Quincy building department

Quincy’s Inspectional Services Department (ISD) handles building, wiring, plumbing and gas, and sheet metal permits for property in the City of Quincy. The city created it in 1997 by combining Building Inspections, the Zoning Board of Appeals, Conservation, Wire Inspections, Plumbing and Gas Inspections, Code Enforcement, and Weights and Measures. The Building Code Board of Appeals and the Builders License Board of Examiners also sit under ISD. The office is in the Public Works Building at 55 Sea Street. The city lists hours of 7:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on weekdays.

Applying online

Quincy takes permit applications through OpenGov’s ViewPoint Cloud portal. The city says online permits are not issued until the application is approved, the document is issued, and the fee is paid.

ISD application types on the portal include:

• Building Permit Application: new construction, rehab, demolition, roofing, siding, windows, signs, solar panels, swimming pools, and fire alarm and sprinkler work
• Electrical, Plumbing, Gas, and Sheet Metal permits: sheet metal covers HVAC, metal roofing, kitchen exhaust, metal chimneys and vents, and air balancing
• Paving Permit: driveways, parking lots, garages, and walkways
• Accessory Dwelling Unit, Certificate of Occupancy, and Certificate of Inspection
• Zoning Board of Appeal, Conservation Commission, Short-Term Rental Registration, and Preliminary Site Plan/Zoning Review
• Quincy Builder’s License and Paving License, new and renewal

In the city’s workflow, an assigned inspector reviews the application and may ask for existing and proposed plans. After the permit is issued come rough and final inspections, then the certificate of occupancy. See also how to apply for a building permit.

Fees

The portal reproduces the building fees from Quincy Code § 150-3:

Item	Fee
First $1,000 of estimated construction cost	$20
Each additional $1,000 or part	$12
Sewer rehab fee, per $1,000 (except single-family homes)	$10
Demolition, swimming pools, paving	$12 per $1,000 of estimated cost
Change of occupancy	$60
Signs	$60 minimum
Building Board of Appeals petition	$75
Builders’ license	$100 (1-year renewal $30)
Paving license	$50
Starting work without a permit	Fee x 2

Plumbing and gas fees come from § 150-4. Each has a $30 minimum permit fee. A combined plumbing-and-gas water heater is $60. Furnaces and boilers are $25. Most other fixtures or appliances are $10. A gas reinspection is $30. Starting a plumbing job before you have the permit doubles the fee. Electrical fees follow a separate wiring fee schedule that the city publishes.

Trade permits

The Wiring Department issues permits for light, heat, fire, security, and communications installations. Electrical contractors must provide certificates of insurance unless the property owner signs a waiver. The department says engineered plans may be required for jobs over 35,000 cubic feet. The Plumbing and Gas Department issues permits under the Massachusetts Fuel Gas Code (248 CMR).

Paving and driveways

A paving permit needs a site plan or survey showing lot dimensions, existing and proposed paving, parking spaces, and water runoff direction. The city’s checklist limits paving to 30% of the front yard setback and 40% of the rear yard. Parking must be at least 3 feet from side lot lines and at least 5 feet from windows of habitable rooms. Walkways up to 4 feet wide are exempt from the paving ordinance. So are rear patios that are not part of a driveway or parking area. Curb cuts and work in the public sidewalk need a separate permit from Public Works. That application goes to the Engineering Department, also at 55 Sea Street.

Accessory dwelling units

Under the city’s ADU guidelines (December 11, 2025):

• One ADU is allowed in single-family zoning districts. It can be inside the house, in an addition, or detached.
• ADUs are not allowed in the Bus C, Ind A, or Ind B districts, or on a lot subject to a variance.
• An ADU’s floor area is capped at 50% of the main structure’s gross floor area or 900 square feet, whichever is less.
• A detached ADU must be at least 320 square feet. It is limited to one story and must meet the yard setbacks in QZO Table 4.1.
• An ADU outside a half-mile radius of a transit station needs one more off-street parking space.
• ADUs can’t be used as short-term rentals or sold separately. None may be built below the FEMA 100-year base flood elevation.
• The application needs a site plan showing drainage, utilities, and existing and proposed parking, plus architectural drawings.

Inspections

ISD’s office duty inspectors are available from 7:00 to 10:00 a.m., or by appointment later in the day. Some work has to be inspected after hours to fit a construction schedule. For that, file an After Hours Special Inspection Request on the portal at least a week ahead. The minimum fee is $360 per inspector. Some buildings need periodic inspections, including bars and restaurants, residential buildings with three or more units, lodging houses, and places of assembly. To get a Certificate of Inspection, apply online and pay the fee, then call the inspector to schedule a site visit.

Zoning help and records

ISD holds a free walk-in Building, Zoning, and Conservation clinic for homeowners at 55 Sea Street every Thursday afternoon. The city’s ISD pages give the hours as 2:00 to 4:00 p.m., but some portal pages list 4:30 p.m. No appointment is needed, and people are seen first come, first served. The city can arrange an interpreter. ZBA applications cost $300 for one- and two-family properties and $450 for everything else. Applicants also pay $220 for the legal ad and must file a certified abutters list covering 300 feet. Short-term rentals need a ZBA special permit and are not allowed in RES A districts. Since June 30, 2025, every short-term rental must be sprinklered.

You can look up recent permits on the ViewPoint public records search. Older building files can be requested through the ISD Records Request form. To report a code complaint, call (617) 376-1238.