Framingham, MA Building Safety: Green Building Code (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing chapter
- City Code Ch. 220, Art. I
- Code adopted
- 780 CMR Appendix 115.AA (Stretch Energy Code)
- Applies to
- Residential and commercial buildings
- Enforcing official
- Building Commissioner
- Last amended
- April 30, 2024
Summary
Framingham adopted the Massachusetts Stretch Energy Code as Chapter 220 of its City Code, requiring residential and commercial buildings to meet 780 CMR Appendix 115.AA rather than the base state energy code. Building Commissioner enforcement applies citywide, with any building outside the code's scope instead following 780 CMR 13, 34, and 51.
STRETCH ENERGY CODE Codified by the Board of Building Regulations and Standards as 780 CMR Appendix 115.AA of the 8th edition Massachusetts Building Code, the "Stretch Energy Code" is an appendix to the Massachusetts Building Code, based on further amendments to the International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) to improve the energy efficiency of buildings built to this code. ... This code applies to residential and commercial buildings. Buildings not included in this scope shall comply with 780 CMR 13, 34 and 51, as applicable. ... The Stretch Energy Code, as codified by the Board of Building Regulations and Standards as 780 CMR Appendix 115.AA, including any future editions, amendments or modifications, is herein incorporated by reference into this article. The Stretch Energy Code is enforceable by the City's Building Commissioner.
Full Breakdown
Chapter 220, Article I of the City Code incorporates the Massachusetts Stretch Energy Code, an appendix to the state building code that tightens energy-efficiency requirements beyond the baseline International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) amendments the Commonwealth otherwise applies. Section 220-1 defines the Stretch Energy Code as "780 CMR Appendix 115.AA of the 8th edition Massachusetts Building Code," built on further amendments to the IECC, and distinguishes it from the baseline IECC-with-Massachusetts-amendments code that the Board of Building Regulations and Standards otherwise sets as the statewide floor.
Section 220-2 states the purpose is to give a more energy-efficient alternative to the base energy code for both new construction and existing buildings, while § 220-3 fixes the code's scope to residential and commercial buildings, sending anything outside that scope to 780 CMR 13, 34, and 51 instead. Section 220-4, last amended April 30, 2024, formally incorporates the Stretch Energy Code by reference, including any future editions, amendments, or modifications the Board of Building Regulations and Standards adopts, and assigns enforcement to the City's Building Commissioner.
Because the ordinance incorporates the state appendix by reference rather than reprinting its numeric requirements, project-specific compliance, insulation values, air-sealing targets, and HERS index scores, is verified against the current edition of 780 CMR Appendix 115.AA at permit review, not against a number printed in the City Code itself.
Violations & Fines
Chapter 220 does not set out its own fine schedule; it names the City's Building Commissioner as the enforcing official for Stretch Energy Code compliance. Because the code is triggered at the building-permit stage under § 220-4, noncompliant plans are addressed through the permit review and inspection process the Building Commissioner already administers for all construction under the State Building Code.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Framingham require a stricter energy code than the state minimum?
Who enforces the Stretch Energy Code in Framingham?
What buildings does Framingham's Stretch Energy Code cover?
What state building code edition does Framingham's ordinance reference?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Framingham
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