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Burlington, Massachusetts: what can you build or do?

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

Last reviewed 2026-10-15

• Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs)
  Yes. Under the January 2025 version of Burlington's zoning bylaw (the newest copy we have; a September 2026 Town Meeting article may have changed it), one "Protected Use ADU" per lot is allowed by right in the One-Family Dwelling (RO) district with a building permit from the Inspector of Buildings. It can be attached or detached, no larger than 900 sq ft or half the main house's floor area (whichever is smaller), and may not be used as a short-term rental.Allowed with a permit
• Backyard Chickens
  Yes, with a Board of Health Keeping of Animals Permit ($25 a year, after a public hearing with notice to abutters). In the RO single-family district, zoning only requires a Planning Board special permit for seven or more chickens; that up to six need no zoning permit is our reading of the use table and a 2013 amendment, not an explicit rule. Roosters and cockerels are banned townwide.Allowed with a permit
• Short-Term Rentals (Airbnb / VRBO)
  No. Burlington's Zoning Bylaw lists "Short-Term Rental" (stays of fewer than 28 consecutive days for a fee) as not allowed in any zoning district, including the RO single-family district, and specifically bars using an ADU as a short-term rental. Rentals of 28 days or longer are not covered by this ban.Not allowed
• Fences
  Burlington has no fence bylaw, and the zoning bylaw we have (through January 2025) sets no fence height limit, fence setback or corner sight-line rule for homes, so the "allowed" verdict rests on that silence. Whether zoning setbacks apply to fences isn't stated (a January 2026 setback amendment isn't in our copy), so confirm with the Building Department; near wetlands or in the floodplain, extra permits apply.Allowed
• Sheds & Accessory Buildings
  Yes. Sheds, barns and similar structures are allowed by right in Burlington's RO single-family district. In RO, a shed can't go in the required front yard (25 ft) or side yards (15 ft), accessory uses can cover no more than 20% of the rear yard, and accessory buildings are capped at 20 feet tall.Allowed
• Burn Permits & Backyard Fires
  Brush burning is allowed only from January 15 to May 1, with a Burlington Fire Department permit ($25, good for up to two days), between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., more than 75 feet from any structure, in a pile no bigger than 4 by 4 feet. The Fire Department says chimineas and fire pits for cooking or recreational fires need no permit if kept 25 feet from structures and no more than 3 feet across, but state fire guidance treats non-cooking fires as open burning, so check with the Fire Department before a purely recreational fire.Allowed with a permit
• Home-Based Businesses
  Yes. A general home occupation ("Home Occupation 2") is allowed by right in Burlington's RO single-family district, as long as only family members living there work in it, it uses no more than 25% of the home's floor area, and the only outside sign is one non-lit sign of up to 1 sq ft on the wall. A professional office in the home of a physician, dentist or similar professional ("Home Occupation 1") needs a Planning Board special permit in RO.Allowed
• Swimming Pools
  Yes. A swimming pool is an accessory use allowed by right in Burlington's RO single-family district. In RO it can't go in the required front or side yards, and accessory uses can cover no more than 20% of the rear yard; the building permit and pool barrier rules come from the state building code.Allowed with a permit
• Building Near the Water (Wetlands Rules)
  Near wetlands, ponds and streams, Burlington's Wetlands Protection Bylaw requires a Conservation Commission permit for work in a resource area, within the 100-foot buffer zone, or within 200 feet of a regulated stream (perennial or intermittent). For new construction on a residential lot, the Commission presumes a 20-foot no-disturb zone and a 40-foot building setback from the resource area.Allowed with board review
• Docks, Piers & Floats
  Burlington is an inland town with no dock bylaw. Zoning lists docks as an allowed accessory use in the Wetlands District, but building a dock on a bank, pond or stream bottom, or within 100 feet of one, needs a Conservation Commission permit under the town's Wetlands Protection Bylaw. Our sources set no local dock size limits.Allowed with board review