Guide
Permits for foundation repair in Boston
Underpinning a wall, adding piers or replacing a main beam changes the structure of a building. In Boston that means a permit from Inspectional Services before work begins.
Which permit
Structural work goes on a long form permit
Boston issues two main building permits. A short form permit is for minor alterations that leave structure and use alone. The city describes the long form permit as covering major alterations or renovations that change a building's structure or use, which is where foundation repair falls.
The city's list of documents for a long form application includes design plans stamped by a Massachusetts registered engineer or architect and a certified plot plan. From the contractor it asks for a current license, a certificate of liability insurance and the signed contract with the homeowner.
Work must not begin until the permit is issued. When the job is finished an inspection is scheduled through Inspectional Services, and the licensed contractor has to be on site for it.
Who applies
Contractor or owner
Usual route
The contractor applies
Boston requires that a contractor applying for a permit be the one doing the work. Let the company take out the permit in its own name. The state's home improvement program warns that an owner who pulls the permit personally may lose access to its Guaranty Fund if the job goes wrong.
Limited
A homeowner doing the work personally
The city lets a homeowner apply only for work they carry out themselves on a one- or two-family house they live in. Structural repair is rarely a do-it-yourself job, and the stamped plans are needed either way.
Three or more units
Triple-deckers and condominiums
If you own a unit in a building with three or more dwellings, the city says you must hire a licensed contractor. Its own example is one floor of a three-decker.
Filled districts
Extra review where groundwater is protected
Back Bay, the South End, Fenway and the other filled areas lie in the Groundwater Conservation Overlay District. There, according to the Boston Groundwater Trust's summary of the zoning, a project that digs below a set depth, substantially rehabilitates a building or paves a lot must do two things: install a recharge system approved by the Boston Water and Sewer Commission, and file a letter stamped by a Massachusetts professional engineer certifying that the work will not harm groundwater levels on the lot or next door.
Not every foundation repair triggers this. Underpinning that involves deep excavation may. Raise it with the company and its engineer at the start, since the review adds time.
Offices
Where permits are issued
| Place | Office | How to apply |
|---|---|---|
| Boston | Inspectional Services Department, 1010 Massachusetts Avenue, 5th floor. Phone 617-635-5300. | Online through the department's permit portal. Status can be followed at permitfinder.boston.gov. |
| Chelsea | Inspectional Services Department, City Hall, 500 Broadway, Room 201. Phone 617-466-4130. | Through the city's online permit center. |
| Revere | Building Division, American Legion Building, 249R Broadway. Phone 781-286-8196. | Only through the city's e-permitting portal. The contractor uploads a license or a workers' compensation affidavit. |
| Winthrop | Building Department. | Through the town's online permit portal, linked from the department's page. |
All four enforce the same Massachusetts building code. What differs is the office, the portal and any local flood or groundwater review.
Questions about permits
How long does a Boston permit take?
The city gives no fixed time. It says the timeline depends on review by planning and zoning and on any further documents or outside approvals. Ask the company how long its recent Boston permits took.
A company says no permit is needed. Is that right?
For sealing a crack or regrading soil, possibly. For piers, underpinning, wall bracing or a new beam, expect a permit. Call Inspectional Services with the scope of work if you are unsure, and be wary of a contractor who will not apply.
How can I see whether earlier foundation work on my house had a permit?
Search the address in the city's historical permit records. Buyers can do the same before making an offer.
Foundation repair in Boston
Have a Boston foundation company take a look
Give the street, the kind of building and what has changed. The company settles a day to visit, and afterwards you receive its written account of the cause and what it would charge.
Ready to have it looked at?
Phone and say what you have seen. The firm on the other end is a Boston-area foundation repair company, independent of this website, and it can book a visit to your home.
Call (617) 555-0111You speak with an independent company, not with this website. See the referral disclosure.