Do you need a permit to replace windows in Massachusetts?

In Massachusetts, most permits are pulled by the licensed contractor doing the work, not the homeowner. For one- and two-family homes the state building code requires a licensed construction supervisor or a registered design professional to oversee construction, and for existing owner-occupied one- to four-family homes the contractor must also be registered with the Home Improvement Contractor program.

The homeowner exception is narrow. The building code lets an owner-occupant of a one- or two-family home apply for a building permit for work on their own home, but it applies to building permits only: electrical work may only be done by a master or journeyman electrician licensed by the state, and plumbing and gas work only by a licensed plumber or gas fitter, each under a permit issued to that licensee. It also has a cost the state warns about directly: a homeowner who pulls the building permit themselves may not be eligible for the Guaranty Fund if the contractor's work goes wrong.

Sources: When is a Construction Supervisor License required?; Massachusetts State Building Code, 780 CMR; HIC Homeowner Resources; Electricians consumer fact sheet; Plumbers and gas fitters consumer fact sheet.

Replacing windows or exterior doors is not on the list of work the Massachusetts building code exempts from a permit, so plan on one. The code's own exemption for "ordinary repairs" does not cover anything that removes or changes a required means of egress, which is exactly what a bedroom window is, and changing the size of an opening is an alteration to the structure. Whether a strict like-for-like swap in the same opening counts as an ordinary repair is a call your building department makes, so ask before assuming.

In an existing owner-occupied one- to four-family home, the contractor who replaces your windows or doors must be registered as a Home Improvement Contractor, and the state's guidance is that the registered contractor pulls the building permit. A written contract is required by law for any home improvement job over $1,000, and the contractor may not collect more than one-third of the price up front.

If your town has a local historic district, exterior window and door changes there usually need the historic district commission's approval before the building permit issues. That is a town rule, not the state code, so check with the building department.

Sources: Massachusetts State Building Code, 780 CMR; HIC Homeowner Resources; When is a Construction Supervisor License required?.