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Brunswick, Maine: what can you build or do?

Plain-English answers to common homeowner questions, taken from Brunswick's published ordinances, with every rule linked to the section it comes from.

Last reviewed 2026-10-03

• Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs)
  Yes. Brunswick allows one accessory dwelling unit per lot on single- or two-family residential lots, inside the house, attached, or in a detached building, without Development Review. The ADU can be no larger than 1,100 sq ft or 75% of the main home's floor area, whichever is less, and you need a permit backed by proof of adequate water and wastewater.Allowed with a permit
• Backyard Chickens
  Yes, in Brunswick's growth area. The codified ordinance allows up to 6 hens on a single-family detached home's property with a chicken license from the Town Clerk, issued after an Animal Control inspection. No roosters, nothing in the front yard, and the henhouse and pen must be at least 10 feet from the side and rear property lines.Allowed with a permit
• Short-Term Rentals (Airbnb / VRBO)
  Brunswick has no separate short-term rental license, but STRs (including ADUs) count as rental units and must be registered each year with the Fire Department's Fire Prevention Office by January 15. Missing the registration brings a $50 per unit penalty that doubles every 30 days up to $400 per unit.Allowed with a permit
• Fences
  Yes. In Brunswick a fence can go anywhere in your side and rear setbacks, but in the front setback it may be no taller than 4 feet without written approval from the Code Enforcement Officer. On a residential lot in a Growth Area district, no fence may exceed 6 feet in height without that written approval. The zoning code doesn't list fences as needing a building permit (fences aren't "structures" under its definition), but confirm with Codes Enforcement.Allowed
• Sheds & Accessory Buildings
  Usually yes, with a Building Permit from the Code Enforcement Officer if the shed is subject to the state building code. In Growth Residential districts a shed can sit as close as 10 feet to the rear and side lot lines (3 feet from a side line for a one-story shed on a lot narrower than 80 feet); in other districts the minimum is 5 feet, and a shed can never be closer to the street than the house's front setback.Allowed with a permit
• Burn Permits & Backyard Fires
  The Brunswick ordinances we reviewed don't include their own rules for brush burning or backyard fire pits. Chapter 7 adopts the NFPA 1 fire code by reference, but its text isn't in our sources, so follow the state burn-permit rules and check with the Brunswick Fire Department before you burn.Not specifically regulated
• Home-Based Businesses
  Yes. Brunswick permits home occupations in single- and two-family homes as long as they meet the zoning performance standards: no more than 2 non-resident employees on site at once, no more than 35% of the home's floor area or 750 sq ft (whichever is less), and no more than 16 vehicle trips a day; the ordinance doesn't describe a separate home-occupation permit. A home office used only by residents, with no signs, customers or outdoor storage, isn't regulated at all.Allowed
• Swimming Pools
  Yes. In Brunswick a pool is treated like other accessory structures: in Growth Residential districts it must be at least 10 feet from the rear and side lot lines (5 feet in other districts), and never closer to the street than the house's front setback. Pools subject to the state building code need a Building Permit; the ordinances we reviewed don't include pool-fence rules, so ask Codes Enforcement whether barrier requirements apply.Allowed with a permit
• Building Near the Water (Shoreland Zoning)
  Brunswick's Shoreland Protection Overlay covers land within 250 feet of rivers and coastal or freshwater wetlands (including tidal areas) and within 75 feet of tributary streams. New buildings must generally be set back 125 feet from rivers and coastal/freshwater wetlands and 75 feet from streams, and any development there needs a Shoreland Protection Permit.Allowed with board review
• Docks, Piers & Floats
  Yes, with approvals. In Brunswick's Shoreland Protection Overlay, a temporary (seasonal) dock needs a Shoreland Protection Permit from the Code Enforcement Officer, while a permanent pier or dock goes through Major Development Review by the Planning Board, plus a state DEP permit and possibly an Army Corps permit. Only one dock is allowed per lot, and a temporary noncommercial dock can be no wider than 6 feet.Allowed with board review