Know what you can build before you spend on design.

Send us the address. We review the zoning district, the allowed uses, the size limits and the approval path, then tell you what is realistic.

  1. Send the address and what you hope to do.
  2. We review the public zoning records.
  3. You get a short written summary, and a call to walk through it.

Request a free land and zoning check

For properties in Massachusetts, Rhode Island and New Hampshire.

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We use this only to reply to you. No obligation.

What we check

  • The zoning district and the uses it allows
  • Size limits: lot area, frontage, setbacks, height and lot coverage
  • Parking and site requirements
  • Special permits or variances your idea would need
  • Overlay districts, wetlands and other constraints we can see in public records
  • The approval path, and a realistic timeline for it

Two levels of answer

Start with the free check. If the property looks promising, the full study tells you which option to pursue.

Land and zoning check

Free

A short written summary: the district, the main allowed uses, the key limits, and the red flags we can see.

Request the free check

Full feasibility study

Quoted per property

Two or three build options compared by rough cost, approval risk, timeline and return, with a plan for the approvals.

Ask about a full study

Zoning summary

Sample

12 Example Street, Sampletown. Prepared for the owner before purchase.

Zoning district
R-2, residential
Allowed by right
One- and two-family homes
Allowed by special permit
Three or more units
Lot area and frontage
12,500 sq ft and 100 ft. Both meet the minimums.
Setbacks
Front 25 ft, sides 15 ft, rear 30 ft
Height and coverage
35 ft maximum. Buildings may cover 30% of the lot (3,750 sq ft).
Parking
Two spaces per unit
Approval path
Two-family: building permit after site plan review. Three or more units: special permit from the Planning Board.

Things to check before you commit

  • The rear of the lot is close to a mapped wetland. Ask a civil engineer to confirm the buffer.
  • A three-unit plan needs six parking spaces, which is tight on this lot.

Our read: a two-family home is the low-risk option. A three-unit building is possible, but it adds a public hearing and several months.

Your property may allow more than it did two years ago.

Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Rhode Island have all changed their zoning laws to allow more housing. What that means for one lot depends on the town, the district and the details. We check yours.

Massachusetts

One accessory dwelling unit (ADU) of up to 900 square feet is now allowed by right on lots in single-family zoning districts. Separately, 177 cities and towns served by the MBTA must zone at least one district for multi-family housing as of right.

New Hampshire

One ADU, attached or detached, is now allowed by right wherever single-family homes are allowed. Since July 1, 2026, towns must also allow multi-family housing in commercial zones, with some limits.

Rhode Island

A 2024 law allows one ADU by right in set cases: for a family member with a disability on an owner-occupied property, inside an existing building's footprint, or on a lot of 20,000 square feet or more.

Check my property

General information as of November 2026, not legal advice. Rules vary by town and change often.

A plan on paper is not an approval.

Once you know what to build, the town has to agree. We meet the building, planning and zoning departments. We work with your architect, engineer and attorney on the applications. We attend the Planning Board, the Zoning Board of Appeals and other hearings with you, and we track every condition the town attaches.

What this review is, and what it is not

Our review is a planning-level opinion based on public records. It is not a legal opinion, a survey or an engineering study, and it does not replace a zoning determination from the town. When you need those, we bring in the right licensed professional and coordinate their work.

Questions about the check

What do you need from me?

The address, and what you hope to do with the property. If you have a survey or a plot plan, that helps, but it is not required.

What if my idea needs a variance or a special permit?

We tell you what the process looks like, how long it tends to take in that town, and what could stop it.

Will you work with my architect, engineer or attorney?

Yes. We coordinate them for you. If you do not have them yet, we help you choose.

I am buying an existing building. Can you check what is really there?

Yes. ORiK Laser Scanning, part of the ORiK group, can capture the building in 3D before you buy, so the plans and areas you rely on are real.

Is there a catch?

No. If your project is not a fit for us, we will say so.

Send us the address.

Request the free check or call (774) 786-3060
Call(774) 786-3060 Free land check