Raynham, Massachusetts Building Permit Guide

Raynham’s Building Department, led by Building Commissioner Robert Iafrate, enforces the State Building Code and the town’s zoning by-laws and issues permits for new construction, reconstruction, alteration, repair and demolition, for installing equipment, and for the location, use and occupancy of buildings, structures and land. It works from 558 South Main Street, takes applications through the town’s GovWell online permitting system, and under its residential schedule effective July 1, 2019 charges $0.70 per square foot for a new house or an addition.

Before filing, the department asks every residential and commercial applicant to call and find out which signatures the application will need, because that depends on the type of construction. The same office also carries out the annual inspections of restaurants, multi-family buildings, schools and day care centers.

The Building Department covers the whole town of Raynham; the neighboring City of Taunton issues its own permits.

What requires a building permit in Raynham?

The department’s own statement of duties is broad: it permits new buildings and the reconstruction, alteration, repair and demolition of existing ones, the installation of equipment, and the use and occupancy of buildings and land. The fee schedules show what that means in practice, because each kind of job has its own line.

Any other residential construction falls under the catch-all line of $15 per $1,000 of value, and wiring work for any of these jobs needs its own electrical permit. The residential schedule charges a double fee for work completed without a permit.

What the town decides and what the state holds

The building code itself, 780 CMR, is written by the state Board of Building Regulations and Standards, and Raynham cannot rewrite it. Local choices sit elsewhere: the department enforces the town’s zoning by-laws alongside the state code, posts its own fee schedules, effective July 1, 2019, and works with town offices that keep their own rules, such as the Health Department’s septic regulations and the Highway Department’s street opening and trench permit. The full set of general by-laws is indexed on the town’s code page.

Raynham building department: who handles permitting

Robert Iafrate is the Building Commissioner. An administrative assistant, the electrical inspector and the plumbing and gas inspector work with him, and all four share the department’s main number, so one call reaches the building side and both trades.

On Tuesdays the office reopens from 6:00 to 8:00 pm, the one evening slot in the week, and on Fridays it closes at noon. Other offices a project may need are the Conservation Commission, the Health Department, the Planning Department, which posts the zoning by-laws, and the Highway Department.

Permit types

Residential permits

The town announced on the Building Department’s news page that online permitting is now available, and the link leads to Raynham’s GovWell site, where applications are filed. Before you submit, the department wants a phone call about signatures: depending on the kind of construction, the application may need sign-offs that the office will name in advance, so call before filing.

Residential fees follow the size or value of the work. New construction, additions and structural alterations pay $0.70 per square foot; decks, accessory structures and non-structural alterations $0.50 per square foot; siding, roofing, doors and windows $15 per $1,000 of value. A foundation-only permit is $200 and the occupancy permit for each unit $75.

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

Commercial permits

Commercial new buildings, additions and major renovations also pay $0.70 per square foot, with a $100 minimum, while minor alterations and renovations pay $15 per $1,000, again with a $100 minimum. Signs are charged by area at $3 per square foot; a communication tower costs $25 for each foot above grade and each antenna $300. A temporary office trailer is $400 a year, and a tent $100 for the first month plus $50 for each further month. Commercial occupancy permits are $100 per unit.

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

What comes before the building permit

• Signatures: the office tells you which signatures the application needs for each construction type; ask before filing.
• Zoning: the Building Department enforces the zoning by-laws, which the Planning Department posts; check the plan against them before filing, and ask the Planning Department if it does not fit.
• Conservation Commission: work in or near wetlands is filed with the commission under the state Wetlands Protection Act.
• Health Department: septic systems follow Title 5 and the department’s own septic regulations.
• Highway Department: digging in a town street needs its street opening and trench permit.

Raynham permit costs and fees

The Permit Fee Schedules page lists five schedules. The residential building, commercial building and residential wiring schedules are public documents, each effective July 1, 2019. The plumbing and gas schedule and the commercial wiring schedule open a login page instead of a document, so those fees are not public; ask the office for them. The residential sheet adds four rules: all calculations are rounded up, fees are not refundable, permits are not transferable, and work completed without a permit pays a double fee.

The commercial sheet has further lines after these, including a foundation-only line, that this guide does not list; ask the office for those figures.

Worked examples: a 2,400 square foot new house pays 2,400 × $0.70 = $1,680 for the building permit, plus the $75 occupancy permit and the $150 wiring permit for a new dwelling, or $1,905 before plumbing and gas. A 300 square foot deck pays 300 × $0.50 = $150. A $12,000 re-roof pays 12 × $15 = $180. On the commercial side, a 5,000 square foot new building pays $3,500, and a 32 square foot sign $96.

Trade permits and who may pull them

The electrical inspector and the plumbing and gas inspector are part of the Building Department, so trade permits are handled by the same office. Under state law the work is done by Massachusetts-licensed electricians, plumbers and gas fitters; structural work is supervised by a holder of a state Construction Supervisor License, and contractors working on an existing owner-occupied home of one to four units need Home Improvement Contractor registration.

The residential wiring sheet also has a solar line priced for one inspection; ask the office for that amount. Several wiring lines are charged per inspection rather than per permit, so the fee grows with the number of visits the job needs. The plumbing and gas fee schedule and the commercial wiring schedule are behind a login on the town site, so a contractor pricing that work has to get the figures from the department at (508) 824-2708.

How to apply for a Raynham building permit

Review, corrections and what causes delay

780 CMR 105.3.1 gives the building official 30 days from the filing of an application to act on it. In Raynham the most common avoidable delay is an application filed without the signatures the office expects for that type of construction, which is why the department asks for a call first. Other waits come from approvals that must come before the building permit, such as a zoning decision, a Conservation Commission filing or a septic approval. Permits are also not transferable.

Inspections in Raynham

The department’s staff include an electrical inspector and a plumbing and gas inspector alongside the Building Commissioner, and all of them are reached through (508) 824-2708. A re-inspection costs $50 on the residential and commercial building schedules and on the residential wiring schedule. The wiring schedule builds the number of visits into some fees, for example one inspection for an above-ground pool and two for an in-ground pool.

A building may be used only once its occupancy permit is issued, at $75 per residential unit or $100 per commercial unit. Restaurants, multi-family buildings, schools and day care centers are also inspected every year by the department.

Building and energy code in Raynham

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

Raynham enforces the 10th edition of 780 CMR. The Building Department pages do not say which energy code path the town has adopted, base, Stretch or Municipal Opt-in Specialized, so ask the department before the energy design is fixed. FEMA lists Raynham in the participating section of its Community Status Book for the National Flood Insurance Program, in the regular program since July 2, 1980, with a current effective flood map dated July 16, 2015.

Raynham permit search and official resources

To see permits already issued for a Raynham address, ask the Building Department; for files the office cannot simply show you, make a public records request to the Town of Raynham. Applications filed online can be followed in GovWell.

• Raynham Building Department — staff, hours, duties
• Online permitting is now available — town notice
• Raynham GovWell portal — apply online
• Permit fee schedules — list of the five schedules
• Residential building permit fees, July 1, 2019 — Word file
• Commercial building permit fees, July 1, 2019 — Word file
• Residential wiring permit fees, July 1, 2019 — Word file
• Zoning by-laws — Planning Department
• Raynham code index — general by-laws
• Conservation Commission — wetlands filings
• Health Department — septic and health permits
• Septic regulations — Health Department
• Street opening and trench permit — Highway Department
• FEMA Community Status Book, Massachusetts — flood insurance participation

Raynham building permit FAQ

How much does a building permit for a new house cost in Raynham?

$0.70 per square foot, so a 2,400 square foot house pays $1,680, plus a $75 occupancy permit and a $150 wiring permit. Plumbing and gas fees come on top and are quoted by the office.

Can I apply for a Raynham permit online?

Yes. The town’s online permitting runs on GovWell; call the office first so the application carries the signatures your type of construction needs.

When is the Raynham Building Department open?

Monday to Thursday 8:30 am to 4:30 pm, Tuesday evenings 6:00 to 8:00 pm and Friday 8:30 am to noon, at 558 South Main Street.

What does a deck permit cost in Raynham?

Decks and accessory structures are $0.50 per square foot, so a 300 square foot deck is $150. The $50 minimum fee applies to very small jobs.

What happens if I build without a permit in Raynham?

The residential schedule charges a double fee for work completed without a permit, and the fee is not refundable.

Where do I find Raynham’s plumbing and gas permit fees?

Not online: the schedule link on the town site opens a login page. Ask the Building Department at (508) 824-2708, where the plumbing and gas inspector works.

Do I need a permit for a tall fence in Raynham?

The commercial fee schedule charges $100 for a fence above 7 feet. The residential schedule has no fence line, so for a fence at a house, ask the office.

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