North Andover, Massachusetts Building Permit Guide

North Andover’s Building Department, at Town Hall, 120 Main Street, issues the town’s building, electrical, plumbing and gas permits, and applications are filed in the town’s OpenGov portal. The building fee is $12 per $1,000 of construction cost, with a new house valued at the greater of $125 per square foot or its contract price.

The department also enforces the zoning bylaw, and its inspectors keep fixed office hours each morning: the building inspectors from 8 to 10 a.m. on weekdays, and the wiring, plumbing and gas inspectors from 7:30 to 9 a.m., Monday to Thursday.

What requires a building permit in North Andover?

The department’s own description of its work is the best list of what needs a permit in town. It issues permits for:

Exemptions follow the state code’s own list rather than any local list; the building inspectors answer scope questions in their office hours or by appointment.

What North Andover decides and what the state decides

The building code is 780 CMR, issued by the state’s Board of Building Regulations and Standards, and North Andover enforces it without local amendment. The town’s part is set out in its own code: the Zoning Bylaw (Chapter 195), the Wetlands Protection bylaw (Chapter 190) and its regulations (Chapter 260), the Demolition Delay bylaw (Chapter 70), the Old Center Historic District bylaw (Chapter 110), the Stretch energy code bylaw (Chapter 65) and the fee rules in Chapter 75, which leave the actual rates to the Select Board.

North Andover building department: who handles permitting

The Building Department, part of the Community Development division, issues building permits and houses the electrical inspector and the plumbing and gas inspector, who grant their own permits and schedule their own inspections. The Building Commissioner, Scott Vandewalle, heads the department. The building officials also make the periodic inspections that schools, assembly spaces, restaurants, bars and lodging houses need for a certificate of inspection.

Permit types in North Andover

Residential permits

Owners of a one- or two-family home they occupy can take out their own permit using the town’s Homeowner License Exemption form (revised January 2020). It lets the owner hire an unlicensed individual as long as the owner acts as supervisor, and makes the owner responsible for meeting the building code; anyone who builds more than one home in two years does not qualify. For contractor jobs, the town posts the state’s consumer guide to hiring a builder with a Construction Supervisor License, and the Home Improvement Contractor registration link. Pool permits have their own folder of rules and standards, and solar jobs follow a separate checklist.

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

Commercial permits

Commercial, industrial, school and institutional projects use the same $12-per-$1,000 rate, but their electrical permits start at a $125 minimum and their plumbing at $85 to $175 plus fixtures. Projects under the state code’s construction control rules file the state construction control documents, which the department links. Restaurants, bars and lodging houses need a certificate of inspection ($100, plus $10 per unit over five for lodging), and a change of licensed builder mid-job has its own form.

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

• Zoning: the department enforces the Zoning Bylaw itself, and relief from it goes to the Zoning Board of Appeals.
• Conservation Commission: work near wetlands is reviewed under the state Wetlands Protection Act and the town’s own Chapter 190 bylaw and Chapter 260 regulations.
• Board of Health: Title 5 approval for septic systems where a lot is not on sewer.
• Historic districts: exterior changes in the Old Center Historic District need a certificate from the Historic District Commission, and the Machine Shop Village has its own certificate to alter forms.
• Demolition delay: no demolition permit for a building 100 years old or more, in whole or in part, issues without Historical Commission review. A building of unknown age is treated as over 100 years old.

The demolition delay has a fixed sequence under Chapter 70. The application to the Building Commissioner gives the address, the owner’s name, address and phone, a description and photographs of the building, the reason for demolition and a short description of what will replace it. The Commissioner forwards it to the Historical Commission within seven days, and the Commission has 30 days to decide in writing whether the building is significant; if it says nothing in that time, the permit can issue. A significant building gets a public hearing within 30 days, posted at Town Hall for at least seven days, and a building found preferably preserved waits 12 months.

In the Old Center Historic District (mapped in 1987), any construction or alteration that affects exterior architectural features needs a certificate of appropriateness, non-applicability or hardship before a building permit. Chapter 110 exempts some work from review, including ordinary repair with the same design and materials, paint color and roofing material, storm windows and doors, at-grade walks and driveways, and landscaping; dish antennas, solar collectors, parking lots and commercial signs do need review.

North Andover building permit fees

The building fee sheet the department posts was adopted by the Board of Selectmen on June 26, 2006, effective July 1, 2006; Chapter 75 of the town code leaves the building fee rates to the Select Board. For new construction the estimated cost is the floor area times a $125-per-square-foot cost factor, or the actual contract price if that is greater; for additions, alterations and remodeling it is the contract price, and a copy of the contract goes in with the application.

Worked example. An addition with a $60,000 contract price costs 60 × $12 = $720. For a new 2,000-square-foot house the cost factor gives $250,000; if the contract is lower, the permit is $3,000, plus the $100 certificate of occupancy paid at issuance.

Trade permits and who may pull them

Electrical, plumbing and gas permits are granted by the department’s own inspectors and filed in the same portal. Their rates were adopted in June 2002 and are calculated as one-tenth of 1.5% of the estimated construction cost (in effect $1.50 per $1,000) on new buildings, additions and alterations, or the minimum below where that is higher. Every electrical application must carry the utility authorization number from the electric company.

The trades themselves are state-licensed: electricians, plumbers and gas fitters hold Massachusetts licenses, and the homeowner exemption above covers building work only.

How to apply for a North Andover building permit

Review, corrections and what causes delay

Under 780 CMR 105.3.1, the building official must grant or refuse a permit within 30 days of the application. In North Andover the slow parts of a file are usually the earlier boards: a Conservation Commission order on a lot near wetlands, a Title 5 approval on a septic lot, or a Historical Commission hearing on an old building. Chapter 75 also requires a copy of the actual contract price with every application. Once issued, a permit can be extended for six months at a time, twice, for $50 each.

Inspections in North Andover

Each discipline books its own inspections: the building inspectors for the structure, the electrical inspector, who schedules wiring inspections daily, and the plumbing and gas inspector, whose final inspection is part of issuing the certificate of occupancy. The electrical inspector also enforces the fire alarm rules for new homes and approves electrical plans for new buildings. An owner who uses the homeowner exemption signs a statement that they understand and will follow the department’s minimum inspection procedures. A failed inspection costs $30 per return trip in every trade, and a lost building card costs $50 to replace. The certificate of occupancy for a new building is paid with the permit; a temporary or partial certificate costs $50 a month.

Energy code and state code in North Andover

North Andover adopted the Stretch energy code by town bylaw, Chapter 65, Article I, effective January 1, 2017, including future editions, and the Inspector of Buildings or Building Commissioner enforces it. The town’s code shows no adoption of the Municipal Opt-in Specialized code.

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

North Andover permit search and official resources

Permits filed online can be looked up in the town’s OpenGov portal by address. For copies of older permits, plans or certificates of occupancy, contact the Building Department at 978-688-9545 or file a public records request with the town.

• North Andover Building Department
• North Andover OpenGov permit portal
• Permit fees and applications folder
• Building permit fees (adopted 2006)
• Electrical permit fees
• Plumbing permit fees
• Homeowner license exemption form
• Chapter 65, Stretch Energy Code (eCode360)
• Chapter 70, Demolition Delay (eCode360)
• Chapter 75, Fees and Charges (eCode360)
• Chapter 110, Old Center Historic District (eCode360)
• North Andover town code, including zoning and wetlands bylaws
• FEMA Community Status Book, Massachusetts
• DOER energy-code adoption by municipality
• Massachusetts State Building Code, 780 CMR
• Massachusetts city and town Census data

North Andover building permit FAQ

How much does a building permit cost in North Andover?

$12 per $1,000 of construction cost, $30 minimum. Additions and alterations use the contract price; a new building uses $125 per square foot or the contract price, whichever is greater.

When are North Andover’s inspectors in the office?

Building inspectors Monday to Friday 8 to 10 a.m. and Monday to Thursday 1 to 2 p.m., or by appointment. The electrical, plumbing and gas inspectors are in Monday to Thursday 7:30 to 9 a.m.

Can a homeowner pull a building permit in North Andover?

Yes, for an owner-occupied one- or two-family home, using the town’s homeowner license exemption form. The owner supervises the job and is responsible for code compliance.

Does North Andover delay demolitions of old buildings?

Yes. A building 100 years old or more goes to the Historical Commission; if it is found preferably preserved, no demolition permit issues for 12 months, and no new construction permit for the site either, unless the Commission agrees otherwise.

What does an electrical permit need in North Andover?

A licensed electrician’s application with the electric utility’s authorization number on it; the fee is $1.50 per $1,000 of construction cost, $55 minimum for a home.

Do I need Historic District approval to paint or re-roof in the Old Center?

No. Paint color and roofing material are exempt from Historic District Commission review, as is like-for-like repair. Changes in design or materials, new additions, solar collectors and commercial signs need a certificate before the building permit.

Which energy code applies in North Andover?

The Stretch energy code, in force by town bylaw since January 1, 2017.

Is North Andover in the National Flood Insurance Program?

Yes. FEMA lists the town as a participating community; its current flood map date is July 3, 2012.

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