  Phone: 603-516-6038
  Dover Inspection Services FAQ
• City of Somersworth Code Enforcement
  Phone: 603-692-9522
  Somersworth Code Enforcement page

When a permit is required

• Rochester: a shed of 200 square feet or less needs an Express Building Permit. Anything larger needs a minor building permit and has to meet the regular zoning setbacks.
• Rochester: a shed of 600 square feet or more needs a frost wall or an engineered slab.
• Dover: Inspection Services says no permit is required for a shed less than 200 square feet. Larger buildings go through the normal building permit process.
• Somersworth: "ALL work requires a permit unless this office informs you otherwise," including new structures. Call Code Enforcement before you start.
• New Hampshire rule: the state building code amendments exempt a one-story detached accessory building of up to 200 square feet from a building permit, but a city can be stricter (Rochester and Somersworth are), and zoning setbacks apply to every size.

Zoning and setbacks

Rochester spells out its shed setbacks clearly. A single-story shed of 200 square feet or less, not on a permanent foundation and used with a home of four or fewer units, needs 10 feet from the side and rear lines in any district except mobile home parks, with the front setback taken from the zoning table. Larger buildings follow the full table. For example, Residential 1 calls for 10 feet front, 10 feet side and 20 feet rear, and the Agricultural district calls for 20 feet front, 10 feet side and 20 feet rear, with 10 feet between buildings in both. Dover and Somersworth set their own setbacks in their zoning ordinances, so ask the office for the numbers that apply to your lot.

What to bring

• A site plan showing the building's location on the lot. Rochester requires one with every shed application, and Dover asks for one for new construction.
• Building drawings. Dover's list of general submittals includes floor plans, foundation plans, framing plans and roof sections.
• In Rochester, frost wall or engineered slab details for any shed of 600 square feet or more.

Farm buildings

New Hampshire has no blanket building code exemption for farm buildings, so a hay barn or equipment shed in Strafford County still goes through the city or town permit office. The state did adopt IBC Appendix C for Group U agricultural buildings. Zoning is where farms get help: RSA 674:32-a treats agriculture as allowed where local zoning does not address it, and RSA 674:32-c lets the local board waive setbacks and other dimensional requirements that are unreasonable for the farm use.

Good to know

Dover takes applications and inspection requests through the city's online permitting portal, and Inspection Services suggests at least two business days' notice when you schedule an inspection. Somersworth says permit processing takes about five to seven business days, so leave room for that before your install date. Rochester's handout has a sample site plan you can follow, and its mobile home park rules allow only one storage building per lot, no larger than 12 by 14 feet with a 10 foot wall height.

Common questions

Do I need a permit for a carport in Strafford County?
Almost always, and you get it from your city or town, not the county. Rochester requires an Express Building Permit even for a shed of 200 square feet or less, and Somersworth requires a permit for all work unless its Code Enforcement office says otherwise.

Does a metal garage or shed need a building permit in Rochester?
Yes. A shed of 200 square feet or less needs an Express Building Permit, and anything larger needs a minor building permit and must meet the regular setbacks. For a shed of 600 square feet or more, Rochester requires a frost wall or engineered slab.

Is a small shed exempt in Dover?
Dover Inspection Services says a shed less than 200 square feet does not need a permit. A typical carport or garage is larger than that, so it will need a building permit through Dover's online permitting portal.

Sources

• City of Rochester Building and Licensing Services: Shed handout
• City of Dover Inspection Services: Frequently Asked Questions
• City of Somersworth: Code Enforcement
• NH RSA 155-A, State Building Code
• NH RSA 674:32-c, Agricultural Uses of Land

Rules and fees change. Call the office to confirm before you order.

See the full New Hampshire permit guide for statewide rules, farm exemptions and wind and snow ratings.

Looking at buildings? See our metal carports, metal garages and metal buildings.

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