Building permits in Boston, Massachusetts
Of the 12 common home projects we have verified in Boston, 8 need a permit outright and 4 depend on size or scope. Click any project for the full rule, fee, and how to apply.
By Mario Bailey Last checked · 1 official source
Verified against official sources- Project types verified
- 13
- in Boston
- Permits analysed
- 19,468
- in the last 12 months
- Typical job value
- $8,700
- declared valuation
Inspectional Services Department
- 1010 Massachusetts Avenue, 5th Floor, Boston, MA 02118
- Phone: (617) 635-5300
- Email: isd@boston.gov
- Official permit page
- Permit portal
- Official fee schedule
Look up a permit in Boston
Boston permit records are public, and you can check a property's permit history online.
What needs a permit in Boston
Of the 12 common home projects we have verified in Boston, 8 need a permit outright and 4 depend on size or scope. Click any project for the full rule, fee, and how to apply.
| Project | Permit needed? | Threshold | Typical fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bathroom Remodel Permit | It depends | Not specified | Non-structural bathroom work uses the Short-Form building permit at $20 primary plus $10... |
| Deck Permit | It depends | detached decks not more than 30 inches above grade and under 200 sq ft that do not serve an exit door may be exempt | Billed as building work: Short-Form at $20 primary plus $10 per $1,000 of estimated cost... |
| Electrical Permit | Permit required | Not specified | $20 application fee plus $0.25 per amp for service upgrades or $1 per fixture for other... |
| EV Charger Permit | Permit required | Not specified | An Electrical Permit is required per Boston's EVSE installation guide, billed under the... |
| Fence Permit | It depends | permit required for fences over 6 feet in height per Massachusetts 780 CMR | Not published |
| HVAC Permit | Permit required | Not specified | No single HVAC line |
| Patio Permit | Not confirmed | Not specified | Not published |
| Plumbing Permit | Permit required | Not specified | $20 application fee plus $5 per fixture such as toilets and sinks |
| Pool Permit | Permit required | Not specified | Pools need a Use of Premises Permit at a $50 primary fee per the ISD fee schedule... |
| Roof Replacement Permit | Permit required | Not specified | Roof replacement with no structural change uses the Short-Form building permit at $20... |
| Shed Permit | It depends | one-story detached accessory sheds used for tools or storage are exempt if floor area does not exceed 120 sq ft | Sheds need a Use of Premises Permit at a $50 primary fee, named alongside pools on the... |
| Solar Permit | Permit required | Not specified | Systems under 20 kWh on 1-2 family homes qualify for Short-Form at $20 primary plus $10... |
| Water Heater Permit | Permit required | Not specified | Water heater or boiler swaps with no other work use a Plumbing Permit at $20 primary... |
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Schedule an inspection in Boston
Permitted work is not finished until it passes inspection. ISD Call Center page, the city's channel for requesting building inspections.
Schedule or request a Boston inspection
When the portal will not take the date you need, the office still books by phone: (617) 635-5300.
Checked . If the office has changed its process, report it.
Boston permit fees compared with nearby Massachusetts localities
| Massachusetts locality | Deck Permit | HVAC Permit | Electrical Permit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boston | Billed as building work: Short-Form at $20 primary plus... | No single HVAC line | $20 application fee plus $0.25 per amp for service... |
| Worcester | No deck line item. | "Mechanical Permits, Residential (up to 3 dwelling units):... | Flat fees by job type under Electrical - Residential:... |
Each cell is the opening clause of that Massachusetts jurisdiction's own fee schedule; the full wording and source sit on each permit page.
Boston permit questions, answered from the data
- Do you need a permit in Boston?
- For most projects, yes. Of the 13 permit types we have verified for Boston, 8 always require a permit (for example an electrical permit), 4 depend on size or scope (a bathroom remodel permit, for instance). Each Boston permit type's page states the exact rule and its source.
- How much does a permit cost in Boston?
- Boston publishes a fee for 11 of the 13 permit types we cover, each quoted on its page from the jurisdiction's own schedule (linked on every page that carries one). Fees are set by Inspectional Services Department; we do not estimate or mark them up.
- Where do you apply for a permit in Boston?
- Inspectional Services Department issues permits in Boston, with an online portal for applications, plan uploads and status checks, and takes questions at (617) 635-5300. The Boston official page and portal are linked in the office section above.
How the Boston pages were verified. 13 permit types, 8 distinct official sources, most recently checked . Every rule is read from Inspectional Services Department or the applicable code and cited on its page; anything we could not confirm for Boston is marked rather than estimated. How we verify.
Real permit outcomes in Boston
- Median fee
- $90
- across residential permits
- Typical job value
- $8,700
- declared valuation
Based on 19,468 residential permits issued in Boston between 2025-07-12 and 2026-07-12: the median permit fee paid was $90; the median declared project value was $8,700;
Source: City of Boston approved building permits (open data), fetched . Figures are medians of actual issued-permit records, not a quote.
Permitting activity in Boston
In 2024, Boston authorized permits for 1,789 new residential housing units (72 single-family, 1,717 in multi-family buildings), valued at $812M , down from 2,051 the year before. That works out to about 2.6 permits per 1,000 residents. It is a useful gauge of how busy the local permit office is.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual data · population 691,531.
About Boston
Boston has about 307,840 housing units. The median home is valued at $710,400, against a median household income of $94,755. About 35% of homes are owner-occupied, and the typical home was built around 1947. Older housing stock usually means more renovation, electrical, and plumbing permits.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2023 5-year.