Town Permit Guide

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Can I build an ADU in Freeport, Maine?

Freeport, Cumberland County · Ordinances checked 2026-10-01 · Reviewed · 15 cited sections

Allowed with a permit

Yes. Freeport allows one ADU on a lot with a single-family home (or one or two single-family homes, or a duplex). It can be inside the house, an addition, in an accessory building that already existed on January 1, 2024, or a new detached building that meets the house setbacks. It can be no larger than 1,100 sq ft or 75% of the main home's floor area, whichever is smaller, and no smaller than 190 sq ft. You need a building permit and a Certificate of Occupancy from Codes Enforcement.

Number of ADUs per lot1 [1]
Maximum ADU sizeLesser of 1,100 sq ft or 75% of the primary dwelling's gross floor area [15]
Minimum ADU size190 sq ft [5]
ADU counts toward lot area/densityNo, outside the Shoreland Zone (yes inside it) [13]
Detached ADU (new building, built on/after 1/1/2024)Must meet the district's single-family setbacks [3]
Extra parking requiredNone [6]
Max total dwelling units per lot3 outside / 4 inside a Designated Growth Area [11]
Owner-occupancy requirementNone found in the ordinance [1]
PermitBuilding permit + Certificate of Occupancy from the Codes Enforcement Officer [8]

Where and how ADUs are allowed

Section 532 of the Zoning Ordinance allows one ADU on any lot with one or two single-family dwellings or one duplex [1]. It does this to carry out Maine's state ADU law (30-A M.R.S.A. §4364-B). You can build one in any of these ways [14][2][3]:

  • inside an existing or new house, or inside one unit of a duplex;
  • as an addition to the house;
  • inside an accessory building (not a shed) that legally existed on January 1, 2024;
  • as a new detached building. If the structure was built on or after January 1, 2024, it must meet the minimum setbacks for single-family homes in your district. For example, that is 20 ft side and 30 ft rear in MDR-I and MDR-II, and 50 ft side and 75 ft rear in RR-I.

Outside the Shoreland Zone, an ADU does not count as a dwelling unit for minimum lot area or density [13]. Inside the Shoreland Zone it does count, and Chapter 65 controls [7]. Section 201.L caps a lot at 3 dwelling units in total, ADUs included. Inside a Designated Growth Area the cap is 4 [11].

Size and design

The ADU can be no larger than 75% of the main home's gross floor area or 1,100 sq ft, whichever is smaller [4][15]. The minimum is 190 sq ft [5]; a 2025 state building-codes rule set a 160 sq ft minimum, which may override the town's figure. The original front entrance has to stay. A separate ADU entrance is allowed, but it must be clearly secondary, for example set farther back from the road [12]. If the building doesn't meet current setbacks, the ADU can't make that nonconformity worse.

Parking, utilities, and occupancy

No extra parking is required [6]. If the lot has public sewer, both the house and the ADU must connect to it [10]. If the lot has a septic system, you must show it meets the state minimum lot size law and the state subsurface wastewater rules. Water and wastewater checks under Section 201.M.2 must be done before a Certificate of Occupancy is issued [9]. We found no owner-occupancy rule in the ordinance (state law will bar such rules from July 1, 2027).

Permits

All construction, additions, and changes of use need a building permit from the Codes Enforcement Officer [8]. The application needs scaled plans, and you must also apply for a Certificate of Occupancy before the building permit is issued.

See how Freeport compares with 8+ other Maine towns on accessory dwelling units (adus) →

Next steps

  1. Find your zoning district on Freeport's Official Zoning Map, and check whether the lot is in the Shoreland Zone (Chapter 65 applies there).
  2. Work out the ADU's gross floor area: no more than 1,100 sq ft or 75% of the main home, whichever is smaller, and at least 190 sq ft.
  3. If you're on septic, have a licensed site evaluator confirm the system can handle the ADU. If you're on public sewer, plan a sewer connection.
  4. Apply to Codes Enforcement (contact details on the Town of Freeport website) for a building permit and Certificate of Occupancy. Bring a scaled plot plan showing existing buildings, setbacks, and the sewage disposal method.

Common questions

Can I build an ADU in Freeport, Maine?
Yes. Freeport allows one ADU on a lot with a single-family home (or one or two single-family homes, or a duplex). You need a building permit and a Certificate of Occupancy from Codes Enforcement.
How big can an ADU be in Freeport, Maine?
No larger than 1,100 sq ft or 75% of the main home's floor area, whichever is smaller, and no smaller than 190 sq ft. A 2025 state rule set a 160 sq ft minimum, which may override the town's figure.
Does an ADU need extra parking in Freeport, Maine?
No. No extra parking is required. The page found no owner-occupancy rule in the ordinance.
Can I build a detached ADU in Freeport, Maine?
Yes. A new detached building built on or after January 1, 2024 must meet the minimum setbacks for single-family homes in your district. An ADU can also go in an accessory building that legally existed on January 1, 2024.
How many dwelling units can I have on one lot in Freeport, Maine?
A lot is capped at 3 dwelling units in total, ADUs included, or 4 inside a Designated Growth Area.

Maine's statewide ADU law

Under 30-A M.R.S. §4364-B (first passed as LD 2003 in 2022), a town must allow at least one accessory dwelling unit (ADU) on a lot with a single-family home anywhere homes are allowed. Towns had to comply by 2024.

Rules in effect now:

  • It can be inside the house, attached, or a new detached building.
  • One ADU per lot is exempt from density limits.
  • No extra parking can be required beyond what the house already needs.
  • Setbacks are the same as for the house.
  • Minimum size: the state building codes board set 160 sq ft in 2025. Towns may set a maximum size.
  • Before you can move in, you must show the ADU has adequate water and septic/sewer.
  • In the shoreland zone ADUs must meet shoreland rules, but towns can't ban them there outright.
  • Sprinklers aren't required unless the ADU is in or attached to a building with more than 2 units.

Coming July 1, 2027 (LD 1829 of 2025, pushed back by LD 2173 in 2026): towns can no longer require the owner to live on the property, ADUs must also be allowed next to 2- and 3-unit buildings, and towns can't require planning board approval for an ADU. Towns may still regulate short-term rentals in ADUs. Private covenants and HOA rules can be stricter.

State sources: 30-A M.R.S. §4364-B (Accessory dwelling units) · 30-A M.R.S. §4364 (implementation dates) · 25 M.R.S. §2463-B (sprinklers in ADUs) · LD 2173 (P.L. 2025, c. 733) status and chaptered law · Maine Office of Community Affairs, Housing Legislation Guidance (March 2026)

What the ordinance says

Exact text from Freeport's published ordinances. Section numbers are as printed in the source.

  1. Sec. 532(1), Zoning Ordinance (Chapter 21), p. 191
    No more than one (1) ADU may be created on any lot containing either (i) one or two existing or proposed Single-Family Dwellings or (ii) one Duplex Dwelling.
  2. Sec. 532(2)(b)-(c), Zoning Ordinance (Chapter 21), p. 191
    b) By building an addition onto an existing Single-Family Dwelling or Duplex Dwelling; or c) By using space within an accessory structure, other than a shed, that is legally existing as of January 1, 2024.
  3. Sec. 532(2)(d), Zoning Ordinance (Chapter 21), p. 191
    d) Detached ADUs in a structure built on or after January 1, 2024, must comply with the minimum setback requirements for Single-Family or Duplex Dwellings identified in the applicable zoning district.
  4. Sec. 532(7)(a), Zoning Ordinance (Chapter 21), p. 192
    a) The gross floor area of an ADU may be the lesser of: (i) Seventy-five percent (75%) of the gross floor area of the largest existing or new Single-Family Dwelling that the unit is accessory to; or
  5. Sec. 532(7), Zoning Ordinance (Chapter 21), p. 192
    b) The minimum gross floor area of an ADU is one hundred ninety (190) square feet.
  6. Sec. 532(9), Zoning Ordinance (Chapter 21), p. 192
    9. No additional parking spaces shall be required for an ADU.
  7. Sec. 532(3), Zoning Ordinance (Chapter 21), p. 191
    3. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Section 532, ADUs located in the Shoreland Zone must comply with Chapter 65: Shoreland Zoning Ordinance of the Town of Freeport, Maine.
  8. Sec. 601.D, Zoning Ordinance (Chapter 21), p. 209
    D. Building Permit: A Building Permit issued by the Codes Enforcement Officer shall be required for the construction, alteration, movement, enlargement, replacement, repair, equipment, use and occupancy, change of use, location, relocation, maintenance, removal and demolition of any building or other structure, as defined in the most current Maine Uniform Building and Energy Code.
  9. Sec. 532(10), Zoning Ordinance (Chapter 21), p. 192
    10. Prior to the issuance of a Certificate of Occupancy for an ADU, the water and wastewater verification requirements in Section 201.M.2. must be met.
  10. Sec. 532(6), Zoning Ordinance (Chapter 21), p. 191
    6. If the lot is served by public sewerage, both the Single-Family Dwelling and/or the Duplex Dwelling and the ADU must be connected to the public sewer system.
  11. Sec. 201.L, Zoning Ordinance (Chapter 21), p. 39
    Dwelling Units, including Accessory Dwelling Units, allowed on any lot in a zoning district where Single-Family, Duplex, or Multifamily Dwellings are permitted Uses is three (3) if the lot is outside of a Designated Growth Area or four (4) if the lot is within a Designated Growth Area.
  12. Sec. 532(8), Zoning Ordinance (Chapter 21), p. 192
    A separate entrance for the ADU may be created but shall be designed to be clearly secondary to the main entrance, such as, but not limited to, an entrance that is set back farther from the road than the primary entrance.
  13. Sec. 532(4), Zoning Ordinance (Chapter 21), p. 191
    4. For the purposes of this section, an ADU outside of a Shoreland Zone shall not be considered to be a Dwelling Unit for determining the required minimum lot area or net residential density.
  14. Sec. 532(2)(a), Zoning Ordinance (Chapter 21), p. 191
    a) By using space within an existing or new Single-Family Dwelling or within one of the existing Dwelling Units comprising a Duplex Dwelling;
  15. Sec. 532(7)(a)(iii), Zoning Ordinance (Chapter 21), p. 192
    (iii) One thousand one hundred (1,100) square feet of gross floor area.
This page summarizes Freeport's posted ordinances as of 2026-10-01. Ordinances are amended, and individual lots can have overlays, subdivision covenants, or HOA rules that are stricter. Confirm with Codes Enforcement (207-865-4743 ext. 3) before you build. Spot an error?