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Lewiston, Maine: what can you build or do?

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

Last reviewed 2026-10-16

• Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs)
  Yes. Lewiston allows one accessory dwelling unit (ADU) per lot with a house, duplex, multi-family building or mobile home, and it can be inside, attached or detached. It must be 190 to 900 square feet of habitable area with no more than 2 bedrooms, the owner must live in either the ADU or the main home, and no extra parking is required. You need a building permit and, before move-in, recorded deed documentation and an occupancy permit.Allowed with a permit
• Backyard Chickens
  Yes, in some zones. Lewiston allows up to 6 hens (no roosters) on lots of at least 15,000 square feet with a single-family detached home or mobile home in the RA, LDR, SR, MDR and NCA districts. The henhouse and pen must be behind the house in the side or rear yard and at least 20 feet from every property line.Depends on your zone
• Short-Term Rentals (Airbnb / VRBO)
  Lewiston's ordinances we reviewed don't specifically regulate short-term rentals like Airbnb or VRBO: we found no STR registration, license, fee, cap or minimum-stay rule. The City's lodging-house license expressly excludes vacation rentals, and its rental registration covers only buildings with 3 or more units. Renting rooms to guests while you live there may instead fall under the City's bed-and-breakfast and lodging-house rules (our reading of the definitions, not a City ruling), so ask the City first.Not specifically regulated
• Fences
  In Lewiston a fence in the required front setback can be no taller than 3.5 feet, and one in the side or rear setback no taller than 8 feet; corner cutbacks are limited to about 3 feet (3.5 feet if mostly open). The zoning code requires a permit for fences 3.5 feet or taller, while the City's FAQ says a fence permit is required (no height threshold), so plan on applying to Planning & Code Enforcement. Front-setback fences also need Code Enforcement approval for street safety.Allowed with a permit
• Sheds & Accessory Buildings
  In Lewiston a one-story detached residential shed of 200 square feet or less doesn't need a permit. One storage-only shed up to 200 square feet and 10 feet tall may sit as close as 5 feet to a side or rear property line. Anything bigger needs a permit and must meet your district's setbacks (for single-family lots, 10 to 15 feet from side and rear lines in the main residential districts, possibly more; confirm with the City).Allowed
• Burn Permits & Backyard Fires
  Yes, with a free written permit from the Lewiston Fire Department. Permits are issued day by day depending on the weather: call Central Station at (207) 513-3002, ext. 3606 or 3608, and a fire crew will check the site and issue the permit there if approved. You must also call the fire department just before lighting, or the permit is void.Allowed with a permit
• Home-Based Businesses
  Yes. Lewiston allows home occupations that use no more than 25% of the home's floor area, with family members living there plus one outside employee, and clients by appointment only. Quiet home-office work with no traffic or sign needs no permit; businesses where the public comes on-site need a change of use permit, and ones like contractors, repair shops or on-site sales also need a conditional use permit.Allowed with a permit
• Swimming Pools
  Yes, with a permit from Lewiston Planning & Code Enforcement. A swimming pool (designed for 36 inches of water or more) must be at least 10 feet from side and rear lot lines (25 feet from the front lot line on the street side) and needs a fence or wall at least 4 feet high with self-latching gates. Prefabricated pools under 24 inches deep don't need a permit; for pools 24 to 35 inches deep the rules are unclear, so ask the City.Allowed with a permit
• Building Near the Water (Shoreland Zoning)
  Lewiston's shoreland zone covers land within 250 feet of the Androscoggin River, No Name Pond, the Resource Conservation District and certain large wetlands, plus narrower strips along listed brooks. New buildings must be set back at least 75 feet from the water (100 feet from No Name Pond, 25 feet in General Development areas), and you need a shoreland permit for new work, expansions or changes there.Allowed with board review
• Docks, Piers & Floats
  Yes, within limits. Lewiston's shoreland rules allow one dock, pier or other structure extending into the water per lot; a temporary (seasonal, in the water under 7 months a year) non-commercial dock can be no wider than 6 feet. A new permanent dock is allowed only if a temporary one isn't feasible and you have a Maine DEP permit. Apply to Planning & Code Enforcement for a City shoreland permit; ask whether a seasonal dock alone needs one.Allowed with a permit