Washington County, Maine Building Permit Guide

In Washington County the town code enforcement officer handles permits in the 41 towns and cities, and the state Land Use Planning Commission (LUPC) handles them in the unorganized townships and in Baring and Grand Lake Stream plantations. No town in the county has more than 4,000 residents, so none is required to enforce the Maine Uniform Building and Energy Code (MUBEC). Calais charges at least $50 plus $30 per 1,000 sq ft of floor area, and LUPC charges $200 or $300 for a new dwelling unit.

What needs a permit in Washington County?

There is no county building ordinance. The towns and LUPC each decide what needs a permit on their own land.

Eastport says any alteration of a structure, inside or out, requires a building permit. In LUPC territory, a garage or shed built with an existing home may need only the commission’s notice and self-verification form when it meets the standards.

Who issues building permits in Washington County?

The county: the Washington County Office of Unorganized Territories manages municipal affairs for the 35 unorganized townships from 83 Court Street, Machias (Tuesday and Thursday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.; (207) 255-8919). Its building permit link sends applicants to LUPC; the office itself takes requests for E-911 addresses, burn permits and transfer station permits. County offices are at 85 Court Street, Machias, (207) 255-3127.

LUPC: most of the county, and all coastal islands in LUPC’s service area, are served by the Downeast Regional Office at 106 Hogan Road, Suite 8, Bangor: (207) 592-4448 for residential and (207) 215-4685 for non-residential projects. Northern Washington County is served from the Eastern Regional Office in East Millinocket ((207) 399-2176 residential, (207) 485-8354 non-residential). Both offices see visitors by appointment only.

Towns: each town appoints a code enforcement officer and plumbing inspector. Three of the county’s larger towns:

Every Washington County town, plantation and township

Over 4,000 residents: none in the 2020 Census, which is the count the state MUBEC rule uses; Calais is the largest town.

Own code enforcement officer and plumbing inspector; building code only if the town adopted it: Addison, Alexander, Baileyville, Beals, Beddington, Calais, Charlotte, Cherryfield, Columbia, Columbia Falls, Cooper, Crawford, Cutler, Danforth, Deblois, Dennysville, East Machias, Eastport, Harrington, Jonesboro, Jonesport, Lubec, Machias, Machiasport, Marshfield, Meddybemps, Milbridge, Northfield, Pembroke, Perry, Princeton, Robbinston, Roque Bluffs, Steuben, Talmadge, Topsfield, Vanceboro, Waite, Wesley, Whiting and Whitneyville.

LUPC issues the permit: Baring and Grand Lake Stream plantations; Codyville, which the Census counts as unorganized territory and LUPC lists as Codyville Plantation; and the townships the Census groups as East Central Washington and North Washington unorganized territories.

Tribal land: the Census also lists the Passamaquoddy Indian Township Reservation (763 people) and the Passamaquoddy Pleasant Point Reservation (686). For building on reservation land, contact the Passamaquoddy tribal government.

Electrical, plumbing and septic

Electrical: permits come from the state Electricians’ Examining Board unless the town has its own electrical inspector. The board exempts single-family dwellings from its permit, asking for certification or letting a licensed master electrician verify the work; temporary services to build one-family homes still require one. Eastport notes that a licensed electrician, or the owner when the owner does the work, must obtain the electrical permit.

Plumbing: the town plumbing inspector issues the permit. In Eastport only a master plumber, master fuel technician, manufactured housing or utility representative, or the property owner may request one; a general contractor may not, and the permit must be used within 24 months. Calais’s CEO is also its plumbing inspector, and the city adds a $25 inspection fee to each building or plumbing permit.

Septic: Eastport requires two inspections of a new septic system, starting with the scarified bed before pipe or gravel goes in. In the unorganized townships, the Maine CDC subsurface wastewater program lists the appointed plumbing inspectors, and an LUPC application for a new or expanded system must include the signed HHE-200 design.

Permit fees in Washington County

LUPC fees come from Chapter 1 of its rules, amended effective June 3, 2026; Calais posts its own fees on its building permit page.

A camp with a 24 by 32 ft footprint (768 sq ft) in an unorganized township pays the $200 LUPC fee. LUPC accepts checks payable to “Treasurer, State of Maine” or online payment, which adds $0.25 for debit cards and 3% for credit cards. Calais’s site plan fee applies to commercial, industrial and institutional buildings and to homes in the shoreland zone that need site plan approval, and it is charged on top of the building permit.

What to submit

Calais: a signed and dated application with a site plan showing the lot’s shape and size, the buildings to be built, altered or removed, existing buildings, and setbacks from neighboring lots, plus anything else the CEO or Planning Board needs. Uses marked “S” in the Land Use Codes table also need Planning Board site plan approval.

Eastport: a site plan for every building permit, and construction plans with elevations, sections or floor plans when asked. The city posts forms for building permits, certificates of occupancy, demolition, earthmoving, flood hazard development and tree removal, and deck guidelines listing what a deck application must show.

LUPC: the 2026 application signed by every owner, with a location map, deed or lease, site photos from the past two years, a site plan, any HHE-200 septic design, erosion control details, and a MaineDOT or local driveway permit for a new entrance where one is required.

How to apply in Washington County

Inspections

Eastport puts scheduling on the permit holder: call or email at least 72 working hours ahead. Plumbing is inspected at rough-in, before walls are closed, and again at the occupancy inspection, and a new building needs a certificate of occupancy before anyone lives in it. In Machias, the CEO does inspections on behalf of the Planning Board.

LUPC does not administer MUBEC and does not inspect buildings for code compliance; its staff visit sites to check applications and permit conditions. No Washington County town is required to enforce MUBEC, but owners remain responsible for meeting it and can hire a state-certified third-party inspector to check the work.

Local details in Washington County

Grand Lake Stream waterfront: LUPC designated the plantation’s boathouses and waterfront an Area of Cultural or Special Significance in a rule effective August 24, 2015. Inside it, owners may apply to rebuild in place or expand legally existing nonconforming structures if the project fits the purpose of the designation.

Rural business zoning in the townships: since March 5, 2018, LUPC’s Rural Business Development subdistrict, set up with the Washington County Commissioners, provides for small commercial, light manufacturing and institutional uses in selected locations along major roads in the unorganized areas.

Addison: building permits go to the Planning Board, which meets on the first Wednesday of the month; applications are due at the town office by the 20th of the month before, the CEO ((207) 263-4243) inspects the site before the meeting, and a $35 initial fee is paid with the application.

Eastport shoreline: every activity in the 250 ft shoreline zone needs a permit, including tree and brush cutting, and the city asks owners to contact the CEO before any work there.

Timing: LUPC warns that staffing shortages can delay permits and recommends applying in winter.

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 Washington County permitting resources

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

• Washington County Unorganized Territories
• LUPC Downeast Regional Office, Bangor
• LUPC Eastern Regional Office, East Millinocket
• 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 rulemaking history, including Grand Lake Stream and Washington County
• LUPC zoning maps by township
• LUPC land use districts and standards, Chapter 10
• LUPC application forms
• Maine Office of Community Affairs: building codes
• MOCA third-party inspector certification and search
• Calais Code Enforcement
• Calais: getting a building permit and fees
• Eastport Code Enforcement
• Eastport permits and inspections
• Machias Code Enforcement
• Addison permits and applications

Washington County permit FAQs

Does Washington County issue building permits?

No. Towns issue their own permits, and the Land Use Planning Commission issues them in the unorganized townships, including Codyville, and in Baring and Grand Lake Stream plantations.

Which LUPC office handles Washington County?

The Downeast Regional Office in Bangor, (207) 592-4448 for residential projects, serves most of the county; northern parts are served from East Millinocket.

How much is a building permit in Calais?

$50 minimum plus $30 per 1,000 sq ft of gross floor area or part of 1,000, plus a $25 inspection fee. Accessory structures and residential additions with a footprint up to 800 sq ft cost $25.

How fast can I get a permit in Calais?

The ordinance allows up to 30 days, but the city says a simple residential or accessory structure permit can often be issued in a day or two.

Must Washington County towns enforce the state building code?

None is required to, because none has more than 4,000 residents. A town may still adopt it, and the owner is responsible for meeting it.

How do I get a 911 address in an unorganized township?

Request it from the Washington County Office of Unorganized Territories, (207) 255-8919.

Simplify Washington 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 Washington County permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.