Brockton building department

The Brockton Building Department issues all building, plumbing, gas, and electrical (wiring) permits for residential and commercial construction in the City of Brockton. It also runs the electrical, plumbing, HVAC, and building inspections. The department is on the third floor of City Hall at 45 School Street. Staff answer the phone from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. If your property has a Brockton address, this is the office that permits work on it.

The department also staffs the Zoning Board of Appeals, runs the rental registry, and enforces food-service and housing lead-paint rules.

Applying online through Citizenserve

Brockton takes permit applications through Citizenserve. The Building Department was the first city office to move to the platform. It replaced the older “PeopleGIS” records system, and new records started going into Citizenserve on April 4. Records from before the switch are available by contacting the department. Once you file, you can track your application in the portal at any time and see reviewer comments, drawings, and documents as they are added.

The department’s page lists these permit types in the portal:

Permit	What it covers
Building permit	New construction, structural changes, window and door replacement, roofing, siding, and demolition
Plumbing permit	Water supply, drainage, fixtures (sinks, toilets, water heaters), and irrigation systems
Electrical (wiring) permit	New wiring, electrical upgrades, and fixture installations
Legal use / lot determination	Confirms whether a lot is legally buildable, or whether a use complies with zoning, especially on older or nonconforming properties

The same portal handles Zoning Board of Appeals filings, Certificates of Fitness (rental health inspections), Certificates of Inspection (annual inspections of multifamily, commercial, and assembly buildings), and rental unit registration. Despite the online system, the department page still says to contact the office for plumbing and electrical permits.

Inspections

Inspectors take calls during two windows each weekday, 8:30 to 10:00 a.m. and 3:00 to 4:30 p.m.:

• Building inspectors: (508) 580-7150
• Plumbing and gas inspectors: (508) 580-7145
• Wiring inspectors: (508) 580-7146

The pool flyer asks anyone installing a pool, hot tub, or spa with electrical wiring to contact the wiring inspector about wiring methods.

Trade permit fees

The department links to a fee ordinance the City Council passed in October 2015. It sets these plumbing and gas fees:

Permit	Residential	Commercial
Plumbing permit (single-family, or each apartment in a multiple dwelling)	$75 plus $10 per fixture	$150 plus $20 per fixture
Gas permit (single-family, or each apartment)	$75 plus $10 per fixture	$150 plus $20 per fixture (also per meter)
Gas hot water heater (plumbing and gas included)	$80	$120
Re-inspection for incomplete or defective work	$31	$41

The residential wiring fees in the same ordinance include a $60 minimum fee, $250 per dwelling unit for new construction, and $75 for a service of up to 200 amps. Each additional 100 amps costs $30, and a swimming pool costs $60 per inspection. Wiring permits are held for no more than six months before a new application is needed. The fee doubles if work starts without a permit. The ordinance also raised the base building permit and demolition fees in Chapter 4 of the city code. For other permit pricing, the department’s FAQ points to the city’s online Code of Ordinances.

Pools, hot tubs, and spas

The department’s pool flyer says any pool, hot tub, or spa needs a building permit if it is above ground or more than 24 inches deep in the ground. Barrier rules:

• An outdoor pool, hot tub, or spa must be enclosed by a barrier at least 48 inches above grade. The gap between grade and the bottom of the barrier should be no more than 2 inches.
• An above-ground pool wall can serve as the barrier if it is at least 48 inches tall. Ladders or stairs must be removable or retractable, or protected by a barrier.
• Gates must be self-closing and self-latching and must open outward, away from the pool.
• If a house wall forms part of the barrier, you need a power safety cover, an audible alarm on every door opening to the pool, or another protection method the building official approves.
• Chain-link mesh can be no larger than 2¼ inches square, unless slats reduce the openings to 1¾ inches.

Homeowner permits

Owners doing their own work file the department’s Homeowners’ Exemption Eligibility Affidavit. On the affidavit, the owner swears they hold title to the parcel and live there or plan to. The property must have, or be planned for, a one- or two-family dwelling. The owner must not hold a Massachusetts construction supervisor license. Anyone who builds more than one home in two years does not count as a homeowner. If you hire anyone to help, you must act as the project supervisor yourself. See owner-builder permits for background.

Zoning and larger projects

The Building Department confirms which zoning district a property is in and whether a project needs Zoning Board of Appeals relief. The ZBA meets on the second Tuesday of each month at 6 p.m. in the City Council Chambers on the second floor of City Hall. Applications are filed online or on paper at the Building Department. The city’s Permitting Handbook says no permits are issued until all needed ZBA approvals are granted. After a ZBA approval, there is a 21-day appeal period before you can file for a building permit.

For commercial, industrial, and larger residential projects, the handbook advises starting with the Planning Department, reached at (508) 580-7113. Site Plan Review by the Planning Board applies to:

• New commercial or industrial buildings
• Residential developments of six or more units
• Conversions of commercial or industrial property to residential use
• Additions of 500 square feet or more
• Projects on unbuilt ways or needing utility extensions

Site plan approval must be in hand before you apply for building permits. Under the handbook, a building permit also needs sign-offs from Engineering, Water, Sewer, Highway, Fire, the Traffic Commission, and the Conservation Commission. Work within 100 feet of a wetland, within 25 feet of a river, or in a FEMA floodplain goes to the Conservation Commission.