Addison County, Vermont Building Permit Guide

In Addison County the permit for a house, garage or addition is a town zoning permit from the zoning administrator of the town where the land lies, or from the City of Vergennes; it checks use and setbacks, not construction. Rentals and commercial buildings also need a construction permit from the Division of Fire Safety’s Rutland Regional Office (802-786-5867). Middlebury charges $230 per new dwelling unit, and Granville and Hancock have no zoning at all, only flood hazard rules.

What needs a permit in Addison County?

Each town’s bylaw sets its own trigger, and most catch any new building, addition, change of use or subdivision. A few examples from the town rules:

• Goshen: no building, construction, conversion, relocation or enlargement may start without a zoning permit; structures under 100 square feet that are not for human occupancy are exempt but must meet setbacks.
• Bridport: under interim bylaws in force since July 18, 2025, sheds and similar structures up to 120 square feet and 10 feet high may sit within a yard if they stay at least 10 feet from any property line.
• Middlebury: the town calls its permit a “zoning (building) permit”; it must be posted where the public can see it for 15 days before work starts, and it lasts 2 years.
• Granville and Hancock: no zoning permit, but building in a mapped flood hazard area needs the town’s flood hazard approval.

Addison County building department: who handles permitting

Vermont counties have no general government, so nothing is filed with “Addison County”. Every town has its own zoning or land use bylaw except Granville and Hancock, which regulate only flood hazard areas. Vergennes is the county’s only city and has its own Development Review Board; there are no incorporated villages. Most towns use a Development Review Board for conditional uses, variances and subdivisions, while Ferrisburgh, Ripton and Weybridge still use a Zoning Board of Adjustment.

Several zoning administrators work part time and see applicants by appointment: the Vergennes office is open Monday 12:30 to 4:30 pm and Tuesday 8 am to noon, Ferrisburgh’s Monday to Wednesday 1 to 4 pm, and Bristol’s walk-in hours run Monday to Wednesday 10 am to 4 pm.

State permits for Addison County projects

The state offices for this county are split along its eastern edge. Granville and Hancock, in the mountains on Route 100, are served from Springfield and Montpelier for wastewater and Act 250, while every other town looks to Rutland and Essex Junction.

The wastewater application fee is $306.25 for a design flow of 560 gallons a day or less from July 1, 2026, and applications go through ANR Online. On the Land Use Review Board’s list updated September 24, 2026, Shoreham, Granville and Hancock are 1-acre towns, where Act 250 applies to development on tracts of more than one acre instead of ten; the rest of the county is 10-acre. Since July 14, 2026 a new home may follow either the 2020 or the 2024 residential energy standards.

Zoning permit fees in Addison County towns

Each town sets its own fees, usually by Selectboard order, and most add the state’s $15 per page recording fee. These are the posted schedules for a new house or a smaller project:

Panton’s bands make a simple example: a 1,500-square-foot addition falls in the 1,001 to 2,000 square foot band and costs $200, of which $100 is the certificate of occupancy. Middlebury also charges $300 per equivalent residential unit to connect to town water and $400 to connect to town sewer.

Electrical, plumbing and fire safety work

No Addison County municipality holds a Division of Fire Safety inspection agreement, so state construction permits, electrical and plumbing work notices and fire alarm or sprinkler permits for public buildings all go to the Rutland Regional Office. The Division requires a work notice or permit before any covered work starts, and it has a shorter construction permit application for renovations under $200,000. Electricians and plumbers working on those buildings hold state licences.

Alliance handles electrical permit expediting for contractors here. More on this: who pulls the electrical permit.

How to get a permit in Addison County

Inspections and close-out

Town zoning offices check setbacks and use rather than construction, and several issue a certificate of occupancy or compliance at the end: Addison includes it in the permit fee, Bridport asks to be told when work is finished so it can issue one, and Panton’s fees build in $100 for it. Construction inspections on public buildings come from the Rutland Regional Office. On an owner-occupied house no town or state office inspects the structure, so the RBES certificate, posted near the electrical panel or heating equipment, is often the main record of the work.

Vermont building code

Vermont has no statewide building code for an owner-occupied single-family home. The state code covers public buildings, including rented homes, and each town decides whether it runs a building department or only issues zoning permits. Vermont rules

Addison County permit FAQ

Does Addison County issue building permits?

No. Vermont counties have no permit office; the 22 towns and the City of Vergennes issue zoning permits, and the state permits public buildings, septic systems and Act 250 projects.

Which Addison County towns have no zoning?

Granville and Hancock. Both regulate building in flood hazard areas only, and both are 1-acre towns for Act 250 in District 3.

How much is a permit for a new house in Middlebury?

$230 per dwelling unit under the schedule updated July 2, 2026, plus $15 per page to record the permit.

When can I start work after the permit is issued?

Middlebury permits must be posted for 15 days before work starts, and Bridport says not to start until the permit has been issued for 15 days. That window is the appeal period.

Where do I apply for a septic or well permit?

The DEC Rutland regional office (802-786-5900) for most of the county and the Springfield office (802-522-2220) for Granville and Hancock; the fee is $306.25 for a design flow of 560 gallons a day or less.

Which Act 250 district covers Addison County?

District 9 in Essex Junction (802-261-1945) for all towns except Granville and Hancock, which are in District 3 in Montpelier.

Addison County permit search and official resources

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

• Middlebury Department of Planning & Zoning
• Middlebury zoning and development fees, updated July 2, 2026
• Bristol zoning application fees, effective February 1, 2025
• Vergennes zoning and planning office
• Town of Addison zoning page and fees
• Bridport interim zoning bylaws, July 2025
• Panton zoning fees, October 2025
• Starksboro zoning forms and bylaws
• Division of Fire Safety regional office contacts
• Division of Fire Safety permit applications and work notices
• DEC Rutland regional office and towns served
• DEC wastewater and water supply permit fees, July 1, 2026
• Act 250 district commissions and coordinators
• Act 250 list of 1-acre and 10-acre towns
• Residential Building Energy Standards and certificate
• FEMA Community Status Book for Vermont

Simplify Addison County permitting with Alliance Permitting

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