Nantucket, Massachusetts Building Permit Guide

On Nantucket, the Building Division of the Planning and Land Use Services department (PLUS) issues building permits, and its wiring and plumbing and gas inspectors issue the trade permits. A building application goes in on paper with an identical electronic copy emailed to BuildingPermits@nantucket-ma.gov; trade and zoning permits can be filed on the Citizen Self Service portal. New buildings and alterations cost $1.00 per square foot of interior space, and because the whole island is one historic district, exterior work needs a Historic District Commission Certificate of Appropriateness first.

What requires a building permit on Nantucket?

Building, altering, moving or demolishing a structure needs a building permit, and the Building Division’s fee schedule shows how far that reaches on the island: re-roofing and re-shingling, chimney repairs, decks, pools and spas, game courts, solar systems, wood stoves, elevators, windmills, tents and trenches each carry their own fee line.

Exemption from a building permit under 780 CMR does not mean exemption from the Historic District Commission. Its review covers any construction or alteration that affects or creates an exterior architectural feature, including equipment, driveways and landscape structures, so even a shed or a fence normally needs HDC approval.

What Nantucket decides and what the state holds

Nantucket is both a town and a county with a single government, but its building rules are the state’s: 780 CMR, the 10th edition of the State Building Code from the Board of Building Regulations and Standards, plus the state electrical, plumbing and gas codes. What the island controls is the land-use layer: the zoning bylaw (Planning Board and Zoning Board of Appeals), the Historic District Commission under its special acts, the Board of Health’s septic and well permits, the Conservation Commission, the sewer districts and the permit fees.

The PLUS building checklist (February 2025) states that Nantucket is a Stretch Code community enforcing the 2021 IECC with the Massachusetts amendments in 225 CMR 22 for residential and 225 CMR 23 for commercial buildings, and it asks for a preliminary HERS report based on the plans with each building application.

Who issues building permits on Nantucket?

PLUS was formed by merging the old Code Enforcement Department with planning and zoning, and today it houses the Building, Planning and Zoning departments and the Historic District Commission under the Director of Planning. That gives the island a single front counter at 2 Fairgrounds Road for building permits, zoning permits and HDC applications. The local building inspector, wiring inspector and plumbing and gas inspector all work from it.

Outside PLUS, the Health Department issues septic, pool and other health permits, the Sewer Department issues sewer connection permits, and the Department of Public Works issues driveway and street opening permits.

Nantucket permit types

The Citizen Self Service (CSS) portal handles electrical, gas and plumbing, and zoning applications for PLUS, along with Health and Sewer Department permits, and shows each permit’s status on your dashboard. Building permit applications are filed with PLUS as physical submissions, and every application and supporting document must also be emailed to BuildingPermits@nantucket-ma.gov; the electronic copy must be kept current with any revised plans, or the application is held back from review.

Residential permits

The building permit checklist lists the items for a house: the completed application, a certified plot plan, a copy of the contractor’s license, two complete stapled plan sets (foundation, framing cross section, window and door schedule and detailed floor plans), the preliminary HERS report, and the workers’ compensation affidavit with the policy declaration page. For exterior work, attach the yellow copy of the HDC Certificate of Appropriateness and two copies of the approved elevations and site plan stapled to the structural plans. Depending on the lot, add the approved septic permit, the original sewer entry permit or the water well completion report, a DPW driveway access form for any new driveway, a Form J subdivision lot release, recorded Conservation Commission, ZBA or Planning Board decisions, and Planning Board approval for a secondary or tertiary dwelling. An owner doing their own work files the Homeowner Exemption Form; a change of builder mid-job uses the Change of Contractor Form.

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

Commercial permits

Commercial buildings pay the same $1.00 per square foot building fee, while commercial electrical, plumbing and gas permits carry higher rates. Elevators, public tents and periodic certificates of inspection have their own fees, and the state construction control form applies where 780 CMR requires a registered design professional to oversee the work.

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

What comes before the building permit

• Historic District Commission. Nantucket, Tuckernuck and Muskeget form one historic district of about 30,000 acres. Any new building or alteration that affects an exterior feature needs a Certificate of Appropriateness, with closer scrutiny in the Old Historic District downtown and the Sconset Old Historic District. The HDC meets every Tuesday at 4 pm at 4 Fairgrounds Road and takes electronic submissions only by its posted deadline.
• Zoning. PLUS zoning staff issue zoning permits; special permits come from the Planning Board or the Zoning Board of Appeals, and their decisions must be recorded before the building permit.
• Board of Health. Lots on septic need an approved septic permit under Title 5 (310 CMR 15) and the island’s health rules, and lots on a private well need the well completion report.
• Sewer and DPW. Sewered lots need the original sewer entry permit; new driveways need DPW access approval, and work in a street needs a street opening permit.
• Conservation Commission. Work in or near wetlands and other resource areas needs a recorded commission approval.

Nantucket permit costs and fees

The Building Division fee schedules were approved by the Board of Selectmen on February 25, 2015 and took effect on April 1, 2015; they are still the schedules PLUS posts. Building fees are paid when the permit is issued, not at filing. Each fee includes one inspection of every component that needs one.

A new house with 2,800 square feet of interior space costs 2,800 × $1.00, or $2,800, for the building permit; a 400-square-foot deck added to it is 400 × $0.25, or $100. A 200-amp residential service on that house is 200 × $1.50, or $300, and covers four electrical inspections. A fee can be appealed to the Select Board before it is paid. HDC application fees are separate and set by the commission.

Trade permits and who may pull them

The wiring inspector and the plumbing and gas inspector sit in PLUS, and their permits can be filed on the CSS portal or on the posted paper forms.

• Electrical: a licensed electrician files under 527 CMR 12. State law (MGL c. 143, s. 3L, quoted on the fee sheet) requires notice to the inspector of wires before or within five days of starting work for hire. A new structure’s fee covers temporary service, permanent service, rough and final inspections; underground primary to a vault is $75, plus $50 for each further vault.
• Plumbing and gas: licensed plumbers and gas fitters file separate permits; a new structure’s fee covers underground, rough and final inspections. Appliance replacements and disconnects are $75 for homes.
• Sheet metal and wood stoves: separate applications, $150 and $25.

The building permit needs a copy of the contractor’s license, which for most building work is the state Construction Supervisor License; home improvement work on an existing owner-occupied home also calls for Home Improvement Contractor registration.

How to apply for a Nantucket building permit

Review, corrections and what causes delay

Under 780 CMR 105.3.1 the building official must act on an application within 30 days of filing. An incomplete package is returned without review, and a building application whose emailed copy does not match the latest plans is held. The usual island delays sit upstream: HDC agendas that fill weeks ahead, an HDC decision that changes the elevations, a septic or sewer permit still pending, or a Planning Board decision not yet recorded at the Registry of Deeds.

Inspections on Nantucket

Call 508-325-7587 to schedule a building inspection; the field inspector is in the office only from 7:30 to 8 am. The wiring and plumbing and gas inspectors are in from 7:30 to 9 am and take inspection appointments by phone at extensions 7018 and 7013 or in person. Electrical permits for new structures include four inspections, and plumbing and gas permits three; every extra visit after a failure or for on-site guidance costs $50 and must be paid in advance.

Starting construction before the permit is issued and posted at the site, or renewing a certificate of inspection after it has expired, triggers the late filing fee of four times the normal charge. A lost inspection card can be replaced on the posted form. After the finals, buildings that need a periodic certificate of inspection renew it for $75.

Massachusetts building code

Nantucket enforces the 10th edition of 780 CMR, and its PLUS checklist identifies the island as a Stretch energy code community. FEMA lists Nantucket as a participating community in the National Flood Insurance Program, with flood maps effective June 9, 2014.

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

Nantucket permit search and official resources

Permits filed on the Citizen Self Service portal can be tracked there. PLUS also keeps a public digital archive on Laserfiche with land-use, zoning and HDC records, including HDC view packs and staff comments. For older building files, contact PLUS at 508-325-7587 or make a public records request to the town; applications filed with the town are public records.

• PLUS Building Office
• Building forms and fee schedules
• Building permit application checklist
• Building Division fee schedule
• Electrical fee schedule
• Plumbing and gas fee schedule
• Citizen Self Service portal
• Historic District Commission
• Planning and Land Use Services
• PLUS digital archives (Laserfiche)
• Health Department permits
• Sewer Department permits
• Public Works driveway and street opening permits
• FEMA Community Status Book, Massachusetts
• Massachusetts State Building Code, 10th edition

Nantucket building permit FAQs

How much is a building permit on Nantucket?

$1.00 per square foot of interior space for a new building or alteration, under the schedule in effect since April 1, 2015. Decks are $0.25 per square foot, pools $300, and re-roofing $75.

Does the Historic District Commission cover my house?

Yes. All of Nantucket, Tuckernuck and Muskeget is one historic district, and any work that affects an exterior architectural feature needs an HDC Certificate of Appropriateness before the building permit.

Do I need a permit for a shed?

A shed up to 200 square feet takes a $50 zoning permit from PLUS rather than a building permit, and like any exterior structure it needs HDC approval.

Can I apply online?

Electrical, plumbing and gas, and zoning permits can be filed on the Citizen Self Service portal. Building permits are submitted on paper with a matching electronic copy emailed to BuildingPermits@nantucket-ma.gov.

What happens if I start work before the permit is posted?

The fee becomes four times the normal amount, both for building permits and for plumbing and gas permits.

Which energy code applies on Nantucket?

The Stretch energy code, which PLUS describes as the 2021 IECC with Massachusetts amendments; a preliminary HERS report must come with each building application.

When can I reach an inspector?

The building inspector is in the office from 7:30 to 8 am and the wiring and plumbing and gas inspectors from 7:30 to 9 am on weekdays, at 508-325-7587.

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