Grafton, Massachusetts Building Permit Guide

In Grafton, the Building Department at the Memorial Municipal Center, 30 Providence Road (508-839-5335, ext. 1420), issues building, zoning and sign permits and handles the electrical, mechanical, plumbing and gas permits for the town’s trade inspectors. All of these are applied for online through OpenGov. Under the fee schedule effective July 1, 2019, new construction, additions and alterations cost $10 per $1,000 of construction cost.

What requires a building permit in Grafton?

Grafton, a Worcester County town of about 21,000 people, takes a broad view: its Building Permits page says a permit is needed for all work done to a home except painting, wallpapering and flooring. The department’s form lists and fee schedule show the jobs it sees most.

For events, the department’s tent handout says tents over 400 square feet and canopies over 700 square feet need a permit filed with the Building Department, along with a certificate of fire resistance for the fabric. A shed of 200 square feet or less serving a one- or two-family home may sit 5 feet from the side and rear lot lines under footnote 10 of the zoning bylaw’s intensity of use schedule.

What Grafton decides and what the state holds

The state’s Board of Building Regulations and Standards writes 780 CMR, and the department notes that the 10th edition, based on the 2021 International Codes, is now in effect. Grafton sets its permit fees, its Zoning By-law (most recently dated October 20, 2025) and its General By-laws, revised by Town Meeting on October 16, 2023, which include the Grafton Common Historic District, a wetlands bylaw and a stormwater bylaw. The General By-laws have no Stretch or Specialized energy code article. The department posts the state’s Residential Stretch Code permit checklist for the Energy Rating Index path among its residential forms; ask the office which energy path your project must show.

Grafton building department: who handles permitting

Tracy Sharkey is the Inspector of Buildings and Building Commissioner. In Grafton the Inspector of Buildings is also the Zoning Enforcement Officer, so zoning permits and zoning questions come to the same counter. The department issues permits, books inspections and takes correspondence for the electrical, plumbing and gas inspectors, and it works with the Planning Board, Zoning Board of Appeals, Board of Health, Conservation Commission, Department of Public Works, Town Engineer, Town Clerk and Assessors on new construction.

The Planning Department, in the same building, sees applicants by appointment (508-839-5335, ext. 1400) and warns of a scam in which fake emails approve a permit and ask for a wired review fee; the town never asks for payment by wire transfer.

Grafton permit types and forms

The OpenGov storefront has separate residential, commercial, mechanical, electrical, plumbing and gas applications, and the Building Permits page groups the supporting forms by job type.

Residential permits

A homeowner may take out the permit personally only if their name is on the deed, they live in the house and it is a one- or two-family home; otherwise a Massachusetts licensed contractor applies. One- and two-family applications usually carry the owner authorization form, the homeowners’ exemption eligibility affidavit or the home improvement contractor affidavit, a workers’ compensation affidavit and a debris disposal affidavit. The department also posts a passive radon detail, a smoke detector guide, a finished basement guide and a 2021 IRC deck guide. Additions, accessory buildings and in-ground pools need a plot plan prepared by a registered land surveyor and submitted before framing, showing setbacks, lot area, frontage, any septic system, well and wetland line, and whether the work lies in a flood hazard zone.

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

Commercial permits

Commercial work starts with a $150 plan review fee and the same $10 per $1,000 building rate. The department posts guidance on independent structural engineering review under the 10th edition, and commercial solar adds a $150 plan review to $10 per $1,000 of project value. Fire protection systems not covered by a third-party review are inspected at $200 per inspection, limited to two hours, with $25 for every extra 15 minutes. Before a project is designed in full, owners and developers can talk it through informally with town staff at the Grafton Development Team meetings, held every Thursday at the Memorial Municipal Center: walk-ins and Zoom from 2:00 pm, and by appointment after 2:30 pm through the Planning Department.

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

What comes before the building permit

• Zoning. The Inspector of Buildings issues zoning permits and enforces the Zoning By-law; variances and special permits go to the Zoning Board of Appeals, which meets as needed, and the Planning Board reviews site plans and subdivisions. Inside the Water Supply Protection Overlay District, no more than 25% of a lot, or 5,000 square feet if greater, may be made impervious, and the plot plan must show the calculation.
• Conservation Commission. The five-member Commission administers the state Wetlands Protection Act, the Grafton wetlands bylaw, which reaches 100 feet from wetlands, banks and water bodies, and the town’s stormwater bylaw. Its 2026 and 2027 submission schedules set the filing deadline for each meeting.
• Board of Health. Grafton’s Board of Health meets monthly on a Monday at 6:30 pm at the Municipal Center, and its health services, including Title 5 septic permitting, are provided by the Central MA Regional Health Department based in Shrewsbury.
• Historic District Commission. Exterior changes inside the Grafton Common Historic District, set up under Chapter 40C on a plan dated November 17, 1980, need the seven-member Historic District Commission’s approval.
• Trenches. Any excavation deeper than 3 feet and narrower than 15 feet, on public or private land, needs a trench permit with a certificate of insurance.

Grafton permit costs and fees

The building fee schedule took effect on July 1, 2019 and lists the number of inspections each permit includes. Its main rate, for new construction and for additions, alterations and renovations alike, is $10 per $1,000 of construction cost with a $50 minimum per inspection.

For example, a $60,000 addition comes to $600 at $10 per $1,000, well above the $200 that four inspections at the $50 minimum would produce. The mechanical fees, set January 1, 2009, are $100 for new residential construction and, for commercial work, $50 for the first $2,000 of cost plus $5 for each additional $1,000.

Trade permits and who may pull them

The Electrical Inspector in the Building Department issues wiring permits, and the Plumbing and Gas Inspector issues plumbing and gas permits to licensed individuals only. Mechanical permits can be applied for only by a licensed sheet metal worker, who must also do the work.

• Electrical (fees from January 1, 2021): a single-family dwelling is $150 for all four inspections, with $100 for each additional dwelling unit; additions are $100 for rough and final; a service change, smoke and heat detectors, air conditioning or a temporary service are $50 each; pools $100. Commercial work is $150 plus $10 per $1,000, and partial or extra inspections are $50.
• Plumbing and gas (fees from July 1, 2010): a new single-family dwelling is $150 for three inspections; additions are $100 for rough and final; a sewer tie-in or underground inspection $50; an electric water heater $60 and a gas water heater $75, which covers both the plumbing and gas permits. Commercial plumbing and gas permits are $150 plus $10 per fixture for each unit.
• Mechanical: chimney liners, ductwork, exhaust fans, dryers and combination heating and cooling units in an existing home are $50 each; a secondary heat source such as a gas log or wood stove has no charge when it is part of a building permit and costs $50 on its own.

The General By-laws provide for the town’s inspector of wires (Article 11) and inspector of gas piping and gas appliances (Article 14).

How to apply for a Grafton building permit

Review, corrections and what causes delay

Under 780 CMR 105.3.1 the building official has 30 days from filing to grant or refuse a permit. Grafton’s own checklists add items that applicants from other towns may not expect: a surveyor’s plot plan before framing, the Water Supply Protection Overlay impervious-area calculation, and a debris disposal affidavit with most permits. Work near wetlands also has to fit the Conservation Commission’s published submission deadlines.

Inspections in Grafton

The Building Department coordinates inspections for building and trade permits through its office line, 508-839-5335, ext. 1420. The fee schedule fixes how many inspections each permit includes: seven for new construction, four for additions and alterations, three for decks and porches, two for an in-ground pool and one for most single-item permits. A re-inspection costs $50. A residential siding job also needs a $50 electrical permit with one inspection, and the electrical schedule lists the same $50 for removing and replacing light fixtures on vinyl siding.

Pools are inspected against the swimming pool barrier requirements the department posts with the pool application, and their plot plan must show the pool’s setbacks. The trench permit, required for qualifying excavations, follows the state’s trench safety rules in 520 CMR 14.00.

Building code and local bylaws in Grafton

Grafton enforces 780 CMR, 10th edition. Under Article 26 of the General By-laws, a permit-issuing board may deny, revoke or suspend a permit for anyone on the Treasurer/Collector’s list of people who have not paid town taxes or charges, after written notice and a hearing at least 14 days later. Article 36, the stormwater bylaw, requires a Stormwater Management Permit for land disturbance of 40,000 square feet or more, or 1,000 cubic yards of earth. Grafton’s General By-laws do not contain a demolition delay article. FEMA lists Grafton as a participating community in the National Flood Insurance Program, with flood maps effective July 16, 2014.

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

Grafton permit search and official resources

Applicants follow their permits in their OpenGov account. For permits issued before the May 2020 switch to online filing, contact the Building Department; the town also posts its public records access policy and request form.

• Grafton Building Department
• Grafton OpenGov online permitting
• Building permit forms and homeowner rules
• Electrical, mechanical, plumbing and gas permits
• Sheds, tents and stoves
• Trench permits
• Building Department fees
• Building permit fee schedule (July 1, 2019)
• Electrical inspection fees (January 1, 2021)
• Mechanical permit fees
• Plumbing and gas permit fees (July 1, 2010)
• Required plot plan information
• Grafton Zoning By-law
• Zoning Board of Appeals
• Grafton General By-laws (October 16, 2023)
• Board of Health
• Conservation Commission
• Planning Department
• Public records access policy and request form
• FEMA Community Status Book, Massachusetts

Grafton building permit FAQ

Who issues building permits in Grafton, MA?

The Building Department at the Memorial Municipal Center, 30 Providence Road (508-839-5335, ext. 1420), led by Inspector of Buildings and Building Commissioner Tracy Sharkey.

How much is a building permit in Grafton?

$10 per $1,000 of construction cost for new construction, additions and alterations, with a $50 minimum per inspection, under the schedule effective July 1, 2019.

Do I need a permit for a shed?

A shed of 200 square feet or less needs a $50 zoning permit; a larger shed needs a building permit with a certified plot plan.

Can a homeowner pull a building permit in Grafton?

Yes, if their name is on the deed, they live there and it is a one- or two-family home. Otherwise a licensed contractor must apply.

Who can apply for a mechanical permit?

Only a licensed sheet metal worker, who must also perform the work.

Can I still file on paper?

The department moved from paper applications to its online system on May 15, 2020; the residential, commercial, mechanical, electrical, plumbing and gas applications are all in OpenGov.

Who issues septic permits in Grafton?

The Board of Health, with services from the Central MA Regional Health Department based in Shrewsbury.

Is a permit needed for a trench?

Yes, for any excavation more than 3 feet deep and less than 15 feet wide, on public or private property.

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