Where to search Cambridge permits
| Tool | Search by | What it shows |
|---|---|---|
| Cambridge Permit Finder dashboard (linked from the announcement) | Address, map, permit type | Permit locations and details |
| Cambridge Permit Finder (open data) | Any column | Full address, permit type, ID, submit and issue dates, status, a link to the permit |
| OpenGov permitting portal (account) | Your own applications | Where your application is in review and its status |
| Our Cambridge firm list | Contractor or license holder | Each firm's permits, share complete and days to complete |
The Permit Finder describes itself as an "Aggregated data set of various permits (from Inspectional Services and the Department of Public Works)"; for more detail on a permit, it points to "that permit type's individual data set".
How to look up permits on a Cambridge address
- Open the Permit Finder and filter Full Address for your street and number (or use the dashboard's address search).
- Read each row's permit type, issue date and status.
- Follow the permit's link for the full record, or open that permit type's own dataset to see who pulled it.
- Questions about a permit go to Inspectional Services, 831 Massachusetts Ave., 617-349-6100.
- Check the contractor's Massachusetts licenses: the steps are in the Cambridge contractor license lookup.
What the statuses mean
Cambridge's permit files use two statuses, Active and Complete. Our pages count Complete as finished. Cambridge publishes no completion dates, so our days to complete are estimated, and electrical permits name the licensed master electrician rather than a company (Cambridge about page; methodology).
| Trade | Permits | Firms | Complete (a year or more old) | Usual days to complete (estimated) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical | 3,820 | 1,038 | 71.5% | 104 |
| Plumbing | 2,906 | 802 | 67.8% | 69 |
| Gas fitting | 2,057 | 543 | 54.3% | 46 |
| HVAC | 1,470 | 470 | 53.4% | 325 |
| Roofing | 766 | 353 | 92.4% | 17 |
| Remodel | 3,512 | 1,395 | 51.3% | 304 |
An Active remodel permit a year on is the norm here, not a red flag. It is still the question to ask before the final payment: did the building inspector sign off?
When the record is not online
The open files start with the City's Viewpoint system in mid-2018 (a deprecated dataset holds earlier one- and two-family building permits). For anything else, the City's Submit a Public Records Request page says to "Use our online portal to quickly submit and track your request", and that "You may also submit a request by email, mail, fax, or in person" (read 23 October 2026).
What our Cambridge data adds
The Permit Finder is organised by address. Ours groups the same permits by firm: the Cambridge permit statistics, and the compare lists for electricians, plumbers, gas fitters and remodelers. Which jobs need a permit: Do I need a permit?
See every Cambridge remodeler by share complete →
How we know this
Permit Finder wording is quoted from the City of Cambridge Open Data Program's 8 April 2026 announcement and the dataset's description; contacts and request routes are from the City's Apply for a Building Permit and Submit a Public Records Request pages, all read 23 October 2026. Our counts are City of Cambridge Inspectional Services permits on homes, October 2023 to September 2026.
Numbers come from City of Cambridge Inspectional Services permits (the city's per-type open-data permit files), data through October 16, 2026. Nobody paid to be on this page and nobody can.
Questions
- How do I find out if a permit was pulled on my house in Cambridge?
Search your address in the Cambridge Permit Finder, the City's open dataset and dashboard that combine over 30 permit types from several departments. The dashboard searches by address and lets you click a permit for details.
- Are Cambridge building permits public record?
Yes. Inspectional Services permits are published as open data, one dataset per permit type plus the combined Permit Finder, and the Massachusetts Public Records Law applies to City records.
- Can I search Cambridge permits by contractor?
Not in the Permit Finder, which has address, type, ID, dates and status. Our Cambridge pages group 15,278 permits from October 2023 to September 2026 under 4,965 firms and license holders.
- Why does my Cambridge permit still say Active?
Cambridge permits are either Active or Complete, and many stay Active after the work is done. In our file only 51.3% of remodel permits a year or more old were Complete, so ask Inspectional Services on 617-349-6100 whether the final happened.
- How do I request older Cambridge permit records?
Use the City's online public records portal, linked from its Submit a Public Records Request page; the City also takes requests by email, mail, fax or in person.
Build your own list
Every firm with that kind of permit on record. Pick what you value. The list moves.
Related guides
- Cambridge, MA contractor license lookup: HIC, construction supervisor, trade licenses and the permits
- Somerville, MA contractor license lookup: HIC, construction supervisor, trade licenses and the permits
- Colorado Springs building permit search: PPRBD permit search and archived permit cards
- Miami building permit search: iBuild, permit history and old records
- Do I need a gas permit in Cambridge, MA? Licensed gas fitters only, the per-appliance fees and why finals lag
- Corpus Christi building permit search: the Dynamic Portal and the monthly permit reports
For one city
- Cambridge Permit Finder Dataset and Interactive Dashboard Now Available — City of Cambridge Open Data Program (8 April 2026) (2026-10-23)
- Cambridge Permit Finder — Cambridge Open Data (2026-10-23)
- Apply for a Building Permit — City of Cambridge (2026-10-23)
- Submit a Public Records Request — City of Cambridge (2026-10-23)