Hingham, Massachusetts Building Permit Guide

Hingham’s Building Department, at Town Hall, 210 Central Street, issues building, electrical, plumbing, gas and sheet metal permits, all applied for online through PermitEyes. Residential work costs $10 per $1,000 of estimated cost with a $50 minimum and commercial work $15 per $1,000, and every issued building permit has to be collected from the office.

What requires a building permit in Hingham?

Hingham, a South Shore town of about 24,500 people, enforces the state building, electrical, plumbing and architectural access codes together with its own Zoning By-Law and General By-Laws. The department’s rule of thumb is that any job that opens walls should have a building permit, and its FAQ and fee pages add these specifics:

What Hingham decides and what the state holds

The building code is the state’s: 780 CMR, issued by the Board of Building Regulations and Standards, applies in Hingham without local amendment. What Town Meeting controls is the setting: permit fees written into the General By-Laws (building fees in Article 21, plumbing and gas in Article 18, electrical in Article 29), the Zoning By-Law, a local wetlands by-law, local historic districts and a demolition review for historic buildings. The Town adopted the Stretch Energy Code in 2018, according to its own 2025 Town Meeting warrant, which also carried Article 39 to add the Specialized Energy Code; the by-law book revised through the 2025 Town Meeting contains no Specialized article, so ask the department which path applies before designing a new building.

Hingham building department: who handles permitting

The Building Department issues every building and trade permit, certificates of occupancy for new buildings and changes of use, and the annual certificates of inspection for restaurants, places of assembly and schools. Michael J. Clancy is the Building Commissioner. The department also takes requests for zoning enforcement on its Request for Enforcement form.

Hingham is served by its own Municipal Light Plant, and electricians deal with it directly: all service-related work needs a utility authorization number, obtained by calling 781-749-8315, extension 213, 214 or 215, and every electrical inspection request must quote the permit number. Service alteration fees are added on top of the minimum charges.

Hingham permit types and the approvals that come first

PermitEyes handles residential and commercial building permits, plumbing, gas fitting, electrical, sheet metal, tent, sign and solid fuel appliance permits. The Town warns that the program does not work in Apple browsers and that pop-up blockers must be off while you submit. Every application completes the workers’ compensation affidavit online; insured contractors upload the certificate showing the policy number and expiry date, and sole proprietors tick the exemption box.

Residential permits

Homeowners may take out their own building permits, though the department posts a caution explaining why simple jobs often turn out otherwise, along with the state chart showing which work calls for a Home Improvement Contractor registration or a Construction Supervisor License. Licensed electricians and plumbers file their own permits and pay their own fees, but the cost of their work belongs in the estimated construction cost on the building permit.

Sheds follow a two-tier rule in residential zones. One shed of no more than 64 square feet in ground coverage and 9 feet tall (typically 8 by 8 feet) may sit behind the house, 5 feet from the side and rear lines; anything larger must meet the full setbacks of the zone. Either way a building permit must be issued before the shed goes in. Accessory dwelling units, allowed since 2018 under Section V-K of the Zoning By-Law and opened to detached units in 2023, were amended by the April 2025 Annual Town Meeting to follow the state’s Affordable Homes Act; they are now applied for as building permits, and the Town recommends meeting the Building or Land Use and Development staff before drawing plans.

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

Commercial permits

Commercial construction, additions, alterations and demolition are charged $15 per $1,000 of estimated cost with a $50 minimum, and signs $3 per square foot with the same minimum. Commercial electrical work runs 1.5% of the electrical contract up to $100,000 plus $3 per thousand above that, and commercial plumbing starts at $60 for the first fixture.

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 Board of Appeals: variances, special permits, appeals of zoning decisions and 40B comprehensive permits; a fence over 6 feet that misses the setbacks needs its relief.
• Conservation Commission: the Wetlands Protection By-law (Article 22) requires a notice of intent before altering any bank, wetland, beach, dune, marsh or land subject to tidal action, coastal storm flowage or flooding. The Conservation Department is at Town Hall, 781-741-1445.
• Board of Health: septic systems follow Title 5 and the Board’s supplementary rules, whose setbacks can exceed the state’s.
• Historic Districts Commission: exterior changes visible in a local historic district, and new construction there, need a certificate of appropriateness; routine maintenance can get a certificate of non-applicability.
• Public Works: a street opening permit for any work in a public way, including driveways, utility services, stone walls and fences, from DPW at 25 Bare Cove Park Drive (781-741-1430).

Hingham building permit fees

Building fees are set in Article 21 of the General By-Laws and posted as effective since November 2009; the Select Board may adjust them. The by-law calls for payment at filing and in any case before the permit issues, and PermitEyes emails you when an application is ready to pay by card or bank account, or you can pay cash or check at the office.

The department’s published lists of issued permits show the cost rounded up to the next $1,000 before the rate is applied: a $12,650 alteration was charged $130 and a $1,003,500 new house $10,040. On the same basis a $150,000 addition costs 150 × $10 = $1,500.

Electrical, plumbing and gas permits in Hingham

Higher electrical, plumbing and gas fees approved by the 2023 Town Meeting took effect on January 29, 2024. An electrical permit must be obtained within 5 days of starting work, or the fee doubles and $150 is added; the same double fee plus $150 applies to plumbing and gas work begun without a permit.

The plumbing and gas page adds standing rules: the plumber must be on the premises for every inspection, rough and final inspections are mandatory, applications must carry the homeowner’s phone number, and no water piping may run in outside walls.

Alliance handles electrical permits for contractors here. More on this: who pulls the electrical permit.

How to apply for a Hingham building permit

Review, corrections and what causes delay

PermitEyes shows each application’s sign-offs as reviewers act on it. The state code gives the building official 30 days from the filing of an application to approve or refuse it (780 CMR 105.3.1). In Hingham the slower steps tend to be outside the building review: Historical Commission demolition review, Historic Districts Commission certificates, Conservation Commission hearings for coastal and wetland lots, and ZBA relief for tight lots.

Inspections in Hingham

The person doing the work schedules building inspections by calling 781-741-1420, ideally with at least two days’ notice, and the approved plans and permit must be on site. The sequence for new construction runs: grounding (the wiring inspector checks the concrete-encased electrode before the footing is poured), foundation (with a registered land surveyor’s certified as-built plan before any framing), rough frame and firestopping once the rough trades pass and the building is at least 90% sided, chimney throat, insulation, and final.

For the final, all trade sign-offs must be on the permit card, which goes to the office at least 24 hours ahead with a Final Cost Affidavit, the HERS rater information and certified as-builts where required. Electrical, plumbing and gas inspections are booked by phone at the same number between 7 and 9 am, Monday to Thursday; emails are not accepted. The older plumbing note on the fee page gives an 8:30 to 10 am call window, so use the inspections page times.

Building code and local by-laws in Hingham

Hingham enforces 780 CMR, 10th edition, with the Stretch Energy Code the Town adopted in 2018. Article 31 of the General By-Laws governs demolition of historically significant buildings. It reaches buildings on the National or State Register, those within 200 feet of any historic district boundary, and those on the state or Hingham historic inventories, and it counts removing or replacing historic exterior elements such as windows, roofing, siding or chimneys as demolition. FEMA lists Hingham as a participating community in the National Flood Insurance Program, with flood maps effective July 3, 2024.

The Building Commissioner sends each such application to the Historical Commission within 7 days, and the Commission has 30 days to decide whether the building is significant. If it is, the applicant files a demolition plan within 60 days and the Commission holds a hearing; a building it finds should preferably be preserved cannot get a permit for 6 months. Work that repairs a structure and leaves it looking substantially the same from the street can skip that procedure. Buildings inside a local historic district are left out of Article 31 because the Historic Districts Commission already reviews them under Chapter 40C.

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

Hingham permit search and official resources

PermitEyes’ public view lists building permits from 2010 onward, though details for 2010 to 2016 can be incomplete. Older permits are in the department’s street files, which go back to the early 1980s and are seen in person during office hours; archived records may take staff time to pull. The department also posts a running report of permits recently issued.

• Hingham Building Department
• Apply for a permit (PermitEyes)
• Hingham PermitEyes login
• Search existing building permits
• Building permit fees
• Electrical fees (effective January 29, 2024)
• Plumbing and gas fees
• Building inspections
• Building permit FAQ
• Hingham General By-Laws
• Accessory dwelling units
• Historic preservation
• Conservation Department
• DPW street opening permit
• FEMA Community Status Book, Massachusetts
• Massachusetts State Building Code (780 CMR)

Hingham building permit FAQ

Who issues building permits in Hingham, MA?

The Building Department at Town Hall, 210 Central Street (781-741-1420). Michael J. Clancy is the Building Commissioner.

How much is a building permit in Hingham?

$10 per $1,000 of estimated cost for residential work and $15 per $1,000 for commercial, with a $50 minimum, under Article 21 of the General By-Laws.

Do I need a permit for a shed in Hingham?

Yes, always. A single shed up to 64 square feet and 9 feet tall may sit 5 feet from the side and rear lines behind the house; larger sheds must meet the zone’s full setbacks.

Do I need a permit for a fence?

Not for a fence 6 feet tall or less. A taller fence must meet the zoning setbacks or get relief from the Zoning Board of Appeals.

Can I apply for a permit on my iPhone or Mac?

The Town says its PermitEyes system does not work with Apple browsers, so use another supported browser and turn off pop-up blockers.

Will replacing windows on an old house trigger historic review?

It can. Article 31 counts replacing historic exterior elements on a regulated building as demolition, which goes to the Historical Commission and can bring a 6-month delay.

How do I book an electrical or plumbing inspection?

Call 781-741-1420 between 7 and 9 am, Monday to Thursday. Emails are not accepted, and the plumber must be on site.

Which energy code applies in Hingham?

The Stretch Energy Code, adopted in 2018. The 2025 Town Meeting warrant proposed adding the Specialized code, so confirm the current path with the department.

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