The county building department in Essex County administers construction permits and enforces building codes for unincorporated areas and municipalities that contract county services rather than maintaining their own building divisions. There are 18 Building Departments locations in Essex County, Massachusetts.
Property owners in unincorporated Essex County should verify with the county building department whether their parcel falls under county or municipal jurisdiction before submitting permit applications, as this affects which office handles the review and which codes apply.
List of Essex County, Massachusetts Building Departments
Boxford Zoning
Salisbury Building Department
Methuen Zoning
Newburyport Planning Department
Gloucester Planning Department
Hamilton Planning Department
Merrimac Town Planning Department
Georgetown Building Department
Lawrence Planning Department
Rockport Building Department
Wenham Planning Department
Boxford Building Department
Lynnfield Building Department
Andover Building Department
Groveland Building Department
Lynnfield Zoning
Manchester Building Department
North Andover Zoning
Contractors and property owners in Essex County should keep copies of all issued permits, approved plans, and inspection sign-off cards at the job site for the duration of construction. Final inspection requests must be scheduled in advance, and the certificate of occupancy is issued only after all required inspections pass.
You may also find Building Departments locations in neighboring counties including Essex, Middlesex.