Hudson, NH Sidewalk & Pedestrian Rules: Encroachment Permits (2026)

Chapter 284, Article I (adopted 1963, rewritten 1988) sets the excavation permit rule: no person, firm, contractor or corporation may disturb the surface within the highway right-of-way without first getting a permit from the Board of Selectmen or its designee (§ 284-1). Work must start within 15 days of the permit issuing (§ 284-7), and excavation cannot leave open trenches or dirt that blocks traffic; in bad weather the excavator must keep the cut passable (§ 284-8). Backfill is specified by surface type: topsoiled ground gets twelve-inch compacted layers topped with six inches of topsoil (§ 284-2), gravelled ground gets twelve-inch layers topped with 18 inches of compacted gravel, and paved areas get 18 inches of compacted gravel with the pavement edge trimmed to a straight line and restored with either a two-inch hot-asphalt binder plus a one-and-one-half-inch finish course or a four-inch cold-patch layer sealed with tar (§ 284-3).

Whoever disturbs the ground stays responsible for that excavation for one full year after backfilling or resurfacing (§ 284-6), and the Board of Selectmen or its designee must be notified to inspect before the final surface goes down and again once it is complete (§ 284-9). A separate article covers utility conduits: any pipe, duct or cable laid in a Hudson street or road needs its location approved by the Board of Selectmen or its designee before installation (§ 284-11). Exceptions to the backfill specs and any bonding requirement are both left to the Board's discretion (§§ 284-4, 284-5).