Bourne, Massachusetts Building Permit Guide

Bourne’s Building and Inspection Department, in Room 203 of Town Hall at 24 Perry Avenue, Buzzards Bay, issues building, electrical, plumbing, gas and mechanical permits for every village in the town and takes all applications through the OpenGov portal. Most house work is priced by area: $0.60 per square foot for a new home, addition or renovation under the fee sheet in force since January 1, 2023.

The department doubles as the town’s Zoning Enforcement Office, so the same staff who review building plans also answer setback, zoning bylaw and flood zone questions. Inspections are the one step OpenGov does not handle: they are booked by speaking to a person in the office or to the trade inspector.

One office in Buzzards Bay covers all of Bourne, on both sides of the Cape Cod Canal. Neighboring Sandwich and Falmouth run their own building departments.

What requires a building permit in Bourne?

The state building code decides the list: under 780 CMR any construction, alteration, repair, demolition or change of use needs a permit unless the code exempts it. Bourne’s fee sheets show how that plays out locally, with separate permit types for each kind of job.

What the town decides and what the state holds

The Board of Building Regulations and Standards writes the building code, and Bourne cannot amend its technical rules. Town Meeting and the Select Board control what is local: the zoning bylaw, the wetland bylaw, Board of Health rules, the demolition delay and the fee schedule, which the general bylaws (section 4.2.3) leave to the Select Board. Town Meeting also chose the energy path, adding the Stretch energy code to the general bylaws in November 2021.

Bourne building department: who handles permitting

The general bylaws create a Department of Inspections made up of the Inspector of Buildings, the Inspector of Wires, the Gas Inspector and the Plumbing Inspector. The Building Commissioner, Eleanor MacKay, heads it, with a full-time and a part-time local building inspector, a wiring inspector and a plumbing, gas and mechanical inspector. Two administrators staff the counter from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm, review applications and book building inspections.

Permit types

Residential permits

Every Bourne application is filed in OpenGov, where each permit type lists its own requirements. The department’s application checklist sets the minimum package for a house project: the state workers’ compensation affidavit (with the insurance certificate if you claim coverage), a certified site plan for new construction or any work in the flood plain, building plans showing smoke and carbon monoxide alarm locations, and the contractor’s Construction Supervisor License and Home Improvement Contractor registration with a signed contract whose scope matches the application. Hand-drawn plans are accepted only at the commissioner’s or inspector’s discretion, flood plain work needs stamped plans from an architect or engineer, and a HERS report is required for work over 1,000 square feet or a substantial improvement, with a preliminary report before the permit issues.

Building or remodeling a home here? Alliance handles residential permit filing, so the crew isn't waiting on the counter.

Commercial permits

Commercial work is priced at $0.75 per square foot and needs the same affidavit, site plan and drawings as a house, plus the initial and final construction control affidavits for buildings over 35,000 cubic feet. The department posts a separate Commercial Permitting Guide (2025). Commercial electrical work is $150 plus $2 per $1,000 of value, and commercial solar is $8 per $1,000.

For tenant improvements and new commercial builds, Alliance handles commercial permit expediting through issuance. More on this: commercial building permits explained.

What comes before the building permit

• Zoning: the Zoning Board of Appeals hears special permits, variances and appeals of the Building Inspector, meeting on the first and third Wednesday at 7 pm; ADU plans should be discussed with the Building Commissioner first, and the department suggests talking to planning and health staff as well.
• New lots: since January 1, 2020 the department no longer rules on whether a lot is buildable; a land-use lawyer’s letter must come with the application for a newly created lot, and staff then check the lawyer’s findings.
• Conservation Commission: work within 100 feet of a wetland resource area falls under the state Wetlands Protection Act and Bourne’s Wetland Protection Bylaw 3.7, with local regulations revised March 3, 2026.
• Board of Health and Title 5: septic systems are permitted by the Health Department; in a nitrogen sensitive area new construction must use best available nitrogen reducing technology under MassDEP’s amended Title 5, and an innovative/alternative system permit costs $250.
• Demolition delay: a building more than 75 years old, or one on the town’s historical survey, goes to the Town Planner and, if significant, to a Historical Commission hearing before any demolition permit issues.

Bourne permit costs and fees

The Select Board sets fees under section 4.2.3 of the general bylaws, and the department’s current sheets carry an effective date of January 1, 2023. All permits are non-refundable and non-transferable, and the fee is due at the time of application.

Worked example: a 400-square-foot addition to a house is 400 × $0.60 = $240 for the building permit, before the electrical ($100 for an addition) and any plumbing permits. Each adopted 2023 fee sheet sets $65 for an additional inspection or re-inspection. The department’s fees page gives a different figure for trade permits (three inspections included on a residential plumbing, gas or mechanical permit, then $50 each; $75 after four on commercial jobs); the fee sheets are the schedule, so confirm with the office before an extra visit. Asking staff to fill out or convert a paper application costs $25, and scanning large plan sets costs $5 a page.

Trade permits and who may pull them

Bourne’s own wiring inspector and plumbing and gas inspector issue and inspect the trade permits, filed in OpenGov like building permits. Only licensed electricians may apply for electrical permits, and security and alarm systems, wireless ones included, need a licensed installer and a permit. A gas water heater or boiler also needs an electrical permit, above-ground propane tanks are permitted by the gas inspector at $30 a tank, and underground tanks go to the Fire Department.

The building permit goes to a Construction Supervisor License holder, with Home Improvement Contractor registration for work on an existing owner-occupied home, or to an owner doing his or her own work, who skips the license and registration items on the checklist. A homeowner hiring a plumber or electrician without the usual liability insurance signs the town’s Owner Insurance Waiver. The bylaws reserve electric service entrance equipment for a properly licensed electrician.

How to apply for a Bourne building permit

Review, corrections and what causes delay

Under 780 CMR 105.3.1 the building official must act on an application in writing within 30 days of its filing. In Bourne the slow parts are usually outside the department: a ZBA special permit for a tall fence or nonconforming lot, a conservation filing, a Historical Commission hearing for an older house, or a nitrogen-reducing septic design. The town also warns of fake emails asking permit applicants for payment; fees are paid only through OpenGov or the town’s own channels.

Inspections in Bourne

OpenGov is not used to request inspections. Building inspections are booked by speaking to an administrator or inspector at ext. 1512, with the address and permit number ready; for a same-day visit call before 9:30 am. Inspectors keep office hours from 8:30 to 10:30 am and inspect from 10:30 am until the day’s list is done, with no narrower time window. The electrical inspector’s office hours are Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 8:30 to 9:30 am, and the plumbing, gas and mechanical inspector’s are Monday and Wednesday at the same time; a voicemail is not a confirmed booking.

For new construction the required sequence starts with an electrical grounding inspection before concrete (pools included), then rebar, footings, the foundation after damp-proofing and before backfill, sono tubes, rough electrical and plumbing, frame once the structure is weather-tight, insulation (with the installer’s certificate uploaded), the fireplace throat, trade finals and the final building inspection. A foundation certification is needed before the permit becomes a full permit. Someone responsible must attend every inspection except sono tubes and foundations. Give a week’s notice before you need occupancy; the certificate of occupancy is applied for in OpenGov and issued once the fee is paid.

Building and energy code in Bourne

Massachusetts has one State Building Code, 780 CMR, for every city and town; towns cannot rewrite it, though many opt into a stricter energy code. The trades run under their own state codes. Massachusetts rules

Bourne enforces the 10th edition of 780 CMR. Article 4.2.5 of the general bylaws, added by the November 15, 2021 Special Town Meeting (Article 10), adopts the Stretch energy code with future editions, enforceable by the Inspector of Buildings or Building Commissioner since July 1, 2022; it is the Stretch path, not the Municipal Opt-in Specialized code. FEMA lists Bourne as a participating National Flood Insurance Program community with flood maps effective July 6, 2021, and the department posts FEMA’s cost breakdown worksheet for substantial improvement or damage in the flood zone.

Bourne permit search and official resources

The department posts monthly lists of building, electrical, plumbing and gas permits from 2018 through September 2026, and points to the OpenGov portal’s public search for detail on any project. Older files and full property records are requested through the town’s public records process.

• Bourne Building and Inspection Department — staff, hours and inspection rules
• Bourne OpenGov permit portal — applications, payments and permit search
• Online Permitting Application Guide — accounts, applying and paying
• Bourne building guides and forms — checklist, deck guide, shed and fence FAQs, affidavits
• Building permit application checklist — minimum documents
• Building fee schedule (effective January 1, 2023)
• Electrical fee schedule and plumbing, gas and mechanical fees
• Schedule of Required Inspections — new construction sequence
• Past permits for building, electrical, plumbing and gas — monthly lists
• Town of Bourne Bylaws — Article 4.2.5 Stretch code, 3.7 wetlands, 3.14 demolition delay
• Bourne Health Department — septic and Title 5
• Bourne Conservation Department — wetland bylaw and regulations
• Bourne Zoning Board of Appeals

Bourne building permit FAQ

How much is a building permit in Bourne?

For house work, $0.60 per square foot for new homes, additions and renovations, and flat fees of $50 for roofing, siding, decks and similar jobs. Commercial work is $0.75 per square foot. The sheets have been in force since January 1, 2023.

Can I request an inspection through OpenGov in Bourne?

No. Building inspections are booked by talking to the department at (508) 759-0600 ext. 1512, and electricians and plumbers must speak to their inspector directly; voicemails and OpenGov messages do not book an inspection.

Do I need a permit for a shed in Bourne?

Sheds of 200 square feet or less are registered, without a fee, using the shed registration form and a plot plan (certified, with setbacks, above 75 square feet). Larger sheds need a building permit at $0.60 per square foot.

Do I need a permit for a fence in Bourne?

Not for a fence of 6 feet or less, according to the town’s fence FAQ. The zoning bylaw sections it quotes cap fences at 6 feet (8 feet where the lot abuts a residential district) unless the ZBA grants a special permit, and a home directly next to a commercial property files a $50 express permit for a taller fence.

Does Bourne use the Stretch energy code?

Yes. Town Meeting added it to the general bylaws in November 2021, effective July 1, 2022, and large or substantial projects need a HERS report.

Can I demolish an old house in Bourne right away?

Not if it is over 75 years old or on the historical survey. The application goes to the Town Planner and possibly a Historical Commission hearing, and a building found preferably preserved cannot be demolished for 12 months.

Will the Building Department tell me if my lot is buildable?

No. Since January 1, 2020 it has not made that call; a land-use lawyer’s letter is needed for a newly created lot, and staff review it with the permit application.

Simplify Bourne permitting with Alliance Permitting

Alliance Permitting is a permit documentation and submission company in Massachusetts. We prepare your paperwork, file it correctly and coordinate with the permitting authority through issuance. We are not a contractor and we do not perform licensed plan review or inspections; that work stays with your licensed team and the jurisdiction.

This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about Bourne permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.