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Lincoln, Massachusetts: what can you build or do?

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

Last reviewed 2026-10-05

• Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs)
  Yes. Lincoln's zoning bylaw grants a building permit for one attached or detached ADU per lot in any single-family district, up to 900 sq ft or half the main house's floor area, whichever is smaller. A detached ADU also needs Planning Board site plan review. A larger "accessory apartment" of up to 1,200 sq ft is also possible, but it comes with an owner-occupancy rule and a 40,000 sq ft minimum lot.Allowed with a permit
• Backyard Chickens
  Yes. Lincoln's zoning bylaw allows residents to keep farm animals, including poultry, for their own use by right, with no special permit. The town asks new owners to notify its animal control officer, and the premises are inspected once a year. Coops count as structures, so they must be at least 50 feet from the street and at least 20 feet from side and rear lot lines.Allowed
• Short-Term Rentals (Airbnb / VRBO)
  Lincoln has no short-term rental bylaw or registration program, and its zoning bylaw doesn't directly address renting out a whole house on Airbnb or VRBO. A resident may take up to three paying lodgers who share the household's kitchen, and on a lot with an ADU or accessory apartment the bylaw sets a 7-day minimum rental term. Ask the Building Commissioner before listing.Restricted
• Fences
  Lincoln's zoning bylaw sets no general fence height limit, and fences along interior side and rear lines that don't border a road, public trail or town land aren't regulated by it at all. Any fence within 20 feet of a lot line along a public way, a public path or trail, or public land needs a fence permit from the Building Inspector. If that fence is over 3½ feet tall, it also needs Planning Board approval after a public hearing. Road-facing fences must be set back at least 10 feet from the edge of the road (5 feet from a sidewalk or bike path), and on corner lots nothing over 3 feet is allowed in the sight triangle.Allowed with board review
• Sheds & Accessory Buildings
  Sheds are allowed as accessory structures. Lincoln's zoning bylaw requires them to be at least 50 feet from the street line and at least 20 feet from side and rear lot lines, or farther if the shed is taller than 20 feet. The Board of Appeals can grant a special permit to reduce these setbacks. State building-code rules (shown separately) decide whether a small shed needs a building permit.Allowed with a permit
• Burn Permits & Backyard Fires
  Brush burning in Lincoln is allowed only during the state burning season, January 15 to May 1, and you need a burn permit on file with the Lincoln Fire Department before you light anything. Lincoln's bylaws have no local rules on backyard fire pits, so the state rules shown separately apply.Allowed with a permit
• Home-Based Businesses
  Yes. In Lincoln's residential districts, a resident may run a professional office, studio, laboratory or workshop at home by right. The business must stay secondary to the home, have no more than one non-resident worker and no outdoor storage, and regularly need parking for no more than four vehicles. Going beyond those limits takes a special permit from the Board of Appeals.Allowed
• Swimming Pools
  Lincoln has no pool-specific bylaw, but its zoning bylaw counts swimming pools as structures. A pool must be at least 50 feet from the street line and at least 20 feet from side and rear lot lines. Pools are barred from any vegetated wetland buffer strip the Conservation Commission requires. Permits and fence or barrier rules come from the state building code (shown separately).Allowed with a permit
• Building Near the Water (Wetlands Rules)
  Lincoln's local Wetlands Protection Bylaw goes further than state law. Any work within 100 feet of a wetland, pond or stream, or 200 feet of a river or perennial stream, needs a permit (an Order of Conditions) from the Conservation Commission. Within 50 feet of most wetlands and ponds, the Commission presumes work will cause harm unless you prove otherwise with clear and convincing evidence. On lots created after March 29, 2003, it won't allow permanent structures anywhere in the buffer.Allowed with board review
• Docks, Piers & Floats
  Lincoln has no dock-specific bylaw, but building a dock or float on any pond or stream counts as altering a protected resource area under the town's Wetlands Protection Bylaw. You must file a Notice of Intent with the Conservation Commission and get an Order of Conditions before work starts. The bylaw sets no size limits; the Commission decides case by case.Allowed with board review