Somerset, Massachusetts Building Permit Guide

Somerset’s Building Department, headed by the Building Commissioner, reviews and issues every building, mechanical, plumbing, gas and electrical permit in town and handles zoning compliance and code enforcement from Room 20 on the second floor of Town Hall, 140 Wood Street. Somerset has no online permit system: applications are downloaded from the town website and handed in at the counter, faxed or mailed. Under the fee schedule approved as of February 1, 2024, new one-, two- and multi-family homes pay $0.60 per square foot.

A six-month demolition delay can apply to any building 75 years old or more, and the department turns away incomplete applications rather than holding them, so the full package matters here more than in towns with online review.

The department covers all of Somerset. Fall River, Swansea and Dighton each issue their own permits, and Somerset shares a regional public health coalition with Fall River, Seekonk and Swansea.

What requires a building permit in Somerset?

New buildings, additions, alterations, demolition and changes of use need a permit under 780 CMR. Somerset’s department page adds its own practical guidance on the jobs residents ask about most often.

What the town decides and what the state holds

The State Building Code, 780 CMR, is written by the Board of Building Regulations and Standards and cannot be amended by Somerset. Town meeting adopts the general bylaws, including the 2004 bylaw on historically significant buildings, and the zoning bylaw, last revised in May 2023. The Board of Selectmen approves the permit fee schedule, and in April 2026 it also voted to waive building and electrical fees for events marking the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.

Somerset building department: who handles permitting

The Building Department is the only permit office for building and trade work in Somerset. Its staff includes the Building Commissioner, an electrical inspector and an assistant, and a plumbing inspector and an assistant who also inspect gas work. The Board of Health and the Conservation Commission share Room 22 on the same floor.

The fee schedule treats 8:30 am to 4 pm as normal business hours, the same hours posted for the Board of Health and Conservation offices, Monday to Friday.

Permit types

Residential permits

Somerset posts separate PDF forms for a residential short-form permit, a new house construction permit, and electrical, gas, plumbing and mechanical permits. A complete residential package includes the owner’s signature or a copy of the signed contract, insurance certificates, copies of licenses, plans and any sign-offs other departments must give. The department cannot take payments online, so permit fees are paid at the department.

A new house adds a REScheck energy compliance report, a plot plan and engineered plans for beams, laminated veneer lumber and trusses, and the $95 occupancy permit is paid at the same time as the building permit. The same occupancy fee applies to full renovations and to additions of more than 50%.

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

Commercial permits

Retail, office, medical, educational, industrial and warehouse space is charged $0.75 per square foot of new construction. Alterations, interior renovations and additions to existing buildings, and commercial roofing, siding and windows, are $12 per $1,000 with a $150 minimum. A new tenant uses the commercial new tenant fit-out form and pays $200 for the occupancy permit, and commercial signs, sheet metal and HVAC have their own forms. Commercial HVAC, solar and fire detection or protection work falls under the mechanical and sheet metal line at $155 or $10 per $1,000, a commercial in-ground pool is $10 per $1,000 with a $200 minimum, and a commercial fence needs a certified plot plan and a $125 permit. Annual certificates of inspection are $40, and multi-family buildings are inspected at $20 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

• Zoning Board of Appeals: special permits and variances cost $325 for a residential property and $625 for a commercial one, and accessory dwelling units and home occupations have their own applications. An appeal is $100, a continuance $100 for a residential case and $200 for a commercial one, a six-month extension $250 and a comprehensive permit under Chapter 40B $3,000. The ZBA charges a $100 late fee when work started without a permit.
• Conservation Commission: work near wetlands and waterways is reviewed under the state Wetlands Protection Act rules, which the commission’s mission statement says it enforces.
• Board of Health: on a septic lot, perc tests are $250 per lot and $100 per retest hole under the board’s fee schedule effective July 1, 2015, and abandoning a septic system is $50.
• Historical Commission: no demolition permit may issue for a building wholly or partly 75 years old or more, or of unknown age, without the bylaw’s review; a significant building found preferably preserved is subject to a six-month delay.
• Special districts: the zoning bylaw maps a Flood Plain District, a Watershed Protection District and a Water Resources Protection District, each with its own rules.

Somerset permit costs and fees

The schedule linked as “Building Dept fees 2-1-2024 approved” states that all permit fees were approved as of February 1, 2024, and carries a Building Commissioner and Board of Selectmen approval block. Fees are non-refundable and permits non-transferable; working without a permit doubles the fee, and inspections outside 8:30 am to 4 pm cost $135.

Worked example: a 2,000 square foot new house pays 2,000 × $0.60 = $1,200 plus the $95 occupancy permit, so $1,295 on the building side. A 300 square foot deck pays 300 × $0.45 = $135, and a $25,000 roof replacement pays 25 × $9 = $225.

Trade permits and who may pull them

Electrical, plumbing and gas permits are filed on Somerset’s own forms at the same counter. Massachusetts requires a licensed electrician, plumber or gas fitter for that work, a Construction Supervisor License holder for structural work unless a homeowner files as the code allows, and Home Improvement Contractor registration for contractors working on existing owner-occupied homes. The department wants license copies with every application.

Commercial gas appliances are priced by size, from $85 plus $15 per item up to 199,000 BTU to $225 plus $15 per item above 999,000 BTU. Annual electrical maintenance permits, covering maintenance and alterations, cost $250 a year for the first person named and $225 for each additional person, and commercial fire or burglar alarm systems are $100 plus 1% of the work. A trade permit not taken out in good time is charged a late filing fee of twice the original permit.

How to apply for a Somerset building permit

Review, corrections and what causes delay

780 CMR 105.3.1 gives the building official 30 days from filing to act on an application. Somerset does not accept or hold incomplete applications, so a missing signature, insurance certificate or sign-off means the file is handed back. HVAC applications, new or replacement, must also carry a Manual J load calculation and a duct pressure test.

Inspections in Somerset

Somerset has no online inspection booking; inspections are arranged through the Building Department at (508) 646-2805. A residential plumbing or gas permit covers two inspections and a commercial one three; masonry fireplaces and stoves include one inspection, with $45 for each extra. Anything requested before or after normal hours, whether an emergency or a scheduled visit, costs $135 paid at the time.

A failed building inspection costs $65 to repeat, and re-inspection fees in the trades must be paid before the inspector returns. For a new house, the $95 occupancy permit fee is paid up front with the building permit rather than at the end.

Building and energy code in Somerset

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

Somerset enforces the 10th edition of 780 CMR, and new houses must show energy compliance with a REScheck report. The general bylaws posted on the town’s bylaws page include no bylaw adopting the Stretch or the Municipal Opt-in Specialized energy code. FEMA lists Somerset as a participating National Flood Insurance Program community, with flood maps effective July 16, 2014.

Somerset permit search and official resources

Somerset has no online permit lookup. To see the permits on file for a property, contact the Building Department or use the town’s public records access process, linked from the Town Hall quick links.

• Somerset Building Department — contacts and filing rules
• Permits and applications — all permit forms
• New house construction permit — application form
• Residential building permit, short form — smaller jobs
• Commercial new tenant fit-out — tenant application
• Building Department fees — fee page
• Fee schedule approved February 1, 2024 — building, trade and commercial fees
• Preservation of Historically Significant Buildings By-law — demolition delay
• Town bylaws — general bylaws
• Zoning By-Law, May 15, 2023 — districts and overlays
• Zoning applications and fees — ZBA filings
• Zoning Board of Appeals — meetings and decisions
• Planning Board — site plans and subdivisions
• Conservation Commission — wetlands
• Board of Health — septic and health permits
• Board of Health fee schedule — perc tests
• FEMA Community Status Book, Massachusetts — flood insurance participation

Somerset building permit FAQ

Can I apply for a Somerset building permit online?

No. Download the form, then file it in person, by fax or by mail; the department cannot take applications or payments online.

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

$0.60 per square foot plus a $95 occupancy permit paid at the same time, so $1,295 for a 2,000 square foot home before trade permits.

Do I need a permit for a shed in Somerset?

Only at 200 square feet or more, at $0.45 per square foot with a $50 minimum. Sheds of 120 square feet or more need a 15-foot setback, smaller ones 5 feet.

Do I need a permit to redo a kitchen or bathroom?

Only if the work involves framing, removing or replacing sheetrock, or replacing or adding windows or doors.

What does an HVAC replacement need in Somerset?

A permit with a Manual J load calculation and a pressure test of the ductwork, for new and replacement systems alike; the AC also needs an electrical permit.

Can I tear down an old house?

If it is 75 years old or more, or its age is unknown, the Historical Commission reviews the demolition first and can impose a six-month delay.

Is there a fee to start work without a permit?

Yes. The building fee doubles, and a ZBA filing made after work has begun adds a $100 late fee.

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