Massachusetts regulation file / 780 CMR / 10th edition
Massachusetts foundation repair permits and code checks.
Massachusetts now uses the 10th edition of 780 CMR. Foundation work that changes structural or load-bearing elements belongs in a conversation with the local building official before the scope is finalized.
The current Massachusetts code took effect October 11, 2024. The transition from the 9th edition ended June 30, 2025, so new applications now use the 10th edition.
Massachusetts built the 10th edition on modified 2021 International Building Code and International Residential Code provisions.
The city or town building department is the practical starting point for a permit determination, required documents, inspections, and any local zoning review.
Scope review
Questions to settle with the building office.
A repair name does not tell an official enough. Bring the location, affected structure, materials, excavation, and design responsibility into the conversation.
Swipe horizontally to see the full review table
| Proposed scope | Why it needs a direct check | Useful documents |
|---|---|---|
| Underpinning, wall reinforcement, footing alteration, or structural replacement | The work can alter a load-bearing system and the path by which loads reach the soil. | Existing-condition survey, repair drawings, calculations, sequencing, and design responsibility. |
| Excavation, exterior drainage, or work near a lot line | Building, zoning, utility, and site-drainage questions can overlap. | Site sketch or plan, excavation limits, discharge point, access, and utility information. |
| Work in an older or designated property | Historic-district or local review may exist apart from the building permit. | Property designation check, visible-material changes, and any preservation review requested locally. |
| Emergency stabilization | Making a site safe does not erase the documentation and follow-up permit questions. | Photos before work, temporary measures, engineer or official direction, and the department’s follow-up instructions. |
The state layer
What the statewide framework establishes.
- 780 CMR supplies the statewide building-code framework.
- Existing-building and residential provisions can both matter, depending on the building and proposed work.
- The Mass.gov copies are provided for convenience; the official regulations remain the controlling text.
The local layer
What the property address still decides.
- Ask the building official to classify the work from a written scope, not a sales label.
- Confirm whether drawings, structural calculations, construction-control documents, or a registered design professional are required.
- Keep contractor registration questions separate from permit approval. They are related homeowner checks, not the same decision.
Before work begins
A five-item homeowner file.
Keep the permit record and the repair record together. That makes the proposal, official review, inspections, and closeout easier to compare.
- 01
Written scope
Name the affected wall, slab, footing, column, or beam and state whether the goal is stabilization, repair, replacement, or lift.
- 02
Existing conditions
Photograph cracks, displacement, drainage, prior patches, utilities, and the area before excavation or demolition hides the evidence.
- 03
Design responsibility
Identify who selected the system, established loads, and owns structural decisions. Ask when a qualified design professional must be involved.
- 04
Permit and inspection record
Retain the application, approved documents, permit number, inspection sequence, changes, and final sign-off.
- 05
Product and field records
Keep evaluation reports, installation criteria, installed quantities, readings, photos, and material records required by the approved design.
Research boundary
This page is not a permit determination.
It is an educational map of the current state framework, checked September 10, 2026. Codes, amendments, local procedures, and the facts of a project can change. The authority serving the property makes the official determination.
Official sources / checked September 10, 2026