Hampshire County sets no height limit. Building height is capped by each city or town's zoning bylaw under the Zoning Act, MGL c.40A. Most residential districts across Northampton, Amherst, and South Hadley limit homes to about 35 feet or 2.5 stories.
No county rule caps building height in Hampshire County; the county was abolished in 1999 and had no zoning authority. Height limits come from the municipal zoning bylaw, which the Zoning Act, MGL c.40A, authorizes to set reasonable regulations concerning the height of structures. A common residential cap across the valley is 35 feet or 2.5 stories, measured to the mean roof line, though downtown Northampton and Amherst's central and mixed-use districts allow taller buildings. Chimneys, antennas, and rooftop mechanical equipment are usually exempt up to a limited additional height. Exceeding the district limit requires a variance from the local Zoning Board of Appeals.
The municipal building department enforces height limits and issues stop-work orders for over-height construction. Legalizing it requires a variance from the Zoning Board of Appeals under MGL c.40A §10, not action by the county.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
Hampshire County, MA
No Hampshire County or state law limits holiday lights, inflatables, or yard displays. Towns rarely regulate seasonal decorations, and where a bylaw touches ...
Hampshire County, MA
No Hampshire County rule governs garage-sale signs; towns handle them through local sign bylaws. A sign on your own lawn is generally fine, but one staked in...
Hampshire County, MA
Towns, not Hampshire County, regulate signs through zoning bylaws under MGL c.40A. Since Reed v. Town of Gilbert (2015), a bylaw must stay content-neutral: N...
Hampshire County, MA
Rental registration is a town power, not a county one, and Hampshire County has no government. Amherst requires every landlord to hold an annual rental permi...
Hampshire County, MA
Massachusetts has no just-cause eviction law, and no Hampshire County town can add one. But the state is strongly tenant-protective: a security deposit is ca...
Hampshire County, MA
Rent control is illegal in every Hampshire County community. Massachusetts voters banned it statewide in 1994, now MGL c.40P §4: no city or town may enact, m...
See how Hampshire County's structure height limits rules stack up against other locations.
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.