Cumberland County does not issue grading permits. Substantive grading and drainage requirements come from Maine DEP (Natural Resources Protection Act, stormwater rules), the Maine Uniform Building and Energy Code, and the site-plan ordinances of each Cumberland County municipality.
Cumberland County has no building department and does not issue grading or drainage permits. The applicable legal framework is layered: (1) the Maine Uniform Building and Energy Code (MUBEC), mandatory in every Cumberland County municipality because all exceed the 4,000-population threshold under 25 MRS § 2451, incorporates IRC Appendix J (grading) and IBC Chapter 18 (foundation drainage); (2) Maine DEP rules under 38 MRS § 420-D require a stormwater permit for projects disturbing one acre or more; (3) the Natural Resources Protection Act (38 MRS § 480-A et seq.) requires a state permit for any soil disturbance within 75 feet of a protected natural resource (great pond, river, freshwater wetland, coastal wetland, stream) unless the project qualifies for a permit-by-rule or § 480-Q exemption; and (4) each municipality's site-plan review ordinance regulates lot grading, finished-floor elevations, drainage swales, and stormwater discharge. For residential projects, contact the municipal Code Enforcement Officer. For projects near wetlands or shorelines, contact the Maine DEP Southern Maine Regional Office in Portland.
MUBEC violations are enforced by municipal CEOs with civil penalties under the local building-ordinance schedule (typically $100–$500 per day). Maine DEP enforcement under 38 MRS § 349 reaches up to $25,000 per day for NRPA or § 420-D violations. NRPA violations within shoreland or wetland areas may also require restoration of altered grade and replanting of disturbed vegetation.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
Cumberland County, ME
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Cumberland County, ME
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Cumberland County, ME
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Cumberland County, ME
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