Dock, pier and float rules in Harpswell, Maine
Yes, with a permit. A private, non-commercial pier or dock needs a Code Enforcement Officer permit in most shoreland districts (Planning Board in Resource Protection), can be no more than 6 ft wide, and can't extend below the low water line (ramps and floats excluded). Only one dock is allowed per lot, it must be 25 ft from side lines, and permanent structures also need DEP and Army Corps permits.
| Town permit (private, non-commercial) | Code Enforcement Officer, if 6 ft wide or less and not below low water [1] |
| Resource Protection district | Planning Board permit [2] |
| Maximum width | 6 ft (not counting ramps and floats) [3] |
| Length limit | Can't extend below the low water line; wider or longer private piers are prohibited [1] |
| Number per lot | One [4] |
| Sideline setback | 25 ft (CEO may reduce with recorded abutter agreement) [5] |
| Buildings on docks | No new structures (except commercial fishing); max 20 ft high where allowed [6] |
| State/federal permits | DEP (NRPA) and Army Corps for permanent structures [7] |
| Seasonal vs. permanent | Temporary = in the water less than 7 months in 12; permanent = 7 months or more [8] |
| Float moorings | Must be registered with the town and permitted by the Army Corps [10] |
Town permit
Docks are regulated by the Shoreland Zoning Ordinance. For a non-commercial, private pier, dock or wharf, the Code Enforcement Officer reviews and issues the permit if it is no more than 6 ft wide (measured parallel to the shore) and doesn't extend below the low water line. Private piers that are wider or extend past low water are prohibited [1]. In the Resource Protection district the permit comes from the Planning Board [2]. Commercial piers up to 12 ft wide go to the CEO, and wider ones to the Planning Board.
Design limits
- Maximum 6 ft wide, not extending below the low water line; ramps and floats aren't counted [3].
- Only one pier, dock, wharf or similar structure per lot (commercial fishing, marinas and similar uses excepted) [4].
- 25 ft sideline setback for non-community docks; the CEO may reduce it if the abutter agrees in writing and the agreement is recorded [5].
- No larger than needed for the activity, located to avoid beaches and minimize effects on fisheries, with shore access built to control erosion.
- No new buildings on or over a dock except commercial fishing structures that need direct water access, and existing ones can't be converted to dwellings [6]. Where allowed, structures on docks are limited to 20 ft high.
Subdivisions and community docks
If your lot in a recorded subdivision already has deeded rights to a shared dock, you can't build a new one on your lot. Community docks need Planning Board approval and are also limited to 6 ft wide.
Seasonal vs. permanent
The Definitions Addendum treats a dock in the water less than 7 months out of 12 as temporary and 7 months or more as permanent [8]. Permanent structures over the water need DEP and Army Corps permits [7]. On non-tidal waters, a new permanent pier requires showing the Planning Board that a temporary one isn't feasible, plus a DEP permit [9].
Moorings and floats
Under the Harbor & Waterfront Ordinance, float moorings (floats anchored offshore, not attached to shore) must be registered with the town and permitted by the Army Corps [10].
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Next steps
- Call the Code Enforcement Office (207-833-5771) to confirm your district and whether any deeded dock rights in your subdivision rule out a private dock.
- Design the dock to 6 ft wide or less, not past the low water line, and at least 25 ft from your side lines.
- Apply to Code Enforcement (or the Planning Board in Resource Protection) with a scaled plan.
- Apply to Maine DEP (Natural Resources Protection Act) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for any permanent structure; register float moorings with the Harbormaster.
Common questions
- Do I need a permit for a dock in Harpswell, Maine?
- Yes. A private, non-commercial dock needs a Code Enforcement Officer permit in most shoreland districts, or a Planning Board permit in Resource Protection. Permanent structures also need DEP and Army Corps permits.
- How wide can a dock be in Harpswell, Maine?
- No more than 6 ft wide, not counting ramps and floats, and it can't extend below the low water line. Private piers that are wider or extend past low water are prohibited.
- How many docks can I have on my lot in Harpswell, Maine?
- Only one pier, dock or wharf per lot. It must be 25 ft from side lines, though the Code Enforcement Officer may reduce that if the abutter agrees in writing and the agreement is recorded.
- What is a seasonal dock in Harpswell, Maine?
- A dock in the water less than 7 months out of 12 is treated as temporary, and 7 months or more is permanent. Permanent structures over the water need DEP and Army Corps permits.
- Do I need to register a float mooring in Harpswell, Maine?
- Yes. Under the Harbor & Waterfront Ordinance, float moorings must be registered with the town and permitted by the Army Corps.
State and federal rules for docks and piers
DEP permit (Natural Resources Protection Act): Building, repairing or altering a permanent structure in, on or over a great pond, river, stream or coastal wetland needs a DEP permit. "Permanent" means the structure stays in place more than 7 months in any 12-month period. A seasonal dock that comes out each year generally isn't a permanent structure.
State shoreland minimums (your town's ordinance applies these):
- Only one pier, dock or wharf per lot, unless the lot has at least twice the minimum shore frontage.
- A temporary, non-commercial dock on fresh water can be no wider than 6 ft.
- A new permanent dock on fresh water is allowed only if a temporary dock isn't feasible and DEP has issued a permit.
- No living space on or attached to a dock.
State-owned bottom: Below the low-water mark in tidal waters and in great ponds, the bottom belongs to the state. Permanent structures of any size, and large temporary ones, need a lease or easement from the Bureau of Parks and Lands. Non-permanent structures under 500 sq ft don't need one.
Federal and harbor rules: In tidal waters, docks and floats also need U.S. Army Corps of Engineers approval. Moorings are handled by your town's harbormaster under local ordinance (38 M.R.S. §7).
What the ordinance says
- Sec. 14 Table 1, footnote 18, Shoreland Zoning Ordinance (2025), p. 23
Permits applications for non-commercial, private piers, docks or wharves with a maximum width of six (6) feet as measured parallel to the shoreline and which do not extend below the low water line shall be reviewed and issued by the Code Enforcement Officer. Non-commercial, private piers greater than six (6) feet wide as measured parallel to the shoreline or which extend below the low water line are prohibited.
- Sec. 14 Table 1, row 18.1, Shoreland Zoning Ordinance (2025), p. 21
water line or upland edge of a wetland PB14 CEO14/18 CEO14/18 CEO14/18 CEO14/18 CEO14/18
- Sec. 15.3.5.1, Shoreland Zoning Ordinance (2025), p. 31
Non-commercial, private piers, docks and wharves shall have a maximum width of six (6) feet and shall not extend below the low water line (not including ramps and floats).
- Sec. 15.3.1, Shoreland Zoning Ordinance (2025), p. 31
No more than one pier, dock, wharf or similar structure extending or located below the maximum high-water line of a water body or within a wetland is allowed on a single lot.
- Sec. 15.2.1.2, Shoreland Zoning Ordinance (2025), p. 26
For piers, docks, and wharves that do not serve as community docks, the sideline setback shall be twenty-five (25) feet.
- Sec. 15.3.6, Shoreland Zoning Ordinance (2025), p. 31
No new structure shall be built on, over or abutting a pier, wharf, dock, or other structure extending beyond the maximum high water line of a stream, tributary stream, upland edge of the coastal wetland or within a freshwater wetland . Commercial fishing structures requiring direct access to the water as an operational necessity are allowed.
- Sec. 15.3.8 Citizens Note, Shoreland Zoning Ordinance (2025), p. 32
Permanent structures projecting into or over water bodies shall require a permit from the Department of Environmental protection pursuant to the Natural Resources Protection Act, 38 M.R.S.A. § 480-C, as may be amended from time to time, and from the Army Corp of Engineers.
- Definitions, Piers, docks, wharves (Temporary / Permanent), Definitions Addendum (2026), p. 16
Temporary – structures that remain in or over the water for less than seven (7) months in any period of twelve (l2) consecutive months. Permanent – structures that remain in or over the water for seven (7) months or more in any period of twelve (l2) consecutive months.
- Sec. 15.3.10, Shoreland Zoning Ordinance (2025), p. 32
New permanent piers and docks on non-tidal waters shall not be allowed unless it is clearly demonstrated to the Planning Board that a temporary pier or dock is not feasible, and a permit has been obtained from the Department of Environmental Protection, pursuant to the Natural Resources Protection Act pursuant to the Natural Resources Protection Act, 38 M.R.S.A. § 480-C, as may be amended from time to time.
- Sec. 5.2.7 Float Moorings, Harbor & Waterfront Ordinance, p. 7
Float moorings shall be registered with the Town and be permitted by the Army Corps of Engineers.