Manchester building department

In Manchester, building permits come from the Building Regulations division of Planning & Community Development (PCD), in the West Wing of City Hall at One City Hall Plaza. City Hall is open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The division reviews plans and approves permits, inspects construction, keeps permit records, and also administers and enforces the Zoning Ordinance. Manchester has no online permit portal. Building, electrical, heating, plumbing, sign, yard-sale, and demolition applications are PDF forms on the City’s website, and PCD will mail you one if you call (603) 624-6450.

What needs a permit

Manchester requires a permit to demolish, construct, reconstruct, convert, alter, or occupy a building, and for any plumbing, heating, or electrical work. The City also requires permits for:

• paving
• roofing, siding, and window replacement
• pools and sheds
• signs
• fences and retaining walls, governed by Zoning Ordinance Article 8.27. Most fences can sit on the lot line, but height and corner-lot limits apply.

A pool permit needs a scaled plot plan showing every structure and setback, self-closing and self-locking gates, and a separate electrical permit. For decks and porches on one- and two-family homes, use the City’s deck details form to describe the materials.

Fees

Work	Fee
New one- and two-family dwellings	Estimated cost × 0.006
Other new construction, and additions (including decks, sheds, pools)	Estimated cost × 0.01
Alterations, renovations, repairs (including siding, windows, roofing, occupancy permits)	Estimated cost × 0.01
Application fee, every permit	$25
Plan review, multi-family and commercial	$0.02 per sq ft
Residential yard sale	$5

The City’s FAQ puts the minimum cost of any permit at $55. Impact fee tables are posted separately.

Review times and plan requirements

Project	Typical review once the application is complete
Small jobs (fences, sheds, driveways)	2 to 5 business days
New homes	About one week
Large commercial projects	About two weeks

Commercial projects need two sets of stamped plans. Commercial and multi-family buildings need the seal of a New Hampshire–licensed architect, with exceptions:

• one- and two-family houses built to the prescriptive IRC
• alterations that don’t change the structure or move the building to a higher-hazard occupancy
• wood-framed buildings under 4,000 sq ft and 2½ stories or less, unless they are A, E, H, I, or R-4 occupancies

After issuance, work must start within six months and finish within twelve. A permit expires after 180 days without activity unless the City grants an extension.

Homeowners and licensed trades

A resident homeowner of a single-family house may do their own work, including electrical work under RSA 319-C:15(II). The electrical exemption requires a properly obtained permit and the City’s form, filed with the electrical permit application. Plumbing and electrical work in multi-family, rental, or commercial properties must be done by licensed contractors. Except for resident single-family homeowners, licensed plumbers, electricians, and gas fitters must pull their own permits. The homeowner is still responsible for making sure a permit is approved before work starts.

Scheduling inspections

Structural inspections (building, plumbing, mechanical, and electrical) are requested by emailing the inspector for that trade with the approved permit number and the project address. Requests left on voicemail aren’t accepted. The inspectors are in the office from 7:00 to 8:30 a.m. and 3:00 to 4:00 p.m. The FAQ describes how next-day inspections are routed:

• South and east of the city: inspections 9 a.m. to noon; request between 8 and 9 a.m.
• North and west: inspections 2 to 4:30 p.m.; request between 1 and 2 p.m.

Request a certificate of occupancy or final inspection five business days ahead for one- and two-family homes. Allow ten business days for commercial projects and for residential projects with more than three units. All inspections, including those from other departments, must be approved before a certificate of occupancy or completion letter is issued. Under RSA 130-A:5-d, new rental units and newly licensed day-care facilities in buildings built before 1978 also need lead-safe certification first.

Code transition rule

Manchester’s codes page applies RSA 155-A:2. The state building code in effect when your application is received governs the whole permit. For six months after a new state code takes effect, you may design to either the previous or the new code, but you can’t mix the two.

Zoning and rental housing

You need a variance when a use or improvement doesn’t meet the Zoning Ordinance. Variance packets are online but must be filed in person at the West Wing. Zoning review officers are in the office 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Accessory dwelling units are allowed under Article 8.26. Home occupations fall under Article 8.25, which excludes barber and beauty shops, real estate and insurance offices, commercial kennels, and auto sales or repair.

Rental dwellings receive a Certificate of Compliance under Chapter 150 of the City Code, renewed every three years. Inspectors schedule these inspections and mail the owner a postcard with the date. Under the Housing Code, a landlord who provides heat must keep units at 68°F during the day and 62°F at night.

Contact	Details
PCD customer service	(603) 624-6450, [email protected]
Code Enforcement Supervisor	(603) 792-6745