Plain-English answers to common homeowner questions, taken from Mount Desert's published ordinances, with every rule linked to the section it comes from.
Last reviewed
Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) Yes. On a lot with a single-family home outside the Shoreland Zone, Mount Desert allows one accessory dwelling unit with a Code Enforcement Officer permit, and you don't need extra lot area for it. It can be inside the house, attached, or in a new building, and must be at least 190 sq ft but no more than 75% of the main home's living area.Allowed with a permit
Backyard Chickens Usually yes, but in most residential districts you need conditional use approval from the Planning Board first. Mount Desert calls keeping poultry "Animal Husbandry 2". It needs no permit in the Rural/Woodland districts and isn't allowed in Village Residential 3, Resource Protection or Stream Protection. In the Village Commercial and Shoreland Commercial districts the limit is 6 hens per lot and no roosters.Allowed with board review
Short-Term Rentals (Airbnb / VRBO) The Mount Desert ordinances we reviewed don't specifically regulate short-term rentals like Airbnb or VRBO. We found no registration, license, fee, cap or minimum-stay rule. Renting rooms in your home to overnight guests falls under the town's bed and breakfast rules: you must live there, with at most 3 guest rooms and 8 guests.Not specifically regulated
Fences Mount Desert's zoning only regulates solid fences and walls over 4 ft, so a rail-type fence, or a solid fence or wall up to 4 ft tall, needs no zoning permit. A solid fence or wall over 4 ft needs a Code Enforcement Officer permit up to 6 ft, as long as it's set back 6 ft from roads and sidewalks and screened with plants. Anything taller, or anything that doesn't meet those conditions, needs Planning Board approval.Allowed
Sheds & Accessory Buildings Yes, you need a Code Enforcement Officer permit for a shed in all of Mount Desert's residential, shoreland residential and rural districts. The ordinance sets no minimum size for needing one. Side and rear setbacks are 10 ft in Village Residential 1, 15 ft in Village Residential 2 and Residential 1, and 25 ft in Residential 2, Shoreland Residential and Rural/Woodland. A neighbor can agree in writing to reduce the property-line setback.Allowed with a permit
Burn Permits & Backyard Fires Mount Desert has no town ordinance on brush burning or backyard fire pits, so Maine's statewide burn permit rules apply (see the state rules on this page). The Mount Desert Fire Department's fire-pit brochure recommends keeping a fire pit at least 30 ft from any combustible structure and lists materials that can never be burned.Not specifically regulated
Home-Based Businesses Yes. Most home occupations and home offices in Mount Desert need a permit from the Code Enforcement Officer, unless they are temporary or casual. Besides you, the business can employ up to 3 family members who live there or up to 2 people who live elsewhere, and all goods sold must be made on the property. A sign can be up to 2 sq ft.Allowed with a permit
Swimming Pools Probably yes, with a permit. Mount Desert's zoning has no pool-specific rules, but a pool built in or on the ground is a "structure," so it likely needs a Code Enforcement Officer permit as an accessory structure and must meet your district's setbacks. A pool big enough for more than 10 people may count as an outdoor recreation facility, which needs Planning Board approval.Allowed with a permit
Building Near the Water (Shoreland Zoning) Mount Desert's shoreland rules cover land within 250 ft of tidal water, great ponds and wetlands, and within 75 ft of streams. New buildings must be at least 75 ft from the shoreline, or 100 ft from most great ponds. Total footprint and other non-vegetated surfaces are capped at 20% of the shoreland part of the lot, and cleared openings at 25% or 10,000 sq ft, whichever is greater. Most building needs a Code Enforcement Officer permit, and some work needs the Planning Board.Allowed with a permit
Docks, Piers & Floats In the Shoreland Residential districts, a permanent pier, dock or wharf needs conditional use approval from the Mount Desert Planning Board. Only one marine structure is allowed per lot, floats are capped at 400 sq ft, and the whole pier, ramp and float can't be more than 225 ft long. A small seasonal structure under 10 ft long needs only a Code Enforcement Officer permit, though state and federal permits may still apply.Allowed with board review