Bedford, New Hampshire Building Permit Guide

The Town of Bedford’s Building Department, a division of the Bedford Fire Department on the second floor of the Safety Complex at 55 Constitution Drive (603-472-3838), reviews, issues and inspects building, trade, septic and sign permits for a Hillsborough County town of about 24,000. Building permits are filed at the Safety Complex in person, by email or by post, and a one- or two-family house or accessory structure is charged $0.18 per square foot, with a $50 minimum.

The address is the thing to get right: the Town Office is at 24 North Amherst Road (603-472-5242) and the Building Department is at 55 Constitution Drive, two buildings with separate telephone lines. Stand-alone electrical, plumbing, gas, fuel-appliance and generator permits can be applied for through the town’s online permitting system, which also shows the status of any permit and takes payment. Building permits, and the trade permits that belong to them, still go to the Safety Complex, and issued permits are picked up there in person rather than posted.

This guide covers the Town of Bedford in Hillsborough County. Manchester, Merrimack, Amherst, Goffstown and New Boston are separate municipalities with their own building officials, and no New Hampshire county issues building permits in practice.

What requires a building permit in Bedford?

Bedford sorts permits into two kinds. On-demand permits cover work that changes nothing structural and are issued at the front desk during business hours: fill in the form, pay, and book an inspection once the work is done. Review-required permits are checked by staff against both the building code and the zoning ordinance before they issue.

Bedford’s own ground rules

The town does not issue foundation-only permits, and no work that needs a permit, excavation for a foundation included, may begin before the permit is issued; starting early can bring a fine under § 92-11 of the town code. Ordinary repairs that meet the department’s guidelines need no application. Unpermitted work stays with the property, so a buyer answers for what a previous owner built without a permit, and the department suggests checking the permit record before a purchase.

Every building in New Hampshire must meet the state building and fire codes (the 2024 codes since July 2026). Only towns that have adopted an enforcement mechanism issue local permits, and any local amendment must be administrative and confirmed by the state. New Hampshire rules

Bedford building department: who handles permitting

The Building Department, a division of the Bedford Fire Department, is the permitting authority inside the town, administering the New Hampshire State Building Code through the enforcement mechanism Bedford has adopted, with the department’s own inspectors carrying out plan review and field inspection. A licensed electrician, plumber or gas fitter can apply online for a stand-alone trade permit by uploading the state licence (and a photo ID when the licence is a business licence); trade permits that belong to a building permit are issued only after the building permit, in person at the department. The State Fire Marshal permits state, university and community college buildings, the environmental department issues shoreland, wetlands and sewage approvals, and the Office of Professional Licensure and Certification licenses the trades statewide.

Permit types

Residential permits

A new one- or two-family house needs two complete sets of drawings (stamped by a design professional where the framing does not follow the adopted code), an approved building lot, an approved driveway permit, an approved septic design or proof of a sewer connection, a completed energy compliance form with calculations, heat-loss calculations to size the heating and cooling equipment, and a site plan. An addition, remodel or finished basement needs before-and-after drawings, the energy form and a plot plan with every structure’s distance to the lot lines; a house built since 1996 also needs a copy of its original certified plot plan, and work that adds load to a septic system, such as a bedroom, needs a septic approval. A shed over 200 square feet must sit on supports that reach the 48-inch frost line.

Building or remodeling a home here? Alliance handles residential permit expediting, so the crew isn't waiting on the counter.

Commercial permits

A new building in any other use group needs two complete sets of architectural, structural and mechanical drawings, stamped where the law requires, with a full code analysis and every life-safety device located, plus the site plan approved and signed by the Planning Board, the septic design or sewer verification, and the energy compliance forms. Fire alarm and sprinkler systems are no longer handled with the building permit: they are applied for through the Risk Management Division of the Bedford Fire Department, by email or post, and not through the online system. Where a project is beyond what department staff can review, the department may require an ICC plan review, finished before the permit application goes in.

For tenant improvements and new commercial builds, Alliance handles commercial permit applications through issuance. More on this: commercial building permits explained.

Septic, wetlands and the historic district

A new septic system needs a design approved by the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services before the town’s septic permit, and town inspectors check the installation. Every wetland in Bedford carries a 50-foot structural setback that covers sheds, decks, pools, storage containers, and fences or retaining walls over 6 feet; filling a wetland needs a Zoning Board variance or Planning Board approval, after a Conservation Commission recommendation, on top of any state permit. New construction, additions and exterior changes inside the Historic District zoning areas go to the Historic District Commission.

New Hampshire has no general contractor licence; the contractor carries the duty to meet the state codes, and the trades hold state licences. New Hampshire rules

Bedford permit costs and fees

Bedford charges by floor area rather than construction value. Its posted schedule, titled “Fee Schedule 2022 Update” on the town’s Building and Fire Fee Schedule page, measures gross square footage on outside dimensions. Plan review fees are paid when the application is submitted and apply to new dwellings, new commercial buildings, additions, major remodels and changes of use group, not to sheds, pools, decks or minor tenant fit-ups under 10,000 square feet; every other fee is paid when the permit is issued, by personal check or exact cash.

Trade permits and who may pull them

Trade work follows the town’s permit process where the town enforces, and is done by tradespeople holding the state licence their trade requires. New Hampshire rules

How to apply for a Bedford building permit

Review, corrections and what actually causes delay

The department lists what slows its reviews: incomplete applications, the number of files already in the queue, the day’s inspections and inspector training or leave. A permit application stays valid for six months and nothing but the plan review fee is due until the permit is issued, so applying well ahead of the start date costs little.

Inspections in Bedford

Bedford does not take inspection requests online. Leave a voicemail on the inspection line, 603-472-4567, during business hours with your name, phone number, permit number and the inspection needed (for footings, the time you will be ready), at least 24 hours ahead. Messages left after 4:30 pm, at weekends or on holidays are booked for the second business day, so a Saturday call is scheduled for Tuesday. Inspectors work from 9:30 am to 3:30 pm, route their day by location and take no more than 15 inspections each; nobody inspects on the second Wednesday of the month, when both inspectors are at training. A set time has to be arranged with an inspector directly after the request is logged, and an inspection can be cancelled before 9 am on the day.

Photographs are not accepted as proof, and nothing may be covered before it is inspected. An item that fails more than twice may wait at least 48 business hours for the next visit. A certified plot plan showing the foundation, setbacks and wetlands must be on file before the foundation inspection. The certificate of occupancy needs a wet-stamped as-built plot plan, Public Works sign-off on the driveway and curb cut (requested a week ahead), Fire Department acceptance, Planning or Zoning acceptance where it applies, impact fees paid, an original current water test, and the septic approval for operation or sewer acceptance.

Bedford permit search and official resources

• Bedford Building Code Compliance — office location, records requests and the department’s pages
• Getting a Permit — on-demand and review-required permits
• Required Documents — the checklist for each permit type
• Application Forms — residential, commercial, pool, septic, sign and demolition applications
• Online Permitting System — status, payment and stand-alone trade permits
• Building and Fire Fee Schedule — the current fee sheet and impact fees
• Inspection Policy and Required Inspections — scheduling rules and what each inspection checks
• Bedford Fire Department permits, forms and fees — fire alarm, sprinkler and blasting permits
• Bedford wetlands guidance — the 50-foot setback and wetland fill approvals
• New Hampshire State Building Code — the adopted editions and the statewide amendments
• RSA chapter 155-A — the statute on the code, permits, enforcement and appeals

Frequently asked questions

Who issues building permits in Bedford?

The Building Department, part of the Bedford Fire Department, at the Safety Complex, 55 Constitution Drive (603-472-3838). It is a different building from the Town Office on North Amherst Road, and no New Hampshire county issues building permits.

How much is a building permit in Bedford?

$0.18 per square foot of gross floor area for a one- or two-family house or accessory structure and $0.23 per square foot for other buildings, with a $50 minimum. New houses, additions and major remodels also pay a $75 plan review fee when they apply, and a new single-family house pays $10,974 in school and recreation impact fees.

Can I apply online?

Only for stand-alone electrical, plumbing, gas, fuel-appliance and generator permits, with the state licence uploaded. Building permits and the trade permits that go with them are filed at the Safety Complex in person, by email or by post; status and payment are online.

Do I need a permit for a shed?

Yes, even for a shed on blocks or a floating slab, which the town treats as a structure. A shed over 200 square feet needs supports down to the 48-inch frost line, and it must stay 50 feet from any wetland.

Can a homeowner do their own electrical or plumbing work?

A homeowner may do electrical work in their own primary residence. Plumbing is limited to minor repairs; new drain, waste, vent or water lines need a licensed plumber.

Which code applies?

Since July 1, 2026 the state code has been the 2024 international building, residential and related codes with the 2018 energy code and the 2023 electrical code. Bedford’s own codes page still lists the 2021 editions; applications filed by December 31, 2026 may still use that earlier set as a whole, but not a mix of the two. New Hampshire code editions

Does the town do its own plan review?

Yes. Department staff review plans and carry out inspections, although the department can require an outside ICC plan review for a project beyond its staff’s scope.

Who approves a septic system?

NHDES approves the design; Bedford then issues the septic permit ($50 for an installation) and inspects the system before it is covered.

Simplify Bedford permitting with Alliance Permitting

Bedford’s department is easy to arrive at the wrong building for. We file at Constitution Drive, put state licences on the trades, and start the environmental approvals ahead of design.

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Send us the scope and the parcel. We confirm the review path with the Bedford Building Department, assemble the submittal, file it, and track it through issuance — corrections included.

More New Hampshire permitting guides

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