Burlington, Massachusetts Building Permit Guide

In Burlington, the town’s Building Department at 25 Center Street issues building permits and the wiring, plumbing and gas permits, and every application goes through the online OpenGov (Viewpoint) portal. The August 2026 fee schedule charges $13 per $1,000 of construction value with a $50 minimum, and the department asks you to allow at least two weeks for review and issuance on most projects.

What requires a building permit in Burlington?

The State Building Code requires a permit before anyone constructs, enlarges, alters, repairs, moves or demolishes a building or structure, or changes its use or occupancy, and Burlington’s Permits & Applications page puts the rule plainly: most projects need a building permit before work begins. The town’s own fee sheet shows the categories it actually issues.

An exemption from the building permit is not an exemption from the other boards. A small shed placed within 100 feet of a wetland still needs the Conservation Commission, and the zoning setbacks apply to every structure whatever its size.

What Burlington decides and what the state holds

The building code itself is the Commonwealth’s. The Board of Building Regulations and Standards writes 780 CMR, the 10th edition is the only edition in force since July 1, 2025, and no town can amend it. Burlington’s code sheet lists what its inspectors apply: 780 CMR with the amended 2021 International Building and Existing Building Codes, the fire regulations in 527 CMR 1, the Architectural Access Board rules in 521 CMR, the electrical code in 527 CMR 12 (the amended 2023 National Electrical Code), the 2021 International Mechanical Code, the plumbing code in 248 CMR and the 2021 International Energy Conservation Code.

What the town does control is everything around that code: its zoning bylaw and Planning Board approvals, its own wetlands bylaw, the demolition delay, construction hours, the sewer connection rules and the building fee schedule, which the Select Board sets under Article IV, section 9 of the General Bylaws. Town Meeting adopted the Stretch Energy Code in May 2019 (Article 35), effective July 1, 2019; the General Bylaws compilation through January 2025 shows no vote for the Municipal Opt-in Specialized code.

Burlington building department: who handles permitting

The Building Department, headed by the Inspector of Buildings, Martin Allan, reviews applications, issues permits, inspects the work and enforces the State Building Code and the town’s bylaws. The same office houses a local building inspector, the Inspector of Wires and the Plumbing & Gas Inspector, so all four permit types are handled under one roof in the Town Hall Annex.

Planning (781-270-1645) and Public Works (781-270-1670) share the 25 Center Street building, and the Board of Health is reached at 781-270-1955. Burlington Mall (75 Middlesex Turnpike) is filed in Viewpoint under the address 0 Burlington Mall, a detail that saves a failed address search on a mall tenant fit-out.

Burlington permit types

Every application is started in the OpenGov portal, and the town lists what a complete file may include: the application, construction plans, a plot or site plan where required, the contractor’s license and insurance information, and original stamped and signed plans for any building or structure over 35,000 cubic feet.

Residential permits

Floor systems built with LVL or I-joists must come with stamped engineering from the manufacturer or a registered design professional, and the town publishes an Accessory Dwelling Unit acknowledgement form for ADU projects and an Equipment Acknowledgement Form for equipment installations. A homeowner may hold the permit for work on their own one- or two-family home under the state code’s homeowner provision; otherwise the person supervising the work needs a Construction Supervisor License, and a contractor working on an existing owner-occupied home of one to four units must be a registered Home Improvement Contractor. If the general contractor changes during review or after issuance, the town requires a new application, and more fees may apply.

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

Commercial permits

Any project other than a single-family dwelling needs Planning Board approval, by site plan review and/or special permit, before the Building Department can issue the permit. Jobs over 35,000 cubic feet fall under construction control: the registered architect or engineer submits an initial affidavit, periodic progress reports and a final construction control document, and the general contractor files its own final form. The town warns that missing reports bring a cease-and-desist order within 5 days of the due date.

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

What comes before the building permit

• Zoning and the Planning Board. Site plan or special permit approval for anything beyond a single-family house; the Planning Board also reviews subdivisions and site plan waivers. A written zoning determination costs $100 and is requested on the town’s form.
• Board of Appeals. Variances and appeals of zoning decisions go to the Board of Appeals under the zoning bylaw.
• Conservation Commission. A wetlands permit is needed for all work other than routine maintenance in the floodplain, within 100 feet of a wetland or within 200 feet of a stream, under the Wetlands Protection Act or the town’s own Wetlands Bylaw (General Bylaws Article XIV). A separate stormwater permit applies to land disturbance of 5,000 square feet or more, or new impervious surface of 5% or more of the lot, even far from any wetland.
• Floodplain. Work in a mapped flood zone also uses the town’s Floodplain Development Permit Application.
• Historical Commission. Demolishing a building built 100 or more years before the application year triggers the demolition delay bylaw: the Historical Commission decides within 15 days whether it is significant, holds a hearing within 20 days if it is, and can delay demolition for up to 6 months.
• Sewer and the street. New sewer flow needs a sewer allocation from the Engineering Division, and any trench in a town street follows the DPW’s street opening and utility connection rules.
• Board of Health. Septic systems are governed by Title 5 through the Board of Health, which also issues septic abandonment permits through its Civic Access portal and reviews food establishment plans.

Burlington permit costs and fees

The Select Board sets the building fee schedule under the General Bylaws, and the department’s current sheet is headed “Building Permit Fees as of August 2026.” Building, electrical and sheet metal permits all use the same rate.

As a worked example, a kitchen and bath renovation valued at $80,000 carries a building permit fee of $1,040 (80 × $13), before the separate electrical and plumbing permits.

One charge outside the Building Department can matter more than the permit itself. Burlington has been under a MassDEP Administrative Consent Order since 2001 that placed a moratorium on new sewer connections, so new flow is bought through the sewer allocation program at $2.50 per gallon with a 5:1 removal ratio; a bedroom added to an existing home is charged $500 per bedroom, and a long-time owner aged 55 or older who has lived in the home 10 years or more pays a flat $1,000 to convert from septic to sewer. Developers asking for 1,000 gallons per day or more may buy at most half and must remove the rest through infiltration and inflow work.

Trade permits and who may pull them

Wiring, plumbing and gas permits are issued by the Building Department’s own trade inspectors, not by a state office.

• Electrical: the Inspector of Wires issues and inspects under 527 CMR 12; the permit goes to a Massachusetts-licensed electrician. A new house is a flat $400 or $600 by floor area; other jobs are $13 per $1,000.
• Plumbing and gas: the Plumbing & Gas Inspector permits work under 248 CMR for licensed plumbers and gas fitters, priced by fixture count.
• Sheet metal: ductwork is a separate sheet metal permit at the building rate, pulled by a state-licensed sheet metal worker where that license applies.
• Fire protection: the town’s code sheet lists the fire regulations in 527 CMR 1 and the sprinkler statute, M.G.L. chapter 148, section 28G, alongside the building code.

The trade inspectors keep morning and afternoon office hours (see the contact table), which is the practical window for questions about a wiring or gas job before it is filed.

How to apply for a Burlington building permit

Review, corrections and what causes delay

Under 780 CMR 105.3.1 the building official must act on an application within 30 days of filing, in writing. Burlington’s own guide is a minimum of two weeks for review and issuance on most projects, longer for large or complex ones. The usual hold-ups here are a missing Planning Board decision on a non-single-family project, an open Conservation filing, a sewer allocation that has not been bought, and a mid-project change of general contractor, which restarts the application.

Inspections in Burlington

The town tells permit holders to schedule each required inspection as the job progresses; call the Building Department at 781-270-1615, or the wiring or plumbing inspector for trade work. A house job typically runs through footing and foundation, rough framing with rough electrical and plumbing, insulation, and the finals; construction must not be covered before the stage is inspected. Inspections needed outside working hours for an emergency cost $400 on a weekday and $600 at the weekend.

Before you move into or use the finished work you need the department’s final approval, and a new building or a change of use receives a certificate of occupancy. On construction-control jobs the architect or engineer’s final construction control document and the general contractor’s final form must both be in before occupancy.

Site work is limited by the construction hours bylaw: 7:00 am to 7:00 pm on weekdays and 9:00 am to 7:00 pm on Saturdays. On Sundays and legal holidays only maintenance or improvement of owner-occupied homes is allowed, without heavy equipment, between 9:00 am and 7:00 pm.

Massachusetts building code

Burlington enforces the 10th edition of 780 CMR and, since July 1, 2019, the Stretch Energy Code. The FEMA Community Status Book lists the Town of Burlington (community 250185) as a participating community in the National Flood Insurance Program, with flood maps current from July 8, 2025; paper copies of the maps for an area can be picked up from the Conservation Department.

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

Burlington permit search and official resources

To look up an existing permit, start with the OpenGov portal for records filed online; for older building files, plans and inspection records, send a public records request to the town’s Records Access Officer, the Town Clerk, through the town’s request form or at rao@burlington.org.

• Burlington Building Department: contacts and hours
• Permits & Applications: online filing, forms and processing times
• Burlington OpenGov permit portal
• Building Permit Fees as of August 2026
• Codes applied by the Burlington Building Department
• Construction documents and construction control forms
• Burlington General Bylaws (compilation through January 2025)
• Conservation permits: wetlands and stormwater
• Sewer allocation program
• Street opening and utility connection rules
• Board of Health permits and licenses
• Planning Department
• Public records requests
• Massachusetts State Building Code, 780 CMR
• Massachusetts Construction Supervisor licensing

Burlington building permit FAQs

How much is a building permit in Burlington?

$13 per $1,000 of construction value with a $50 minimum, for residential and commercial work alike, on the August 2026 schedule. A $200,000 addition is $2,600 before trade permits.

Do I need a permit for a shed in Burlington?

Not if it is a residential accessory structure under 200 square feet, such as a shed, play structure or gazebo. It must still meet the zoning setbacks, and work near wetlands still needs the Conservation Commission.

Why does my project need the Planning Board?

Burlington requires Planning Board site plan and/or special permit approval for every project other than a single-family dwelling before the building permit can issue.

How long does a Burlington permit take?

The town asks for at least two weeks for review and issuance on most projects; the state code gives the building official 30 days from filing to act.

Can I connect a new building to Burlington’s sewer?

Only through the sewer allocation program, because a MassDEP consent order has restricted new connections since 2001. Flow costs $2.50 per gallon with a 5:1 removal ratio, and a bedroom addition is $500 per bedroom.

Can I demolish an old house in Burlington?

A demolition permit costs $1,000. If the building is 100 or more years old, the Historical Commission first decides within 15 days whether it is significant, and after a hearing it can delay demolition for up to 6 months.

Which energy code applies in Burlington?

The Stretch Energy Code, adopted by Town Meeting in May 2019 and effective July 1, 2019, on top of 780 CMR.

Simplify Burlington 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 Burlington permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.