Land and zoning

The usual door is a tract of farm land, forest land, or unproductive land of 10 acres or more, or a mix of those that totals 10 acres. A certified tree farm and an unimproved wetland can qualify at any size. So can a smaller piece that produced at least $2,500 in a year from agricultural or horticultural crops grown on it. You apply to the town by April 15.

If the use later changes to something that no longer qualifies, the land use change tax is 10 percent of the full value of the part that changed. There is also a 20 percent reduction in the current-use value when the land is open all year to public recreation, with no entrance fee, for skiing, snowshoeing, fishing, hunting, hiking, or nature observation.

The assessment ranges change every year. The Current Use Board publishes them. The town still sends the bill.

The map can mark towns that reported no zoning on the 2024 state land-use survey. No zoning does not mean no building rules. Septic, shoreland, driveways, and state fire and building rules can still apply. In a town that has zoning, call the office before you assume a shop, animals, or a second house is allowed.

Where a town’s zoning allows a single-family house, the state requires the town to allow one accessory dwelling on that lot, either attached or detached, as of July 1, 2025. The town can still require a building permit and a sewage system that meets state rules. Read the town ordinance for the lot you want. The statute is the floor, not a sketch of your house.

A new system needs state approval under the septic law. The Department of Environmental Services is the office. If the house is on a lake or a river, shoreland rules can limit what you clear and what you build. Read those before you buy the view.