- Bathroom RemodelingTubs, vanities, tile and fixtures
- Showers & Glass DoorsWalk-in showers, benches and glass doors
- Niches & Accent TileShower niches, mosaics and borders
- Kitchen RemodelingBacksplashes, floors and full kitchens
- Tile FloorsKitchens, baths, entries and patterns
- Custom Tile WorkPatterns, borders and one-off details
- PaintingWalls, ceilings, trim and doors
- CarpentryTrim, doors, framing and built-ins
- Full RemodelsEvery room, start to finish
- Outdoor PatiosStone and tile patios
Do you need a permit to remodel in Peabody, MA.
What needs a permit, who pulls it, how to apply in Peabody and what it costs.
Updated November 2026. The sources are at the end of the page.
The short answer
Usually yes, for anything past paint and finishes.
Under the Massachusetts building code, finish work alone needs no building permit: painting, papering, tiling, carpeting, cabinets, countertops and similar work. Removing or cutting a structural beam or a load-bearing support, changing a required way out of the house or substantially cutting away a wall does need one.
Most bathroom and kitchen remodels also move or replace plumbing, gas or wiring. In Massachusetts those permits are issued only to licensed plumbers, gas fitters and electricians, so a full remodel almost always carries permits. In Peabody, applications go through the city's online portal.
What the code exempts
Finish work versus everything else.
The Massachusetts State Building Code lists the work that needs no building permit. It includes painting, papering, tiling, carpeting, cabinets, counter tops and similar finish work, and ordinary repairs.
The same section says a permit is still required to:
- remove or cut any structural beam or load-bearing support;
- remove or change any required means of egress;
- substantially cut away a wall or partition.
So a new vanity top or fresh tile on its own can go ahead without a building permit. Taking a wall down to open a kitchen cannot.
Plumbing, gas and electrical
The trades pull their own permits.
Moving a drain, adding a shower valve, running a gas line for a range or adding circuits all need their own permit, and Massachusetts issues those only to licensed professionals: plumbing and gas permits to licensed plumbers and gas fitters, electrical permits to licensed electricians. Each is inspected before the walls close.
On our jobs we file the building permit, and the licensed plumber and electrician on the job pull theirs. The inspections are built into the schedule.
Peabody
How Peabody takes applications and what it charges.
- Where to apply. Peabody takes building permit applications through its online portal (OpenGov). The Building Inspectors are at City Hall, 24 Lowell St.
- Building permit fee. For a one or two family home, $15 for every $1,000 of the value of the work, with a $75 minimum; the value is rounded up to the next $1,000.
- Plumbing and gas. $15 per fixture, $50 minimum.
- Electrical. $25 for every $1,000 of the value of the work, $75 minimum.
- Work started without a permit. The fee doubles.
- Home improvement contracts. Peabody asks for a signed copy of the contract when the job falls under the Massachusetts home improvement contractor law.
- Timing. A permit lapses if the work does not start within six months.
- Work hours. No construction work before 7 am (9 am on Saturday) or after 6 pm, and none on Sunday.
Next towns over
Where the neighboring towns take applications.
- Peabody. The Building Inspectors at Peabody City Hall. Applications go through the city's online permitting portal. Peabody charges $15 for every $1,000 of the value of the work, with a $75 minimum. The town page.
- Salem. Inspectional Services at Salem City Hall. Applications go through the city's online permitting portal. Salem charges a $75 base fee plus $15 for every $1,000 of the value of the work. The town page.
- Danvers. Code Administration at Danvers Town Hall. Applications go through the town's online permitting portal or in person at Town Hall, and the town asks you to call Code Administration first to confirm the fee. The fee is set by the value of the work; the town confirms the current rate when the application goes in. The town page.
- Beverly. The Department of Municipal Inspections at Beverly City Hall. Applications go through the city's online permitting portal. Beverly charges $15 for every $1,000 of the value of the work, with a $65 minimum. The town page.
- Lynnfield. The Building Department at Lynnfield Town Hall. Building, plumbing, gas and electrical permits are filed through the town's online portal. The fee is set by the value of the work; the town confirms the current rate when the application goes in. The town page.
- Marblehead. The Building Inspection Department at the Mary Alley Municipal Building. Applications go through the town's online portal, with separate filings for the plumbing and electrical work. Marblehead charges $15 for every $1,000 of the estimated cost. Interior work does not go to the Old and Historic Districts Commission; changes visible from the street in Old Town do. The town page.
- Andover. The Building Division at Andover Town Offices. Applications go through the town's online permit center. The fee is set by the value of the work; the Building Division confirms the current rate when the application goes in. The town page.
Pulling your own permit
Why the contractor should pull it.
A homeowner can pull a building permit for work on their own one or two family home. But the Massachusetts home improvement law makes the contractor tell you, in the contract, which permits the job needs, that getting them is the contractor's job, and that homeowners who pull their own permits are not covered by the state's Guaranty Fund. If the contractor pulls them, that protection stays with you.
Questions
What Peabody homeowners ask about permits.
Do I need a permit to retile a bathroom in Peabody?
Not for the tile itself. The Massachusetts building code exempts tiling and similar finish work from a building permit. If the job also moves plumbing or wiring, those trades need their own permits.
Do I need a permit to replace kitchen cabinets and countertops?
Not a building permit: cabinets and countertops are on the code's list of exempt finish work. A new sink location, a gas range or new circuits bring plumbing, gas or electrical permits.
How much is a building permit in Peabody?
For a one or two family home, Peabody charges $15 for every $1,000 of the value of the work, with a $75 minimum. Plumbing and gas are $15 per fixture with a $50 minimum, and electrical is $25 for every $1,000 with a $75 minimum.
How do I apply for a permit in Peabody?
Through the city's online permit portal (OpenGov). On our jobs we file the building permit ourselves, and the licensed plumber and electrician file theirs.
What happens if work starts without a permit in Peabody?
Peabody's fee schedule doubles the permit fee for work started without one.
Can I pull the permit myself to save money?
You can for your own one or two family home, but under Massachusetts law a homeowner who pulls their own permit loses access to the state Guaranty Fund for that job.
Sources
Where these answers come from.
Official pages first. Rules change: check the source, or ask us at the quote visit.
- 780 CMR 105.2: work exempt from a building permit (Massachusetts State Building Code)
- M.G.L. c.142, section 13: plumbing and gas fitting permits
- City of Peabody, Building Inspectors
- City of Peabody, permit fee schedule (PDF)
- City of Peabody, online permit portal (OpenGov)
- M.G.L. c.142A, section 2: requirements of home improvement contracts
Last checked November 2026.
Keep going
Keep reading.
Costs, the service itself and the other guides.
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Projects
Start to finish.
01 SaugusAn attic turned into a living floorAn open attic became a bright floor with a full bathroom, a window seat and a new oak stair.
02 SalemA whole house in Salem, made newThree floors, two bathrooms, a new kitchen, new stairs and oak floors everywhere. One crew, one schedule, one number to call.
03 Manchester-by-the-SeaA walk-in shower in Manchester-by-the-SeaAn old tub alcove taken to the studs and built back as a walk-in shower with a glass door, a mosaic floor and two niches.
