How Do You Get a Demolition Permit in Massachusetts?

You get a demolition permit from the building department in the city or town where the building stands. The Massachusetts State Building Code (780 CMR) makes it unlawful to demolish a building without one.

Before the teardown, state rules call for an asbestos survey, and most buildings need a notice to MassDEP. That notice alone needs ten working days, about two calendar weeks. A historical review of an older building can add 90 days in Boston. In Cambridge and Newton, it can add a year or more.

Dig Safe and the utility shut-offs come in too. This guide lays out the steps that come before any building demolition, with who does each one. It is general education from public sources, and your building department has the final word.

What does the local demolition permit need?

The owner, or an agent the owner authorizes, files the permit application with the local building official. For a demolition, the site plan shows what comes down and what stays. The building official must issue or deny the permit in writing within 30 days of filing (780 CMR 105).

State law also ties the permit to the debris. Under Chapter 40, Section 54 of the General Laws, the permit names the facility that takes the debris. If that plan changes, the permit holder tells the building department.

Cities and towns can add their own sign-offs. Boston’s demolition checklist includes a Dig Safe reference number, utility shut-off notices, pest control and a Fire Department permit. Ask your building department for its list early.

Does your town have a demolition delay?

Some cities and towns review older buildings before a demolition permit issues. A local commission runs the review. If it finds a building worth saving, the permit waits out a delay. The age trigger and the length differ by town.

In Boston, the application goes online to the Boston Landmarks Commission before the Inspectional Services Department (ISD) issues a permit. Staff reply within 10 calendar days of a complete application. A building found significant is scheduled for a public hearing within 30 days. Read more about demolition in Boston.

Outside these four cities, ask the town’s Historical Commission whether a delay bylaw applies. Some places call the process demolition review.

Why does the asbestos survey come first?

Before any demolition, the owner or operator must hire an asbestos inspector to inspect the building (310 CMR 7.15). The inspector must be certified by the state. The written survey report maps any material that may hold asbestos in the areas the work will touch. It reaches into wall cavities and above ceilings, even between layers of flooring.

Any suspect material left untested gets handled as asbestos. Any asbestos the survey finds comes out before demolition starts. An abatement contractor with a state license does that removal. MassDEP must get notice of most removals at least ten working days before they begin.

Asbestos abatement is a separate trade from demolition, and it finishes first. The survey also comes before the MassDEP demolition notice, since that form asks about it.

When does MassDEP need the 10 working day notice?

MassDEP, the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection, wants a demolition notice ten working days before work begins. The form is the AQ 06, and only days the agency is open count. It applies to every building except a residential building with fewer than 20 units. Filing is online only, through MassDEP’s eDEP system.

The owner or operator of the site files it. The ten working day wait starts when the notice goes in. Work must start on the date in the notice, or the filer submits a revision. That one MassDEP notice also covers the federal notice to the EPA.

A single-family home falls under the 20-unit exemption. The survey and the asbestos removal rules still apply to a house. The steps for a home are laid out on our house demolition page.

Who shuts off the utilities?

Each utility provider shuts off its own service. Boston wants shut-off notices from every underground and overhead utility, such as gas, electric, telephone and cable. It also wants a closed general service agreement from the Boston Water and Sewer Commission. The owner, or a contractor acting for the owner, asks each provider for its shut-off.

Each provider sets its own schedule, so start these requests early. Your building department will say which shut-off letters it needs before it issues the permit.

Does your city require rodent control?

Boston does. Its demolition checklist asks for a letter or bill from a pest control contractor. The pest control work happens before the job starts and again after it ends. Other cities set their own rules, so ask the building department.

When do you call Dig Safe?

Massachusetts law counts the demolition of a structure as excavation (Chapter 82, Section 40). The excavator, meaning the company doing the work, gives notice at least 72 hours ahead. The count skips weekends and legal holidays, and notice can go in up to 30 days early. Under Section 40D, a building code permit that involves excavation is not valid until that notice goes in.

The excavator first outlines the dig area in white paint or white stakes. The utilities then mark their lines in color. To reach Dig Safe, the Massachusetts one-call center, dial 811. Boston asks for the Dig Safe reference number with the permit application.

Who does each step?

The demolition contractor takes over once the paperwork clears. That part covers the machine teardown and clearing the debris to the facility the permit names. For market cost ranges, see what it costs to tear down a house.

What should you have ready before you call a demolition contractor?

Know the building’s age, since it tells you whether a historical review applies. Have the asbestos survey report on hand if one exists. We look at the job and put the quote in writing, and the quote spells out what the demolition covers. Call or text (617) 838-0280 to plan a full building knockdown or a house teardown.