Harwich, Massachusetts Building Permit Guide

Harwich’s Building Department, at 732 Main Street, issues building, electrical, plumbing and gas permits, and both contractors and homeowners apply through the town’s OpenGov portal. Since January 1, 2026 nearly all construction, from new homes to roofs, decks and docks, costs $12 per $1,000 of value with a $100 minimum, plus a technology fee of $5 per $100 of the permit fee.

Harwich prices most work on a single value-based rate rather than a long list of categories, so the declared project cost drives the fee. The same fee sheet carries the trade fees, which Harwich charges partly per inspection visit.

The Harwich Building Department covers the whole town; neighboring Brewster and Dennis run their own.

What requires a building permit in Harwich?

Under 780 CMR any construction, alteration, repair, demolition or change of use needs a permit unless the code itself exempts it. Harwich’s January 2026 schedule names the work that falls under its main $12-per-$1,000 rate and lists separate charges for the rest.

A handicapped ramp on a residential property is permitted with no fee. A new accessory apartment needs a building permit in every case, under the department’s ADU checklist revised in March 2026.

What the town decides and what the state holds

The Board of Building Regulations and Standards writes the building code, and Harwich cannot change its technical rules; the department’s 110 mph wind construction checklist, for example, applies the state code’s wind provisions. What Harwich controls is local: its zoning bylaw (Chapter 325), wetlands and water-dependent structure bylaws (Chapters 310 and 304), the historic preservation bylaw (Chapter 131), Board of Health rules, the fee schedule and the energy path, which Chapter 115 sets as the Stretch code.

Harwich building department: who handles permitting

The Building Department issues building permits and the trade permits; it shares 732 Main Street with the Conservation, Health and Planning offices, which use a common Request for Information form. Town Counsel has told building staff not to give opinions on whether a lot is buildable, so the department’s buildability handout sends each part of that question to the right office and suggests that larger commercial or complicated residential projects meet the Community Development team once preliminary plans exist.

For a vacant lot, the handout attaches Table 2 of the zoning bylaw, the area regulations last amended at the September 26, 2020 Town Meeting, which set lot size, frontage, setbacks and coverage by district; a lot created in a cluster development follows its recorded subdivision plan instead, found at the Barnstable County Registry of Deeds.

Permit types

Residential permits

The department publishes two step-by-step OpenGov guides, one for homeowners and one for Construction Supervisor License holders. Both walk through the same application: owner details, a description of the work, whether the building is new or existing, the proposed use, whether the property lies outside the flood zone (and which zone if not), the square footage of the work, heating and cooling equipment, the license or homeowner exemption, and the workers’ compensation selection. Supporting forms include the workers’ compensation affidavit, a homeowner’s authorization for agents, the Energy Conservation Application for new homes and additions, the Sunroom Consumer Information Form and the Substantial Improvement Workbook for flood zone work.

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

Commercial permits

Commercial work uses the same $12-per-$1,000 rate and $100 minimum as housing, and the technology fee applies to every permit. Commercial electrical permits start at $200 for the first 1,000 square feet plus $2 for every additional 100 square feet of floor area. Buildings that need an annual certificate of inspection under section 110 of the code pay $100, and a home occupation is screened with the department’s Home Occupation Work Sheet. Short-term rentals are registered with the department for $125.

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

What comes before the building permit

• Zoning: the Board of Appeals hears special permits and variances; an accessory apartment that needs relief for a preexisting nonconforming house can get a special permit, and otherwise must meet setbacks and the district’s building and site coverage.
• Conservation Commission: work near wetlands is filed under the state Wetlands Protection Act and the town’s Wetlands Protection bylaw, and docks and piers are also covered by the town’s Water-Dependent Structures bylaw (Chapter 304). Chapter 310 sets a no-disturb zone running 50 feet landward from a resource area, where no substantial building, filling or altering of land is allowed except for listed activities such as maintaining an existing permitted structure.
• Board of Health and Title 5: the Health Department handles septic systems and confirms whether a lot lies in a Zone II water recharge area, which can limit house size, bedrooms and use; an accessory apartment must meet wastewater requirements for the combined bedroom count.
• Historic review and demolition delay: a building constructed more than 100 years before the current year cannot be demolished, in whole or in part, until a notice of intent is filed with the Historic District and Historical Commission at the Town Clerk’s and Building Official’s offices.

Harwich permit costs and fees

The fee sheet, titled 1 & 2 Family Residential, Commercial, Plumbing & Electrical Building Permit Fee Schedule, took effect on January 1, 2026 and is posted on the department’s fee schedule page.

Worked example: a $200,000 addition is 200 × $12 = $2,400 for the building permit. The technology fee is $5 for each $100 of that fee, or $120, for a total of $2,520 before the trade permits. A $5,000 roof replacement falls under the $100 minimum, plus a $5 technology fee.

Trade permits and who may pull them

Electrical, plumbing and gas permits are issued by the Building Department and filed in OpenGov like building permits. Harwich prices electrical work by the visit: alterations and additions are $75 per visit, and each fixed-price item on the schedule lists the inspections it includes, such as two for a solar installation (bonding and final) and four for an in-ground pool (pool bond, deck bond, trench and final). Plumbing and gas permits start at $75 with the first fixture.

Trade permits go to state-licensed electricians, plumbers and gas fitters. A homeowner hiring a plumber or gas fitter who lacks the usual liability insurance signs the town’s Owner Insurance Waiver for that trade. The building permit may be pulled by a Construction Supervisor License holder or by a homeowner who signs the Homeowner License Exemption Form, which limits the exemption to an owner who lives or will live in a one- or two-family home on the lot, requires the owner to supervise anyone hired, and excludes anyone who builds more than one home in two years. A Contractor Transfer Form records a change of builder.

How to apply for a Harwich building permit

Review, corrections and what causes delay

Under 780 CMR 105.3.1 the building official must issue or refuse a permit in writing within 30 days of the application being filed. In Harwich the buildability handout lists the questions a lot has to clear first: lot history, common ownership of a pre-existing lot, Zone II bedroom limits, septic capacity and coverage limits. Staff give official interpretations only on a completed application.

Inspections in Harwich

The department keeps an Inspection Schedules / Hours page for its inspectors, and the fee schedule shows what each inspection covers. A new house’s electrical permit includes the service, rough, final and Ufer ground inspections; extra plumbing or gas inspections are $75 each; a failed building inspection costs a $75 re-inspection fee; and emergency trade inspections are $200 plus $50 an hour and mileage. In wind and flood areas the department’s 110 mph wind construction checklist and the Substantial Improvement Workbook apply to the work being inspected.

A lost permit card or occupancy permit is replaced for $55. Work started without a permit carries a $1,000 charge under the schedule.

Building and energy code in Harwich

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

Harwich enforces the 10th edition of 780 CMR. Chapter 115 of the town code incorporates the Stretch energy code, including future editions, enforceable by the inspector of buildings or building commissioner and effective since January 1, 2019; Harwich is on the Stretch path, not the Municipal Opt-in Specialized code. FEMA lists Harwich as a participating flood insurance community with maps effective July 16, 2014, and its Community Rating System class 7 earns policyholders a 15% discount.

Harwich permit search and official resources

Permits filed in OpenGov can be followed in the portal, and the department posts issued-permit reports for 2025 and 2026. For a property’s older building, conservation, health or planning records, file the Regulatory Departments Information Request Form; staff answer on a time-available basis.

• Harwich Building Department — section pages, FAQs and inspection hours
• Harwich OpenGov permit portal
• Building Department permit fees, effective January 1, 2026
• Permit Application Guide: homeowners and CSL holders
• Forms and applications — affidavits, ADU, energy, flood and contractor forms
• Homeowner License Exemption Form
• ADU (accessory apartment) checklist, revised March 2026
• Buildability handout
• Regulatory departments information request form
• Issued permits reports
• Town Code Chapter 115, Stretch Energy Code
• Town Code Chapter 131, Historic Preservation
• Town Code Chapter 325, Zoning
• Harwich Board of Appeals

Harwich building permit FAQ

How much is a building permit in Harwich?

$12 per $1,000 of construction value with a $100 minimum, for homes and commercial work alike, plus a technology fee of $5 per $100 of the permit fee. A $100,000 project pays $1,200 plus $60.

Can a homeowner pull a permit in Harwich?

Yes. OpenGov accepts homeowner applications, and the owner signs the Homeowner License Exemption Form; it covers one- and two-family homes the owner lives in or will live in, and not someone who builds more than one home in two years.

Do I need a permit for a shed in Harwich?

The January 2026 fee schedule lists shed registration with the Building Department at $100, separate from the $12-per-$1,000 construction rate.

Can I add an accessory apartment in Harwich?

In the zoning districts the checklist lists, one accessory apartment of up to 1,000 square feet per lot, not separately owned, with two means of egress, a parking space and septic capacity for all bedrooms. A building permit is always required.

Does Harwich use the Stretch energy code?

Yes, under Chapter 115 of the town code since January 1, 2019; new homes and additions file the Energy Conservation Application.

Can I demolish an old building in Harwich?

If it was built more than 100 years before the current year, a notice of intent goes to the Historic District and Historical Commission first; it holds a hearing within 45 days and can impose a delay of up to 18 months on a significant building.

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

No. On Town Counsel’s advice staff do not give buildability opinions; the department’s handout lists the zoning, deed, conservation and health questions to answer instead.

Is there a permit fee for a wheelchair ramp at a Harwich home?

No. The January 2026 schedule lists a handicapped ramp on a residential property with no fee, so a ramp at a house is permitted without the $100 minimum or the technology fee being charged.

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