Build an ADU in Lincoln.
New Hampshire's HB 577 lets you add one accessory dwelling unit on your single-family lot in Lincoln — by-right. A detached ADU can be up to 950 sf, and ADU setbacks match your lot's single-family setbacks.
8 districts
Each district's single-family setbacks — which your ADU follows. The primary residential district is highlighted.
Verified against the official Lincoln zoning ordinance · source · 2026-07-07
- Front
- 15 ft
- Side
- 15 ft
- Rear
- 15 ft
- Max coverage
- 50% lot
- Min lot
- 15,000 sf (~0.34 ac)
Town's DEFAULT district: 'The land area not included in one of the [other] districts as shown on the Lincoln Zoning Map shall be defined as the Rural Residential District' (Art VI Sec A), and the principal single-family district outside the villages.
- Front
- 15 ft
- Side
- 10 ft
- Rear
- 10 ft
- Max coverage
- 60% lot
- Min lot
- 15,000 sf (~0.34 ac)
Min lot 15,000 sf all other uses; duplex use 15,000 sf. Lot coverage 60% per Dimensional Chart note 1 applies ONLY to non-residential uses, so no coverage cap on a residential dwelling/ADU (Stormwater Ordinance may still apply).
- Front
- 15 ft
- Side
- 10 ft
- Rear
- 15 ft
- Max coverage
- 50% lot
- Min lot
- 15,000 sf (~0.34 ac)
Min lot 15,000 sf all other uses; duplex use 20,000 sf. Lot coverage 50% per Dimensional Chart note 1 applies ONLY to non-residential uses, so no coverage cap on a residential dwelling/ADU (Stormwater Ordinance may still apply).
- Front
- 25 ft
- Side
- 25 ft
- Rear
- 25 ft
- Max coverage
- 50% lot
- Min lot
- 30,000 sf (~0.69 ac)
Min lot 30,000 sf all other uses (Dimensional Chart shows 'n/a' for duplex-specific min lot in MR).
- Front
- 5 ft
- Side
- 10 ft
- Rear
- 15 ft
- Max coverage
- 70% lot
- Min lot
- 15,000 sf (~0.34 ac)
Min lot 15,000 sf all other uses; duplex use 22,500 sf.
- Front
- 15 ft
- Side
- 15 ft
- Rear
- 15 ft
- Max coverage
- 70% lot
- Min lot
- 15,000 sf (~0.34 ac)
Mixed-use downtown district.
- Front
- 15 ft
- Side
- 5 ft
- Rear
- 5 ft
- Max coverage
- 75% lot
- Min lot
- 15,000 sf (~0.34 ac)
Mixed-use Route 3 corridor district.
- Front
- 15 ft
- Side
- 10 ft
- Rear
- 5 ft
- Max coverage
- 80% lot
- Min lot
- 5,000 sf (~0.11 ac)
Min lot 5,000 sf all other uses; 'n/a' for duplex-specific min lot. NOTE: ADUs are NOT a permitted use in SBD (Residential Land Use Schedule ADU row = N for SBD); this is the one district of the eight where the ordinance does not list ADUs as allowed.
Form-based and downtown districts may use build-to lines instead of fixed setbacks (shown as “—”); verify your parcel's district before you build.
Lincoln ADU FAQ
Yes. Under NH RSA 674:71-73 (HB 577), one accessory dwelling unit is allowed by-right on single-family lots statewide, including Lincoln (Grafton County). A detached ADU can be up to 950 sf.
In Lincoln's RR zone, ADUs follow the single-family setbacks: 15 ft front, 15 ft side, and 15 ft rear. Lincoln has 8 zoning districts in total — see the full table below. Confirm your exact zone with the town.