Kitchen and bathroom remodeling in Boston, from South End rowhouse kitchens to three-decker baths. We sort out the ISD short-form or long-form first.
Free · no obligation · we call back within 1 business day
Boston's Inspectional Services Department issues a Short-Form permit for minor work that doesn't change a building's structure or use, like opening up a wall, and a Long-Form permit for work that does. Both are filed through the ISD online portal, and starting before the permit is issued can mean double the permit cost or a code violation.
[1][2]City ordinance 16-26.4 limits building alteration and repair to 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekdays. Anything outside that needs an Off Hours Permit from ISD, granted per event.
[1][2]A dumpster or work area on a Boston street or sidewalk needs a Street Occupancy Permit from Public Works, applied for at least seven business days ahead. In residential areas, signs go up at least three days before the job.
[1][2]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
ISD draws a clear line. Redoing an existing bathroom with no structural change, like not cutting into a wall, is a Short-Form job. Making the room bigger, adding a window, or creating or removing a doorway pushes it to a Long-Form. The fee starts at $20 for a Short-Form and $50 for a Long-Form, plus $10 per $1,000 of estimated cost.
Two Boston snags we warn people about. If you own one floor of a three-decker, the city says a contractor has to do the work; you can't pull the permit yourself. And some addresses have no Record of Occupancy on file, which stops the permit until the owner calls ISD for an inspection. Only the owner can book that, so we flag it early.
No. ISD says owners of a unit in a building with three or more dwellings, like one floor of a three-decker, have to hire a contractor for the work, and the contractor doing the job files the permit.
Your address has no Record of Occupancy on file with ISD. The owner has to call 617-635-5300 for a walkthrough inspection and be there to let the inspector in. We can't book it for you, but we'll tell you as soon as the portal shows it.
Our work around Boston and the North Shore.
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.
Send a request or give us a ring. We'll come to Boston, look at the job and give you a written price. Free.
