Renovating a home: permits, zoning and contractors

Short-form or long-form permit

Boston’s Inspectional Services Department splits building permits into two kinds. A short-form permit covers minor alterations that do not change a building’s structure or use, such as opening a wall, repairs and replacements. A long-form permit covers major alterations or renovations that change a building’s structure or use, and the application needs plans stamped by a Massachusetts registered engineer or architect.

As of October 2026, a short-form permit costs a $20 application fee plus $10 for every $1,000 of the work estimate. A long-form permit costs $50 plus $10 per $1,000 of estimated cost, due upfront. Long-form timelines depend on planning and zoning review, so they vary widely.

Do not begin work before the permit is issued. The city says it may charge double the permit cost or issue a violation if you do. Unpermitted work also tends to surface later, in a buyer’s inspection or in the town’s permit history when you sell.

Ask each trade contractor, such as the electrician or plumber, which permits their part of the job needs and who will pull them, and keep copies.

Who can pull the permit

In Boston, a homeowner who does the work themselves on an owner-occupied one- or two-family home can apply for a short-form permit, with a homeowner waiver and a workers’ compensation affidavit. A contractor applying must have the relevant license and a certificate of liability insurance.

Condominium owners have a narrower path. The city says that if you own a condo in a building with three or more dwellings, you must hire a contractor to perform the work, and for long-form work the city says a unit owner in such a building, for example one floor of a three-decker, must hire a licensed contractor.

Before anyone applies, read the condominium documents. Most master deeds and rules require the association’s approval for work that touches common elements, structure, plumbing stacks, windows or flooring, and many set work hours and insurance requirements for contractors. Get the association’s approval in writing.

When zoning says no

A building permit also has to pass zoning. Each zoning district’s use table marks a use as allowed, conditional or forbidden, and dimensional requirements limit the size and placement of buildings. An addition, a new unit or a change of use is where zoning usually comes in.

If a project does not comply, the Inspectional Services Department issues a zoning code refusal letter that lists the provisions not met. That letter is the starting point for an appeal to the Zoning Board of Appeal. A conditional use needs a conditional use permit from the board; a forbidden use or a structure that does not meet dimensional requirements needs a variance.

The city’s guide to the board says the appeal must be filed within 45 days of the refusal letter. After filing comes a community process, often including an abutters’ meeting, then a public hearing and a written decision, then building code review before the permit issues. Expect the process to take several months.

If you are adding a unit in Boston, note that the state law allowing one accessory dwelling unit by right in single-family zoning districts does not cover the city. Boston zones under its own code, so an ADU here follows Boston’s current rules. Our ADU guide explains the state rule for other towns and where Boston stands.

Hiring a home improvement contractor

Massachusetts’ home improvement contractor law covers work on a pre-existing owner-occupied building with one to four dwelling units: renovation, repair, modernization, additions and similar work. A contractor doing that work must be registered with the state unless an exemption in the law applies; the exemptions include, for example, electricians and plumbers working within their own license, and owners doing their own renovations. Ask for the registration number, or the license that covers the work, and check it before you sign.

Any residential contracting job over $1,000 needs a written contract. The law lists what it must include, among them the start and completion dates, the total price, a payment schedule in dollars, the contractor’s registration number, notice of any three-day cancellation rights that apply to the contract, and the warranties. A bold notice above the signature line warns you not to sign if there are any blank spaces.

The deposit may not exceed the greater of one-third of the total contract price or the actual cost of special-order or custom-made materials. A payment schedule tied to finished stages of work protects both sides better than large payments in advance.

The contract must also tell you that homeowners who pull their own permits are excluded from the state’s guaranty fund. Decide who pulls the permit with that in mind.

Older homes and lead paint

Much of Greater Boston’s housing was built before 1978. Under the federal Renovation, Repair and Painting rule, anyone paid to do work that disturbs painted surfaces in a home built before 1978 generally must be certified in lead-safe work practices, including sole proprietors, and the rule covers both the firm and the people doing the work. It has limits. In general it does not apply to owners doing their own work in their own home, but it does if they rent out all or part of it, and a negative result from an EPA-recognized test kit used by a trained professional can show that regulated lead paint is not present.

Massachusetts is one of the states authorized by the EPA to run its own program in place of the federal one, so contractors here follow the state’s licensing and training requirements. Before demolition, sanding or window replacement starts, ask for the firm’s state license or certification for this work and the training certificates of the people doing it, and ask how the work area will be contained and cleaned.

If the home is rented, or will be, lead rules also affect the tenancy. Our landlord compliance guide covers the lead paint disclosure and the state’s lead law for rentals.