Exeter, New Hampshire Building Permit Guide

In Exeter, the town’s Building Department at 10 Front Street issues building, electrical, plumbing and gas/mechanical permits, and applicants fill in the forms with its staff in person. A residential building permit costs a $50 application fee plus $5 per $1,000 of estimated construction cost, and the building and electrical inspectors need 24 hours’ notice for each inspection.

What requires a permit in Exeter?

Exeter requires a building permit before any residential or commercial construction project starts: new buildings, additions, remodels, renovations and demolition. Electrical, plumbing and gas/mechanical work each need a separate trade permit, and a new or replaced electric meter also needs a Permit to Energize from the Building Department before the utility turns the power on.

The application asks whether the lot is in a Special Flood Area, the Wetland Conservation Overlay District, the Exeter Shoreland Protection District or the Historic District. If the answer is yes or unsure, the town asks you to book an appointment with the Building Inspector or the Natural Resource Planner before applying.

Who issues building permits in Exeter?

The Exeter Building Department handles building inspection, code enforcement and zoning administration for the whole town; Rockingham County does not issue building permits. Douglas Eastman is the Building Inspector and Code Enforcement Officer. The department also takes questions and applications for the Zoning Board of Adjustment, which meets monthly, and keeps the board’s past case files.

The Select Board approved the longer Tuesday and shorter Friday hours for the Building Department from July 6, 2026.

Exeter permit applications and forms

Exeter takes permit applications in person. Because construction projects vary, the department requires applicants to meet its staff when they pick up and complete building, electrical or plumbing/gas applications. Electrical, plumbing and gas contractors must show a valid trade licence when they apply. The forms are also posted on the town’s Building Permit Applications page:

• Building Permit Application: owner and contractor details, tax map parcel and zone, a plot plan with setbacks for any work outside the existing footprint, plans, a description of the work and the estimated cost of labor and materials, certified under penalty of perjury. Page 2 is completed for new construction.
• Electrical, Plumbing and Mechanical Permit Applications: one per trade, filed by the licensed contractor.
• RCCD Request for Review Application: test pit review through the Rockingham County Conservation District.
• Use Permit for a home occupation, heliport or other use, and the Sign and Sidewalk Sign and Display permit applications.
• Solar Permitting Checklist (revised May 21, 2025) for rooftop and ground-mounted PV systems.
• Notice to Homeowner’s and Condo Association Owners: association covenants may require their own review of your plans, and checking that is up to you before you apply.

Exeter building permit fees

Exeter’s fees are set by the Select Board. The Building Department’s fee schedule (revised January 1, 2024) and the town-wide fee schedule (January 2026, updated April 2026) list the same building permit rates. The permit fee is worked out on the estimated cost of materials and labor.

When the electrical, plumbing or gas cost is included in the building permit estimate, the electrician or plumber still files a separate permit but pays only the $50 application fee. Fees are waived for repairs after fire damage and for work on municipal buildings.

For example, a residential addition estimated at $120,000 for labor and materials costs $50 plus $600, or $650, for the building permit.

Impact fees are paid at the Building Office for each new dwelling unit (effective March 29, 2021):

Town water and sewer: each connection has a $375 entrance fee, plus a system development charge of $3.74 per gallon for water and $1.81 per gallon for sewer. Homes are counted at 120 gallons per day per bedroom, so the town’s example of a 4-bedroom house has system development charges of $1,795.20 for water and $868.80 for sewer, on top of the two entrance fees. Water and sewer service applications must be completed, and their fees paid, before the building permit is issued.

Electrical, plumbing, gas and fire permits in Exeter

The Building Department issues electrical, plumbing and mechanical/gas permits on separate applications, and the contractor presents a current licence when filing. Exeter has its own electrical inspector, and electrical inspections need 24 hours’ notice like building inspections. Where electrical work installs or replaces a meter, the department issues a Permit to Energize before the utility connects power.

For solar PV, both residential and commercial systems need an electrical permit and a building permit, a site plan, an electrical diagram, equipment specification sheets and an engineer’s structural report, and the work must be done by a licensed electrician. The town’s checklist gives design criteria of 120 mph wind speed, 50 psf ground snow load and 48 inches frost depth, and arrays must meet zoning setbacks.

The Exeter Fire Department enforces the State Fire Code. Its permits on the town fee schedule include fire alarm and fire suppression system installation or modification ($50 each, plus acceptance testing) and oil burner installation ($50). Fire plan review costs $150 for a small project of up to one hour in house; larger projects are reviewed by a third-party fire protection engineer at a fee that engineer sets.

What to bring to the Building Department

How to get a building permit in Exeter

Exeter building inspections

The homeowner or contractor schedules every required inspection by calling 603-773-6112, and Exeter’s building and electrical inspectors need 24 hours’ notice. The town’s solar checklist gives inspection hours of 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. By signing the application you agree to give the Building Inspector that notice before rough wiring, rough plumbing or a chimney is covered with wall material, and to tell the inspector when the job is finished.

A building permit is valid for one year from the date it is issued; the town’s solar checklist adds that a permit lapses if work has not started within 180 days. The Building Inspector may renew it for one more year at no charge if the cost has not grown; work still unfinished after the renewal needs a new application for the remaining portion.

Local Exeter rules that affect a permit

Septic systems: the Building Inspector reviews septic designs ($50) before they go to the NHDES Subsurface Systems Bureau, and NHDES Approval for Construction is needed before the building permit is issued. Test pit review goes through the Rockingham County Conservation District ($350 per lot).

Historic buildings: work in the Historic District goes to the Historic District Commission, which charges no application or plan review fee, and demolitions may be reviewed by the Heritage Commission.

Associations: if your home is in a homeowners’ or condominium association, check its covenants for a plan review of its own before you apply.

New Hampshire building code

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

Exeter building permit FAQ

Who issues building permits in Exeter?

The Town of Exeter Building Department at 10 Front Street (603-773-6112) issues building, electrical, plumbing and mechanical permits for the whole town.

Can I apply for an Exeter building permit online?

No. The department asks applicants to meet its staff in person to obtain and complete building, electrical and plumbing/gas applications, although the blank forms can be downloaded from the town website.

How much is a building permit in Exeter?

For residential work, $50 plus $5 per $1,000 of the estimated cost of labor and materials; commercial work is $150 plus $10 per $1,000. Jobs valued at $1,500 or less pay only the application fee.

What impact fees apply to a new house in Exeter?

A new single detached house pays a $5,690 school impact fee and a $1,004 recreation impact fee, paid at the Building Office.

How much notice do inspections need?

24 hours for both the building and the electrical inspector, and booking them is the owner’s or contractor’s job.

Which building code does Exeter enforce?

The New Hampshire State Building Code: since July 1, 2026 the 2024 International Building and Residential Codes with the 2018 energy code and the 2023 National Electrical Code, and through December 31, 2026 an applicant may use the previous 2021 set instead (not a mix). The Building Department’s web page still mentions the 2015 codes.

Do I need anything from NHDES for a septic system?

Yes. After the Building Inspector reviews the design, the NHDES Subsurface Systems Bureau must issue Approval for Construction before Exeter issues the building permit.

Official Exeter permit resources

• NH Department of Environmental Services
• RSA 155-A — New Hampshire State Building Code
• Exeter building permit applications and forms
• Exeter Building Department
• Exeter Building Department contacts and hours
• Exeter Building Permit Application (PDF)
• Exeter Building Department Fee Schedule, revised January 1, 2024 (PDF)
• Town of Exeter Fee Schedule, January 2026, updated April 2026 (PDF)
• Exeter Solar PV Permitting Checklist, May 2025 (PDF)
• Exeter Fire Department Fire Inspection Program

Simplify Exeter permitting with Alliance Permitting

Alliance Permitting is a permit documentation and submission company in New Hampshire. 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 Exeter permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.