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Belmont, Massachusetts: what can you build or do?

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

Last reviewed 2026-10-05

• Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs)
  Yes. Belmont's Zoning By-Law allows one accessory dwelling unit by right as an accessory use in the Single Residence and General Residence districts, attached or detached. It can be no larger than half the main home's gross floor area or 900 sq ft, whichever is smaller, and needs one extra parking space unless your lot is within 0.5 miles of a transit station.Allowed
• Backyard Chickens
  Yes, with a Keeping of Animals permit from the Belmont Board of Health. You can keep up to 6 chickens or ducks per household; roosters need a specific permit, and the coop must be at least 10 ft from side and rear lot lines and 40 ft from any neighbor's house. Zoning lists "keeping of livestock" as needing a special permit in residential districts, so ask the Building Division whether that applies to hens.Allowed with a permit
• Short-Term Rentals (Airbnb / VRBO)
  Belmont's Zoning By-Law has no short-term rental registration or licensing system, but it bans short-term rentals in accessory dwelling units. Renting rooms in your home (up to three rooms, no more than four unrelated people) for daily or weekly stays needs a special permit in residential districts.Restricted
• Fences
  Belmont's Zoning By-Law sets no general height limit or property-line setback for fences on a typical house lot, because fences aren't 'structures' under the by-law and are exempt from setbacks. The main limit is visibility: on corner lots and next to driveways and walkways, fences in the sight triangle can't block views between 3 and 8 feet high.Allowed
• Sheds & Accessory Buildings
  Yes. Belmont's Zoning By-Law allows tool sheds and similar accessory buildings in residential districts, but caps them at 150 sq ft of floor area and 10 ft in height, and they must sit at least 5 ft from the side and rear lot lines and 5 ft from the house. A shed placed forward of the back wall of your house must meet the full house setbacks.Allowed
• Burn Permits & Backyard Fires
  No. Belmont is one of 22 Massachusetts communities where open burning isn't allowed at all, so you can't burn brush, and outdoor fire pits, chimineas and outdoor fireplaces are also prohibited. Propane, charcoal and electric grills used for cooking are allowed.Not allowed
• Home-Based Businesses
  Yes. Home occupations are allowed in Belmont's residential districts inside your house, but you need a Certificate of Occupancy (good for up to four years) before starting, and you can use no more than one-third of your home and employ at most one non-household member. If clients visit or you put up a sign, you need a special permit from the Zoning Board of Appeals.Allowed with a permit
• Swimming Pools
  Yes. Private swimming pools are allowed in Belmont's Single Residence and General Residence districts, and the Zoning By-Law requires them to comply with the State Building Code, which means a building permit and a 48-inch safety barrier. Pools count as structures, and the setback rules for accessory buildings (5 ft from side and rear lines) likely apply.Allowed with a permit
• Building Near the Water (Wetlands Rules)
  Belmont has no local wetlands bylaw in the documents we reviewed, so work near brooks, ponds and wetlands is reviewed by the Conservation Commission under the state Wetlands Protection Act. The Zoning By-Law adds a Floodplain District (FEMA Zones A and AE) where new buildings are prohibited and substantial improvements to existing homes need a special permit from the Zoning Board of Appeals.Allowed with board review
• Docks, Piers & Floats
  Belmont's Zoning By-Law doesn't regulate private docks, piers or floats. Belmont is an inland town, and any dock in a pond, brook or wetland would be reviewed under state law, including Conservation Commission approval and possibly a Chapter 91 license.Not specifically regulated