Three sets of rules can touch a Lakes Region dirt project: Dig Safe, the Shoreland Act, and wetlands. Here's each in a paragraph, with the official links.
New Hampshire law requires notifying Dig Safe (call 811) at least 72 business hours before excavation so utilities mark buried lines. It's free, and your contractor should handle it as a matter of routine — we do. Official info: digsafe.com.
The Shoreland Water Quality Protection Act (RSA 483-B) regulates cutting and earth work within 250 ft of lakes over 10 acres. Tree removal near the water runs on a point system, and significant excavation needs a Shoreland Permit (or Permit-by-Notification for smaller work) from NHDES. Program details: NHDES Shoreland Program. Our plain-English guide covers what owners can and can't do.
Dredging, filling, or building in wetlands needs a permit from the NHDES Wetlands Bureau regardless of distance from a lake — and wetlands aren't always obvious (a seasonally wet corner counts). Bureau info: NHDES Wetlands. When a project touches a mapped or suspected wetland, a wetlands scientist's delineation is money well spent — see who else you'll need.
Plain-language summary, not legal advice — the linked agencies are the authority.
Permits identified on the site walk, Dig Safe called, erosion controls set. You get the project, not the paperwork.
Tell us where the property is and what you’re trying to do. We’ll walk the site, talk it through, and give you a straight, flat quote.
