Salem, Massachusetts Building Permit Guide

In Salem, building, plumbing and gas permits come from Inspectional Services, on the second floor of 98 Washington Street, and electrical permits from the City Electrician at 44 Lafayette Street; all of them are applied for online. A building permit on a one- or two-family house costs a $75 base fee plus $15 per $1,000 of total project cost under the schedule effective July 1, 2024.

Two points matter after filing: inspections are booked by phone and the city asks applicants not to request them through the OpenGov portal, and new buildings have followed the Specialized energy code since July 1, 2024.

What requires a building permit in Salem?

Salem files several kinds of work under the building permit. Its fee schedule lists these as building permits until separate permits are introduced:

What Salem decides and what the state decides

Construction standards are the state’s 780 CMR, and Salem’s own energy page makes the parallel point about energy codes: a city cannot write its own, it can only choose among the base, Stretch and Specialized codes. What Salem does decide is its Zoning Ordinance (enforced by a zoning officer in Inspectional Services, who also determines the allowable uses of a property), its fee schedule, its four local historic districts and demolition delay ordinance, and conservation and health rules applied by the city’s boards.

Salem building department: who handles permitting

Inspectional Services combines three jobs: the building office (the Building Commissioner, an assistant building inspector, the plumbing and gas inspector and two clerks), zoning enforcement, and Public Properties, which looks after City Hall, Old Town Hall, the fire stations and other city-owned buildings, including properties the city acquires through tax seizures and abandoned or unsafe structures. Wiring is handled by a separate department, the City Electrician, which also runs the city’s streetlights, traffic signals and fire alarm boxes.

Permit types in Salem

Residential permits

One- and two-family homes pay the residential rate; so does an accessory dwelling unit added to a single-family house. Adding an ADU to a two-family house moves the job to the commercial rate, because the schedule counts the ADU as a third dwelling. Re-roofing, solar panels, pools and wood stoves all go in as building permits for now. Applicants who are not comfortable with the portal can phone 978-619-5641 for help or come to the office, where staff show them how to enter the application; a paper form can be filled in and brought in for that purpose, but the city asks that completed paper permits not be mailed.

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

Commercial permits

Buildings with three or more units, large condominium complexes and commercial space pay $20 per $1,000 of total project cost on top of the $75 base fee. Buildings on the state code’s periodic inspection list need a 110 certificate of inspection ($100), and the schedule also lists a 304 certificate ($150); each carries a $25 late fee. A certificate of occupancy for an existing building, or one not tied to a building permit, costs $150. Owners of abandoned or foreclosed buildings register them annually with the department.

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

What comes before the building permit

• Zoning: the zoning officer in Inspectional Services confirms the allowable use under the Zoning Ordinance, and relief from it goes to the Zoning Board of Appeals.
• Historic districts: exterior work in any of the four local historic districts needs a Certificate of Appropriateness, Non-Applicability or Hardship from the Historical Commission, filed online at least 16 days before a meeting; appropriateness and hardship applications go to a public hearing. Application fees are handled through OpenGov or in person at the Department of Planning and Community Development (978-619-5685).
• Demolition delay: demolitions covered by the city’s demolition delay ordinance go to the Historical Commission, and requests to waive the delay are filed through the same online system.
• Demolition sign-offs: a demolition application carries releases from the gas, telephone and electric utilities, the city’s public utilities, the Health Department and the Fire Department, plus the name of the debris hauler and the licensed landfill.
• Wetlands and septic: the Conservation Commission for work near wetlands or the coast under the Wetlands Protection Act, and the Board of Health for any Title 5 septic review.

The Historical Commission normally meets on the first and third Wednesdays of each month, and its procedures set out what a district application needs. They ask the owner to apply (a contractor may file at the owner’s request), to include photographs of existing conditions taken from every public way, and to describe every item on scaled drawings with dimensions and materials: a site plan, elevations, details such as moldings and fence caps, and the locations of heat pumps, condensers, meters and other equipment. Certificates of Appropriateness and Hardship need a public hearing with notice posted 14 days ahead and abutters told in writing; a Certificate of Non-Applicability can often be added to an agenda up to the meeting day. The commission’s design guidelines cover siding, windows, roofing, porches, fences, solar and satellite dishes, and approved work must normally be finished within a year of the certificate.

Salem building permit fees

Every building permit carries the $75 base fee, and the per-$1,000 rate is applied to the total project cost. The schedule took effect on July 1, 2024.

Fees are paid by card or check inside the online application. The city has warned applicants about fake emailed invoices for application fees: Salem never sends invoices by email, and legitimate fees are paid only through OpenGov or in person. A permit extension is granted only while work is actively going on; otherwise a new permit is needed.

Trade permits and who may pull them

Plumbing and gas permits are filed online with Inspectional Services and, in the city’s words, are granted to licensed tradespeople only; the plumbing and gas inspector works in the same building office. Electrical permits are the City Electrician’s: that department receives and grants electrical permits and schedules inspections for residential, commercial and industrial work, through its own online electrical permit application in the city portal. Its inspectors are available from 8 to 9 a.m. and 1 to 2 p.m. On the building side, the person supervising structural work holds a state Construction Supervisor License, and a contractor working on an existing owner-occupied home of up to four units registers as a Home Improvement Contractor.

How to apply for a Salem building permit

Review, corrections and what causes delay

The building official has 30 days from the application to issue or deny a permit under 780 CMR 105.3.1. In Salem the steps most likely to add time are the ones before it: a Historical Commission hearing, which needs a complete application 16 days ahead of a meeting, a zoning decision, or a demolition that waits on its utility releases. Permits that are no longer wanted, or that must move to another holder, go through the city’s permit cancellation and transfer request form.

Inspections in Salem

The city is direct about this: do not schedule or request inspections through the OpenGov portal. For building, plumbing or gas inspections, call the office at 978-745-9595, extension 42200, or the inspector you are already working with; inspections run Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. to noon and Monday to Thursday from 1 to 4 p.m. For wiring, call the Electrical Department at 978-745-6300 or 978-745-9595, extension 52003. Plumbing and gas work is inspected by the plumbing and gas inspector from the same building office, and wiring by the City Electrician’s inspectors. A failed inspection costs $75, paid before the inspector returns. The building office grants certificates of occupancy at the end of a job, with no fee for new construction, and certificates of inspection for buildings on the periodic schedule.

Energy code and state code in Salem

Salem City Council voted on January 25, 2024 to adopt the Municipal Opt-in Specialized energy code, effective July 1, 2024. The city’s page explains that it applies to new construction, which must meet high performance standards and be prepared for all-electric heating and cooling; it builds on the Stretch code and adds nothing for additions, renovations or alterations. Adopting it was an action in Resilient Together, the climate plan Salem shares with Beverly.

The city summarizes what the Specialized code changes for new buildings. All-electric new construction has no requirements beyond the Stretch code, except multifamily buildings over 12,000 square feet. New homes and commercial buildings that burn fossil fuel must be pre-wired for future electric appliances and HVAC and install a minimum amount of solar, with some exceptions for shading; homes over 4,000 square feet must install enough solar or other renewables to offset all of their energy use; and new multifamily buildings over 12,000 square feet must meet Passive House standards.

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

Salem permit search and official resources

Permits filed since the city moved online can be looked up in the Salem portal by address. For older building files and plans, contact Inspectional Services at 978-619-5641 or make a public records request to the city. Application materials for each Historical Commission meeting are posted online with its agendas.

• Salem Inspectional Services (Building Department / Public Property)
• Salem online permit portal
• Salem building permit fees
• FY25 building permit fee schedule (PDF)
• Inspection scheduling
• City Electrician (electrical permits)
• Plumbing permit and online filing help
• Salem Specialized Energy Code
• Salem Historical Commission
• Historic districts map
• Demolition permit sign-off form
• Permit cancellation and transfer request form
• Salem Zoning Ordinance (Municode)
• FEMA Community Status Book, Massachusetts
• DOER energy-code adoption by municipality
• Massachusetts State Building Code, 780 CMR
• Massachusetts city and town Census data

Salem building permit FAQ

How much is a building permit in Salem?

A $75 base fee plus $15 per $1,000 of total project cost for one- and two-family homes, or $20 per $1,000 for larger residential and commercial buildings, under the schedule effective July 1, 2024.

Do I need a building permit to re-roof or install solar panels in Salem?

Yes. Roofing, solar panels, pools, wood stoves and mechanical work are all filed as building permits in Salem until separate permit types are introduced.

Who issues electrical permits in Salem?

The City Electrician at 44 Lafayette Street, not Inspectional Services. Call 978-745-6300 for permits and inspections.

How do I book an inspection in Salem?

By phone: 978-745-9595 ext. 42200 for building, plumbing and gas. The city asks applicants not to request inspections through the OpenGov portal.

Can I still file a paper permit in Salem?

Applications are online, but staff will help by phone or at the office, and you can bring a filled-in paper form so they can show you how to enter it. Do not mail completed paper permits.

What if my house is in a Salem historic district?

Exterior changes need a certificate from the Historical Commission before work starts, filed online 16 days before a meeting. Its procedures warn of fines of up to $500 a day for work done without approval.

Can I extend a Salem building permit?

Yes, for six months, for $65. The request must be in writing and work must be actively going on; otherwise a new permit is needed.

Which energy code applies in Salem?

The Specialized code for new construction, adopted by the City Council on January 25, 2024 and effective July 1, 2024.

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