Randolph, Massachusetts Building Permit Guide

Randolph’s Building Department, at Town Hall, 41 South Main Street, issues the town’s building, electrical, gas, plumbing and driveway paving permits, and all of them are requested online in PermitEyes. Under Chapter 300 of the General Ordinances a residential building permit is a $40 filing fee plus $12 per $1,000, and the Stretch Energy Code has applied in Randolph since January 1, 2026.

What requires a building permit in Randolph?

Randolph’s Building Department enforces the State Building Code, the state law on building inspection (Chapter 143), the Home Improvement Contractor law (Chapter 142A), the architectural access rules (521 CMR) and the Zoning Act, together with the Town’s zoning and general bylaws. For a town of about 34,900 people (Census estimate, 2025), its permit page lists building, electric, gas, plumbing and paving permits, and the fee ordinance shows the range: additions, renovations, decks, garages, retaining walls, roofing, siding, solar, pools, chimneys, sheds, foundations, signs, stoves, demolition and moving a building.

The department also publishes the work it treats as exempt:

What Randolph decides and what the state holds

The building code itself is 780 CMR, written by the state Board of Building Regulations and Standards, and Randolph cannot amend it. The Town Council’s ordinances control the rest: the fee schedule (Chapter 300), zoning, the wetlands ordinance (Chapter 196), the historic districts (Chapter 10), the demolition review for buildings 100 years old or more (Chapter 87) and the energy code. On August 11, 2025 the Council added the Stretch Energy Code to Chapter 83 by Order No. 2025-044, covering residential and commercial buildings from January 1, 2026; the Town has also been certified a Green Community by the state Department of Energy Resources.

Randolph building department: who handles permitting

The Building Department examines plans, issues permits and inspects for building, electrical, plumbing and gas work, with a Building Commissioner, an Assistant Building Commissioner, an Assistant Building Inspector and a principal clerk, plus electrical, solar-electrical and plumbing inspectors on set days. Ronald Lum is the Building Commissioner.

The posted office hours run through December 31, 2026, so check the department page for the schedule after that date. Other permits run through the Town’s Permitting Center page, which links each office that may have to approve a project: Health, the Historical Commission, the Conservation Commission, Public Works, Engineering, the Planning Board, Fire Prevention and the Zoning Board of Appeals.

Randolph permit types and the approvals that come first

PermitEyes offers 20 permit types and is available around the clock. Applications for building, electric, gas, plumbing and paving work are all made there, as are applications for accessory dwelling units.

Residential permits

Most house work carries a $40 filing fee plus $12 per $1,000: new construction, additions and alterations, renovations, decks, pool houses and garages, retaining walls, roofing, siding, sheet metal and solar. A few items are flat: $75 for a pool, $100 for a chimney, $75 for a shed over 121 square feet, and $200 to demolish. Re-paving an existing driveway, widening one or building a new one needs a permit taken out by a bonded contractor, and the Town encourages permeable paving such as pavers or grass-crete.

For an accessory dwelling unit, budget for the building permit application fee, the electrical and plumbing permits, inspection fees and a water and sewer connection fee for each new bedroom. A plot plan from a land survey is required when the ADU is an addition or a separate building, and whether sprinklers are needed depends on the main house and fire department access.

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

Commercial permits

Commercial building permits carry a $150 filing fee plus $17 per $1,000 for new construction, additions, renovations, sheet metal, accessory structures, retaining walls, roofing and siding. Commercial solar is $40 plus $12 per $1,000. Certificates of occupancy are $200 per tenant, certificates of inspection $200 per tenant or unit, signs $5 per square foot, and fire alarm or sprinkler permits $25 plus $1 per device. The department also enforces 521 CMR, the Architectural Access Board regulations for public buildings.

A demolition, residential or commercial, starts with the department’s Demolition of Structure Sign On Sheet: releases from the Assessor, Board of Health, Collector, Conservation Commission, the DPW highway, sewer and water divisions, the Fire Department, the Historical Commission, the plumbing inspector and the Police Department. Letters from the gas and electric companies must arrive before the Fire Department signs, and water and sewer disconnect inspections need 24 hours’ notice. The Debris Affidavit then names the licensed facility that will take the waste.

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

Zoning Board of Appeals filings

Since August 18, 2025, applications to the Randolph Zoning Board of Appeals are filed electronically in the same permitting system used for building permits, so an existing PermitEyes login works; first-time users register as a new user. Every application also needs paper plans for technical review. Owners, engineers, surveyors or others involved in the project may apply, for a variance, an extension or change of a non-conforming structure or use, a special permit, a Chapter 40B comprehensive permit, or an appeal of a Building Commissioner decision. Fees can be paid online by card or by check or cash at the ZBA office inside the Building Department, and the ZBA clerk is at 781-961-1519.

Wetlands and historic districts

The Conservation Commission reviews any work within 100 feet of a swamp, marsh, forested wetland, pond, vernal pool or intermittent stream, within 200 feet of a perennial stream, or in the 100-year flood zone, including tree cutting, grading, filling and building. Under Chapter 196 an applicant notifies abutters by certified mail or hand delivery, the hearing must open within 21 days of a complete filing and the decision follows within 21 days of the hearing closing; a local filing fee is added to the state fee, and the commission can charge for outside consultants. Separately, Chapter 10 (adopted in 2019) set up a Historic District Commission under the state Historic Districts Act: inside a local historic district, building or altering anything that affects exterior architectural features needs one of the commission’s certificates first.

What comes before the building permit

• Zoning: the Zoning Ordinance (November 2025 edition) and the Zoning Board of Appeals for variances and special permits; the Planning Board for its applications.
• Conservation Commission: any project in or near a wetland, under the state Wetlands Protection Act and Chapter 196.
• Health Department: its own permits are listed on the Town’s Health Permits page; on a septic lot the Board of Health administers Title 5.
• Historical Commission: before applying to demolish a building 100 years old or older, ask the commission for a determination of historical significance on its application form.
• DPW and Engineering: driveways and road openings, water and sewer connections and stormwater.

Randolph building permit fees

Randolph’s permit fees are written into Chapter 300 of the General Ordinances (amended by Ordinance 2021-019 and Ordinance 2025-011). The department’s fee page links the same building permit schedule as a shared document.

The ordinance says applicants must pay all applicable fees, so a residential project with wiring, plumbing and a final certificate of occupancy pays a building fee, two trade fees and the $200 certificate.

Electrical, plumbing and gas permits in Randolph

Trade permits are requested in the same PermitEyes account and charged under Chapter 300:

For example, a residential electrical service upgrade with $3,000 of electrical cost is charged the $100 filing fee plus $36, or $136. Each trade is done under the state license for that work. The electrical and plumbing inspectors work set days, Monday, Wednesday and Thursday, and a separate electrical inspector handles solar on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

Alliance handles electrical permits for contractors here. More on this: who pulls the electrical permit.

How to apply for a Randolph building permit

Review, corrections and what causes delay

780 CMR 105.3.1 sets a 30-day limit, from the filing of the application, for the building official to grant or refuse it in writing. In Randolph the department notes that many projects need review or approval from several departments before a permit issues, so an open conservation, health or zoning matter can hold a file. A demolition application for a building 100 years old or more also waits for the Historical Commission’s preliminary recommendation, due within 20 days.

Inspections in Randolph

The building inspector works Tuesday and Wednesday from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm and Friday from 8:30 am to 1 pm. For electrical inspections (Monday, Wednesday and Thursday), solar electrical inspections (Tuesday and Thursday) and plumbing inspections (Monday, Wednesday and Thursday), call before 9 am. A failed inspection costs $40 for residential work or $100 for commercial, and a third visit after two failures adds $50, so have the work ready. Certificates of occupancy cost $200 per residential unit. For a legalized or new ADU, the inspector looks at exits, plumbing, heating and cooling and wiring, and walls may have to be opened if work was done earlier without inspection.

Building and energy code in Randolph

Randolph enforces the 10th edition of 780 CMR and, since January 1, 2026, the Stretch Energy Code under section 83-4 of the General Ordinances, enforced by the Building Commissioner. FEMA’s Community Status Book lists Randolph as a participating National Flood Insurance Program community, 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

Randolph permit search and official resources

PermitEyes has a public “Permits Public View” search for permits by address. Older building files can be requested from the Building Department as public records.

• Randolph Building Department
• Randolph apply for permits (exempt work list)
• Randolph PermitEyes online permits
• Randolph PermitEyes permits public view
• Randolph Permitting Center
• Randolph Zoning Board of Appeals applications
• Randolph Conservation Commission
• Randolph General Ordinances (fees, demolition, wetlands, Stretch code)
• Randolph driveway paving permit FAQ
• Randolph ADU frequently asked questions
• Randolph application for determination of historical significance
• Massachusetts energy code adoption by municipality
• Massachusetts State Building Code (780 CMR)

Randolph building permit FAQ

Who issues building permits in Randolph, MA?

The Building Department at Town Hall, 41 South Main Street, second floor (781-961-0921). Applications go through PermitEyes.

How much is a residential building permit in Randolph?

A $40 filing fee plus $12 per $1,000 under Chapter 300 of the General Ordinances; commercial work is $150 plus $17 per $1,000.

Do I need a permit for a shed in Randolph?

The department lists one-story sheds up to 120 square feet, away from wetlands, as exempt; the fee ordinance charges $75 for a shed over 121 square feet.

Do I need a permit to repave my driveway?

Yes. Re-paving, widening or building a driveway needs a Town permit taken out by a bonded contractor.

What happens if I build without a permit in Randolph?

Chapter 300 sets the charge for work without a permit at “2x permit value”, in other words double.

Can I demolish a 100-year-old house?

Only after the Historical Commission reviews it; a building it finds preferably preserved cannot get a demolition permit for at least six months.

How do I apply to the Randolph ZBA?

Online, in the same permitting system as building permits, since August 18, 2025, with paper plans for technical review. The ZBA clerk is at 781-961-1519.

Which energy code applies in Randolph?

The Stretch Energy Code, adopted by the Town Council in August 2025 and in force since January 1, 2026.

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