Home › Maine › Camden

Camden, Maine: what can you build or do?

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

Last reviewed 2026-10-03

• Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs)
  Yes. Camden calls an ADU an "accessory apartment": one unit of 600 sq ft or less on a lot with a single-family home, allowed in the Rural 1 and 2, Coastal Residential, Village Extension and Traditional Village districts, among others. Both units must be someone's primary residence, the apartment needs one parking space, and you need a building permit from the Code Enforcement Officer. Our copy of the zoning ordinance only runs through June 2022, so confirm the current rules.Allowed with a permit
• Backyard Chickens
  Yes. On a lot under 2.5 acres you can keep up to nine small animals such as hens and/or rabbits, for personal use only, in housing at least 15 ft from property lines and not in the front yard. Roosters, ducks, turkeys, goats and other larger animals, or more than nine hens, need at least 2.5 acres and must be kept 50 ft from property lines. Our copy of the zoning ordinance runs only through June 2022.Allowed
• Short-Term Rentals (Airbnb / VRBO)
  Yes, with an annual Town license. Since January 1, 2025, every short-term rental (28 days or less) in Camden must be licensed with the Code Enforcement Officer before it's rented. Only the record owner can apply, and the fee is $350 a year for a rental at your primary residence ($500 seasonal, $1,000 commercial). Which zones allow which type of rental is set in the zoning chapter, which we couldn't review.Allowed with a permit
• Fences
  Camden's zoning limits fences inside any required front, side or rear setback to 6 ft tall. Fences aren't counted as "structures," so building setbacks don't apply and the ordinance doesn't stop a fence at the property line; it also sets no separate front-yard limit and no corner-lot sight-line rule. Our copy of the zoning ordinance only runs through June 2022.Allowed
• Sheds & Accessory Buildings
  You need a building permit from Camden's Code Enforcement Officer if the shed's labor and materials cost more than $2,000 in a 12-month period, or if the state building code requires one. Every shed, permitted or not, must meet your zone's setbacks. In the Traditional Village district that's 15 ft front, 10 ft side and 15 ft rear; in Coastal Residential it's 25/15/15 ft with sewer. The zoning text we have runs only through June 2022.Depends on your zone
• Burn Permits & Backyard Fires
  Yes, with a same-day state burn permit obtained online from the Maine burn permit site. Camden says permits are issued only on Class I and II fire-danger days, and you can only use one when winds are under 10 mph. You must be 18 or older and own the land or have the owner's written consent. Camden's page doesn't address backyard fire pits separately.Allowed with a permit
• Home-Based Businesses
  Yes. Home occupations are a permitted accessory use in Camden's residential districts if they meet the town's standards, and starting one likely needs a use permit from the Code Enforcement Officer. The main limits: no more than one full-time or two part-time non-resident employees, use of no more than 50% of the home's floor area, no outside storage or display, and in residential and rural zones no more than 10 vehicle trips a day. Our copy of the zoning ordinance runs only through June 2022.Allowed with a permit
• Swimming Pools
  Camden's zoning ordinance doesn't have specific rules for swimming pools or hot tubs, including fence or barrier rules. A pool built in the ground is likely a "structure," so it needs a building permit if it costs more than $2,000 and must meet your zone's setbacks. Barrier requirements come from the state building code, so check with Code Enforcement.Not specifically regulated
• Building Near the Water (Shoreland Zoning)
  Camden's shoreland zone covers land within 250 ft of tidal water, great ponds, rivers, wetlands and the Harbor Line, and within 75 ft of streams. In the residential and rural districts, new buildings must be at least 75 ft from the water (100 ft from GPA great ponds). Structures and other hard surfaces can cover at most 20% of the shoreland part of the lot, and a vegetated buffer must be kept. Expanding an older building that sits too close to the water is tightly capped, and the part within 25 ft of the water generally can't be expanded at all.Restricted
• Docks, Piers & Floats
  Possibly, but building, enlarging or extending a pier or wharf needs Planning Board site plan review, plus state and federal permits. In the Coastal and Outer Harbor areas a pier walkway can be at most 4 ft wide (6 ft overall), and a new pier must be 300 ft from any existing pier and 30 ft from the side property line. Floats and moorings fall under Camden's Harbor and Waterways ordinance, which we couldn't review.Allowed with board review