Boston Building Permit Search & History
Look up 2,884 recent Boston building permits — addresses, permit types, contractors, and valuations, updated multiple times a day from the city's official records, with history back to January 11, 2025. Free email alerts when new permits match your filters.
Recent Boston Permits
Showing 20 of 2884 recent permits.
Sign up to see all permits and set alertsBoston Permit Filing Trends
Weekly filing volume from the last 12 weeks of Boston permit data:
| Week | Permits filed | Declared value |
|---|---|---|
| July 13, 2026 | 728 | $258.2M |
| July 6, 2026 | 809 | $137.9M |
| June 29, 2026 | 588 | $74.1M |
| June 22, 2026 | 753 | $284.2M |
| June 15, 2026 | 615 | $186.9M |
| June 8, 2026 | 690 | $110.1M |
| June 1, 2026 | 749 | $694.2M |
| May 25, 2026 | 651 | $179.1M |
| May 18, 2026 | 734 | $592.9M |
| May 11, 2026 | 783 | $251.9M |
| May 4, 2026 | 794 | $137.3M |
| April 27, 2026 | 752 | $393.0M |
Most common permit types in the last 90 days: Short Form Bldg Permit (2774) · Electrical Permit (2239) · Plumbing Permit (1286) · Long Form/Alteration Permit (759) · Gas Permit (662) · Electrical Low Voltage (519)
Busiest ZIP codes: 02116 (551 permits) · 02130 (544 permits) · 02124 (538 permits) · 02136 (521 permits) · 02127 (503 permits) · 02131 (503 permits)
Most Active Boston Permit Applicants
The applicants named on the most Boston permits filed in the last 90 days:
- Shawn Leahy — 124 permits
- David Noon — 81 permits
- Emmanuel Logakis — 74 permits
- John Guarracino — 64 permits
- Nathan Ashe — 58 permits
- Adam Glenn — 58 permits
- ROBERT TRETHEWEY — 51 permits
- Kyle Greene — 46 permits
Boston Building Permit History
Building permits are public records: every filing leaves a permanent paper trail of what was built, altered, or repaired at an address. The Permit Sheet's Boston feed currently covers 22,336 permits going back to January 11, 2025, refreshed multiple times a day from the city's official database.
The Approved Building Permits open dataset covers permits issued since 2009 (ISD cites December 15, 2009; the dataset page lists records from January 2009); older permits exist as scanned documents in ISD's Document Image Search, but building plans can only be viewed in person at the ISD document room.
For older permits, search ISD's Document Image Search by address, then view building plans in person at the ISD document room (1010 Massachusetts Ave, 5th floor). The Boston City Archives (201 Rivermoor St, West Roxbury) holds Building Inspector's reports from 1879-1903 and building plans filed with permits from 1902-1969, available via an online request form and in-person appointment; no pre-1879 building records exist in the Archives.
To research a specific property, start with the address search on ISD Document Image Search (ScerIS public records portal), then use our free permit lookup to see recent filings, contractors, and valuations side by side.
Each weekly Boston digest also lists the biggest projects filed that week by address.
Boston Building Department
City of Boston Inspectional Services Department (ISD)
Open the city's Document Image Search (it works best in Google Chrome), enter the property's street address, and run the search to pull up scanned permit records for that address — no permit number needed. For permits issued since 2009, you can also open the Approved Building Permits dataset on Analyze Boston (data.boston.gov) and type the address into the data explorer's search box. Note that Boston's Permit Finder only checks the status of a specific permit and requires the permit number, not an address.
Which Boston permit tool do I use?
The city runs several official tools; each answers a different question:
Weekly Boston Permit Digests
Free weekly reports on the biggest Boston projects filed, with addresses and valuations:
Boston Permit Guides
About Boston Building Permits
Building permits in Boston are public records administered by the City of Boston Inspectional Services Department (ISD). They cover new construction, renovations, demolitions, electrical work, plumbing, roofing, solar installations, and more. Every permit includes the property address, type of work, estimated valuation, and the applicant and contractor on record.
The Permit Sheet monitors Boston's official permit records multiple times per day, so you can search recent filings on this page without paging through the city portal — and get an email the moment a new permit matches your trade, neighborhood, or valuation filters. Contractors use it to be first to new projects; investors and neighbors use it to see what's being built nearby.
How to search Boston permits
- Browse the live feed above — the 20 newest filings with addresses, types, and valuations, refreshed all day.
- Look up a specific address — use the free permit lookup or the city's official ISD Document Image Search (ScerIS public records portal) to pull filings for one property.
- Set an alert — create a free account and get new Boston permits matching your filters by email within minutes.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I look up building permits in Boston?
Two ways: search the city's official portal, ISD Document Image Search (ScerIS public records portal) (Open the city's Document Image Search (it works best in Google Chrome), enter the property's street address, and run the search to pull up scanned permit records for that address — no permit number needed. For permits issued since 2009, you can also open the Approved Building Permits dataset on Analyze Boston (data.boston.gov) and type the address into the data explorer's search box. Note that Boston's Permit Finder only checks the status of a specific permit and requires the permit number, not an address.) — or browse the live feed on this page, which tracks Boston filings continuously and adds contractor and valuation details.
How do I find the permit history of a Boston address?
Search the address on ISD Document Image Search (ScerIS public records portal) for the city's official record. The Permit Sheet's Boston feed goes back to January 11, 2025 with 22,336 permits tracked — each weekly digest also lists the biggest filings by address. For older permits, search ISD's Document Image Search by address, then view building plans in person at the ISD document room (1010 Massachusetts Ave, 5th floor). The Boston City Archives (201 Rivermoor St, West Roxbury) holds Building Inspector's reports from 1879-1903 and building plans filed with permits from 1902-1969, available via an online request form and in-person appointment; no pre-1879 building records exist in the Archives.
How many building permits were filed in Boston this month?
2884 building permits appear in our Boston feed for the last 30 days. The most common type is Short Form Bldg Permit. The median declared valuation is $10,000.
Can I get email alerts for new Boston building permits?
Yes. The Permit Sheet sends real-time email alerts within minutes of new permits being filed. Filter by permit type (roofing, electrical, solar, HVAC), valuation range, and neighborhood. Free tier available.
Where is the Boston building department?
City of Boston Inspectional Services Department (ISD), 1010 Massachusetts Avenue, 5th Floor, Boston, MA 02118, 617-635-5300. Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. - 4 p.m..