Woonsocket building department

Woonsocket’s Building Inspection and Code Enforcement Division, on the second floor of City Hall at 169 Main Street, issues the city’s building, plumbing, mechanical, and electrical permits. It also inspects that work, handles change-of-tenancy approvals for businesses, and enforces housing and property-maintenance codes. Ted J. Isabella, CBO, is the Building Official. The Zoning Division shares the same floor and issues zoning certificates and staffs the Zoning Board of Review. Providence County plays no permitting role, so for a Woonsocket address the city is the authority.

When a permit is required

The city quotes the state building code. It is unlawful to construct, enlarge, alter, remove, or demolish a building without a permit. The same applies to changing a building’s occupancy from one use group to another, or to installing or altering regulated equipment. The one exception is ordinary repairs, as defined in R.I. Gen. Laws § 23-27.3-102.0, that don’t involve a code violation.

For one- and two-family homes, the 2021 IRC with Rhode Island amendments (SBC-2) has applied since December 1, 2025. That code exempts small items such as one-story detached accessory structures up to 64 sq ft, fences up to 6 ft, and retaining walls up to 32 inches. Decks are not exempt. Under the state code, deck footings must extend 3 ft 4 in below grade. The division also posts fence-permit diagrams on its website. See do I need a permit for a deck for general background.

Who can apply

Woonsocket accepts building permit applications from:

• the owner or lessee of the structure. A lessee needs a letter of authorization or a lease that shows approval.
• the owner’s agent, such as an architect or engineer
• a contractor with a letter of authorization or a signed contract. The contractor must hold an active Rhode Island contractor registration.

Apply through the city’s OpenGov portal at woonsocketri.portal.opengov.com. The same portal handles certificate of occupancy requests and has a project questionnaire that suggests which permits a project needs.

How fees are calculated

Woonsocket does not post a flat fee table online, but it explains its method:

• New construction and additions are priced per square foot, using a chart that combines the building’s use with its construction type.
• Renovations and all trade permits (plumbing, mechanical, electrical) are priced on the estimated cost of the job, including labor and materials.
• Card payments add a processor service charge of 2.9% plus $1 per transaction. If a permit is refunded, only the permit fee comes back. The service charge is not refundable.

Inspector and staff contacts

Role	Phone
Office manager (schedules inspections)	(401) 767-9238
Building Official	(401) 767-9246
Assistant Building Inspector	(401) 767-9240
Plumbing and Mechanical Inspector	(401) 597-6619
Electrical Inspector	(401) 767-9238
Zoning/Building Inspection Clerk	(401) 597-5398
Code Enforcement Coordinator	(401) 767-9243

The office is open Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m., and its fax is (401) 769-5612. Code enforcement complaints can be sent to [email protected], and tenants can file the city’s online Tenant Complaint Form.

Opening a business or changing tenancy

The city’s business checklist runs in this order:

1. Call the Zoning Office at (401) 597-5359 to confirm the use is allowed at the location.
2. Get a zoning certificate.
3. Call Building Inspection at (401) 767-9238 to find out what a General Business License or Change of Tenancy form will require. That depends on the current use of the unit. At minimum, you’ll submit an existing and proposed floor plan. All building, plumbing, mechanical, and electrical permits must pass final inspection before the city issues the license or change-of-tenancy form.
4. Contact the Woonsocket Fire Marshal’s Office about its Certificate of Occupancy approval.
5. Check with the City Clerk at (401) 767-9249 about any other required license.

Zoning certificates and the Zoning Board

A Zoning Certificate costs $50 per address, paid by check to the City of Woonsocket. It confirms an existing use or reviews a proposed new use, often for a purchase, refinance, or foreclosure. The Zoning Official is Joseph M. Rollins III, JD, at (401) 597-5359.

The Zoning Board of Review grants special-use permits and dimensional or use variances. Sitting as the Board of Appeal, it also hears appeals of decisions by the Building Official and Zoning Official. Its information package, revised January 2024, warns that the hearing is the only chance to build the record, because Superior Court takes no new evidence on appeal. Plans must be filed with the application, and they must show parking. New structures on vacant land need a site plan by a registered land surveyor. Incomplete applications will not be placed on the agenda.

Landlord rules enforced locally

Woonsocket requires absentee landlords, meaning owners who don’t live at the property, to register their contact information under oath with the City Clerk. A first violation carries a fine of up to $100, and later violations up to $500. Under state law, landlords who live outside Rhode Island must also name an in-state agent for service of process, filed with the Secretary of State and the City Clerk. The code-enforcement notices for these owners cite the 2019 Rhode Island Property Maintenance Code.