Plymouth County has no lot-coverage rule. Building coverage and impervious limits are set by each town's zoning bylaw under the Zoning Act, MGL c.40A. Coastal towns add wetlands and stormwater limits under the state Wetlands Protection Act.
No countywide rule limits how much of a lot may be covered by buildings in Plymouth County, because Massachusetts counties cannot zone. Maximum building coverage comes from the town zoning bylaw, which the Zoning Act, MGL c.40A, authorizes to set building coverage requirements. Many residential districts across the county cap coverage between 15 and 30 percent of lot area, with figures varying by town and district. Near the coast and wetlands in Duxbury, Marshfield, Wareham, and Plymouth, the state Wetlands Protection Act, MGL c.131 §40, and local conservation bylaws further restrict impervious surface within 100 feet of a resource area. Exceeding a coverage cap requires a variance from the town Zoning Board of Appeals.
The town building commissioner enforces coverage limits; the local Conservation Commission enforces wetlands buffer limits under MGL c.131 §40. Over-covering a lot draws a zoning citation or an enforcement order, curable only through a ZBA variance or conservation permit.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
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See how North Plymouth's lot coverage limits rules stack up against other locations.
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