Medfield, Massachusetts Building Permit Guide

In Medfield, the Building Department, led by the Building Commissioner who also enforces the Zoning Bylaw, issues building permits and the sheet metal, electrical, plumbing and gas permits. Since July 1, 2025 every permit can be filed on OpenGov, and paper applications are still taken at the counter. A house renovation costs $75 for the first $1,000 of contract cost plus $15 for each further $1,000, with a $150 minimum; a new house is $1 per square foot.

What requires a building permit in Medfield?

The Building Department reviews and issues permits for all new construction and renovation in town, and no work may start before the permit issues unless it is an emergency repair allowed by 780 CMR 105.2.1. The fee schedule shows how much ordinary home work is covered: re-roofing, siding, and window and door replacements each have their own fee line.

The department’s FAQ calls the shed rule “complicated” for good reason: a small shed is exempt from the building permit but not from zoning, so it still has to sit inside the setback and lot coverage limits for your district. Inspectors will not visit a property to look at a problem unless a permit has been issued. Event structures are covered too: a carnival or fair needs a $125 permit and a tent a $75 one.

What Medfield decides and what the state holds

Construction is reviewed under 780 CMR, the 10th edition of the Massachusetts State Building Code from the Board of Building Regulations and Standards, together with the state electrical code (527 CMR 12), plumbing code (248 CMR 10) and fuel gas code (248 CMR 4) and the Architectural Access Board rules (521 CMR). The department page still lists the 2015 model codes behind the old 9th edition. Medfield’s own rules are its Zoning Bylaw, which the Building Commissioner enforces, its General Bylaws (including demolition delay and the Medfield Wetlands Bylaw), Board of Health regulations and the permit fees.

The Building Department page and its FAQs do not name a Stretch or Specialized energy code adoption, so check the energy path with the department before finishing house plans and the energy compliance documents.

Medfield building department: who handles permitting

The Building Department consists of the Building Commissioner, a local inspector and the inspectors of wiring and of plumbing and gas. Dana Hinthorne has been Building Commissioner since June 2023, William Cooke Jr. is the Wiring Inspector and Jack Rose the Plumbing and Gas Inspector. Because the commissioner is also responsible for enforcing the Zoning Bylaw, zoning review happens in the same office before a permit issues.

The Zoning Board of Appeals takes correspondence at 459 Main Street, and the town’s land use guidebook places the Board of Health on the ground floor and the Conservation Commission on the second floor of the Town House, so most sign-offs for a house project are in one building.

Medfield permit types

Medfield launched OpenGov on July 1, 2025 for Building and Inspections permits, so applicants can apply, pay and track permits around the clock and message staff through the portal; Zoning Board of Appeals applications are on the same system. Whichever route you use, the FAQ asks for both paper and electronic copies of the plans.

Residential permits

The one- and two-family application asks for the property’s map and parcel, whether it is on an accepted street, the zoning district and use, lot area and frontage, required and provided setbacks, public or private water, the flood zone, and whether the house uses town sewer or an on-site septic system. It also asks for the construction cost broken into building, electrical, plumbing, HVAC and fire suppression, the Construction Supervisor License holder, and the workers’ compensation affidavit. Contractors doing home improvement work add the HIC affidavit; owners doing their own work file the homeowner license exemption. Changes to an approved job use the Application to Alter an Existing Building Permit.

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

Commercial permits

Commercial buildings and those with three or more units use the commercial and multi-family application. Renovations cost $100 for the first $1,000 and $25 for each further $1,000 (minimum $200), and new commercial buildings $1.50 per square foot. Projects under construction control file the state’s initial and final construction control affidavits, signs need a sign permit application, and buildings that require periodic inspection use the periodic inspection application.

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. The Building Commissioner reviews zoning before a permit issues. For relief, start with the commissioner and the Section 6 findings worksheet on nonconformities; the Zoning Board of Appeals meets at 6 pm on the second Wednesday of each month.
• Board of Health. A house on a private septic system needs the board’s Form A sign-off for its building permit; health agents inspect septic systems under Title 5 (310 CMR 15). Projects needing site plan approval or a special permit in the Flood Plain, Watershed Protection or Aquifer Protection districts should get Board of Health stormwater review early.
• Conservation Commission. Applies the Wetlands Protection Act and the Medfield Wetlands Bylaw; ask for a determination covering every part of the project if wetlands are nearby.
• Demolition delay. Buildings over 50 years old are subject to the town’s Demolition Delay Bylaw before a demolition permit issues.

Medfield permit costs and fees

Building fees come from the schedule revised December 2, 2014, and renovation fees are based on the total contracted job cost; solar fees date from January 5, 2016, and plumbing and gas fees took effect February 1, 2022. Starting work without a permit triples the fee.

A $50,000 kitchen renovation costs $75 plus 49 × $15, or $810, for the building permit. A new 2,800-square-foot house with a two-bay garage is 2,800 × $1 plus 2 × $35, or $2,870. A 30-panel home solar array hits the $400 minimum, plus the $150 residential solar electrical fee. Plumbing and gas permits are needed for each dwelling unit separately. On the commercial side, a $200,000 office fit-out pays $100 plus 199 × $25, or $5,075, and a $12,000 electrical job on any building pays $150 for the first $10,000 plus 2 × $15, or $180.

Replacing windows or doors without changing the openings is billed per unit, so ten new windows cost $125 (the minimum) rather than a value-based fee; once the framing changes, the renovation rate applies. Roofing and siding jobs up to $10,000 are a flat $125.

Trade permits and who may pull them

Medfield’s wiring inspector and plumbing and gas inspector sit in the Building Department, and every trade permit can be filed on OpenGov.

• Electrical: the electrician completes the application and files it with the license, insurance certificate and workers’ compensation affidavit, under 527 CMR 12. Pools are $150, low-voltage and security wiring $75, and a meter pulled for siding work $50.
• Plumbing and gas: applications are completed by the licensed plumber or gas fitter with the same three attachments. The inspector sets the fee where a review is needed to finish a house or in other special cases.
• Sheet metal: a separate permit at $10 per $1,000 of the contract price.
• Fire Department: approves demolition permits and requires a fire detail on site for dust control during demolition.

The town’s land use guidebook is direct about the trades: a licensed electrician, plumber or gas fitter must pull the permit for virtually all wiring, plumbing and gas jobs. The building permit lists the Construction Supervisor License holder, and the department links the state CSL and HIC look-ups.

How to apply for a Medfield building permit

Review, corrections and what causes delay

780 CMR 105.3.1 gives the building official 30 days from the application to issue or refuse the permit. In Medfield, applications slow down when the electronic and paper plan sets do not match, the Board of Health has not signed Form A for a septic lot, a stormwater review is needed in the Flood Plain, Watershed or Aquifer districts, or a house over 50 years old triggers the demolition delay review.

Inspections in Medfield

Request inspections by calling 508-906-3005 or at the Building Department counter; the department does not take inspection requests by email or text. Building inspections are made between 10 am and noon Monday to Friday, or between 3 and 5 pm Monday to Thursday, and the office gives a window rather than an exact time.

A re-inspection after a failed visit costs $75 for building, electrical, plumbing or gas work, paid in advance for building. When the work is complete the certificate of occupancy costs $25. A demolition needs utility disconnect letters (water, sewer, gas, electric, oil tank and telephone or cable), a pre-demolition asbestos survey under 310 CMR 7.15, a certified plot plan and the assessor’s record card, and a Fire Department detail for dust control while the building comes down.

Massachusetts building code

Medfield enforces the 10th edition of 780 CMR, and the Building Commissioner also enforces the Medfield Zoning Bylaw. FEMA lists Medfield as a participating community in the National Flood Insurance Program, with flood maps effective July 8, 2025.

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

Medfield permit search and official resources

Permits filed since July 2025 can be tracked in real time on the OpenGov portal. For older permits, plans or certificates, call the Building Department at 508-906-3005 or make a public records request to the town; copies of Zoning Board of Appeals decisions come from the land use office.

• Medfield Building Department
• OpenGov online permitting for Medfield
• Building and inspections FAQs
• Building permit application, one- and two-family
• Building permit fees
• Electrical permit fees
• Plumbing and gas permit fees (2022)
• Solar fees
• Demolition permit application
• Zoning Board of Appeals
• Public Health Department
• Land use permitting guidebook
• FEMA Community Status Book, Massachusetts
• Massachusetts State Building Code, 780 CMR

Medfield building permit FAQs

How much is a building permit in Medfield?

For a house renovation or addition, $75 for the first $1,000 of contract cost plus $15 for each additional $1,000, with a $150 minimum. A new house is $1 per square foot plus $35 per garage bay.

Can I still file on paper?

Yes. Medfield takes permits on OpenGov and also accepts paper applications during Building Department hours, but every application needs both paper and electronic copies of the plans.

Do I need a permit for a shed?

Not for a shed under 200 square feet, though it must still meet setbacks and lot coverage. Sheds of 200 square feet or more need a building permit.

When are building inspections done?

Between 10 am and noon Monday to Friday, or 3 to 5 pm Monday to Thursday. Book by phone or at the counter, not by email or text.

How long does a permit last?

It expires after 6 months of inactivity; extensions can be requested under 780 CMR 105.5.

Does Medfield delay demolitions?

Buildings over 50 years old are subject to the Demolition Delay Bylaw, and every demolition needs an asbestos survey, utility disconnect letters and a fire detail on site.

What does a home solar permit cost?

The building permit is $4 per panel for up to 100 panels with a $400 minimum, and the residential electrical permit for solar is $150.

What happens if I start without a permit?

The building fee is tripled under the town’s fee schedule, and work may not begin before issue except for emergency repairs.

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