Scituate, Massachusetts: what can you build or do?
Plain-English answers to common homeowner questions, taken from Scituate's published bylaws, with every rule linked to the section it comes from.
Last reviewed
Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) Yes. Scituate allows one accessory dwelling unit per lot through Planning Board Site Plan Review if it is no larger than half the main home's floor area or 900 sq ft, whichever is smaller. It can be inside the house, attached, or detached; it needs one off-street parking space (none within 0.5 miles of a commuter rail station, ferry terminal or bus station) and can't be rented for stays of 31 days or less.Allowed with board review
Backyard Chickens Yes. Scituate's zoning bylaw allows keeping animals, livestock or poultry for personal enjoyment or household use as an accessory use in residential districts, and the bylaws we reviewed set no limit on the number of hens and no rooster ban. A coop is an accessory building, so it should meet the zoning setbacks (15 ft side and rear in R-1 and R-2, 8 ft in R-3); check with the Board of Health, which may have its own rules.Allowed
Short-Term Rentals (Airbnb / VRBO) Scituate's bylaws we reviewed have no short-term rental license, registration or cap for renting out a house, but an accessory dwelling unit (ADU) may never be rented for stays of 31 days or less. The town's Housing By-law requires a Board of Health Certificate of Fitness before any dwelling is let, which may cover short-term rentals, and Scituate has adopted a 6% local room occupancy excise and a 3% community impact fee on some short-term rentals.Allowed
Fences Scituate's zoning bylaw sets no height limit or setback specifically for residential fences, and the Building Department says a permit is needed only for a fence higher than 7 feet. The town suggests setting your fence a foot or two inside your property line so you can maintain it without going onto your neighbor's land.Allowed
Sheds & Accessory Buildings Scituate's Building Department requires a building permit for a shed larger than 200 sq ft or taller than 15 feet, but every shed must meet zoning setbacks. A one-story detached shed must be at least 15 feet from side and rear lot lines in the R-1 and R-2 districts, or 8 feet in R-3, and at least 30 feet from the street.Depends on your zone
Burn Permits & Backyard Fires Brush burning needs a Scituate Fire Department permit and is allowed only from January 15 to May 1, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., at least 75 feet from any structure. It is banned entirely in Minot, Humarock and anywhere east of Hatherly Road. Outdoor cooking fires in a non-flammable enclosure, permanent barbecue or outdoor fireplace need no permit, but must be at least 25 feet from structures and can't be lit on red flag days or when winds exceed 15 mph.Allowed with a permit
Home-Based Businesses Yes. Scituate's zoning bylaw allows a resident to use rooms in the home or an accessory building as an office, studio or workroom for a home occupation as of right, if the business stays secondary to the home, has no more than one non-resident employee, keeps no regular stock in trade, and shows no outside sign of the business beyond one small permitted sign (up to 2 sq ft, with a sign permit).Allowed
Swimming Pools Yes, with a building permit for both in-ground and above-ground pools. Scituate's general bylaw requires every private pool covered by the building code to be enclosed by a non-climbable fence at least 5 feet high with self-closing, self-latching gates, and the Building Department says pools must stay 8 feet from the rear line and 8 or 15 feet from side lines depending on your zone.Allowed with a permit
Building Near the Water (Wetlands Rules) Work within 100 feet of a wetland, marsh, beach, dune, bank or water body in Scituate (or on land subject to tidal action or coastal flooding) needs Conservation Commission approval under the town's wetlands bylaw. The Commission's regulations also require a 50-foot undisturbed vegetated buffer strip next to resource areas, and the zoning bylaw sharply limits new structures in the Saltmarsh and Flood Plain districts.Allowed with board review
Docks, Piers & Floats A private, non-commercial dock, pier or float can be built in Scituate, but because it alters land under water or within 100 feet of the shore, it needs Conservation Commission approval under the town's wetlands bylaw, plus a state Chapter 91 license. Bottom-anchored floats and rafts instead need an annual mooring permit from the Harbormaster. The bylaws we reviewed set no specific size limit for private docks.Allowed with board review