Haverhill, MA Building Safety: Building Permits (2026)

Section 120-5 requires anyone who wants to erect, alter or repair a building or other structure in the City of Haverhill to apply to the Inspector of Buildings, submitting plans and specifications with the application; no such work may begin until the permit issues. Section 120-3 restricts who can issue that permit: no officer, board, commission or other person besides the Inspector of Buildings may grant a building permit, and every permit must strictly conform to Chapter 120 and the laws of the Commonwealth. The Inspector may also require, under § 120-6, a plot plan of the lot before approving an application, and under § 120-8 can demand a complete set of approved plans be kept on-site during construction.

A building permit issued under this chapter remains valid for six months unless the Inspector revokes it sooner, per § 120-7. Section 120-9 exempts minor repairs from the permit requirement when the owner does the work on the home where they reside, no labor is charged, material costs stay at $1,000 or less per project, and no structural, dimensional or occupancy change results, though emergency repairs after fire, windstorm or catastrophe can proceed first and get permitted later. Fees under § 120-11A run from a $25 application plus $13 per $1,000 of value, no maximum, for new residential or commercial construction, plus a $50 new-residential-occupancy fee, to $50 for the first $2,000 plus $14 per $1,000 thereafter for alterations and repairs, a $100 site plan review fee before new construction, and a $25 reinspection fee. All fees double under § 120-11A(8) if work starts before the permit issues or the Inspector grants permission.