Somerville building permit fees explained, with three worked examples
Somerville building permit fees in plain English: the City's 2025 fee schedule, worked math for a bath, kitchen and addition, plus trade permit costs.
Mateus MagnoLicensed Construction Supervisor · October 20, 2026 · 4 min read
Somerville charges $20 per $1,000 of estimated construction cost up to $100,000 and $21 per $1,000 above that (minimum $50), plus a building code plan review of $4 per $1,000, a safety review fee, and a flat $250 when zoning review is needed. A $25,000 bathroom works out to about $700 in building-side fees before the plumbing and electrical permits.
Somerville building permit fees are based on one number: the estimated cost of your project. The City's Building Division Fee Schedule (effective January 1, 2025) turns that cost into a permit fee, a plan review fee and a safety review fee. Below I walk through the schedule line by line and do the math for three real-world project sizes.
Short version: for most renovations, budget roughly 2.5% to 3% of the construction cost for City building fees, plus a smaller amount for the plumbing and electrical permits.
How much is a building permit in Massachusetts?
There is no single statewide price. Under M.G.L. c. 40, s. 22F, each city and town sets its own reasonable fees, so Somerville, Cambridge and Medford all charge differently. If you are working in Somerville, the City's own schedule is the only number that matters.
The Somerville building permit fee schedule in plain English
- Building permit fee: $20 per $1,000 of estimated cost up to $100,000, and $21 per $1,000 above $100,000. Minimum $50.
- Zoning plan review: a flat $250 when your project needs zoning review.
- Building code plan review: $4 per $1,000 of estimated cost, minimum $50.
- Safety review fee: 0.35% of the estimated cost, minimum $100.
- Sheet metal (ductwork) permit: $19 per $1,000, minimum $50.
- Work without a permit: three times the permit fee, plus a stop work order.
"Estimated cost" means the whole job. The City's cost affidavit counts demolition, plumbing, heating, electrical and site work, but not furnishings. At the end, a final cost affidavit lets ISD charge an additional fee if the job grew.
Three worked examples: bath, kitchen, addition
All math below comes straight from the schedule. I assumed the bath and kitchen are interior-only work with no zoning review, and the addition does need zoning review.
| Fee line | $25,000 bathroom | $90,000 kitchen | $150,000 addition |
|---|---|---|---|
| Building permit | 25 x $20 = $500 | 90 x $20 = $1,800 | $2,000 + (50 x $21) = $3,050 |
| Building code plan review ($4 per $1,000) | $100 | $360 | $600 |
| Safety review (0.35%, min $100) | $87.50, so $100 minimum | $315 | $525 |
| Zoning plan review | none | none | $250 |
| Building-side total | $700 | $2,475 | $4,425 |
I like to check math against reality. The City's open data on permit applications shows recent $25,000 building permits invoiced at exactly $700, a $90,000 residential alteration at $2,415, and a $150,000 residential addition at $4,305. So the schedule math lands right on, or runs $60 to $120 high. Treat it as a safe ceiling.
Trade permits: plumbing, gas and electrical
Your plumber and electrician pull their own permits, and those fees are separate from the building permit.
- Plumbing and gas (City schedule): existing residential is $60 for the first 3 fixtures and $10 for each additional fixture. A bath with a toilet, sink and tub is $60.
- Electrical (City schedule): residential permits start at $30, plus $15 for 1 to 10 outlets, fixtures and switches and $1 for each one beyond 10. A dishwasher is $25 and an electric range is $30.
So the bathroom above adds about $105 in trade permits ($60 plumbing + $45 electrical), for roughly $805 all in. A kitchen with 20 devices, a dishwasher and an electric range adds about $110 in electrical plus $60 in plumbing.
Other City costs that can show up
- Engineering review. ISD routes some permits to the Engineering Division, including basement renovations, added bedrooms, more floor area, new foundations and sump pumps, per the Engineering permits brochure. That review can include inflow/infiltration fees.
- Street occupancy. Blocking the street or sidewalk for deliveries, cranes or scaffolding needs an Engineering street occupancy permit. A dumpster on the street needs its own ISD permit, per the Fire Department's dumpster requirements.
- Re-inspections: $55 for building and $50 for plumbing, paid before the inspector comes back.
- Construction hours authorization: $250 to apply for work outside normal hours.
- Certificate of occupancy: $130 for a 1 to 3 unit residential building.
- Demolition: $150 for a garage or similar structure up to 1,500 sq ft; otherwise $300 for the first $1,000 of cost plus $24 per additional $1,000.
There are private costs too: stamped drawings, a certified plot plan for exterior changes, and lead-safe work in pre-1978 houses. More on that in my Somerville building permit guide.
How fees fit into your total budget
On most Somerville projects, City fees land under 3% of the job. In my experience, the bigger permit-related costs are time and drawings, not the fees themselves. Every house is different, so I include permit fees as their own line in the written line-item budget I give after a free walkthrough.
Need a hand?
If you are planning a bath, kitchen or addition in Somerville, Cambridge or Medford, book a free walkthrough. I will scope the work, pull the permits and send a written line-item budget, usually within 48 hours.
Frequently asked questions
How much is a building permit in Somerville, MA?
Somerville charges $20 per $1,000 of estimated cost up to $100,000 and $21 per $1,000 above that, with a $50 minimum. Plan review ($4 per $1,000), a safety review fee and, when needed, a $250 zoning review are added on top.
How much is a building permit in Massachusetts?
Each city and town sets its own fees under state law, so there is no statewide price. Check the fee schedule for the municipality where the property is located.
Do I pay the Somerville permit fee all at once?
No. You pay a review fee when you apply online, and the rest is invoiced after ISD approves the permit. If the final cost goes up, ISD can charge an additional fee based on a final cost affidavit.
What happens if I do work without a permit in Somerville?
The City's fee schedule sets the penalty at three times the permit fee, and ISD can issue a stop work order until the permit is in place.
Mateus Magno is the founder of Magno & Co — a licensed Massachusetts Construction Supervisor (CS-123658), registered Home Improvement Contractor (HIC #220484) and certified Lead-Safe Renovator Supervisor who has renovated and managed over $3 million in projects across Greater Boston.
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