Franklin County, VT zoning map, flood zone and property lines by address
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Towns in Franklin County: Saint Albans, Swanton, Richford.
Flood zone by address
ParcelSheet reads FEMA's National Flood Hazard Layer at the lot: the zone, whether it is a high risk area where lenders ask for flood insurance, and the base flood elevation where FEMA lists one. FEMA has 24 FIRM panels covering Franklin County, the newest effective July 2011; no coastal V zones are mapped in it.
The official panel and any Letter of Map Amendment are at FEMA's Map Service Center. An elevation certificate for a Franklin house comes from a licensed surveyor and is often on file with the county or city building office.
Property lines
The parcel outline, parcel number and mapped size come from the Vermont Center for Geographic Information (VCGI), statewide standardized parcels, from each town’s grand list, so a Franklin lot shows the same lines the town assessor (listers) draws. Franklin County covers about 403,815 acres of land and 37,227 acres of water.
Mapped lines are approximate. The town listers in Franklin County keep the parcel record; a licensed surveyor sets the true corners.
Zoning
In Vermont zoning is set by each town and city, not by the county: in Franklin County, Swanton zones the land inside its limits. ParcelSheet shows the use code on the lot's parcel record and the municipality it sits in; the town zoning administrator has the district, the uses it allows and the lot size it needs. The Franklin County website lists the county's municipalities.
ADU and guest houses
Under Vermont's municipal planning and development law (Vermont Statutes Title 24, Chapter 117), each town and city can allow an accessory dwelling unit on a lot with a house. Whether a Franklin lot can add one depends on its district; the town zoning administrator has the rule. ParcelSheet shows the mapped lot size and the ground's slope, the first two things the question turns on.
Septic and soil
ParcelSheet reads the USDA soil survey at the lot: the soil's name, its septic absorption rating and whether it is prime farmland. Franklin County is soil survey area VT011, Franklin County, Vermont, last updated September 2026, on Web Soil Survey.
A new or changed septic system in Franklin County needs a permit from the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation (Wastewater System and Potable Water Supply Permit).
Setbacks
Setbacks in Franklin County come from the zoning district: the front, side and rear distances a house must keep. ParcelSheet does not draw setback lines; the town zoning administrator gives them for the lot's district, and Swanton for land inside its limits.
Hazards that apply
- Wetlands and wildfire. ParcelSheet shows the National Wetlands Inventory near a Franklin lot and the Forest Service wildfire hazard rating at it.
Questions
Is my house in a flood zone in Franklin County?
Type the address in the box above and ParcelSheet reads FEMA's flood zone at the lot's center. FEMA has 24 flood map panels covering Franklin County, the newest effective July 2011. A lender or insurer uses the official FIRM panel; FEMA's Map Service Center has it.
How do I find property lines in Franklin County?
Open the Vermont map, type the address, and the parcel outline from the town listers in Franklin County shows on the map with its parcel number and mapped size. Mapped lines are approximate; only a licensed surveyor sets the true corners.
What is my property zoned in Franklin County?
Zoning in Franklin County is set by each town and city (such as Swanton), not by the county. ParcelSheet shows the use code on the parcel record and names the municipality; the town zoning administrator has the final word.
Can I build an ADU in Franklin County?
Under Vermont's municipal planning and development law (Vermont Statutes Title 24, Chapter 117), each town and city can allow an accessory dwelling unit, and each sets its own rules. In Franklin County ask the town zoning administrator for the lot's district first; ParcelSheet shows the lot size as mapped so you can see the room you have.
Do I need a septic permit in Franklin County?
Yes. A new or changed septic system in Franklin County needs a permit from the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation (Wastewater System and Potable Water Supply Permit). ParcelSheet shows the USDA soil survey's septic rating at the lot, from survey area VT011 (Franklin County, Vermont).
What can I build on 5 acres in Franklin County?
Zoning in Franklin County is set by each town and city, not the county (such as Swanton). The zoning district decides the uses, how many homes and the smallest lot it allows on 5 acres. ParcelSheet shows the lot size as mapped and the use code on the parcel record; the town zoning administrator has the district and its rules.
What are the residential setbacks in Franklin County (2026)?
Setbacks in Franklin County come from the zoning code of the municipality the lot sits in: the front, side and rear distances depend on the lot's district. ParcelSheet does not draw setback lines or give a number it did not read; the town zoning administrator gives them for the district.
Next to Franklin County: Chittenden County, Grand Isle County, Lamoille County, Orleans County.
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