Seekonk, Massachusetts Building Permit Guide

Seekonk’s Building Department enforces the State Building Code and the state electrical, plumbing and fuel gas codes together with the town zoning bylaws, issuing building, electrical, plumbing, gas and mechanical permits from Town Hall at 100 Peck Street. Applications and inspection requests go through the town’s OpenGov portal. The building fee schedule the Board of Selectmen approved on March 17, 2021 charges a new dwelling $0.45 per square foot, counting every level, with a $1,000 minimum.

The office keeps early hours, opening at 6:30 am Monday to Thursday and closing all day Friday. A new house needs Fire Department plan review before the building application, and Seekonk’s own wetlands bylaw reaches further than the state Wetlands Protection Act.

The department serves all of Seekonk. Neighboring Rehoboth, Swansea and Attleboro issue their own permits, and Seekonk’s Board of Health shares a regional public health coalition with Fall River, Somerset and Swansea.

What requires a building permit in Seekonk?

The building FAQ quotes 780 CMR 105.1: building, altering, repairing, removing or demolishing a structure, changing its use or installing regulated equipment needs a permit first. It then lists the work most often filed in Seekonk.

What the town decides and what the state holds

780 CMR is written by the state Board of Building Regulations and Standards, and Seekonk cannot amend it. Town meeting adopts the town by-laws, most recently compiled after the May 13, 2024 spring town meeting, and the zoning by-law; the Board of Selectmen, now the Select Board, approves permit fees. The town’s own building code by-law dates from a November 28, 1960 vote and is kept in a separate printing.

Seekonk building department: who handles permitting

The Building Department examines plans, issues permits and performs inspections, and the Building Commissioner inspects new tenant spaces before a certificate of occupancy issues. The electrical inspector and the plumbing and gas inspector work out of the same department, and Board of Health approval of the septic design and well comes before a new house permit.

The Building Department is open Monday, Tuesday and Thursday 6:30 am to 3:30 pm and Wednesday 6:30 am to 4:30 pm, and closed Fridays. The building inspector’s own office hours are 6:30 to 8:30 am, or by appointment.

Permit types

Residential permits

Seekonk uses OpenGov for all of its licensing, permitting and plans, and applicants create an account there. Permits are issued to holders of a Massachusetts Construction Supervisor License and, as an exception, to homeowners working on a one- or two-family home they live in. The department warns that a homeowner who takes out the permit is liable for any contractor they hire and loses the protection of the Home Improvement Contractor law, and it encourages owners to have a licensed contractor pull the permit.

The new dwelling checklist, revised March 8, 2022, asks for Fire Department-stamped plans, the Board of Health’s approved septic design and potable water report, a certified plot plan meeting section 5.1.4 of the zoning by-law and any conservation buffers, the workers’ compensation affidavit, the contractor’s license or a Homeowner Exemption Affidavit, a certificate of insurance, a debris disposal form, a HERS rating report, and stamped plans for engineered lumber, steel beams and trusses. Incomplete packages are returned.

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

Commercial permits

Commercial new construction is $0.55 per square foot with a $250 minimum, and alterations, re-roofing, siding, windows, insulation and solar work $20 per $1,000 of value with a $150 minimum. Anyone opening a new business or changing tenants in a commercial space must apply for a Certificate of Use and Occupancy, $125, and a sign permit; the Building Commissioner inspects before the certificate issues. Buildings under construction control use the initial and final construction control documents posted by the department, and an insulation affidavit form is posted alongside them.

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

• Fire Department: two sets of 11 by 17 inch plans go to the Fire Department first; it returns one stamped copy for the building application.
• Board of Health: septic designs must be approved by the Health Agent, which the regulations allow up to 45 days, and a new well needs an approved potable water report. Dumpsters and privies on site need their own Board of Health permits.
• Conservation Commission: Seekonk’s wetlands by-law protects isolated wetlands, vernal pools, ponds of any size and land subject to flooding as well as the resource areas of the state act, and the commission’s state-law jurisdiction runs 100 feet from wetlands and 200 feet from perennial streams.
• DPW and Water District: a curb cut or driveway permit from the Department of Public Works through the online system, and either a Seekonk Water District connection permit or an approved well.
• Earth fill: bringing in more than 30 cubic yards of fill needs a Select Board permit, but fill needed for the foundation, septic system and driveway of a permitted building is covered by a special permit from the building inspector without a hearing.

Seekonk permit costs and fees

The fee schedules on the department’s checklist page were approved at the Board of Selectmen’s March 17, 2021 meeting for fiscal year 2022 and are still the ones posted; when the Select Board reviewed the town fee schedule on March 18, 2026, only Animal Control and Public Works proposed changes. Starting work without a permit doubles the fee in every trade.

Worked example: a two-story house with 2,600 square feet across all levels pays 2,600 × $0.45 = $1,170, since that is above the $1,000 minimum, plus the $125 certificate of occupancy paid at the same time. A 1,800 square foot home would pay the $1,000 minimum, because 1,800 × $0.45 is only $810.

Trade permits and who may pull them

Plumbing and gas work may be done only by licensed plumbers and gas fitters, and no plumbing or gas work may be installed until the plumbing and gas inspector has issued the permit. Under the state electrical code, the person doing electrical work must file an electrical permit application with the inspector before starting or within five days, and sheet metal work needs an application under 271 CMR before installation.

A commercial annual electrical maintenance permit costs $250 and covers up to six inspections, with a $5,000 cap on work value per building.

How to apply for a Seekonk building permit

Review, corrections and what causes delay

780 CMR 105.3.1 requires the building official to act on an application within 30 days of filing. Seekonk returns incomplete packages rather than holding them, so a missing Fire Department stamp, septic approval or HERS report sends the file back. Changes after issue need a written amendment with revised plans, the added value and any extra fee; before the first inspection an amendment can simply be requested.

Inspections in Seekonk

Inspections are requested in OpenGov: log in, open My Account, choose Inspections and click New Appointment to pick a date and leave notes. If no permit appears in the list, prerequisites are still under review. Only the permit holder may request an inspection, quoting the permit number, address and inspection type, and the department advises calling the inspector the morning of the visit to confirm the time window.

A failed, incomplete or inaccessible building inspection costs $65 to repeat on a home and $75 on a commercial job; trade re-inspections are $50. A permit is good for six months, and the department can renew it for up to six more if the request comes before it expires.

Building and energy code in Seekonk

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

Seekonk enforces the 10th edition of 780 CMR and the state’s specialized codes. The town by-laws compiled after the May 13, 2024 town meeting contain no chapter adopting the Stretch or the Municipal Opt-in Specialized energy code, and none of the town’s permit pages names one; the new dwelling checklist still requires a HERS rating report. FEMA lists Seekonk as a participating National Flood Insurance Program community, with flood maps effective July 16, 2015.

Seekonk permit search and official resources

All building permit files are public records and can be viewed at the Building Department by request; for copies, the town’s online public records request form is linked from the Forms page.

• Seekonk Building Department — contacts and hours
• Seekonk OpenGov portal — applications and inspections
• Forms and permits — OpenGov notice and records request
• Inspections — how to book in OpenGov
• Project checklists and fee schedules — all FY22 schedules
• Building permit fee schedule — residential and commercial
• Administrative fee schedule — certificates and letters
• Electrical permit fee schedule — residential and commercial
• Plumbing, gas and mechanical fees — per fixture and per unit
• New dwelling checklist — required documents
• Demolition checklist — disconnects and asbestos
• Building documents — construction control, insulation affidavit
• Building FAQs — when permits are required
• Town By-laws, May 13, 2024 — wetlands and earth fill
• Zoning By-law book — districts and setbacks
• Conservation Commission — wetlands jurisdiction
• Board of Health — septic and wells
• Health Department FAQs — septic records and review time
• Zoning Board of Appeals — variances and special permits
• Select Board minutes, March 18, 2026 — fee schedule review
• FEMA Community Status Book, Massachusetts — flood insurance participation

Seekonk building permit FAQ

How much is a building permit for a new house in Seekonk?

$0.45 per square foot across all levels, with a $1,000 minimum, plus a $125 certificate of occupancy paid with the permit.

Do I need a permit for a fence in Seekonk?

The department’s answers differ: one FAQ says no permit up to 7 feet and another up to 6 feet, while the fee schedule charges $52 for fences over 6 feet.

Is the Building Department open on Fridays?

No. It opens at 6:30 am Monday to Thursday, closing at 3:30 pm except on Wednesdays, when it stays open until 4:30 pm.

Can a homeowner pull a building permit?

Yes, for a one- or two-family home they live in, but they become liable for their contractors and lose Home Improvement Contractor law protection. The department encourages using a licensed contractor.

How do I book an inspection?

Through OpenGov under My Account, Inspections, New Appointment. Only the permit holder can request one, and you should call the inspector that morning to confirm the window.

Is there a separate demolition permit?

No. Demolition is filed as a residential or non-residential building permit with Dig Safe, utility disconnect letters, pest control and asbestos reports.

How long does septic plan review take?

The Board of Health says plans can take up to 45 days, the period its regulations allow.

Which energy code applies in Seekonk?

The town’s by-laws and permit pages name no Stretch or Specialized code adoption; new houses must still submit a HERS rating report.

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