Building Safety / Health Officer

Protecting Your Project and Peace of Mind

New Accessory Dwelling Unit Ordinance

The Newmarket Town Council just enacted changes to Town Code 32-234, replacing Accessory Apartments with Accessory Dwelling Units. The new ordinance allows for accessory dwelling units to be either attached, detached, or internal conversions; and, the new ordinance removes the need for approval from the Zoning Board of Adjustments. What this means is that anyone looking to add an accessory dwelling unit on their property will only need to apply for a permit and all reviews and approvals are now handled by the Building Inspector. Please check with the Office of Building Safety for a complete rundown of the new standards. Please refer to the permit application for a rundown of the documentation necessary when applying for an ADU.

Updated Changes to the Fee Schedule

The Newmarket Town Council just adopted the new permit fee schedule. The new fee schedule is in effect as of 9/8/2022. Please see the tab on the left titled Permit Fees for more details. In short, any permit associated with residential projects will be assessed a base application fee of $50 plus $8 per $1000 of the fair market value of work. Commercial permits will be assessed a base application fee of $50 plus $10 per $1000 of the fair market value of work.

Updated Changes to the Building and Life Safety Codes

Starting July 1, 2022, the 2018 edition of the ICC Codes and fire codes are in effect, and the 2020 edition of the National Electric code is in effect. Please visit the State Building Code Review Board at https://www.nh.gov/safety/boardsandcommissions/bldgcode/bldgexhibits.html for information concerning state-adopted amendments to the codes. Copies of the updated building codes are available for viewing in our office.

 

The mission of Building Safety Office is to add value to construction projects. The value added comes in many forms, from protecting public welfare and occupant safety, to improving the structure’s reliability and reducing operational costs. We want to be part of the construction team, not an obstacle to overcome. Our office places a high value on the study of building sciences and construction failures. We want your project to take full advantage of what we have learned. Newmarket follows the State of New Hampshire Building and Safety codes without local amendment. While some years back, most New Hampshire towns adopted their own building and safety codes, we now have moved to international model codes, primarily the International Code Council and the National Fire Protection Association. While not all building and safety codes are available on our website, we do offer some links to the most utilized codes under the Helpful Building Information page to the left for further building code information and links to some of the codes available online. If you are planning a project and have code questions, we recommend you meet with our Building Safety Official, who will guide you through the best practices and minimum code requirements.

Staff Contacts

Name Title Phone
David Evans Building Official (603) 659-8501 ext. 1311