Land Use - Building/Renovation Process

How to begin the Building/Renovation Process

Dear Neighbor,

Welcome to the New Castle Building/Renovation process. We are here to help you understand and navigate through the requirements of building codes and land use regulations.

Please take a moment to read through this letter so that you are able to take advantage of obtaining your building permit in the most efficient way possible.

1. Complete the application for a Building Permit

2. After you have submitted the completed application, allow at least one week for the Building Inspector to review your project and get back to you with feedback. Sometimes it may take the Building Inspector more time and sometimes it will take less time to get back to you, depending on how many applications have been submitted and are in the queue. Each application to be reviewed will be handled in the order in which it is received.

3. After the Building Inspector has reviewed your application, he will let you know if your application needs to be reviewed by any of the following land use boards: Zoning Board of Adjustment, Conservation Commission, Planning Board and the Historic District Commission. If the Building Inspector has determined that your project needs to be reviewed by one of these Boards, your next step is to fill out an application for the particular board you are required to see. The application for each Board is different, and it is in addition to the Building Permit that the Building Inspector reviews.

4. If you need to visit one of the land use boards, please be aware of the following requirements;

  • All applications and supporting materials (including required maps, documentation, abutters' list, fees, etc.) must be in the Town Hall at least three (3) weeks prior to that board's meeting date. This is true for all land use boards in town.
  • If the board's application and supporting materials are not received three (3) weeks prior to the board's meeting date, your application will take an additional month before it is able to be reviewed by that land use board.
  • If your project requires review by multiple land use boards, it may be possible to schedule them concurrently, however, this is decided on a case-by-case basis and depends on the project you are doing. The Building Inspector or land use board chair can help you figure out the best course of action.
  • If you already know that your project is within the Historic District or the Wetlands Conservation District, for example, you may begin to prepare the application materials for that land use board in anticipation of meeting with them. However, the Building Inspector will need to review your project and confirm your appearance before the land use board in advance of your requesting a meeting with the particular land use board.

We understand that these steps outlined above could prolong the process for you. Please be aware that, depending upon the project you wish to do and where it is located on the island, it is not uncommon for this process to take several months, especially if you are required to visit multiple land use boards.

If you have any questions about the process, please feel free to contact the Administrative Assistant at the Town Hall: (603) 431-6710, ext. 1 between 8:00 am - 2:00 pm, Monday and Wednesday through Friday. The Town Offices are closed on Tuesdays. All application materials may be downloaded from the Town's website at: newcastlenh.org.

Thank you for your cooperation in this process. We look forward to working with you.

Sincerely,

Town of New Castle Land Use Boards, Building Inspector, and Administrative Assistant