Swampscott, MA
Swampscott, MA Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) Rules
City Acceptance Rating: 8/10 (10 is most accepting)
Last updated: 7.2.2024
Image Source: North of Boston
What You Need To Know
Last winter, at Swampscott’s annual town meeting, a law was passed to make ADUs by right. There are a number of restrictions and design requirements based upon what type of ADU you want to build.
Type of ADU Permit Required
ADUs are permitted by right in Swampscott.
ADU Rules
Size Restrictions
Generally, ADUs are permitted to be as large as 50% of the floor area of the existing dwelling or 900 feet, whichever is smaller
Attached ADUs
If changing the footprint of an existing structure the floor area addition is limited to 800 square feet.
An addition of greater than 800 square feet is subject to site plan review by the Swampscott planning board
Detached ADUs can be built in two ways
ADUs can be built in existing detached accessory structures.
If in a preexisting, nonconforming location, it can be demolished and rebuilt within the same footprint. These cases are subject to a finding from the Zoning Board of Appeals.
If building a new construction detached ADU, the ADU must meet the dimensional requirements for a detached structure.
5 feet from side and rear setbacks and no less than 10 feet from the primary structure.
Additional Rules
Only one ADU is permitted per lot.
If an ADU is constructed where the entrance is located on the front of the home, only one entrance may appear to be the primary entrance.
Any exterior stairways to the ADU must be located on the side or rear of the dwelling.
All utilities must be shared between the ADU and the primary dwelling.
The owner of the lot must either live in either the primary dwelling or the ADU, except for a bona fide temporary absence.
In addition to minimum parking requirements, one additional parking space is required for the ADU.
Resources:
Town of Swampscott Zoning By-law- Article 5.11.0.0/Page 119