Duxbury, Massachusetts Building Permit Guide

In Duxbury the Building Department handles plan review, permitting and inspections for new construction and for alterations to any structure in town, from the second floor of Town Hall at 878 Tremont Street. Building permits and inspection requests are filed in the town’s ViewPoint Cloud portal, and the schedule the Board of Selectmen approved on December 17, 2018 charges $12 per $1,000 of estimated construction cost, with a $45 minimum, where the town itself sets the cost per square foot for houses, decks, garages and sheds.

Old buildings get extra scrutiny: the Historical Commission reviews any proposed demolition of a structure 75 years old or older under the Demolition Delay By-law.

The Duxbury Building Department covers the whole town; Marshfield, Pembroke and Kingston each run their own building departments.

What requires a building permit in Duxbury?

The department’s Forms & Guidelines page lists the projects that need a permit in Duxbury. The list goes beyond large building work: roofs, siding, windows and doors, fences, sheds, tents and woodstoves are all on it, and so are earth removal, trenches and home businesses, which have their own forms or rules.

For sheds and accessory structures the department publishes a separate handout, and for decks it points builders to the Prescriptive Residential Wood Deck Construction Guide and the Wood Frame Construction Manual. The forms also include an Expedited Building Permit Application, which the town labels a quick permit.

What the town decides and what the state holds

The technical rules come from 780 CMR, written by the Board of Building Regulations and Standards, and Duxbury has no power to change them. What Duxbury does decide is local: the Board of Selectmen set the permit fees, a refund policy for building, electrical, gas and plumbing permits took effect on April 26, 2024, town meeting writes the zoning bylaw and the Demolition Delay By-law, and the town has its own earth removal rules. A proposed zoning amendment on battery energy storage systems, article 18 on a town meeting warrant, was the subject of a public information session; it is a proposal, not an adopted rule.

Duxbury building department: who handles permitting

The Building Commissioner, Robert Poliseno, also serves as the town’s Director of Municipal Services. The electrical inspector and the plumbing and gas inspector sit in the same department, and the Health Agent, who handles Board of Health work, is listed alongside them. The department splits questions by type: the administrative staff answer questions about procedure and paperwork, while the Commissioner and the inspectors take the technical ones.

The counter is open Monday from 8:00 am to 7:00 pm and Tuesday to Thursday from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm. It is closed to the public on Fridays, so plan walk-in visits for the first four days of the week.

Permit types

Residential permits

Duxbury’s ViewPoint Cloud portal takes building permit applications and inspection requests, and the same portal serves Board of Health and shellfish permits. The Forms & Guidelines page posts the forms: the standard Building Permit Application, the quick-permit form, the Homeowner’s Authorization, and the zoning permit application. The MA Checklist for Compliance is posted with them. The department also posts its own guide to which jobs need a contractor with Home Improvement Contractor registration or a Construction Supervisor License.

A home business needs a $70 home occupation permit, and its sign costs $45.

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

Commercial permits

New commercial and mixed-use buildings are estimated at $90 per square foot and tenant build-outs at $50, then charged the same $12 per $1,000 as homes. A commercial demolition is $200, each commercial sign $120 and a tent $40. Commercial trade work and alarm systems have their own rates, listed with the trade fees below.

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: in the Residential Compatibility district a lot needs 200 feet of frontage and 40,000 square feet of upland (60,000 in the Aquifer Protection Overlay District), may cover no more than 15% of the lot, and keeps buildings 25 feet from a right-of-way and 15 feet from side and rear lines. Pools and tennis courts stay 10 feet from side and rear lines. A zoning permit costs $45.
• Zoning Board of Appeals and Planning: relief from the bylaw goes to the ZBA, which has its own administrative assistant in Municipal Services; Planning Board matters go through the Planning Department.
• Conservation Commission: work in or near wetland resource areas is reviewed by the commission under the state Wetlands Protection Act before the building permit.
• Board of Health: septic systems under Title 5 go through the Board of Health, whose permits are also filed in ViewPoint Cloud.
• Historical Commission: under the Demolition Delay By-law the commission reviews every proposed demolition of a structure 75 years or older for architectural or historical significance; questions go to Inspectional Services at ext. 5485.
• Earth removal and trenches: earth removal has its own town rules, and trench work its own permit application.

Duxbury permit costs and fees

The fee schedule now posted was approved by the Board of Selectmen on December 17, 2018 and took effect on January 1, 2019; the separate plumbing and gas sheet and the electrical sheet carry the same effective date. A construction permit is $12 per $1,000 of estimated cost with a $45 minimum, and the estimate comes from the town’s own square-foot rates rather than from the contract price.

Worked examples: a 2,500 square foot new house is estimated at 2,500 × $110 = $275,000, so the building permit is 275 × $12 = $3,300. A 300 square foot deck is estimated at $15,000 and pays $180. A 600 square foot detached garage is estimated at $36,000 and pays $432. Trade permits and the occupancy permit are extra.

Refunds: under the policy in force since April 26, 2024, fees are paid in full before a permit issues and are normally kept. A partial refund is possible only if no work has started, the request comes in writing or by email from whoever paid, gives a reason and arrives within 90 days of issue. The town keeps a $65 application fee from every refund and, for permits that went through plan review or review by other offices (new structures, additions, alterations, decks), a further 20% review fee. Shrinking a project with revised plans does not earn a refund.

Trade permits and who may pull them

Wiring permits come from Duxbury’s Electrical Inspector and plumbing and gas permits from its Plumbing and Gas Inspector, under the state electrical code and the state plumbing and fuel gas code; the work itself is done by state-licensed electricians, plumbers and gas fitters. On the building side, a Construction Supervisor License holder runs structural work and a registered Home Improvement Contractor is needed for most contracted work on an existing owner-occupied home of one to four units; the department’s HIC and CSL guide lists the jobs, and an owner filing for their own house signs the Homeowner’s Affidavit.

The plumbing and gas sheet works the arithmetic out fixture by fixture up to 25 fixtures: a new house with 10 plumbing fixtures pays $130 plus 9 × $15, which the sheet gives as $265.

How to apply for a Duxbury building permit

Review, corrections and what causes delay

Under 780 CMR 105.3.1 the building official has 30 days from the date an application is filed to grant or refuse it. In Duxbury new structures, additions, alterations and decks go through plan review, review by other town offices, or both, which is why the refund policy charges a 20% review fee on them. Applications usually wait on things outside the Building Department: a zoning permit or ZBA decision, a Conservation Commission filing, a septic approval, or the Historical Commission’s significance review for an old building.

Inspections in Duxbury

Inspections are requested in ViewPoint Cloud, the same system used to apply, and each trade permit is inspected by its own inspector.

The state code requires a certificate of occupancy before a new building is used; Duxbury’s occupancy permit costs $45 under the 2019 schedule. Woodstoves, gas fireplaces, pools, spas and hot tubs are all on the town’s permit list, and pool wiring carries a separate $65 electrical permit.

Building and energy code in Duxbury

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

Duxbury enforces the 10th edition of 780 CMR. The Building Department pages do not say which energy code path the town has adopted (base, Stretch or Municipal Opt-in Specialized), so ask the department which one applies before energy calculations are done. FEMA lists Duxbury in the participating section of its Community Status Book for the National Flood Insurance Program; the town’s first flood insurance rate map dates from May 2, 1977 and its current effective map from July 6, 2021.

Duxbury permit search and official resources

The Building Department answers the question “May I view issued building permits?” with a link to its Building Permits Issued page, and permits filed online can be followed in ViewPoint Cloud. For older permits, plans or occupancy records, ask the department or make a public records request to the Town of Duxbury.

• Duxbury Building Department — contacts, hours, FAQs
• Duxbury ViewPoint Cloud portal — building, Board of Health and shellfish permits
• Building permits issued — permit lookup
• Forms and guidelines — applications, affidavits, projects requiring permits
• Fee schedule, effective January 1, 2019 — building, plumbing, gas and electrical
• Plumbing and gas permit fees — 1 to 25 fixtures
• Electrical fees — service and equipment
• Refund policy, April 26, 2024 — building, electrical, gas and plumbing
• Zoning requirements, RC district — lot area and setbacks
• Zoning Board of Appeals — variances and special permits
• Planning Department — Planning Board
• Conservation — wetlands filings
• Board of Health — septic and health permits
• FEMA Community Status Book, Massachusetts — flood insurance participation

Duxbury building permit FAQ

How much is a building permit for a new house in Duxbury?

The town estimates the house at $110 per square foot and charges $12 per $1,000 of that figure, so a 2,500 square foot house pays $3,300, plus trade permits and the $45 occupancy permit.

Do I need a permit for a fence or a shed in Duxbury?

Both are on the town’s list of projects requiring permits. A shed is estimated at $50 per square foot for the fee, and the department has a separate handout for sheds and accessory structures.

Can I tear down an old building in Duxbury?

If the structure is 75 years old or older, the Historical Commission must first review it for architectural or historical significance under the Demolition Delay By-law. The demolition permit itself is $155 for a home, and the forms page has a Utility Sign Off Sheet for Demolitions and the Debris Affidavit.

Is the Duxbury Building Department open on Fridays?

No. The office is closed to the public on Fridays; it is open until 7:00 pm on Mondays and until 4:00 pm Tuesday to Thursday.

Can I get my permit fee back if I cancel the job?

Only in part, only if no work has started, and only if you ask in writing within 90 days of issue. The town keeps $65, plus 20% on permits that needed plan review.

How do I see permits already issued for a Duxbury property?

Start with the Building Permits Issued page and the ViewPoint Cloud portal; for older files, ask the Building Department or file a public records request.

What lot size does Duxbury require for a house?

In the Residential Compatibility district, 40,000 square feet of upland and 200 feet of frontage, or 60,000 square feet inside the Aquifer Protection Overlay District.

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