Westford, Massachusetts Building Permit Guide

The Westford Building Department issues permits for all construction under the State Building Code, including the electrical, plumbing and gas permits, and takes applications through the town’s online permitting site; after review it emails a link to pay. Residential work is $12 per $1,000 of total cost with a $50 minimum. Westford has used the Stretch energy code since 2013, and Special Town Meeting voted on October 26, 2026 to adopt the Specialized code for new buildings.

What requires a building permit in Westford?

The department publishes its own list of work that needs a permit, and it covers almost every exterior job as well as new building.

Westford’s shed rule, in effect since January 1, 2020, draws the line at 120 square feet; anything larger needs a building permit and must meet every zoning setback. The state code’s own exemption for sheds at one- and two-family homes is written at a larger size, but Westford’s rule is stricter: any shed over 120 square feet needs a building permit here.

What Westford decides and what the state holds

The construction standards are 780 CMR, the 10th edition of the State Building Code from the Board of Building Regulations and Standards, which towns cannot amend. Westford decides its zoning bylaw (enforced by the Building Department under Chapter 40A), its general bylaws, including demolition delay (Chapter 80) and wetlands (Chapter 171), and its permit fees, which section 9.3 of the general bylaws leaves to the Select Board.

The energy code is changing. Westford adopted the Stretch Energy Code at the October 22, 2013 Special Town Meeting (Chapter 150). A first attempt to adopt the Specialized Energy Code failed at the 2025 Annual Town Meeting, 165 to 137, but the October 26, 2026 Special Town Meeting passed it as Article 2, 304 to 107, alongside zoning amendments for small clean energy infrastructure facilities (Article 1). The town’s pages do not yet give the date the Specialized code takes effect; until then the Stretch code applies, so check the date with the department before finishing drawings for a new building.

Westford building department: who handles permitting

The Building Department issues permits for all construction regulated by the State Building Code and performs the related inspections. It also enforces the zoning bylaw, the conditions of Zoning Board of Appeals variances and special permits, and helps enforce Planning Board site plan approvals, working with the Westford Fire Department on fire protection. Erik Tardif is the Building Commissioner and Zoning Enforcement Officer; appointed by the Town Manager, the Building Commissioner appoints the wiring, gas and plumbing inspectors.

When you call about an application, have its number ready (in the form 26-01234); when you call about an inspection, have the permit number.

Westford permit types

The online permitting site handles applications, permit searches and document uploads. Some permit types are reviewed and paid entirely online: electrical, plumbing and gas; roofs, windows, doors and siding; insulation, weatherization and air sealing; certificates of inspection; and, since December 2023, kitchen and bath remodels, signs, small commercial fit-ups, and deck replacements or repairs within the existing footprint, with photos of what is there now. Any other permit is entered online, then delivered in person or by mail with paper copies of all required documents.

Residential permits

For online review, upload the contractor’s Home Improvement Contractor registration and Construction Supervisor License, a certificate of insurance listing the Town of Westford as holder, the signed contract, plans of existing and proposed conditions, and engineer-stamped calculations for any engineered lumber, and sign the application under sections 5.1, 5.2, 7A and 7B. New dwellings, accessory buildings, pools and anything that extends a building’s footprint (an addition, porch or deck) need a proposed plot plan from a registered land surveyor with the application and an as-built plot plan before the final inspection; the Building Commissioner may ask for a foundation certification before issuing the permit. Once approved, you receive an email with a payment link, then collect the weather-resistant job card or send a self-addressed stamped envelope for it.

For a new house designed after the Specialized code takes effect, the town’s summary is straightforward: an all-electric home needs nothing beyond the code already in force. A mixed-fuel home must be pre-wired for future electric appliances and, below 4,000 square feet, carry rooftop solar of at least 4 kW per unit (with exceptions for shaded or small roofs) or meet the Passive House standard; at 4,000 square feet or more it must offset all of its fossil fuel use with on-site renewable energy. Additions and renovations stay under the Stretch code.

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

Commercial permits

Commercial work is charged at $15 per $1,000 of total cost. Small tenant fit-ups can be reviewed online; larger commercial jobs go in on paper with full plan sets. Buildings needing a periodic certificate of inspection apply online for $40. For new commercial buildings the Specialized code, once in effect, adds pre-wiring for future electrification and rooftop solar to mixed-fuel buildings, and apartment or condominium buildings of 12,000 square feet or more must meet the Passive House standard.

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 Building Department enforces the zoning bylaw. Variances and special permits come from the Zoning Board of Appeals and site plan approval from the Planning Board, and the department checks their conditions in the field.
• Conservation Commission. Westford’s wetlands bylaw covers work within 100 feet of wetlands, water bodies and the FEMA 100-year flood line, and bars septic system components in wetlands or that buffer zone except in limited cases, such as replacing the system of a house that existed before May 7, 1994.
• Board of Health. Title 5 septic approvals come from the Board of Health, which also issues its own demolition permit; the department gives 978-692-5509 for it.
• Demolition delay. Buildings within the rolling 85-year window, on the State Register or inventory, or shown on the 1855 Symmes maps go to the Historical Commission before a demolition permit can issue.
• Curb cuts. A curb cut or driveway permit is on the Building Department’s list and costs $50.

Westford permit costs and fees

Permit fees are set by the Select Board and published in the online permitting site’s fee schedule; the department does not refund fees once paid.

Example: a $250,000 addition to a house is 250 × $12, or $3,000 for the building permit, with wiring, plumbing and gas billed by the number of inspections each trade needs. A water heater replacement, by contrast, is a single $70 permit covering both plumbing and gas.

Trade permits and who may pull them

Electrical, plumbing and gas permits are among those reviewed and paid fully online, filed by Massachusetts-licensed tradespeople with a current license and insurance on every application.

• Electrical: under 527 CMR 12. The electrical inspector’s office hour is 7 to 8 am, with inspections from 8 am to noon. Large commercial jobs are priced at the inspector’s discretion, and service changes run from $240 at 600 amps to $800 at 1,000 amps.
• Plumbing and gas: one inspector covers both, with office hours from 7 to 8 am and inspections from 11 am to 2 pm. Commercial gas permits start at $250 for two inspections; commercial plumbing at $250 for up to 10 fixtures.
• Sheet metal and HVAC: a separate permit at $15 per $1,000.
• Fire Department: reviews fire protection for new and existing buildings with the Building Department.

The licensed contractor or owner holding each permit is responsible for calling for its final inspection.

How to apply for a Westford building permit

Review, corrections and what causes delay

The building official has 30 days to act on an application under 780 CMR 105.3.1, and the department notes it also has 48 hours to perform an inspection once requested. In Westford the usual causes of delay are paper documents not delivered for permit types that cannot be finished online, insurance certificates that do not list the town as holder, missing engineered lumber calculations, and plot plans that are not surveyor-stamped. If you applied more than a week ago, the permitting site asks you to call the department with your application number.

Inspections in Westford

To book an inspection, call 978-692-5527 and speak to the inspector directly: the department does not take inspection requests by email and cannot guarantee a voicemail request was received. Building inspections run from 9 am to noon, electrical from 8 am to noon, and plumbing and gas from 11 am to 2 pm; the times given are a general window, so call the inspector on the day to narrow it down. Before any inspection, make sure every required signature is on the job card.

Every permit, whether building, electrical, plumbing, gas or sheet metal, needs inspection, and any permit with several inspections must end with a final. Permits left without a final are stamped and placed in the property’s building folder, a public record seen by buyers, lenders, insurers and appraisers, which can complicate a later sale.

Demolition

Apply for a demolition permit online, print it, have the owner sign it and bring it to the department, which sends it to the Historical Commission when the building falls within the 85-year window and circulates it for the other sign-offs. A separate Board of Health demolition permit is required. If the commission finds the building preferably preserved after its hearing, no demolition permit can issue for six months from its report, unless it is satisfied that a real effort to find a buyer who would preserve the building has failed.

Massachusetts building code

Westford enforces the 10th edition of 780 CMR with the Stretch Energy Code under bylaw Chapter 150. Special Town Meeting adopted the Specialized Energy Code on October 26, 2026, but the town has posted no start date, so the Stretch code applies until it does. FEMA lists Westford as a participating community in the National Flood Insurance Program, with flood maps effective July 8, 2025.

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

Westford permit search and official resources

The online permitting site has two public tools: “Permits for a parcel” shows issued permits at an address, open or closed, with inspections and approvals, and “Search permits” finds applications by address, owner, applicant, date or status. Older files are kept in the Town Hall basement; ask at the permitting counter or by phone, expect a wait while files are retrieved, and arrive by 3:30 pm to view one.

• Westford Building Department
• Town of Westford online permitting
• Building Department schedule of fees
• Permit fees and refund policy
• Inspections and inspectors
• Shed permit rule
• Specialized Energy Code
• October 26, 2026 Special Town Meeting results
• General Bylaws 2025 (demolition delay, Stretch code, wetlands)
• Massachusetts State Building Code, 780 CMR
• FEMA Community Status Book, Massachusetts

Westford building permit FAQs

How much does a building permit cost in Westford?

$12 per $1,000 of total cost for residential work and $15 per $1,000 for commercial work, with a $50 minimum. A roof, siding, window or door job is $100.

Does a shed need a permit?

Not if it is 120 square feet or smaller and kept 10 feet from the property lines. Larger sheds need a building permit and must meet all setbacks.

Is Westford switching to the Specialized energy code?

Yes. Special Town Meeting adopted it on October 26, 2026, 304 to 107. It applies only to new buildings, not renovations or additions. The town has posted no start date, and the Stretch code applies until then.

Can I book an inspection by email?

No. Call 978-692-5527 and speak to the inspector; email and voicemail requests are not guaranteed.

Which permits can be done fully online?

Electrical, plumbing, gas, roofs, windows, doors, siding, insulation, certificates of inspection, kitchen and bath remodels, signs, small commercial fit-ups and in-footprint deck repairs. Others need paper copies too.

Does demolition need anything besides a building permit?

Yes, a Board of Health demolition permit, and Historical Commission review for buildings within the 85-year window.

How do I check a property’s permit history?

Use “Permits for a parcel” on the online permitting site, or view the building folder at Town Hall.

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