BuildRules/Burlington/Additional residential unit

Burlington project guide

What do you need for an additional residential unit in Burlington?

Check Burlington additional residential unit requirements, including building permits, zoning, application screening and the published 10-business-day review target.

1 min readReviewed Oct 1, 2026

The short answerConditional

Burlington requires a building permit for ARU construction and requires the application to meet zoning and performance standards for the property.

The City publishes a step-by-step ARU process with a two-business-day screening target and a 10-business-day building-permit review once the application is complete.

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What changes the answer.

Start with these conditions. The official reference is attached to each one.

Building permitRequiredConditional

Burlington states that creating one, two or three ARUs requires a building permit for the applicable renovation, addition or accessory building.

Official sourceCity of BurlingtonAdditional Residential Units · ARU building permit and zoning requirements

Verified2026-10-01Open proof

ZoningMust meet applicable standardsConditional

The ARU application must meet the City’s zoning regulations and performance standards.

Official sourceCity of BurlingtonAdditional Residential Units · ARU building permit and zoning requirements

Verified2026-10-01Open proof

Screening and review2-day screening; 10-day review after complete applicationInfo

Burlington publishes a two-business-day screening target and a 10-business-day permit review target for a complete ARU application.

Official sourceCity of BurlingtonSteps to Build an Additional Residential Unit · Application screening, review, construction and occupancy

Verified2026-10-01Open proof

Your preparation checklist

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Building Permit Application Form
ARU Building Checklist items
Electronic submission documents
Zoning/property information
Project-specific construction drawings

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Fees and timing

TimelineBurlington states that it screens an ARU application within 2 business days and reviews/Issues the building permit within 10 business days once the application is complete.

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FeesConfirm the current Burlington fee schedule for the exact permit class.

Next steps

Confirm which ARU type is proposed
Check zoning/property eligibility
Prepare and submit the complete building permit package
Respond to deficiencies and complete inspections/occupancy

Same project, different city

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BuildRules principle

Do not confuse “no permit” with “no rules.”

Zoning, overlays, safety rules and other constraints can still apply.

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