Middleborough, Massachusetts Building Permit Guide

Middleborough’s Building Department, in the Town Hall Annex at 20 Center Street, issues building permits and the wiring, plumbing and gas permits through PermitEyes, a paperless online system that contractors, licensed trades and homeowners all use. New one- and two-family homes are charged $12 per $1,000 of valuation under the residential fee schedule effective March 25, 2011, and inspections are booked by phone each weekday morning.

What requires a building permit in Middleborough?

Middleborough, a town of about 25,100 people (Census estimate, 2025), checks building work against the State Building Code, the wiring and plumbing and gas codes, and its own Zoning Bylaw. The department’s fee schedule lists the residential permit categories it issues:

What Middleborough decides and what the state holds

The construction rules are 780 CMR, set by the state’s Board of Building Regulations and Standards, and Middleborough cannot change them. The Town decides its permit fees, its zoning, the Demolition Delay bylaw (Chapter 122 of the Town Code) and its energy path: Town Meeting adopted the Stretch Energy Code in April 2017 (Article 29, in effect from July 13, 2017), and Chapter 115 of the Town Code puts the Building Commissioner in charge of enforcing it. Middleborough Gas & Electric’s moratorium on new natural gas service is a utility decision, but it shapes heating choices for new homes and conversions (see below).

Middleborough building department: who handles permitting

The Building Department issues building, sheet metal and trench permits, and its plumbing and gas inspector and wiring inspector issue and inspect the trade permits. Robert Whalen is the Building Commissioner. The department shares the Town Hall Annex with the Health Department, Conservation, Planning and Zoning, so most pre-permit approvals sit in the same building.

Town Hall itself, with the Town Manager and Select Board, is a separate building at 10 Nickerson Avenue; permit questions go to the Annex.

Middleborough permit types and the approvals that come first

PermitEyes lets applicants file, watch sign-offs and pay online. Registration takes about ten minutes, the system does not work in Apple browsers, and the pop-up blocker must be off when you submit. Workers’ compensation details are given on an online affidavit with every application, and sole proprietors without employees tick the exemption box. If someone other than the owner applies, written owner authorization naming the agent must be attached.

Residential permits

For one- and two-family homes the department’s FAQ lists the minimum construction documents: the 110 mph wind-zone checklist, energy conservation information, exterior elevations, locations of fire protection systems, floor plans including basement and attic, foundation plan and details, framing plans or building sections, door and window schedules, and a site plan. The Forms page carries the wind checklist, an IECC compliance sheet, a building information sheet, a curb cut application for a new driveway, and separate forms for sheet metal, trench and wood or pellet stove permits.

A new house needs a Construction Supervisor License holder to apply; Home Improvement Contractor registration is not required for new construction. Additions and other structural work on an existing owner-occupied one- to four-family home need both a license and a registration, though not necessarily held by the same person, and roofing, siding and window replacement need both as well.

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

Commercial permits

Commercial buildings, additions and alterations as defined in 780 CMR use the Commercial Building Permit Application and are charged $12 per $1,000 with a $100 minimum. Signs and fire suppression systems are $50 flat, demolition is $50 per 10,000 square feet, and each building or tenant space pays a $50 occupancy fee. Up to $400 of a commercial fee is non-refundable. Commercial wiring permits start at $80 for the first $20,000 of construction cost and add $25 for each further $20,000 or part of it.

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

Septic systems and wells

The Health Department, on the same floor of the Annex (508-946-2408), takes its permits through a separate PermitEyes module and posts its own septic rules, including guidance on Title 5 compliance when an accessory dwelling unit is added. Its fees, in force since September 1, 2018, include $450 for a percolation test on a new lot ($225 for a repair), a $100 septic plan review for flows up to 2,000 gallons a day, a $200 disposal works construction permit under 500 gallons a day plus $50 for each bedroom over four, $100 for a component repair, $500 for an alternative system permit and $200 for a private well. A perc test stays valid for two years, with up to two $50 extensions at the Health Officer’s discretion, and construction permits and plan approvals are valid for six months.

What comes before the building permit

• Zoning: setbacks and uses come from the Zoning Bylaw (Chapter 275); variances and special permits go to the Zoning Board of Appeals, and site plans to the Planning Board, both in the Annex.
• Conservation Commission: work near wetlands needs a filing under the Wetlands Protection Act; the Town’s fee bylaw charges $75 for a request for determination of applicability.
• Board of Health (Title 5): a house on a septic system needs the Health Department’s disposal system approval (details below).
• Historical Commission: demolition of a significant structure triggers the Demolition Delay bylaw.
• Curb cut and trench: a new driveway needs the curb cut application, and a trench permit costs $20.

Middleborough building permit fees

The residential and commercial building fee schedules posted by the department carry an effective date of March 25, 2011 and are signed by the Building Commissioner. Rates apply per $1,000 of valuation “or fraction thereof”, so a partial thousand counts as a full one.

Worked example: a kitchen alteration valued at $45,500 counts as 46 thousands at $10, so the building permit is $460. The same job built as a $45,500 addition would be 46 × $12 = $552. Up to $100 of any residential fee is non-refundable.

Wiring, plumbing and gas permits in Middleborough

Electricians, plumbers and gas fitters apply in PermitEyes themselves, and the fee sheets require that the work be done by a Massachusetts-licensed electrician, plumber or gas fitter and filed before work starts. A trade permit lapses if the work does not begin within one year of issue.

The wiring schedule dates from November 12, 2007, as does the plumbing and gas schedule; a residential water heater filed together with the plumbing permit needs no separate gas fee. Work started without a wiring, plumbing or gas permit pays double.

Homeowners may take out their own building permit under the homeowner exemption, but the department’s FAQ warns that doing so for a job a registered contractor would otherwise permit gives up the protection of the state Guaranty Fund under Chapter 142A.

How to apply for a Middleborough building permit

Review, corrections and what causes delay

The Building Commissioner must act on a complete application within 30 days of filing under 780 CMR 105.3.1. Because the fee is set only after the inspector reviews the file, missing items hold up the payment notice: a plan set without the wind checklist or energy compliance sheet, no workers’ compensation affidavit, a missing owner authorization, or an outstanding septic, conservation or zoning approval.

Inspections in Middleborough

Permit holders request inspections by calling the Building Department at 508-946-2426 between 8 and 9:30 am, Monday to Friday. The contractor, not the owner, is expected to call as the job reaches each stage. The FAQ names the usual stages: footings, foundation, structural frame and insulation, plus chimneys, fireplaces, roofing and exterior siding where the job includes them; a deck, for example, is seen at the footings and when the frame is complete.

A building re-inspection costs $40 on a residential job and $50 on a commercial one when the work is incomplete or needs substantial correction. After the final inspection the department issues the certificate of occupancy, $40 for each dwelling unit.

Building code, energy code and local rules in Middleborough

Middleborough enforces 780 CMR, 10th edition, with the Stretch Energy Code adopted under Chapter 115, Article II of the Town Code. Under the Demolition Delay bylaw, the Building Commissioner sends a demolition application to the Historical Commission within five working days; the Commission decides within 20 days whether the structure is significant and holds a hearing within 30 days of that finding. A building it rules preferably preserved can be held for up to 12 months, or up to 18 months if it is on the National Register, and demolishing without the Commission’s consent can bring a fine of up to $300.

Middleborough Gas & Electric’s December 2024 update says its moratorium on new natural gas service that would raise peak winter demand, in place for nearly five years, continues until further notice and covers requests to convert to gas heat, so plan new heating systems with that in mind. FEMA lists Middleborough as a participating National Flood Insurance Program community, with flood maps effective July 6, 2021.

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

Middleborough permit search and official resources

The PermitEyes “Public View of Permits Issued” page, linked from the Building Department, lets anyone look up issued permits without logging in. Older paper records can be requested from the department or through the Town’s public records request.

• Middleborough Building Department
• Middleborough online permitting
• Middleborough PermitEyes login
• Middleborough public view of permits issued
• Middleborough Building Department fee schedules
• Middleborough residential building permit fees (March 25, 2011)
• Middleborough commercial building permit fees
• Middleborough residential wiring fees
• Middleborough plumbing and gas fees
• Middleborough building forms and documents
• Middleborough inspection requests
• Middleborough Building Department FAQs
• Middleborough Health Department
• Middleborough Board of Health fees (September 1, 2018)
• Middleborough Gas & Electric natural gas moratorium (December 2024)
• Code of the Town of Middleborough (eCode360)
• Massachusetts State Building Code (780 CMR)
• Massachusetts energy code adoption by municipality

Middleborough building permit FAQ

Who issues building permits in Middleborough, MA?

The Building Department in the Town Hall Annex, 20 Center Street, 2nd floor (508-946-2426), which also issues wiring, plumbing and gas permits through PermitEyes.

How much does a building permit cost in Middleborough?

$12 per $1,000 of valuation for a new one- or two-family home or an addition, and $10 per $1,000 (minimum $40) for alterations and repairs, under the schedule effective March 25, 2011.

How much is a permit for a shed or deck?

$40 flat. Accessory buildings over 200 square feet, such as barns and garages, are charged $12 per $1,000 instead.

When can I call for an inspection?

Between 8 and 9:30 am, Monday to Friday, at 508-946-2426.

Can I switch my house to natural gas heat?

Middleborough Gas & Electric’s December 2024 update says its moratorium on new gas service applies to requests to convert to gas heat and continues until further notice.

Does PermitEyes work on a Mac or iPhone?

The Town says the program is not compatible with Apple product browsers, so use a supported browser on another device.

How much is a perc test in Middleborough?

The Board of Health charges $450 for a percolation test on a new lot and $225 for a repair, and the result is valid for two years.

Does Middleborough have a demolition delay?

Yes. The Historical Commission can delay demolition of a significant structure for up to 12 months, or 18 months for a National Register property.

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