Leicester, Massachusetts Building Permit Guide

In Leicester, building permits come from Building / Code Enforcement, part of the Office of Development and Inspectional Services at Town Hall, 3 Washburn Square (508-892-7003). Applications are filed on the town’s paper forms at Town Hall, and under the fee schedule the Board of Selectmen adopted effective January 1, 2026, a dwelling costs $12 per $1,000 of project cost and commercial work $15 per $1,000. Leicester has used the Stretch energy code since July 1, 2017.

What requires a building permit in Leicester?

Leicester, a Worcester County town of about 11,400 people, posts short answers to the questions it hears most and a fee schedule that names each permit type. Between them they show where the line falls.

Under Section 1.5 of the Zoning Bylaw, accessory structures such as sheds and pools may not be placed in a front yard, meaning the area between the front wall of the nearest building and the front lot line. A home occupation needs a separate $25 permit.

What Leicester decides and what the state holds

The State Building Code, 780 CMR, is written by the Board of Building Regulations and Standards and applies in Leicester without local changes. Town Meeting chose the energy path: Chapter 22 of the General Bylaws, adopted at the May 3, 2017 Annual Town Meeting, put the Stretch Energy Code, including future editions, into effect on July 1, 2017. The Board of Selectmen sets the building fees under Chapter 6, Section 3 of the bylaws, and the town’s own bylaws add a demolition delay, an Architectural Conservation District and a local wetlands bylaw. The General Bylaws posted online are amended through October 30, 2025, and the Zoning Bylaw copy is dated October 22, 2025.

Leicester building department: who handles permitting

Building / Code Enforcement handles building permits and zoning enforcement, and its staff list includes an interim local inspector who also serves as a zoning enforcement officer, a building department administrator, a second zoning enforcement officer, the inspector of plumbing and gas fitting and the inspector of wiring. Building and zoning questions and building inspection requests go to the office line; the plumbing, gas and wiring inspectors take inspection calls directly.

The two payment notices on the town’s site disagree: the application forms page says card is accepted and cash is not, while the fee schedules page says cash is accepted and credit cards are not. A check made out to the Town of Leicester is accepted under both.

Leicester permit types and forms

The Application Forms page holds separate applications for one- and two-family dwellings, other buildings, electrical, gas, plumbing, pools, sheet metal, signs, solar, stoves, fire alarms and tents. The supporting forms are the homeowners exemption form, the Conservation Commission building permit review form, a workers’ compensation affidavit, a solid waste affidavit and a proof of taxes paid form.

Residential permits

The town’s issuance checklist (revised March 2021) asks a lot for new construction, additions, major renovations and new garages: a packet signed by the owner and the contractor; two complete sets of plans with elevations, floor plans and cross sections, framing, smoke, carbon monoxide and heat detector locations and insulation details; a HERS rater report before the permit issues; a driveway permit and, for water or sewer trenches deeper than 3 feet, a trench permit from the Highway Department; a Board of Health-approved septic plan, or the Board’s required water test or a letter from the water company that will serve the lot; a plot plan with setbacks and every wetland line; the deed; the signed contract; and the contractor’s Construction Supervisor License and Home Improvement Contractor registration, or a signed homeowner exemption. Pools, decks and sheds need a shorter packet, with a plot plan and two sets of plans.

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

Commercial permits

Commercial, industrial and other non-residential work, including renovations and commercial solar, is $15 per $1,000 of project cost. Fire alarm and suppression systems are $15 per $1,000 with a $150 minimum, a cell tower is $2,000 and a periodic inspection for a certificate of inspection is $100. Roof-mounted solar needs evidence that the roof can carry the panels, which the checklist says generally means an engineer’s stamped affidavit, and a ground-mounted array needs a certified plot plan.

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

• Conservation Commission. Leicester requires Conservation approval before any building permit application is submitted, using the Conservation Commission Building Permit Review Form. The Commission, part of the Land Use Department, administers the Wetlands Protection Act, the Rivers Protection Act and the town’s wetland bylaw and regulations, and meets at 6:30 pm on the first Wednesday in Meeting Room 3.
• Zoning. The Zoning Board of Appeals grants special permits for nonconforming uses and structures, signs, certain uses in the R1, R2, SA, I and BI-A districts, wireless facilities, the Water Resource Protection Overlay, private kennels and livestock; all other special permits come from the Planning Board. The board has five regular and three alternate members appointed by the Select Board for five-year terms and meets at 6 pm in Meeting Room 3.
• Board of Health. Septic permitting runs through the Leicester Regional Public Health Coalition’s Title 5 process: a percolation test application and $325 fee, then an engineer’s design filed in four copies with Forms 1A, 11, 12 and 9A. The Title 5 agent has up to 45 days to review the design.
• Highway Department. Driveway permits and trench permits for utility lines deeper than 3 feet are issued by the Highway Department and are part of the building permit packet for a new house.
• Water and sewer. The town’s water and sewer study covered seven separate water and sewer districts, and the issuance checklist asks for a letter from the water company that will supply the lot, or the water test the Board of Health requires.

Leicester permit costs and fees

The Board of Selectmen adopted the current Building Permit Fee Schedule effective January 1, 2026 (the posted copy is revised July 28, 2026). Fees are non-refundable and cannot be transferred.

For example, a new house with a project cost of $420,000 pays $5,040 in building permit fees at $12 per $1,000, with wiring, plumbing and gas permits on top. The schedule also prints a minimum fee of $100 for residential and $150 for non-residential permits. On the septic side, the Board of Health charges $325 for a percolation test and soil evaluation, $100 for each septic inspection, $75 for a certificate of compliance and $100 to review a proposed addition against the septic system.

Trade permits and who may pull them

Wiring, plumbing and gas permits use their own applications and are priced on the same Board of Selectmen schedule. Solar projects need a licensed electrician to complete the electrical permit application.

• Wiring: residential work is $75 per inspection; non-residential work is $75 plus $11 per $1,000 of project cost. Wiring fees are based on the written contract, and the cost must be stated on the application.
• Plumbing and gas: residential permits are $75 per inspection and residential replacements or minor repairs $50 per inspection. Non-residential permits are $110 per inspection plus $6 per fixture, or $75 plus $6 per fixture for replacements.
• Penalties and after-hours calls: wiring, plumbing and gas fees are doubled for work done without a permit, and an after-hours emergency inspection request is billed as a four-hour minimum call-in.

Plumbing, gas and wiring inspections are booked directly with the inspector of plumbing and gas fitting or the inspector of wiring, not through the building office.

How to apply for a Leicester building permit

Review, corrections and what causes delay

The building official has 30 days from filing to act on an application under 780 CMR 105.3.1. Because Leicester wants Conservation approval, septic or water approval, a driveway permit and a HERS report in hand before a new house permit issues, those outside approvals have to be in hand first; a septic design alone can take up to 45 days at the Board of Health.

Inspections in Leicester

Building inspections are scheduled by calling the Building Department at 508-892-7003. When an inspector arrives and the work is not ready, is unacceptable or the building cannot be reached, a $50 re-inspection fee is charged and must be paid at the Building Department office before the next inspection can be scheduled. The department also posts a required inspections list for building permits.

Starting construction before the building permit issues brings a fine of at least $300 on top of the permit fee. Building permit fees are paid when the permit is issued, and none of them are refunded if a project is dropped.

Building code and local bylaws in Leicester

Leicester enforces 780 CMR, 10th edition, with the Stretch energy code. Its demolition bylaw (Chapter 18, adopted May 2, 2005) covers buildings 100 years old or more, and a building of unknown age is assumed to qualify. The Building Commissioner sends the application to the Historical Commission within seven days; the Commission decides within 15 days whether the building is significant (if it does not answer in that time, the demolition permit may issue) and, if so, holds a hearing within 30 days. A building found preferably preserved cannot be demolished for six months, no building permit for new work on the site issues during that time, and demolition waits until the plans for the site’s future use have been filed and approved. Inside the Architectural Conservation District created by the May 11, 2021 Town Meeting (Chapter 24), covered alterations, additions, demolitions and new buildings need a Certificate to Alter from the five-member district commission before a building or demolition permit can issue. FEMA lists Leicester as a participating community in the National Flood Insurance Program, with flood maps effective June 21, 2023.

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

Leicester permit search and official resources

Leicester’s building applications are paper forms filed at Town Hall. For records of past permits on a property, ask Building / Code Enforcement at 508-892-7003, or file a public records request with the Town Clerk.

• Leicester Building / Code Enforcement
• Application forms and documents
• Fee schedules
• Building permit fee schedule (effective January 1, 2026)
• Information needed for issuance of a building permit
• General and Zoning Bylaws
• General Bylaws, amended through October 30, 2025
• Zoning Bylaw (October 22, 2025)
• Health Department
• Title 5 application process
• Board of Health fee schedule
• Conservation Commission
• Zoning Board of Appeals
• Planning Board
• FEMA Community Status Book, Massachusetts

Leicester building permit FAQ

Who issues building permits in Leicester, MA?

Building / Code Enforcement, part of the Office of Development and Inspectional Services at Town Hall, 3 Washburn Square (508-892-7003).

How much is a building permit for a house in Leicester?

$12 per $1,000 of project cost for dwellings, under the schedule effective January 1, 2026. Commercial work is $15 per $1,000.

How do I file a building permit application in Leicester?

On the town’s paper application forms, brought to Town Hall after checking the fee schedule; the fee is paid when the permit is issued.

Do I need a permit for a shed or fence?

Not for a shed of 200 square feet or less or a fence 6 feet high or less. Larger sheds and taller fences need a permit, and no shed may go in a front yard.

Does Leicester use the Stretch energy code?

Yes. Chapter 22 of the General Bylaws, adopted at the May 3, 2017 Town Meeting, made the Stretch Energy Code effective July 1, 2017, and the issuance checklist asks for a HERS rater report before a new house permit issues.

Why do I need Conservation Commission approval for a building permit?

Leicester requires Conservation approval on every building permit application, using its building permit review form, before the application is submitted.

How long can a demolition be delayed?

Six months for a building 100 years old or more that the Historical Commission finds should preferably be preserved.

Who handles septic systems in Leicester?

The Board of Health, through the Leicester Regional Public Health Coalition; a percolation test costs $325 and design review can take up to 45 days.

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