Tiverton

1. Zoning district confirmation at Town Hall (~5d)
   Confirm the Tiverton zoning district (R-10, R-20, R-40, R-80, or one of the village-center mixed-use districts) at Tiverton Town Hall, 343 Highland Road. Tiverton's R-40 and R-80 large-lot rural zones cover most of west Tiverton (the Tiverton Four Corners area and parcels approaching Westport MA), while R-10 and R-20 dominate the north Tiverton corridor near the Stone Bridge and the Stafford Road / Twin River Casino area. Dimensional standards differ materially across these districts and drive ADU lot-coverage feasibility.
2. Water service authority determination (~7d)
   Tiverton has no town-wide water utility. The Stone Bridge Fire District serves a limited area in north Tiverton near the MA border (purchasing water wholesale from the Fall River MA system across the state line) and the rest of the town is on private wells governed by RIDEM Office of Drinking Water rules. Confirm provider before drawing plans; Stone Bridge FD service requires a separate connection application, while private-well parcels need a RIDEM well permit if the existing well lacks capacity.
3. RIDEM OWTS septic design (~45d)
   The vast majority of Tiverton parcels are on private septic with no public sewer. Engage an RI-licensed OWTS designer to evaluate whether the existing field can absorb an ADU's load or whether expansion is required. Tight-soil parcels in rural west Tiverton near the agricultural Four Corners area frequently require an advanced-treatment system. RIDEM OWTS approval typically runs 30 to 60 days from a complete submission and is a prerequisite for the building permit.
4. Online-only submission via OpenGov portal (~3d)
   Tiverton mandates ALL permit applications through the OpenGov e-permitting portal at tivertonri.portal.opengov.com — paper submissions are not accepted. Upload stamped building plans, site plan, RIDEM OWTS approval, CRMC assent (if coastal), and energy compliance documents. The portal routes the application to the Tiverton Code Enforcement Department which handles building, zoning, and floodplain administration as a unified office.
5. Code Enforcement plan review (~25d)
   Tiverton Code Enforcement Department (401-625-6715) reviews IRC 2018 with RI amendments compliance through the OpenGov portal workflow. The Tiverton model unifies building, zoning, and floodplain review under one office — Zoning Enforcement Officer John Frank (401-625-6715) handles the dimensional compliance check against Tiverton Code Chapter 18 and the zoning ordinance simultaneously with building plan review, which reduces back-and-forth compared to towns that split these functions.
6. CRMC and Floodplain review (if applicable) (~90d)
   Sakonnet River shoreline parcels (Stafford Road, Riverside Drive, Nanaquaket) and Mount Hope Bay frontage parcels within 200 ft of mean high water trigger CRMC Category A or B assent. FEMA AE/VE zone parcels along these same corridors and inland creek areas additionally need Floodplain Administrator review (also handled by Tiverton Code Enforcement). CRMC averages 60 to 120 days running concurrent with the building permit.
7. RIDEM OWTS permit issuance (~30d)
   RIDEM issues the final OWTS construction permit on its own state-level clock, separate from Tiverton's building permit. State fee runs $350 to $1,200 depending on system type. The OWTS permit must be in hand before Tiverton issues the building permit, but the design and town building review can run in parallel.
8. Permit fee payment (~1d)
   Tiverton charges $14 per $1,000 of construction valuation with a $50 minimum, plus separate plumbing, electrical, and mechanical permits. Total permit-fee bundle for a typical Tiverton ADU runs $1,100 to $2,700 depending on valuation. RIDEM OWTS permit is paid separately to the state. Twin River Casino-corridor parcels do not pay any economic-development surcharge.
9. Construction inspections through OpenGov (~50d)
   Five inspection cycles scheduled through the OpenGov portal: foundation, framing/MEP rough-in, insulation, MEP finals, overall final. Tiverton inspectors dispatch from Town Hall at 343 Highland Road and lead times are typically two to four business days for routine inspections. Cross-border (Fall River MA) contractors who work in Tiverton must hold valid RI Contractors' Registration Board licensing.
10. Certificate of Occupancy from Code Enforcement (~5d)
    Once all finals pass, the Tiverton Code Enforcement Department at (401) 625-6715 issues the Certificate of Occupancy. Office address: 343 Highland Road, Tiverton, RI 02878.

• Long-term rental: yes Long-term rental is the by-right baseline use. Twin River Casino employee demand supports rental market.
• Short-term rental: with-restrictions Tiverton STR market driven by Sakonnet River summer demand and proximity to Newport. Town requires registration. Owner-occupancy of principal dwelling required per state ADU statute.
• Office rental: with-restrictions Renting ADU as office requires home occupation permit.
• Home office: yes Owner home-office permitted.
• Studio / workshop: yes Personal studio / workshop permitted.
• Agriculture: yes Tiverton's R-40/R-80 large-lot zones support agricultural accessory uses. Active farming community in west Tiverton (Tiverton Four Corners area).
• Relative support: yes Family-occupancy ADU permitted.

• Water: Stone Bridge Fire District (north Tiverton near MA border) / private wells (most of town) · 30d connect · $9,000
  No town-wide water utility. Stone Bridge Fire District serves limited area in north Tiverton (purchases water from Fall River MA system). Most of Tiverton's R-40/R-80 rural parcels are on private wells (RIDEM Office of Drinking Water permit for new wells).
• Sewer: On-site wastewater treatment systems (septic) — no public sewer in most of town · 45d connect · $24,000
  Mandatory RIDEM OWTS permit and design by RI-licensed designer. Adding ADU often requires expansion of existing field or full new system. Tight-soil parcels in rural west Tiverton may require advanced-treatment system.
• Electric: Rhode Island Energy · 21d connect · $1,800
• Gas: Rhode Island Energy (limited natural gas — many parcels on propane or oil) · 30d connect · $2,400
  Natural gas service is limited to denser north-Tiverton corridors (Main Road, Stafford Road near casino). Most rural Tiverton parcels are propane or oil.

Realistic total: best 7mo · typical 11mo · worst 17mo

Tiverton contractor lead times moderate. Septic-system design adds 4-8 weeks. Sakonnet River shoreline parcels need CRMC adding 8-12 weeks.

Modular pathway inspectors are occasional with modular

State ADU loans:

• RIHousing financing

R.I.G.L. § 45-24-73 voids HOA / condo restrictions conflicting with state ADU minimums. Tiverton HOA prevalence is low; concentrated in newer planned developments near the casino corridor.

• coastal-commission
  RI CRMC jurisdiction along Sakonnet River and Mount Hope Bay shoreline (200ft inland from coastal feature). Requires Category A or B assent.
• wetland-overlay
  RIDEM Freshwater Wetland buffers (50-200ft) common in rural west Tiverton. RIDEM permit required for work within buffer.
• flood-zone
  FEMA AE/VE zones along Sakonnet River, Mount Hope Bay, and inland creek corridors.