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SAMPLE REPORT

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Can an accessory apartment go on this lot, how big, and where. Every report follows this format — easy to read first, details underneath. The numbers belong to the sample, not to you.

ADU report$395Addition report$395Lot report$650Relief research+$350

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SAMPLE — ILLUSTRATIVE PROPERTY

Property Feasibility Report

Detached accessory dwelling unit · 12 Maple Street, Holden, Massachusetts

Report no.SR-2026-0147
Date preparedOctober 14, 2026
Prepared forSample Homeowner
Question asked"Can we add a detached ADU?"
01THE BOTTOM LINE
BUILDABLE BY RIGHT

A detached ADU up to 850 sq ft qualifies — with one catch.

The lot, the district, and the dimensional rules all clear. The catch is the septic system: adding a bedroom triggers a Title 5 upgrade, the largest single line item of this project. Price it before you design.

02PROPERTY RECORD
Lot area20,000 sq ft (0.46 ac)
Zoning districtR-1 — single-family residential
Frontage125 ft on Maple Street
Principal dwelling1,700 sq ft colonial · 3 bedrooms
Water / sewerTown water · private septic
Septic rating3 bedrooms (fully used)
Mapped wetlandsNone within 100 ft
SourcesAssessor record · town GIS · bylaw §4.3
03THE SIZE MATH

PRINCIPAL DWELLING

1,700 sq ft

HALF THE DWELLING

850 sq ft

STATE CEILING

900 sq ft

YOUR CAP — THE SMALLER

850 sq ft

Half the principal dwelling or 900 sq ft, whichever is smaller — M.G.L. c. 40A §1A. Holden does not extend beyond the state floor. Sample values.

04PROPOSED PLACEMENT & RENDERING
Aerial rendering of the sample property: the existing white colonial house with a proposed gray cottage ADU placed in the rear corner of the lot, property lines overlaid
Fig. 1 — Aerial rendering of the proposed 850 sq ft ADU in place, composited from aerial imagery and the town GIS parcel layer. Illustrative, not a construction document.
MAPLE STREET BUILDABLE BY RIGHT SEPTIC FIELD keep clear ADU 850 sq ft HOUSE 30 ft front 15 ft side 15 ft rear
Fig. 2 — Site plan: setbacks, septic field, and the area where a detached ADU sits by right. Not to scale.

When a rendering is included: reports for a new detached structure or an addition include a placement rendering like Fig. 1. When the ADU goes inside an existing building — a basement, attic, or garage conversion — there is nothing new to show on the lot, so the report documents the conversion with floor-area and code guidance instead.

05STATE FLOOR VS. HOLDEN'S BYLAW

The state guarantees

UseOne ADU by right
OccupancyNo owner-occupancy rule
ProcessNo special permit, no hearing

Holden adds (sample)

Setbacks15 ft side & rear, detached ADU
ParkingOne space
ReviewAdministrative site plan — no hearing

A real report cites the exact bylaw sections for your town.

06SEPTIC & TITLE 5

The system is rated for 3 bedrooms — the house uses all 3.

Bedrooms in the house and the ADU count together against the septic design. An ADU bedroom here means a Title 5 upgrade — on this lot, the largest single cost of the project. Get the upgrade quoted before the design dollars are spent.

07WHAT TO FILE, IN WHAT ORDER
1

Title 5 inspection and upgrade design — the gating item; everything else waits on it

2

Certified plot plan — the ADU, setbacks, and septic shown together

3

Building permit application — with the ADU construction plans

4

Administrative site plan review — detached ADUs; no public hearing

5

Build, inspections, certificate of occupancy

08IF WHAT YOU WANT DOESN'T FIT BY RIGHT

By right isn't the end of the road. A plan that breaks a setback, the size cap, or lot coverage can still be built — it needs relief from the board. Two examples for this property:

SCENARIO A

You want 1,100 sq ft, not 850

Exceeds the state cap → needs a special permit where the town allows larger ADUs, or a variance from the Zoning Board of Appeals.

SCENARIO B

You want it 8 ft off the back line

Inside the 15 ft rear setback → needs setback relief — a variance, or a special permit where the bylaw offers one.

Optional add-on — relief research: we identify every bylaw standing in the way of the plan you actually want, the exact relief each one needs, the board that grants it, and what your application has to show. Quoted as a flat add-on fee before any work starts.

Ask about relief research

Prepared by Bircch

CanIBuildThis.com · buildability answers for whatever you're planning

Sample report for an illustrative property; bylaw details shown are examples. A real report cites your town's bylaw sections and your parcel's records. Not legal advice and not a zoning determination.

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