Franklin County, Maine Building Permit Guide

Franklin County government does not issue building permits. In the towns, the local code enforcement officer handles land use, shoreland, plumbing and any building permits the town requires; in Coplin, Dallas, Rangeley and Sandy River plantations and the unorganized townships, the state Land Use Planning Commission (LUPC) issues the permit, at $200 or $300 per new dwelling unit. Jay, one of the two towns over 4,000 people, requires building permits only in the shoreland zone and floodplain and relies on owner-hired third-party inspectors for the state code.

What needs a permit in Franklin County?

The answer depends on which government holds the land. LUPC and the towns each publish their own lists.

Jay is the exception among the larger towns: voters decided in June 2012 that building permits would not be required, but permits are still needed for buildings in the shoreland zone and the floodplain. In LUPC territory a small garage or shed beside an existing home may need only the commission’s online notice and self-verification form, provided it meets the standards.

Who issues building permits in Franklin County?

The county: Franklin County’s Unorganized Territories page covers roads and E-911 addressing, not building permits. The UT road supervisor (207-305-5674) runs road work, the E-911 Addressing Officer (207-491-2965) assigns addresses, and the Commissioners Office is at 120 County Way, Suite 4, Farmington ((207) 778-6614, 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.).

LUPC: the Western Regional Office at 932 U.S. Route 2 East, Wilton, serves Franklin and Oxford counties and is open by appointment. Residential projects go to (207) 670-7492; the non-residential line, (207) 670-7493, is forwarded to other staff. LUPC is the zoning authority wherever there is no local government or a plantation has chosen not to run its own land use controls.

Towns: each town appoints its own code enforcement officer and plumbing inspector. The largest offices:

Every Franklin County town, plantation and township

Over 4,000 residents, so MUBEC must be enforced: Farmington and Jay, both above 4,000 in the 2020 Census, which is the count the state MUBEC rule uses. Farmington’s project checklist sends MUBEC compliance to a third-party inspector, and Jay leaves all building code inspections to inspectors the owner hires.

Local CEO and plumbing inspector, with building code enforcement only where a town has adopted it: Avon, Carrabassett Valley, Carthage, Chesterville, Eustis, Industry, Kingfield, New Sharon, New Vineyard, Phillips, the town of Rangeley, Strong, Temple, Weld and Wilton. Wilton says on its own page that MUBEC has been in effect there since July 1, 2012.

LUPC issues the permit: Coplin, Dallas, Rangeley and Sandy River plantations, and the townships the Census groups as East Central Franklin, North Franklin, South Franklin, West Central Franklin and Wyman unorganized territories. The town of Rangeley and Rangeley Plantation are separate places: the town permits its own land, and LUPC permits the plantation.

Electrical, plumbing and septic permits

Electrical: the state Electricians’ Examining Board issues the permit wherever a town has no electrical inspector of its own. Single-family dwellings are an exception to that state permit, with certification or a licensed master electrician’s verification instead, although the temporary service for building a one-family home needs a permit. Wilton’s CEO is the town’s contact for electrical permits, and Farmington’s project checklist lists the State Electrical Inspector among the contacts for new projects.

Plumbing and septic: each town’s plumbing inspector issues internal plumbing and septic permits. Farmington uses the state HHE-211 plumbing application and has a plumbing inspector and an alternate. Jay requires plumbing permits from its own plumbing inspector, and its lots on a private septic system must have at least 20,000 sq ft under the state plumbing rules.

In the plantations and townships: the Maine CDC subsurface wastewater program lists the plumbing inspectors appointed for unorganized townships. A project that needs a new or larger septic system must include the site evaluator’s signed HHE-200 with the LUPC application.

What permits cost in Franklin County

LUPC fees are set by Chapter 1 of its rules, amended effective June 3, 2026; town fees are set by each town.

A 26 by 40 ft camp has a 1,040 sq ft footprint, so it falls in the $300 band. LUPC accepts a check made out to “Treasurer, State of Maine”; paying online adds $0.25 for a debit card or 3% for a credit card.

In Jay the main building code cost is the third-party inspector the owner hires, because the town itself charges no building permit. Farmington’s Building Notification Ordinance also requires owners to notify the Assessor’s Office before new construction, demolition, a mobile home or any addition or structural change costing more than $1,400 in materials, with a $100 civil penalty for skipping it.

Documents to prepare

LUPC: the 2026 building permit application must be signed by every landowner and comes with a location map, a copy of the deed or lease, site photos from the past two years and a site plan with distances to lot lines, roads, water and wetlands. Add the HHE-200 septic design when wastewater changes, erosion control details when soil is disturbed and a driveway permit for a new entrance on a state road. Leased lots may need written permission from the landowner.

Farmington: start with the Project Registration and Contact Checklist (revised September 2025), which the Code/Planning Office asks you to discuss with it before filling in. It routes the project to the third-party inspector for MUBEC, the assessor, the plumbing inspector, the sewer department, Public Works for driveways and road openings, and Fire Rescue for the E-911 address; Fire Rescue must receive a copy of the form.

Jay: before a certificate of occupancy is issued for a new building, addition or renovation covered by MUBEC, the owner must hand the Code Officer an inspection report from a state-certified third-party inspector.

Getting a permit in Franklin County, step by step

Inspections

Inspection arrangements differ by town. Wilton asks applicants to contact its CEO about the inspection process. Jay’s building inspections are done only by the third-party inspector you hire, and Farmington’s checklist points to the same route for MUBEC.

LUPC staff may visit the site before a permit is issued and after the work is done, and an application can sit incomplete until they do. The commission does not run building code inspections, but MUBEC still binds the owner in every part of the county, and state-certified third-party inspectors can be hired directly for that work.

Local details in Franklin County

Rangeley Lakes prospective zoning: since January 1, 2001, LUPC’s Prospective Zoning Plan for the Rangeley Lakes Region has set the development areas in Dallas, Rangeley and Sandy River plantations and Townships D and E, along with Oxford County places, and added standards for vegetative buffers, lighting and dimensions. If your lot there has less than the required buffer, the application needs Exhibit F to document the exception.

Jay setbacks: Jay’s Town Way Ordinance sets structures back 25 feet from the center line of a road or beyond the right of way, and the town has no side-boundary setback.

Plowing in the UT: snow removal complaints in the unorganized territories go to the Franklin County Regional Communications Center at (207) 778-6140.

Timing: LUPC says staff shortages can delay decisions and recommends filing in winter for the quickest processing.

Maine building code

Maine’s adopted code applies statewide, but permits are required where the town’s ordinance says so; shoreland zoning applies statewide near water, fees and appeals are local, and code enforcement officers must be certified by the state. Maine rules

Official Franklin County permitting resources

These are the primary sources behind this guide. Codes, fee schedules and procedures change — confirm the position for your filing date.

• Franklin County Unorganized Territories
• LUPC Western Regional Office, Wilton
• LUPC regional offices
• LUPC building permit application help
• LUPC Building Permit Application (version 04/2026)
• LUPC Chapter 1 fee rule (effective June 3, 2026)
• LUPC Prospective Zoning Plan for the Rangeley Lakes Region
• LUPC accessory structure notice
• LUPC zoning maps by township
• LUPC land use districts and standards, Chapter 10
• LUPC application forms
• Maine Office of Community Affairs: building codes
• MUBEC rules and adopted code editions
• Maine CDC subsurface wastewater licensing
• Farmington Code Enforcement / Planning
• Farmington project registration checklist (September 2025)
• Farmington Building Notification Ordinance
• Jay Code Enforcement
• Wilton Code Enforcement
• Wilton permit applications

Franklin County permit FAQs

Who issues building permits in Franklin County?

The towns issue their own. The Land Use Planning Commission issues them in Coplin, Dallas, Rangeley and Sandy River plantations and the unorganized townships. The county issues none.

Do I need a building permit in Jay?

Not for most work: Jay voters decided in 2012 not to require building permits. You still need a permit in the shoreland zone or the floodplain, a plumbing permit for plumbing, and a third-party inspector’s report before a certificate of occupancy.

How much does LUPC charge for a new camp?

$200 per dwelling unit if the footprint is under 1,000 sq ft and $300 if it is 1,000 sq ft or larger. Work begun before the permit costs three times as much.

Where is the LUPC office for Franklin County?

932 U.S. Route 2 East in Wilton, open by appointment. Residential projects call (207) 670-7492.

What is Farmington’s code office phone number?

(207) 778-5874. The office is open Monday to Thursday, 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., and closed on Fridays.

How do I get an address for a camp in a township?

Call Franklin County’s E-911 Addressing Officer at (207) 491-2965.

Simplify Franklin County permitting with Alliance Permitting

Alliance Permitting is a permit documentation and submission company in Maine. We prepare your paperwork, file it correctly and coordinate with the permitting authority through issuance. We are not a contractor and we do not perform licensed plan review or inspections; that work stays with your licensed team and the jurisdiction.

This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about Franklin County permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.