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Chatham, Massachusetts: what can you build or do?

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

Last reviewed 2026-10-05

• Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs)
  Yes. Chatham's zoning bylaw allows one ADU per lot (up to 900 sq ft and 2 bedrooms), by right with a building permit if it's inside or attached to the house. The bylaw requires a ZBA special permit for a detached ADU, caps permits at 10 a year and requires a 12-month lease; state law likely overrides the special permit and the caps.Allowed with a permit
• Backyard Chickens
  Yes, with limits. Chatham's Board of Health lets you keep up to 10 hens without a permit (roosters always need one), but any coop must be on a lot of at least 40,000 sq ft unless the Board grants a variance. Coops must also sit 40 feet from the neighbor's property line and 30 feet from their house.Restricted
• Short-Term Rentals (Airbnb / VRBO)
  Yes, if you own the home and register it. Chatham's Board of Health requires owners to get an annual registration certificate (January 1 to December 31) before renting for 31 days or less, put the registration number on every listing, and limit guests to 2 per bedroom plus 2. Tenants can't sublet as short-term rentals, and an ADU and its main house can't be short-term rented at all.Allowed with a permit
• Fences
  Chatham's zoning bylaw sets no general fence height limit. Fences under 6 feet can go up to the property line, but a fence 6 feet or taller must meet the building setbacks. On corner lots, nothing over 2½ feet can sit within the 25-foot sight triangle, and fences near wetlands or the shore need extra approvals.Allowed
• Sheds & Accessory Buildings
  Yes. In Chatham, one garden shed of 100 sq ft or less may sit as close as one-third of the district's abutter setback (about 5 ft in R20/R30, about 8 ft in R40/R60, less on some older lots), up to 12 ft tall, but not in the street setback. Sheds over 100 sq ft must meet the full building setbacks, and anything near wetlands needs Conservation Commission review.Allowed
• Burn Permits & Backyard Fires
  Brush burning is allowed in Chatham only with a $5 written Fire Department permit, during the January 15 to May 1 season, between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., and at least 75 feet from all buildings. You must call each day to see if burning is allowed. We found no Chatham-specific rule on fire pits; state rules apply.Allowed with a permit
• Home-Based Businesses
  Yes. Chatham's zoning bylaw allows a home occupation in residential districts as a 'special condition' use, with no special permit needed if you meet the standards. You must live there, make no change to the home's exterior other than a permitted sign, and have no more than 2 non-family employees and 2 business vehicles on site. Retail stores and heavy-equipment storage aren't allowed.Allowed
• Swimming Pools
  Yes. Chatham's zoning bylaw allows a swimming pool as an accessory use in all residential districts, but the pool, its enclosure and its pump equipment must meet the full building setbacks for your district. New pools are prohibited within 50 feet of a wetland without a Conservation Commission variance, and you'll need a building permit and a state-code safety barrier.Allowed with a permit
• Building Near the Water (Wetlands Rules)
  Almost any work within 100 feet of a wetland, bank, beach, pond or the ocean (200 feet of a river) needs a Chatham Conservation Commission permit. New structures, pools, fences and lawns are barred within 50 feet unless a variance is granted, and buildings must also meet a 50-foot zoning setback from the Coastal Conservancy District.Allowed with board review
• Docks, Piers & Floats
  It depends on where you are. Chatham bans new private piers in much of Pleasant Bay and Chatham Harbor, and new private residential piers anywhere in the Stage Harbor complex. Elsewhere a residential pier needs a ZBA special permit, must be seasonal, can be no longer than 80 feet with floats up to 300 sq ft, and needs Conservation Commission and state approvals.Restricted