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Free download · 2026 edition

The Massachusetts Deck Permit Guide.

A plain-English PDF guide to deck permits in Massachusetts — written by a Dedham-based carpenter who pulls these permits every week. Covers 780 CMR, inspections, and permit offices for 14 Greater Boston towns.

What's inside
2026 Edition · Greater Boston

THE MASSACHUSETTS DECK PERMIT GUIDE

8 Sections · 14 Towns · PDF
By Crafted Edge Carpentry

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Who this is for

You own a home in Greater Boston. You're thinking about building a deck, replacing one, or finally fixing the one that's been showing age. You've heard you need a permit, but you don't know what that actually means — what the town expects, what the application needs, what gets inspected, what things go wrong.

This guide is a straight answer to those questions. It's written by someone who pulls deck permits in Massachusetts towns every month, not by a marketing agency summarizing a Google search. 8 sections, roughly a 15-minute read.

Table of contents

Inside the guide

  1. Do you actually need a permit? The 780 CMR exemption and why nearly every deck fails it.
  2. What the permit application requires. Plot plans, framing diagrams, footings, ledgers, railings — the complete checklist.
  3. Massachusetts code basics (780 CMR). Frost depth, ledger connection, flashing, baluster spacing, stair geometry — all explained in plain language.
  4. The inspection sequence. Three inspections, what each one checks, and how long they typically take.
  5. Permit offices by town. Addresses, typical timelines, and local review requirements for 14 Greater Boston towns.
  6. Working with a contractor. Six questions to ask and the red flags to watch for.
  7. Common permit application mistakes. Why submissions get kicked back and how to avoid it.
  8. If you'd rather we handle this. How Crafted Edge quotes and manages the permit process.

Why we made this

Permit confusion is why a lot of homeowners get bad deck quotes. Contractors who say "we can skip the permit to save you money" are either cutting corners or not insured. Contractors who gloss over the inspection sequence are often the same ones who've failed inspections before. A homeowner who understands what a legitimate permit process looks like can tell the good contractors from the bad.

We wrote the guide so our clients would be informed by the time they talk to us. If it also saves you from hiring someone who shouldn't be building your deck, even better.