Springfield building department

Springfield’s Building Division, part of the Department of Code Enforcement (also called Inspectional Services), enforces the Massachusetts State Building Code (780 CMR), state accessibility regulations, the city zoning ordinance, and conditions attached to special permits. It issues building, electrical (wiring), plumbing, gas, sign, and demolition permits. It also reviews plans and inspects all new construction, alterations, and repairs, and it oversees changes of use and occupancy. The office is at 70 Tapley Street and is open Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Building permits must be obtained before construction begins.

Applying for a permit

Springfield takes permit applications through its OpenGov portal. The same portal lets you look up existing building permits and code violation records. Paper building permit applications can still be picked up at 70 Tapley Street during business hours. The forms page says payments for paper applications and permit fees must be made by check or money order payable to the City of Springfield; cash is not accepted.

For advice on building permit compliance, the city’s permitting guide names the Deputy Building Commissioner as public liaison at (413) 787-6038. Zoning ordinance, sign, and Zoning Board of Appeals questions go to the Zoning Administrator at (413) 787-7807. You can also send a question through the Zoning Division’s online form.

Once all required documents and plans are in, permit review “shall not exceed 30 days,” according to the guide.

What to submit

The Building Division’s checklist for a building permit asks for:

• The permit application and fee
• Three plot plans drawn to scale (two for an addition)
• Three sets of drawings (two for an addition). Drawings should show the foundation and footings, dimensioned floor plans, all four elevations, framing cross sections, details with a site plan, and window and door schedules.
• An architect’s stamp and signature on every page, plus an architect’s affidavit, if the building or addition exceeds 35,000 cubic feet. One- and two-family dwellings are exempt from this requirement.
• A MassCheck energy compliance report
• From DPW: an address slip for new buildings, a curb cut permit, and site plan approval
• Conservation approval if the work is within 100 feet of wetlands
• Historical Commission approval if the property is in a historic district
• Soil compaction reports for commercial buildings
• Any required special permit

A demolition permit needs the application, a utility sign-off sheet (gas, electric, water, and asbestos removal), a signed debris-disposal sheet, and the fee.

The state one- and two-family application used by the city asks for the Construction Supervisor License holder and the Registered Home Improvement Contractor on the job, plus a workers’ compensation affidavit. Without the affidavit, the permit is denied. The form warns that an owner who pulls a permit to do their own work, or who hires a contractor not registered under the HIC program, loses access to the state arbitration program and guaranty fund under M.G.L. c. 142A. See also owner-builder permits.

Fee highlights

The fee schedule the city posts is dated July 16, 2012, and cites sections of the City Code.

Item	Fee
New construction or additions, 1–2 family	$250 minimum or $8 per $1,000
Major alterations and repairs, 1–2 family	$80 plus $0.30 per sq ft
Roofing, siding, decks, insulation, windows/doors	$75
Detached garage or carport	$100
Shed over 200 sq ft	$50
In-ground pool / above-ground pool with deck / without deck	$125 / $100 / $80
Fireplace, wood or pellet stove	$80
Temporary structure or retaining wall	$80
New construction other than 1–2 family	$100 plus $12 per $1,000
Alterations other than 1–2 family	$110 plus $0.55 per sq ft
Demolition of a 1–3 family dwelling	$150 plus $0.10 per sq ft
Change of use with no construction	$80
Re-inspection of unsatisfactory work	$80

Separate schedules cover electrical, plumbing and gas, signs, and sprinklers.

Scheduling inspections

Inspections are booked by phone, by trade:

• Building: (413) 787-6031
• Electrical: (413) 787-6040
• Plumbing: (413) 787-6047

Each building, electrical, and plumbing inspector covers a defined part of the city. The Find Inspectors page has street-by-street PDF maps and inspector email addresses.

Appeals

The permitting guide lists these appeal routes:

• Building code decisions: Massachusetts Building Code Board of Appeals
• Wiring inspector disapprovals: Board of Electricians’ Appeals in Boston, by written request with a $75 check to the Commonwealth
• Plumbing and gas: Board of State Examiners of Plumbers and Gas Fitters, with a $75 application fee

Other city permits

The city’s permit matrix lists which office issues each permit. Street excavation and street occupancy permits, such as a dumpster in the street, come from the Department of Public Works. DPW engineering takes calls at 413-787-6210 on weekdays from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Permits for oil burners, home heating oil tanks, and above- and underground storage tanks come from the Springfield Fire Department (413-787-6410).