Building Safety in Boston, MA (2026)
9 verified building safety rules for Boston, Massachusetts, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Lead Paint
Owners of Boston rental units built before 1978 must comply with the Massachusetts Lead Law (MGL Ch. 111 §§189A-199B) and 105 CMR 460, deleading or interim-controlling units occupied by children under six.
Boston Lead Paint Disclosure and Compliance
Heavy RestrictionsMass. Gen. Laws ch. 111, Sec. 197A (Notice to Prospective Purchasers of Hazards of Lead in Premises)
All persons selling premises shall, prior to the signing of a purchase and sale agreement, provide a copy of the form and other materials prepared pursuant to subsection (a) to the prospective purchaser... such seller and any real estate agent involved in the sale shall disclose to the prospective purchaser any information known to the seller or real estate agent about the presence of paint, pl...
Fire Sprinkler Requirements
Boston charges separately for installing a sprinkler system and for the mandatory annual retest. The Commissioner of Inspectional Services bills $20 plus $1 per sprinkler head to install, alter, or repair a system, and $25 plus $1 per head for the yearly test required by the city's own 1969 Building Code.
Boston Fire Sprinkler Permit & Testing Rules
Some RestrictionsBoston Code of Ordinances § 18-1.6(DD)-(EE)
(DD) Fire suppression system, permit for installation, alteration or repair of. The fee of the Commissioner of Inspectional Services for receiving an application for a permit under Section 105 of the commonwealth's Building Code, being 780 CMR, to install, alter or repair a sprinkler system or other fire extinguishing apparatus shall be a primary fee of $20, and an additional fee of $1 for ea...
Door Locking Hardware
Boston requires every vacant, unguarded building open to unauthorized entry to have all door and window openings closed and secured, with chronically-violated properties needing certified security hardware like steel plates or mesh grates. Noncompliance is a $300-a-week fine.
Boston Vacant Building Door Securing Rule
Significant RestrictionsBoston Code of Ordinances § 16-52.4(C)
When a building is vacant, unguarded and open to unauthorized entry, all building openings must be closed, secured and protected as follows. ... Every opening larger than one square foot in area that is located less than 8 feet above the ground or that is accessible from ground level or within 8 feet in any direction of an exterior stairway, fire escape or other means of access shall be secured...
Green Building Code
Boston's Building Emissions Reduction and Disclosure Ordinance (BERDO) forces large buildings to report energy and water use annually and hit falling CO2e emissions caps, reaching net-zero by 2050. Non-compliance draws daily fines up to $1,000 per building enforced by the Air Pollution Control Commission.
Boston BERDO Building Emissions Standards
Significant RestrictionsBoston Code of Ordinances § 7-2.2
Each building subject to the reporting requirements of this Subsection shall comply with the CO2e emissions standards set forth in Table 1 below... Buildings equal to or greater than 20,000 square or 15 units but less than 35,000 square feet or 35 units shall not be subject to the emissions standards until 2031, reporting for 2030 emissions... Each day that a building owner is out of compliance...
Carbon Monoxide Detectors
Boston Code § 9-1.4(B)(4) requires every property owner to provide and maintain a functioning carbon monoxide detector, per 527 CMR 31, in a rental unit before delivering it to a new tenant: a delivery-standard duty enforced by Inspectional Services alongside the unit's other move-in safety requirements.
Boston Rental Carbon Monoxide Detector Rule
Some RestrictionsBoston Code of Ordinances § 9-1.4(B)(4)
(4) Carbon monoxide detectors. Upon delivery of a rental unit to a new tenant, the property owner must provide and maintain functioning carbon monoxide detectors in accordance with the requirements of 527 CMR 31.
Building Permits
Boston requires a building permit before any roof deck on a residential structure can be used, backed by a structural and safety evaluation from a licensed architect or engineer. The Inspectional Services Department must reconfirm compliance by inspection at least once every five years, and unpermitted roof decks cannot legally be occupied.
Boston Roof Deck Permit & Inspection Rule
Significant RestrictionsBoston Code of Ordinances § 9-9.13
Roof deck permits shall be obtained by an owner by submitting a building permit application to the Inspectional Services Department. The application shall contain any and all required plans, including, but not limited to, a land survey, framing plans and a report of a structural and safety evaluation performed and prepared by an architect or structural engineer registered/certified in the commo...
Electrical Permits
Boston requires the Commissioner of Inspectional Services to approve or disapprove every electrical wiring or fixture installation and repair under M.G.L. Chapter 143, Section 3L. Fees scale with meter loops, service amperage, or outlet count, and contractors can instead buy a $300 annual maintenance permit if they keep detailed logs.
Boston Electrical Wiring Permit Rules
Some RestrictionsBoston Code of Ordinances § 18-1.5(C)
(C) Electrical wiring and fixtures, written notice of approval or disapproval of installation or repair of. The fee of the Commissioner of Inspectional Services for giving under M.G.L. Chapter 143, Section 3L written notice of his or her approval or disapproval of the installation or repair of electrical wiring or fixtures shall be as follows... The fee of the Commissioner of Inspectional Ser...
Plumbing Permits
Installing, altering, or repairing plumbing anywhere in Boston requires a permit from the Commissioner of Inspectional Services, and the city charges a primary $20 fee plus $5 per fixture. Boston Code of Ordinances § 18-1.16(CC) sets this fee under the state's Building Code, 780 CMR 105, which requires the underlying permit.
Boston Plumbing Permit Fee Structure
Some RestrictionsBoston Code of Ordinances § 18-1.16(CC)
Plumbing installation, alteration or repair permit. The fee of the Commissioner of Inspectional Services for receiving an application for a permit under Section 105 of the commonwealth's Building Code, being 780 CMR 105, to install, alter or repair plumbing in any construction or existing structure shall be a primary fee of $20 plus a fee of $5 for each fixture to be installed, altered or subst...
Building Inspections
Boston forces periodic structural inspection of exterior walls on buildings over 70 feet or classified high-rise, and on unoccupied structures exceeding 35,000 cubic feet. A registered architect or engineer must certify the wall safe before the Inspectional Services Department will issue the Exterior Wall Certificate that occupancy legally requires.
Boston Exterior Wall Inspection Rules
Significant RestrictionsBoston Code of Ordinances § 9-9.12
Every exterior wall defined above shall be inspected in the case of an occupied structure at least once every five years and in the case of an unoccupied structure at least once a year... The inspection shall be made and a report thereon prepared by a registered professional and shall be filed with the Commissioner together with a fee in the amount of $200 within 30 days of the inspection. The ...