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Window Replacement, Siding, Doors and Decks in Manchester, NH
Manchester writes lead-safe work into its own building code, prices alteration permits at 1% of the job cost, and adds a 100% surcharge when work starts before the permit. Call (978) 788-0374 or use the form. A person reads every request and replies with what happens next.
- Free for homeowners
- City and state exterior rules on this page
- Older multi-family to newer single-family
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Exterior work in Manchester
What are you replacing or building?
Siding
Vinyl, fiber cement and wood siding replaced or repaired, with the lead-safe rules older houses bring.
Window Replacement
Replacement and new-construction windows, sized and installed to the energy and egress rules your town uses.
Exterior Doors
Entry, storm, patio and sliding doors, swapped in existing openings or framed into new ones.
Decks & Porches
New decks, rebuilt porches and stairs, with the footings, setbacks and permits they usually need.
Older house with painted trim?
(978) 788-0374Tell us when the house was built and what you want to change outside, and we'll connect you with a contractor who works with Manchester's permit and lead-safe rules.
Permits
Permits for siding, windows and decks in Manchester
Who issues them. Permits come from the Building Regulations Division of Planning and Community Development at One City Hall Plaza, open 7:30 AM to 5:00 PM. The city posts its permit applications as PDF forms; we found no online permit portal (city permit form).
How fees work. The Building Code of the City of Manchester, adopted by the Board of Mayor and Aldermen on July 6, 2021, prices "alterations, renovations or repairs to existing buildings and structures" at the estimated cost times 0.010, with a $25 non-refundable application fee and a $30 minimum where inspections are required. Electrical permits for alterations are figured the same way: cost times 0.01, a $30 minimum where inspection is needed, plus the $25 application fee. Starting work without a permit adds a 100% surcharge (Building Code, Chapter 151).
Fewer exemptions. Section 151.31 of the city code deletes five items (1, 2, 3, 5 and 10) from the IRC's list of building work exempt from permits. The city document does not restate what those items are, and it doesn't address siding, windows, doors or decks by name, so ask the Building Regulations Division before assuming a small exterior job is exempt.
- Building Regulations Division
- One City Hall Plaza, 7:30 AM to 5:00 PM
- Alterations and repairs
- Estimated cost × 0.010 plus $25 application fee (code adopted July 6, 2021)
- Minimum
- $30 where inspections are required, plus the $25 application fee
- Electrical
- Cost × 0.01 ($30 minimum) plus $25
- Started without a permit
- 100% surcharge
- Lead-safe threshold
- More than 6 sq ft of paint, pre-1978 housing
Lead-safe work is in the city code. Section 151.21.3 says "Persons disturbing more than 6 square feet of painted surface" in housing or child-occupied facilities built before 1978 "must be certified in accordance with the Federal Lead Renovation, Repair and Painting Rule," and the work must follow that rule (Building Code). That is a tighter line than the federal minor-work exception of 20 square feet on the exterior; window replacement is always covered under the federal rule (EPA RRP for contractors).
State rules. Permits and permit fees belong to cities and towns in New Hampshire (RSA 155-A:2). The 2024 State Building Code took effect July 1, 2026, and either code set is accepted through December 31, 2026 (state code summary). New Hampshire doesn't license siding or window contractors; the Attorney General says "contractors do not need to be licensed," recommends a written contract with scope, materials, total price and payment schedule before any work or payment, and treats a down payment over 50% of the cost as a warning sign (NH AG). On a contract over $5,000 you should receive the contractor's RSA 359-G notice; a homeowner gives written notice of a defect at least 60 days before suing (RSA 359-G).
Asbestos siding. Old cement asbestos shingles fall under NHDES rules. A homeowner exemption covers only an owner working on their own single-family home that isn't rented, and not within 6 months of selling or renting it; when someone is hired, the owner must hire a state-licensed asbestos contractor, after an inspection by a qualified asbestos inspector (NHDES asbestos; Env-A 1800).
Last verified November 2026. Fees, restrictions and deadlines on this page are due for re-checking by January 2027. New England Exterior Pros is a referral service. We don't do the work or file permits; the contractor does.
Decks and porches
Decks and porches in Manchester
Design values in the city code. Manchester's amended design table sets the frost line at 4 feet, and footings go "4 feet below grade." It lists a ground snow load of 70 psf and a 115 mph design wind speed, and says the city is not a special wind region or a wind-borne debris zone (Building Code). The city posts no separate deck guide.
What setback cases look like. The Zoning Board of Adjustment agenda for June 12, 2025 shows how deck and porch setbacks come up. One owner in an R-1B zone sought relief for a 14 by 15 foot deck 21 feet from the rear line where the agenda says 30 feet is required; another in R-1A sought it for a covered front porch 16.3 feet from the front line where 25 feet is required (ZBA agenda, June 12, 2025). These are examples, not rules for your lot; the required distance depends on your zone, and the city is rewriting its zoning ordinance (Zoning).
Water and digging. Near a lake, pond or river, changing the dimensions of an attached deck in the protected shoreland needs a state shoreland impact permit or permit by notification (NHDES shoreland FAQ). For footing holes, a free Dig Safe ticket (811) is required at least 72 hours ahead, not counting weekends and holidays (Dig Safe).
Manchester's homes
A mill city with a deep stock of pre-1950 housing
The city's 2009 Master Plan, using 2007 data, counted 43.7% of housing units built before 1950 and 63.4% before 1970 (Master Plan). Multi-unit buildings are common enough that the city's residential heating permit fees are set by the number of units, from two units to twelve (heating permit form). On houses that old, the city's 6-square-foot lead threshold comes into play on almost any window or trim job.
The official sources we checked show no local historic district, demolition delay or neighborhood conservation district in Manchester. The city has a Heritage Commission, and demolition permits are priced by size under the Building Code with no historic review step.
FAQ
Manchester exterior questions
How does Manchester figure a building permit fee for exterior work?
For alterations, renovations or repairs to an existing building, the city Building Code charges the estimated cost times 0.010 plus a $25 non-refundable application fee, with a $30 minimum where inspections are required. Work started without a permit carries a 100% surcharge.
Are Manchester's lead rules stricter than the federal ones?
The city puts its own threshold in its Building Code: anyone disturbing more than 6 square feet of painted surface in housing built before 1978 must be certified under the federal Renovation, Repair and Painting Rule and follow its work practices. The federal minor-work exception for exterior jobs is 20 square feet.
How deep do deck footings go in Manchester?
The city Building Code sets the frost line at 4 feet and calls for footings 4 feet below grade. It also lists a ground snow load of 70 pounds per square foot and a 115 mph design wind speed, which matter for a roofed porch.
Does Manchester have a historic district that reviews siding or windows?
The official sources we checked show no local historic district, demolition delay or neighborhood conservation district in Manchester. The city has a Heritage Commission; ask Planning and Community Development if your house is a landmark or you are unsure.
What does it cost me to use New England Exterior 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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