ADUs are allowed in HanoverTypes:DetachedInternal
Types:DetachedInternal
Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) Rules for Hanover, NH
Is your property eligible for an ADU?
# of Properties
2,579
Owner-occupied
63%
Zoning districts
25
Avg Home Value
$737,481
Median Lot Size
0.94 acres
Avg Income
$193,384
Residential Types:
2,579 housing units
Single Family
89%
Apts (4+ units)
4%
Other
7%
Zoning Districts:
3,383 parcels · 25 districts
RR
32%(1,082)
SR1
17%(567)
SR2
13%(452)
GR2
11%(375)
Other
27%(907)
ADU Rules
What can you build in Hanover, NH?
Hanover, NH follows state and local rules for Accessory Dwelling Units. Here is a concise overview of the local rules.
Eligibility
- –Internal / Attached ADU: By Right
- –Detached ADU: By Right
Interior / Attached ADU Size Limits
- –Maximum internal or attached ADU size of 1,000 sq ft (areas under 5-foot ceilings are not counted).
Detached ADU Size Limits
- –Maximum size of 1,000 sq ft for a detached accessory dwelling unit
- –In RO, GR, and SR districts, a detached ADU may not exceed 25% of the principal building’s gross floor area (lot-wide accessory-use cap)
Max Units
- –Single-family: 1 ADU/lot (attached or detached)
- –Duplex/multifamily: 0 ADUs
Owner Occupancy
- –Owner must occupy either the principal dwelling or the ADU
Parking
- –No numeric standard; on-site 'adequate' parking required. Side/rear setbacks ok; front only in driveway (RO: none between building and ROW except driveway).
Rental Restrictions
- –Short-term rentals (<30 days) prohibited in ADUs; tenants may not rent space to roomers.
ADU State Law
What can you build in New Hampshire?
- –New Hampshire ADU rules after HB 577 (signed July 15, 2025, eff. July 1, 2025 – Chapter 197).
- –One ADU, attached or detached, is allowed By Right on every single-family lot in any zoning district that allows single-family homes.
- –If the local ordinance is silent, the same By Right rule applies. You just need a building permit.
- –Default maximum is 950 sq ft of living space
- –Towns may set a lower maximum, but no lower than 750 sq ft,
- –Town may set a higher maximum
- –If a town specifies a size limit only for Internal or Attached ADUs and is silent on Detached units, we interpret that the state default maximum of 950 sq ft applies to Detached ADUs, since local limits apply only to the types they explicitly regulate.
- –Local zoning rules for ADUs can't be stricter than those for single-family homes, including lot size, frontage, and setbacks.
- –May require up to one additional parking space for each ADU.
- –Owner-occupancy: A town may require the owner to live on the property, but can't say which unit the owner must occupy. No requirement that ADU occupants be related to the main-house occupants.
- –Water & septic: The town can't demand a bigger system than the state DES rules require. Separate systems aren't mandatory, but you must upgrade if the existing one fails or lacks approval.
- –Conversions encouraged: Existing structures (e.g., garages, barns, etc.) may be converted even if they violate current setbacks or lot-coverage limits, and towns can't block a separate electrical panel/service for the ADU.
- –A town may bar ADUs on leased land or on lots with multiple attached single-family dwellings (e.g., townhouses).
What's allowed on your lot?
These are the municipality-wide rules. What's allowed on a specific property also depends on state laws, setbacks, floor area ratio, lot coverage, environmental constraints, topography, and other property-specific factors. Search your address on FutureLot to see what's allowed on your property.
Check my propertyHow can we help you?
Get matched with trusted local builders
Understand what's allowed on your property
Learn the key rules and size limits for ADUs
Is your property eligible for an ADU?
ADU rules in other New Hampshire municipalities
Rules change at the town line. Check the municipality your property is actually in.
Grafton County