5 county-level rules, plus city-specific rules for 3 cities in Norfolk County, Massachusetts.
Verified from official government sources
Norfolk County does not administer stormwater programs. All Norfolk County towns are EPA MS4 permittees, enforcing stormwater standards under 310 CMR 10.05 (Wetlands) and town stormwater bylaws.
Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 131, § 40 (Wetlands Protection Act — Stormwater Discharges Affecting Wetlands, Riverfront Areas, and Lands Subject to Flooding) (Massachusetts General Laws; applies to all cities/towns within the county)
Section 40. No person shall remove, fill, dredge or alter any bank, riverfront area, fresh water wetland, coastal wetland, beach, dune, flat, marsh, meadow or swamp bordering on the ocean or on any estuary, creek, river, stream, pond, or lake, or any land under said waters or any land subject to tidal action, coastal storm flowage, or flooding, other than in the course of maintaining, repairing...
Norfolk County does not enforce erosion control. Each municipality requires erosion and sediment controls on construction sites under local bylaws, the Wetlands Protection Act, and EPA construction general permit.
Norfolk County has coastal frontage in Quincy, Weymouth, and Cohasset. Coastal development is regulated by MA Coastal Zone Management (CZM), Wetlands Protection Act, and Chapter 91 (tidelands law) — not by the county.
Norfolk County has significant flood risk from the Neponset River, Weymouth Back River, and coastal areas. FEMA Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs) apply. Development in Special Flood Hazard Areas requires elevation certificates and flood zone compliance under Massachusetts and NFIP rules.
Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 131, § 40 (Wetlands Protection Act — Removal, Fill, Dredging or Altering of Land Bordering Waters) (Massachusetts General Laws; applies to all cities/towns within the county)
Section 40. No person shall remove, fill, dredge or alter any bank, riverfront area, fresh water wetland, coastal wetland, beach, dune, flat, marsh, meadow or swamp bordering on the ocean or on any estuary, creek, river, stream, pond, or lake, or any land under said waters or any land subject to tidal action, coastal storm flowage, or flooding, other than in the course of maintaining, repairing...
Norfolk County does not regulate grading. Each municipality requires grading permits under 780 CMR building code. Drainage cannot be diverted onto neighboring property under MA common law.
3 cities in Norfolk County have their own environmental rules rules. Each link goes to that city's dedicated page with code citations.
See every category we cover for Norfolk County — parking, noise, fences, fires, animals, pools, and more.
Norfolk County Ordinance Hub →