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Bathroom, Kitchen and Home Remodeling in Hudson, NH
Hudson spells it out: additions, finishing an attic or basement and changing interior walls all count as altering a house, and altering a house takes a building permit. Call (978) 951-4644 or use the form. A person reads every request and replies with what happens next.
- Free for homeowners
- Town and state remodeling rules on this page
- Kitchens, baths, additions and basements
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Remodeling in Hudson
What are you planning?
Kitchen Remodeling
New layouts, cabinets and counters, with licensed trades for any plumbing, gas and electrical work.
Bathroom Remodeling
Tub-to-shower conversions, full gut renovations and added bathrooms, permitted the way your town requires.
Additions & Whole-Home
Additions, dormers, second stories and whole-house renovations, with the structural permits and zoning they bring.
Attic & Basement Finishing
Turning an attic or a dry basement into living space, with the building department involved from the start.
Not sure what the town needs?
(978) 951-4644Tell us what you want to change and whether the house is on town sewer or septic, and we'll help you sort out what Hudson will ask for first.
Permits
Remodeling permits in Hudson
Who issues them. Building, electrical and gas/mechanical permits come from the Inspectional Services Division of the Fire Department, on the main level of Town Hall at 12 School Street, (603) 886-6005, weekdays 8:00 to 4:30 (Inspectional Services). There is no online portal. Applications go in by upload to the town's WeTransfer page with the property address in the title, or by email, mail or the drop box, and "We will contact you when the permit is ready and inform you of the amount of the fee," which can be paid online (Permits & Applications).
What needs a permit. The town FAQ is unusually direct: "You need to obtain a building permit for new construction or for altering existing construction," and "Additions, finishing an attic or basement, or changing interior walls are examples of alterations." Decks, pools, fences, sheds and garages need permits too, and so does "Work that increases the non conformity of an existing building." The town has 30 days under state law to review an application (building FAQ).
Fees. Hudson's Application Fee Schedule, revised June 15, 2023, sets square-foot rates for new space and for remodel and repair work and flat fees for plumbing, electrical and gas permits; the layout doesn't make clear which block applies to homes, so let the town quote the fee when it reviews the application. The same schedule lists a $250 charge for working without a permit (fee schedule).
- Building permits
- Inspectional Services Division (Fire Department), Town Hall, 12 School St
- Phone
- (603) 886-6005
- Apply
- Upload via WeTransfer, email, mail or drop box; no portal
- Permit needed for
- Additions, finished attics and basements, changed interior walls
- Working without a permit
- $250 (fee schedule revised June 15, 2023)
- Inspections
- By phone; 24 hours notice on electrical permits
Trades and inspections. Electrical and gas/mechanical work have their own applications, and the electrical form asks for 24 hours' notice for any inspection (electrical application; gas/mechanical application). Inspections are booked by calling the division, and the FAQ warns that "a re-inspection fee will be charged to anyone who isn't ready."
State rules. New Hampshire leaves permits and permit fees to towns (RSA 155-A:2). The 2024 State Building Code took effect July 1, 2026, with either code set accepted through December 31, 2026 and the 2024 codes required from January 1, 2027 (state code summary). There is no state license for remodelers; in the Attorney General's words, "contractors do not need to be licensed." The AG's advice is to have a written contract with scope, materials, total price and payment schedule "before any work is done or any payment made," to check references and insurance, and to be wary of a deposit over 50% (NH AG). If the contract is over $5,000, RSA 359-G requires the contractor to give you a written notice of its claim process, and a homeowner must give written notice 60 days before filing suit over a defect (RSA 359-G). Hired plumbing, gas and electrical work needs state-licensed trades.
Last verified November 2026. Fees, restrictions and deadlines on this page are due for re-checking by January 2027. New England Remodeling Pros is a referral service. We don't design or build; your contractor files the permits.
Zoning
Adding on in Hudson
Setbacks. The town FAQ points to the Table of Minimum Dimensional Requirements in Section 334-27 for setbacks (building FAQ). Additions that reach into a required setback end up before the Zoning Board of Adjustment; an October 2024 agenda, for example, carried a request for an addition that would leave 8 feet where that lot needed 15 (ZBA agenda, Oct. 24, 2024). Get the numbers for your own district from Section 334-27 before the design is set.
In-law units. Hudson's Accessory Dwelling Unit Checklist, revised May 12, 2026, says an ADU may "not be less than 350 square feet nor greater than 950 square feet," may not be larger than the main house, and can't shrink the main house below 850 square feet. An "ADU is allowed as a freestanding detached structure" or as part of any structure; the owner of record must live in one unit; and the lot needs at least two paved off-street spaces for both units. On septic, "Verification of compliance with RSA 485-A:38 shall be filed with the Town prior to issuance of a building permit," and the permit must be issued before construction starts (ADU checklist). The town's 2025 housing chapter still describes an older attached-only rule; the checklist is the newer document. State law requires towns to allow one ADU by right wherever single-family homes are allowed (RSA 674:72).
Sewer and septic. Town sewer is "limited to the more densely populated areas of Town," around Ferry and School Streets and the area bounded by Melendy Road, Pelham Road and the Merrimack River, and the master plan chapter adopted May 10, 2023 says to keep new connections within that service area (Community Facilities). The town's natural resources chapter puts soils with high septic limitations at about 40% of Hudson (Natural Resources), so an added unit on septic starts with the system.
Wetlands and floodplain. The zoning sets "a fifty-foot-wide buffer around wetlands and surface waters for residential uses" (amended March 12, 2024). Structures and impervious surfaces are kept out of it unless the Planning Board grants a conditional use permit, with Conservation Commission comment, where no practicable alternative exists (Section 334-35; Sections 334-36 and 334-37). Along the Merrimack River's east bank, about 11% of the town is floodplain; building there needs a floodplain permit from the Town Engineer, and a basement counts as the lowest floor (Chapter 218).
Hudson's homes
Mostly single-family, with no historic district
The 2020 Census counted 10,080 housing units in Hudson: 8,131 single-family (81%), 1,760 multi-family and 189 manufactured homes, according to the master plan's 2025 housing chapter, which also notes that the town's General zones don't allow multi-family development. The plan notes that multi-family housing is permitted only in the Business District, along parts of Route 102/Derry Street, Route 111/Central Street and Route 3A/Lowell Road (Population and Housing).
Historic review. Hudson has no historic district commission on its boards list, and we found no local historic district or demolition delay (Boards and Committees). Exterior changes don't go through a historic review step here, but they still go through Inspectional Services.
Lead and radon. For a house built before 1978, anyone paid to disturb painted surfaces must be EPA lead-safe certified, and replacing windows always counts (EPA RRP). Planning to finish the basement? Test for radon first; the state's radon program gives NH residents free test kits (NH DHHS radon).
FAQ
Hudson remodeling questions
Do I need a permit to finish my basement in Hudson?
Yes. The town FAQ says you need a building permit for new construction or for altering existing construction, and names additions, finishing an attic or basement, and changing interior walls as examples of alterations. Work that increases the nonconformity of an existing building also needs a permit.
How do I apply for a building permit in Hudson?
Hudson has no permit portal. Upload the application and plans through the town WeTransfer page with the property address in the title, or email, mail or drop them off. The town contacts you when the permit is ready and tells you the fee, which you can pay online.
Can I build a detached in-law unit in Hudson?
Yes. The Accessory Dwelling Unit Checklist, revised May 12, 2026, allows an ADU as a freestanding detached structure or as part of any structure, from 350 to 950 square feet, no larger than the main house. The owner of record must live in one unit, and on septic you must file proof of compliance with RSA 485-A:38 before the building permit issues.
How close to a wetland can I build an addition in Hudson?
The zoning sets a fifty-foot buffer around wetlands and surface waters for residential uses. Structures and impervious surfaces are not allowed there except by a Planning Board conditional use permit, with Conservation Commission comment, and only where there is no practicable alternative outside the buffer.
What does it cost me to use New England Remodeling Pros?
Nothing. Asking is free for homeowners; the contractor prices the job, and the price and contract are between you and them.
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