Spencer, Massachusetts Building Permit Guide

In Spencer, the Office of Development & Inspectional Services (ODIS) at Memorial Town Hall, 157 Main Street, issues building permits through its Building Inspector and the wiring, plumbing and gas permits through the Town’s trade inspectors. Applications go in through PermitEyes; the fee is calculated after you submit, from the estimated cost you enter, using fee schedules the Board of Selectmen sets. The office is closed on Fridays.

What requires a building permit in Spencer?

Article 10 of Spencer’s General By-Laws says no building may be constructed, removed or materially altered without a permit from the Building Inspector, who may require plans and specifications first. The Town’s application forms show how the office sorts the work.

Spencer also requires vacant buildings to be registered under its vacant building by-law, and certificates of inspection have their own application.

What Spencer decides and what the state holds

All construction follows the State Building Code, 780 CMR, from the Board of Building Regulations and Standards, which the Town cannot amend. Spencer controls its fees (set by the Board of Selectmen under Article 10), its Zoning Bylaw, its wetland bylaw and regulations, its stormwater regulations and its decision, made at the November 27, 2018 Special Town Meeting, to adopt the Stretch Energy Code. Accessory dwelling units are applied for on the New Construction Permit Application.

Spencer building department: who handles permitting

ODIS combines the Inspector of Buildings with the staff of the Planning Board, the Zoning Board of Appeals, the Conservation Commission and the Board of Health, under the Director/Town Planner. Duane Amos is the Building Inspector and Zoning Enforcement Officer. The wiring, plumbing and gas inspectors each take calls on their own numbers.

Town Hall is closed on Fridays, but bill payments can be left in the drop boxes at its east and west side entrances.

Spencer permit types and forms

PermitEyes handles building, trade, Board of Health, Conservation, Planning Board and Zoning Board applications. New users register once; after that the address lookup fills in the owner from the Assessors’ records, and the department chats with the applicant through the portal when a license, insurance certificate or plan is missing. The PDF forms on the Building / Construction page show what each application asks for.

Residential permits

For a new single-family home, the Town’s checklist asks for the completed application signed by the owner of record, building plans, a certified plot plan bearing the original seal and signature of a registered land surveyor, a certificate of workers’ compensation insurance naming the Town of Spencer as certificate holder with the affidavit, a copy of the construction supervisor license, the home improvement registration affidavit and the fee. Incomplete applications are not accepted. Plans must be to scale and show elevations, foundation, floor and framing plans, a window and door schedule, sealed drawings for trusses and engineered beams, the energy compliance report and the smoke detector layout; two sets go to the Fire Department for review where it applies, and of the plans filed, one set stays with ODIS and the other must be kept on site.

A homeowner who lives at the address can take out a residential building permit as the homeowner, using the exemption form and the homeowner/contractor warning notice in the application packet. Every home improvement job, including accessory structures and in-ground pools, needs the home improvement registration affidavit signed by the contractor or the owner.

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, cell towers and ground-mounted solar arrays use the commercial permit. The Fire Department signs off all commercial permits. The stormwater checklist in the packet requires a stormwater permit for any land conversion of an acre or more; below that, a permit is needed if the work answers yes to two of three tests: within 100 feet of a storm drain inlet that discharges to a water body or wetland, on a slope of 15% or more, or disturbing more than 10,000 square feet. The checklist also asks whether the site is in the Aquifer Protection District.

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

• Sign-offs. For a new home, the Town Collector confirms taxes are paid, the Assessors confirm the map, parcel and house number, the Board of Health signs for a well or septic system, the Sewer/Water Department for town connections, the Highway Department for driveway and Scenic Road permits, and the Fire Department for new homes, bedroom additions and commercial work.
• Conservation Commission. Disturbing soil or vegetation within 100 feet of a pond, wetland or stream, or within 200 feet of a river or year-round stream, needs a Commission permit, and the building application asks about any work within 100 feet of a wetland, stream, lake or pond; if you are not sure, file a Request for Determination with the building application. The Commission meets at 6:15 pm on the second and fourth Wednesdays in McCourt Social Hall.
• Sewer Commission. Expanding a home or business on town sewer can bring an inflow and infiltration impact fee, and illegal storm or sump connections are charged $20 a day; ask the Sewer Department at 508-885-7541.
• Zoning Board and Planning Board. Both take applications in PermitEyes. The Town Planner reviews each ZBA filing and sends back the fee, required documents, abutter notice instructions and a hearing date; the ZBA meets at 7:00 pm on the second Tuesday and the Planning Board at 6:00 pm on the third Tuesday.

The Planning Board’s FAQ sets its timeline: submittals are due 36 days before a meeting, abutters within 300 feet get the hearing notice by certified mail, and after the decision a 20-day appeal period runs. The decision must be recorded at the Worcester Registry of Deeds, with proof given to ODIS, before any building permit can be applied for.

Spencer permit costs and fees

Under Article 10 of the General By-Laws the Board of Selectmen sets building and inspection fees. The Office’s posted fee schedule for building, wiring, plumbing and gas (revised November 2021) charges $6 per $1,000 of construction cost for residential work and $7 per $1,000 for commercial and industrial space, with construction cost figured from set square-foot rates. In PermitEyes the estimated cost in Section 9 drives the fee, which staff add after the department sign-offs.

For example, a $40,000 kitchen renovation costs $240 for the building permit (40 × $6), above the $85 minimum. Starting work before the permit is issued brings a fine of at least $250 plus the regular fee, and fees are not refunded once a permit is processed. Conservation Commission filings have their own fees (effective January 9, 2024).

Trade permits and who may pull them

• Wiring: filed in PermitEyes or on the wiring permit form and inspected by the Town’s wiring inspector (774-578-3581).
• Plumbing: inspected by the plumbing inspector (508-410-2034).
• Gas: inspected by the gas inspector (508-885-6617). The gas form lists what furnace, boiler and fireplace installations must have at inspection, including carbon monoxide detectors, condensate neutralizers and proper boiler tagging, and an incomplete job fails and is charged a reinspection fee.
• Sheet metal and solid-fuel stoves: each has its own application.

The Town’s trade FAQ says a trade permit stays open for one year, that working without a permit can bring fines and a possible license suspension, and that the Town cannot recommend an electrician, plumber or gas fitter.

How to apply for a Spencer building permit

Review, corrections and what causes delay

780 CMR 105.3.1 gives the building official 30 days from filing to grant or refuse a permit. In Spencer, a saved but unsubmitted application is invisible to staff, so press Submit, not Save and Exit. An application is not accepted while a checklist item is missing, such as a department sign-off, the surveyor-sealed plot plan or an insurance certificate naming the Town, and wetland questions may need a Request for Determination first. Payment changes the status to “Fee Paid” but does not issue the permit; that happens after the office’s final review.

Inspections in Spencer

Inspections can be requested with the clock icon on the permit in PermitEyes, but the Town notes that a request is not a booking: call ODIS at 508-885-7500 ext. 180 to confirm or to get the earliest slot. Trade inspections are arranged with each inspector. One set of approved plans must stay on site where the contractor and inspector can see it at all times.

Under the Town’s stretch code sheet, new homes must meet a HERS index target checked by a certified HERS rater, whose report is part of the energy paperwork. The Fire Department reviews plans and smoke detector layouts for new homes, bedroom additions and commercial projects.

Building code and local by-laws in Spencer

Spencer enforces 780 CMR, 10th edition. Article XXIII of its General By-Laws, added at the November 27, 2018 Special Town Meeting (Article 25), incorporates the Stretch Energy Code, effective July 1, 2019 and enforced by the Building Inspector. Spencer’s wetland bylaw is enforced alongside the state Wetlands Protection Act: the Commission’s FAQ notes that appeals under the Act go to the state Department of Environmental Protection in Worcester within 10 business days of the vote, while appeals under the local bylaw go to the district court in East Brookfield. FEMA lists Spencer as a participating community in the National Flood Insurance Program, with flood maps effective June 21, 2023.

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

Spencer permit search and official resources

Applicants see the status of their own applications in PermitEyes, where an issued permit reads “Permit Issued”. The Town also posts a list of building permits issued in 2019 on its Forms & Applications page; for other years and older plans, ask ODIS or the Town Clerk.

• Spencer Building / Construction
• Office of Development & Inspectional Services
• Spencer PermitEyes online permitting
• How to file an online permit
• Building and trade permit FAQs
• Building permit application for existing buildings
• New construction permit application
• Single-family home checklist
• Stretch code and HERS rating information
• Building, wiring, plumbing and gas fee schedule (rev. November 2021)
• Conservation Commission fees (2024)
• Conservation Commission
• Board of Health
• Zoning Board of Appeals
• Planning Board
• Bylaws and regulations
• Forms and applications
• FEMA Community Status Book, Massachusetts

Spencer building permit FAQ

Is the Spencer Building Department open on Fridays?

No. ODIS is open Monday to Wednesday from 7:30 am to 4:30 pm and Thursday from 7:30 am to noon, and is closed on Fridays and holidays.

How is my permit fee worked out?

From the estimated cost you enter in Section 9 of the PermitEyes application: $6 per $1,000 for residential work ($85 minimum) and $7 per $1,000 for commercial work ($145 minimum). Staff add the fee after the department sign-offs, and you are notified when it can be paid.

Can a homeowner pull a building permit in Spencer?

Yes, for a residential permit at the address where the homeowner lives, using the homeowner exemption form in the application packet.

What do I need for a new single-family home?

The application signed by the owner of record, plans, a stamped certified plot plan, insurance naming the Town, the CSL, the home improvement affidavit, the department sign-offs and the fee. Incomplete applications are refused.

Do I need Conservation approval near a pond or stream?

Yes, for any work within 100 feet of a wetland, stream, lake or pond. A Request for Determination costs $50 and can be filed with the building application.

How long does a trade permit stay open?

One year, according to the Town’s trade permit FAQ.

Which energy code applies in Spencer?

The Stretch Energy Code, adopted in November 2018 and in effect since July 1, 2019.

Where do I apply for an accessory dwelling unit?

On the New Construction Permit Application, filed with plans and contractor details; call 508-885-7500 ext. 180 with questions.

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