Lamoille County, Vermont Building Permit Guide

Lamoille County has no county permit office, so permits come from the town or incorporated village and from the state. Stowe, Morristown, Hyde Park, Elmore and Wolcott issue zoning permits under their own bylaws, and in Morristown a new single-family home is charged $0.40 per square foot. Cambridge, Eden and Waterville have no zoning, and rentals and commercial buildings also need a state construction permit from the Division of Fire Safety.

What needs a permit in Lamoille County?

Where a Lamoille town has zoning, a zoning permit comes before new buildings, additions, accessory buildings, changes of use, signs and subdivisions, and the bigger cases go to a Development Review Board. The rules differ more than usual from town to town: Johnson’s Form Based Code reaches only its village districts, Cambridge regulates subdivisions and flood hazard areas but has no zoning, and the villages of Hyde Park and Jeffersonville handle land use separately from their towns.

Lamoille County building department: who handles permitting

Vermont counties are not permitting governments, and Lamoille County has no building or zoning office. The Census Bureau counts 10 towns in the county and 5 incorporated villages: Cambridge, Jeffersonville, Hyde Park, Johnson and Morrisville.

No zoning: the Town of Cambridge has no zoning regulations, but its subdivision regulations have applied since September 1, 2006 everywhere except the Village of Jeffersonville, its development guidelines say no development may occur in a flood hazard area except in conformance with the town’s flood hazard bylaws, and a new driveway onto a town road needs an access permit from the road foreman; the subdivision administrative officer is at 802-644-2251, option 4. Eden’s town plan says the town has not adopted zoning or subdivision regulations; it issues a $15 driveway access permit (802-635-2528). Belvidere has no zoning administrator, but it appoints a flood hazard officer and is in FEMA’s flood insurance program (town clerk 802-644-6621). Waterville’s 2019–2027 town plan says the town does not have zoning; it has no flood hazard bylaw either, and FEMA lists it as not participating (town office 802-644-8865).

State offices: on the Division of Fire Safety’s regional map the whole county is served by the Waterbury Regional Office, 45 State Drive, Waterbury (802-479-4434). DEC’s Montpelier Regional Office, 1 National Life Drive, Davis 4, issues wastewater and water supply permits for all 10 towns (802-828-5034, by appointment). Act 250 is handled by the District 5 Environmental Commission, 10 Baldwin Street, Montpelier (802-522-6428), which also covers Washington County.

How Lamoille offices take applications

• Stowe accepts development applications only in person at the Planning & Zoning office, and only when complete; application checklists are posted on its page. Zoning fees can be paid online with a 3% convenience fee. The town does not issue certificate of compliance letters.
• Hyde Park takes the town zoning application in person, by mail to PO Box 98 or by email, with the fee. Review can take up to 30 days and there is no same-day issuance. Appeals of the zoning administrator’s decision go to the Development Review Board within 15 days, with a $365 fee on the current form.
• Village of Hyde Park applications need a site plan showing parcel size, setbacks and building placement, and go to the village office, ATTN: Zoning.
• Johnson has its own Form Based Code application; the code advises, but does not require, a first meeting with the Administrative Officer.
• Elmore posts its forms and bylaws on the town forms page and asks landowners to contact the zoning administrator before starting a project.
• State: the Division of Fire Safety uses a full Construction Permit Application or, for renovations under $200,000, the Small Project Construction Permit Application. DEC wastewater permits are applied for through ANR Online.

Permit fees in Lamoille County

Morristown publishes the county’s most detailed town fee schedule, effective January 10, 2022:

A new 1,800 sq ft house in Morristown pays $720 plus the recording fee. Fees double if development starts before the permit is applied for and approved, and no zoning fee can exceed $5,000 in total. Elsewhere, Eden charges $15 for a driveway access permit and Hyde Park charges $365 to appeal a zoning decision. State permits carry their own fees.

Electrical, plumbing and fire safety in Lamoille County

The town offices listed above handle land use. Construction in public buildings, including apartments and other rentals, needs a permit from the Division of Fire Safety’s Waterbury Regional Office, and electrical and plumbing work the Division regulates needs a work notice before it starts, filed on paper or online with a credit card. Fire alarm, sprinkler, fire suppression, exhaust hood, tank and tent permits each have their own state application.

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

How to get a permit in Lamoille County

Inspections and closeout in Lamoille County

State inspectors from the Waterbury Regional Office inspect public buildings and the electrical and plumbing work the Division of Fire Safety regulates; the Division also inspects on request when a building changes use or ownership. The Residential Building Energy Standards apply to all new residential construction, including additions, alterations, renovations and repairs; the builder, or a licensed engineer, licensed architect or accredited home energy rating organization, certifies compliance, posts the certificate at the heating or cooling equipment or electrical panel, sends a copy to the Department of Public Service and records it in the town land records. Builders may use either the 2020 or the 2024 standards since July 14, 2026.

Floodplains and Act 250 in Lamoille County

Flood insurance program: FEMA’s Community Status Book lists Belvidere, the town and village of Cambridge, Jeffersonville, the towns and villages of Hyde Park and Johnson, Morristown, Morrisville, Stowe and Wolcott in the regular program and Elmore in the emergency program. Eden and Waterville appear in its list of communities not participating.

Act 250: Lamoille County is in District 5, whose commission sits in Montpelier and meets applicants by appointment.

Short-term rentals: Stowe adopted a short-term rental ordinance on February 29, 2024. In Morristown and Morrisville, short-term rentals are restricted to owner-occupied properties, and renting more than 4 bedrooms needs conditional use approval from the Development Review Board.

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

Lamoille County permit FAQ

Does Lamoille County issue building permits?

No. Permits come from the town or incorporated village, and from state agencies for public buildings, septic systems and Act 250 projects.

How much is a zoning permit for a new house in Morristown?

$0.40 per square foot plus $15 per recorded page, under the schedule effective January 10, 2022. Fees double if work starts before the permit is approved.

Can I file a Stowe zoning application by email?

No. Stowe accepts development applications in person at the Akeley Memorial Building, 67 Main Street, and only when they are complete.

Does Cambridge have zoning?

No. The Town of Cambridge has subdivision regulations and flood hazard bylaws but no zoning; the Village of Jeffersonville runs its own planning.

Who issues septic permits in Lamoille County?

The Department of Environmental Conservation’s Montpelier Regional Office issues wastewater system and potable water supply permits for every Lamoille town.

Which Act 250 district covers Lamoille County?

District 5, at 10 Baldwin Street in Montpelier (802-522-6428).

Lamoille County permit search and official resources

Town and village zoning pages and the state offices for Lamoille County.

• Stowe Planning & Zoning
• Morristown zoning and subdivision fees
• Morristown zoning bylaws and maps
• Hyde Park town planning and zoning
• Village of Hyde Park planning and zoning
• Elmore zoning
• Wolcott planning and zoning regulations
• Johnson public documents (Form Based Code)
• Cambridge planning and development
• Vermont Division of Fire Safety permits and forms
• Division of Fire Safety regional offices map
• DEC Montpelier Regional Office (wastewater and water supply)
• Act 250 district commissions and coordinators
• DEC wastewater and potable water permit applications

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