You said I needed to submit a certified plot plan with my permit application. What is that, why do I need this and where do I get one?

A certified plot plan is a plot plan that has been stamped by a registered land surveyor or civil engineer. A certified plot plan shows the boundaries of your property and where the primary building(s) and other accessory structures are located on the property. They may also show easements for things such as sewer, utilities, right-of-ways, etc. or perhaps wetland boundaries.

The Town of Bedford's zoning bylaws require, among other things, that buildings or accessory structures be setback a certain distance from the property lines depending on what Zoning District your property is in. A certified plot plan is needed to verify that the proposed new building, addition or accessory structure meets the minimum setback requirements under the zoning bylaws. It also may show where your easements, if any, are located so you don't accidentally build within the easement.

For new dwellings, the owner is responsible for hiring a registered land surveyor or civil engineer to perform an instrument survey of the property and certify the location of the new dwelling and any other accessory structures within the boundary lines to make sure they comply with the setback requirements and any other applicable requirements found in the BZBL. For existing dwellings, although the Code Enforcement Office is not required to provide certified plot plans, there may be cases where a certified plot plan can be found in the property file from a previous project. At the discretion of the Building Official, if the certified plot plan is to scale and accurately depicts the current footprint/location of the primary dwelling and all accessory structures then, in some cases, the homeowner may request a copy of the certified plot plan from the file and use it to locate the proposed addition and/or the accessory structure, to scale, on the existing certified plot plan. If there is no certified plot plan found in the property file then the homeowner is responsible for hiring a registered land surveyor or civil engineer to perform an instrument survey of the property and certify the location of the existing dwelling as well as the proposed addition(s) and/or any other accessory structures within the boundary lines to make sure they comply with the setback requirements and any other applicable requirements found in the BZBL.

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1. I would like to have some work done on my home. Do I need a building permit?
2. What if I’m just re-shingling my roof, installing new replacement windows and/or re-siding my home; do I still need a building permit?
3. Why do I even need a permit?
4. What information do I need to submit to the building inspector to allow me to do work on my home?
5. You said I needed to submit a certified plot plan with my permit application. What is that, why do I need this and where do I get one?
6. At the closing, the bank gave me a mortgage inspection plot plan. Can I use that?
7. How much does a permit cost?
8. How long does it take to issue a permit?
9. What happens if I don’t pull a building permit?
10. I’d like to install a swimming pool on my property. What do I need to do?
11. I’d like to install a shed/detached garage on my property. What do I need to do?
12. I need to get an inspection for the work that was performed on my property. How do I schedule an inspection?
13. I own my own home. Can I pull my own permits or do I need a licensed contractor?
14. Do I need a permit to have a yard sale on my property?
15. Can I put up signs advertising my yard sale?
16. My parents are starting to need constant care. Can I add an in-law or accessory apartment to my single-family home?
17. I’m thinking about building an addition onto my house or maybe a detached accessory garage. How close can I go to my property lines?
18. I have a boat that I need to store for the winter. Can I store it on my property?
19. I have a recreational trailer that I need to store for the winter. Can I store it on my property?
20. Can I store my unregistered vehicle on my property?
21. I’m thinking about starting my own business and working out of my home. Is this allowed?
22. The company I work for let’s me take the company vehicle home with me. Am I allowed to park this commercial vehicle in the driveway of my single-family home?