Deck Building & Repair in Salem, MA
Decks in Salem, MA, built, repaired and stained, with historic district and wetland rules checked before any footing goes in.
Deck Building & Repair estimate: Salem
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Deck Building & Repair for Salem homes.
In the four local historic districts, the Commission's guidelines steer decks to the rear and other less visible sides of the house. A deck you can see from a public way needs a Certificate of Appropriateness. One that can't be seen still gets a Certificate of Non-Applicability, which keeps your records clean.
Near the harbor or a marsh, Salem's Chapter 50 wetlands ordinance adds a 25-foot no-disturbance zone and a 50-foot mitigation zone. A deck in that range goes to the Conservation Commission. We'll price pressure-treated, cedar, mahogany and composite, and talk about which holds up best in the salt air.
Salem rules that matter for deck building & repair.
Historic district certificates
In the McIntire, Derby Street, Lafayette Street and Washington Square districts, exterior changes visible from a public way need a Certificate of Appropriateness from the Salem Historical Commission before work starts. Applications go through the city's online permit system, due 16 days before a meeting. [1][2][3]
Decks and porches face the back
The guidelines steer modern additions like decks to the less important sides of a house. A porch addition needs full elevation drawings showing railings, balusters, materials and paint color, and period porches shouldn't be left unpainted. [1]
Chapter 50 wetland buffers
Salem's updated Wetlands Protection and Conservation Ordinance took effect March 28, 2022. It sets a 25-foot no-disturbance zone and a 50-foot mitigation zone measured from a resource area, and it covers isolated wetlands and vernal pools. [1]
Building permits are filed online
Salem's Inspectional Services takes building, plumbing and gas permit applications through an online system, with card or check payment built in. You need an email address to use it. [1]
One statewide building code. Massachusetts uses a single building code for every town: 780 CMR, now in its tenth edition. Your local building department enforces it and issues the permits. source
Dig Safe before digging. State law requires notice to Dig Safe at least 72 hours before digging, not counting weekends and legal holidays. That includes holes for deck footings. Call 811. source
Our deck building & repair work.
Our work around Boston and the North Shore.
Deck Building & Repair questions from Salem
It's an uphill fight. The guidelines say decks belong on the less important sides of a house, and anything visible from a public way needs a Certificate of Appropriateness.
Possibly, but the Conservation Commission decides. Salem's ordinance bars disturbance in the first 25 feet of the buffer and calls for mitigation in the first 50.
More in Salem.
Everything we do in Salem, MA →House Painting in SalemKitchen & Bath Remodeling in SalemCarpentry & Built-Ins in SalemBasement Finishing & Flooring in SalemWhere this information comes from.
Local rules change. We link the official pages so you can check the current version, and we confirm what your job needs when we come look.
- 1.Historical Commission, City of Salem
- 2.Salem Historical Commission Guidelines (without photos), PDF (Official, but chapters are dated 1996-2010 (paint colors rev. 1996, porches rev. 1996).)
- 3.Individual Local Historic District Maps, City of Salem
- 4.Inspectional Services (Building Department), City of Salem
- 5.Conservation Commission and Chapter 50 wetlands ordinance, City of Salem
- 6.FEMA & Flood Map Revisions, City of Salem
- 7.Salem Historic Preservation Plan Update 2015, PDF
- MATenth edition of the MA State Building Code (780 CMR), Mass.gov
- MAM.G.L. c. 82, § 40A (excavation notice)
Deck Building & Repair in Salem?
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