ADU Pass
Harmony
ADU Pass helps homeowners in Harmony, Providence County, Rhode Island navigate the permit paperwork for building an accessory dwelling unit. This area covers 1 ZIP code.
Map
ADU details
ADU legality: allowed
Glocester permits ADUs by-right under Chapter 350 §350-49 conformed to RIGL §45-24-37(j). Almost no Harmony parcel has municipal sewer; OWTS (RIDEM) is the default.
Cost scenarios
| Scenario | Sq ft | Permit | Build | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| minimum | 150 | $2,600 | $45,750 | $48,350 |
| 600 | 600 | $2,600 | $183,000 | $185,600 |
| midpoint | 675 | $2,600 | $205,875 | $208,475 |
| maximum | 1,200 | $2,600 | $366,000 | $368,600 |
Fee breakdown (as of 2026-04)
Permitting process
- Confirm Chapter 350 §350-49 ADU eligibility (~5d)
Verify Glocester Code Chapter 350 §350-49 size cap and accessory-status conditions for the Harmony village parcel; meet the RIGL §45-24-37(j) 20,000 sqft minimum lot for by-right ADUs (most Harmony lots are well above this in the rural NW). Glocester does not assess a residential ADU development impact fee as of 2026-04. - Engage RIDEM-licensed designer for OWTS plan (~60d)
Almost no Harmony parcel has municipal sewer; an On-site Wastewater Treatment System (OWTS) plan from a RIDEM-licensed designer is a hard prerequisite. Private well water-supply approval also runs through RIDEM. Plan early — OWTS site evaluation, design, and RIDEM approval typically run 8-14 weeks. - Pre-application call with Building/Zoning Official (~7d)
Schedule with Glocester Building/Zoning Official Dennis Begin at (401) 568-6206 ext 1 (M-F 8a-4p), 1145 Putnam Pike, Chepachet (mailing PO Box B). The Building/Zoning office is shared between code enforcement and zoning so both reviews are coordinated in one conversation. - Submit building permit via permits.ri.gov (~1d)
Glocester migrated to the RI statewide e-permitting portal effective 2024-01-02. Select 'Town of Glocester' / 'Building Department' on permits.ri.gov. Attach site plan, floor plan, elevations, OWTS approval letter (or pending RIDEM acknowledgement), and structural sheets. - Administrative ADU review (~18d)
Review under Glocester Code Chapter 145 (Building Permits) and Chapter 350 (Zoning). By-right ADUs do NOT require Zoning Board action. Historic-district parcels in Chepachet route through the Glocester Historic District Commission, but central Harmony village is outside that overlay. - RIDEM OWTS approval letter on file (~14d)
Final RIDEM OWTS approval letter must be filed with Glocester before footing inspection. RIDEM OWTS application/inspection adds the indicative ~$425 line item (per 250-RICR-150-10) independent of the building permit fee. - Trade plan review and inspections (~21d)
Plan review and trade inspections by Glocester staff: Electrical (James Clarke), Plumbing (Gary Coyne), Mechanical (Roland Belanger). Inspections are scheduled through the permits.ri.gov portal. - Construction inspections
Footing/foundation, frame, rough-in (plumbing/electrical/mechanical), insulation, and final. OWTS install is witnessed by RIDEM separately. - Certificate of Occupancy (~5d)
Issued by Glocester Building Official after final inspection passes; OWTS performance-of-work letter must be on file from RIDEM.
Viability (permitted uses)
- Long-term rental: yes Long-term rental of ADU explicitly permitted under RIGL §45-24-37(j); RI HOA preemption (§45-24-73) voids conflicting covenants.
- Short-term rental: with-restrictions Glocester regulates STRs separately from ADU permitting; check town STR ordinance and any HOA covenants.
- Office rental: with-restrictions Detached office rental requires home-occupation permit; rural-area home occupations are common in Glocester.
- Home office: yes Home occupation permitted with restrictions on signage and customer traffic.
- Studio / workshop: yes Personal artist studio is a permitted accessory use.
- Agriculture: with-restrictions Glocester is largely zoned for low-density rural and agricultural uses; livestock and horse-keeping common per district.
- Relative support: yes Family-occupied ADU explicitly permitted; statewide §45-24-37(j) by-right treatment.
Contacts
Staff: Dennis Begin (Building/Zoning Official), James Clarke (Electrical Inspector), Gary Coyne (Plumbing Inspector), Roland Belanger (Mechanical Inspector)
Utilities
- Water: Private wells (RIDEM oversight) — no municipal water in Harmony village · 45d connect · $12,000
- Sewer: On-site Wastewater Treatment System (OWTS) per RIDEM 250-RICR-150-10 · 90d connect · $30,000
- Electric: Rhode Island Energy (Pascoag Utility District in adjacent Pascoag village) · 21d connect · $1,800
- Gas: Propane / fuel oil (no piped natural gas in most of rural NW Glocester) · 14d connect · $2,500
Property values & taxes
Construction timeline
Realistic total: best 8mo · typical 13mo · worst 20mo
Modular pathway inspectors are occasional with modular
Financing
State ADU loans:
Insurance impact
HOA prevalence & preemption
RIGL §45-24-73 voids conflicting HOA covenants. HOAs are uncommon in rural Glocester; most parcels are large unrestricted lots.
Regulatory overlays (1)
- rural-residential
Harmony village sits in a rural-residential district under Glocester Chapter 350; lot sizes are large and OWTS is the default.
Technical envelope (climate & building code)
Climate & energy code
Building code
Amendments:
- Amendment
- Amendment
Legal history (timeline)
Current ordinance: Glocester Town Code Chapter 350 (Zoning) §350-49 (Accessory Dwelling Units); Chapter 145 (Building Permits), adopted 1965-10-08, last amended 2024-06-25
- 2024-01-02 — Glocester migrates to RI statewide e-permitting portal (permits.ri.gov) (city-procedure)
Glocester adopted the statewide e-permitting portal effective 2024-01-02; building, electrical, plumbing, and mechanical permits are filed there.
Effect: ADU applicants in Harmony village now lodge building permits electronically via permits.ri.gov rather than paper at Town Hall. - 2024-06-25 — RI H 7062 / S 2998 — statewide ADU preemption (state-law)
Amended RIGL §45-24-37(j) to require by-right ADUs on every single-family lot statewide; §45-24-73 voids conflicting HOA restrictions.
Effect: Glocester Chapter 350 §350-49 was conformed to the statutory minimum; family-occupied ADUs are by-right with no public hearing.
Known issues (3)
- issue —
- issue —
- issue —
Rhode Island state — ADU law and programs
State ADU law
Rhode Island enacted statewide ADU preemption in 2024 through H 7062 (chief sponsor Rep. June Speakman and colleagues; co-sponsored in the Senate as S 2710), which amended the Zoning Enabling Act (Title 45, Chapter 24). Municipalities must permit ADUs by-right on any lot containing a single-family dwelling, subject only to uniform minimum standards set by the statute. One of the most ADU-friendly state statutes in the country as of 2025.
- R.I.G.L. § 45-24-73 — Design standards required for accessory dwelling units; Consistent statewide treatment of accessory dwelling units required — Core ADU standards added by H 7062 (2024). Requires municipalities to permit ADUs by-right. Caps 1-bedroom and studio ADUs at 900 sqft or 60% of the principal dwelling's floor area, whichever is less. Caps 2-bedroom ADUs at 1,200 sqft or 60%, whichever is less. Prohibits owner-occupancy requirements. Caps additional parking at 1 off-street space per bedroom. Prohibits ADU-specific impact fees. Voids HOA, condominium, and similar private-covenant restrictions that conflict with the statute as against public policy.
- H 7062 (2024 RI General Assembly) — An Act Relating to Housing — Accessory Dwelling Units — The enacting bill. Also cited by municipalities adopting conforming ordinances (Providence 2024 Chapter 3584, East Providence 2024 ADU Ordinance, South Kingstown 2024-07-12 regulations).
State HOA preemption
R.I.G.L. § 45-24-73 explicitly voids homeowners' association, condominium association, or similar private-covenant restrictions on ADUs when those restrictions conflict with the statute's ADU minimums. The preemption is framed as a public-policy void, meaning the offending covenant is unenforceable rather than simply regulated. Pre-existing ADU-friendly covenants remain valid (the statute only void conflicting restrictions). Applies to all common-interest communities governed by the Rhode Island Condominium Act (R.I.G.L. Title 34, Chapter 36) and Rhode Island Condominium Ownership Act (Title 34, Chapter 36.1), as well as HOAs in planned-community subdivisions.
- R.I.G.L. § 45-24-73 (HOA preemption clause added by H 7062 (2024)) — Provides that private covenant restrictions imposed by condominium associations, homeowners' associations, or similar residential property governing bodies that conflict with the ADU provisions are void as against public policy. Drafted broadly — covers declarations, bylaws, rules and regulations, and recorded covenants.
State financing programs
RIHousing, the state's housing finance agency, operates an ADU financing program built around the FHA 203(k) loan product. Covers attached and interior ADUs for both purchase and refinance. Detached ADUs are NOT eligible. Requires mandatory homebuyer education, use of an FHA-approved 203(k) consultant, and a RI licensed and insured contractor. No state-specific grant program for ADUs is in effect as of 2026-04-21; the federal 203(k) rails are the production vehicle.
State housing programs
Rhode Island does not currently operate a single statewide pre-approved-ADU-plan catalog (as California's CalHFA and Washington's Commerce plan libraries). Implementation of the 2024 ADU law is happening municipality-by-municipality, with the Executive Office of Housing (EOH) coordinating technical assistance. Providence published a citywide ADU Guide (February 2025) as the leading model; East Providence adopted a conforming ordinance in 2024; South Kingstown published regulations in 2024. RIHousing runs the ADU financing side (see stateFinancing).
Federal (United States) — ADU-relevant rules and programs
Federal ADU law
The United States has no federal statute that directly regulates accessory dwelling unit entitlement or design. Land-use authority over ADUs resides with states and local governments under the traditional police power. Federal engagement is limited to financing (Fannie/Freddie/FHA/VA/USDA), flood insurance (FEMA/NFIP), and discretionary housing programs (HUD), which are recorded in sibling sections of this file.
Federal financing programs
Federal housing-finance agencies and GSEs set nationwide underwriting rules that govern whether an ADU can be financed, appraised, and counted toward mortgage qualifying income. The relevant actors are Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, FHA (HUD), VA, and USDA Rural Development.
Federal tax credits
There is no ADU-specific federal tax credit. ADUs may incidentally qualify for existing federal energy-efficiency and clean-energy tax credits when the ADU construction includes qualifying measures.
Federal housing programs
HUD administers several discretionary programs that can fund ADU-related activity at the grantee's election, but none is an ADU-specific program.
ZIP Code
- 02829
Post Office
- 391 Putnam Pike, 02829