Where to search Somerville permits
| Tool | Search by | What it shows |
|---|---|---|
| CitizenServe | The portal's permit search | Home and property permits handled by the City |
| Applications for Permits and Licenses (open data) | Any column: address, parcel, contractor company or name | Type, status, application, issue, expiration and close dates, estimated cost |
| Our Somerville firm list | Contractor name | Each firm's permits, share closed and days to close |
The City says the dataset holds applications handled by Inspectional Services and the City Clerk, "approximately 90% of the applications processed by the City of Somerville".
How to look up permits on a Somerville address
- Open the open dataset and filter application_address for your street and number.
- Read each row's type (building, electrical, plumbing, gas fitting), status and issue date.
- Check the contractor_company and contractor_name columns against the firm you hired.
- For the live record, look the permit up in CitizenServe.
- Questions about a permit go to Inspectional Services, 1 Franey Road, (617) 625-6600 x5600, isd@somervillema.gov.
What the statuses mean
The open dataset (counted 23 October 2026) mostly uses Closed, Issued, Withdrawn, Denied, Under Review, Approved, Expired, Completed, Complete and Renewal Required. Our pages count Closed, Complete and Completed as finished, and time a permit from issue to its close date (Somerville about page; methodology).
| Trade | Permits | Firms | Closed (a year or more old) | Usual days to close |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical | 2,877 | 762 | 89.1% | 112 |
| Plumbing | 1,810 | 489 | 67.5% | 196 |
| Gas fitting | 1,368 | 393 | 60.9% | 225 |
| HVAC | 691 | 230 | 51.0% | 365 |
| Windows | 547 | 202 | 52.5% | 461 |
| Remodel | 1,538 | 755 | 63.2% | 286 |
Issued long after the work is common in Somerville outside electrical: 89.1% of electrical permits were closed, but only 51.0% of HVAC permits. An Issued permit is not proof of a problem here, but it is a reason to ask ISD whether the final inspection happened.
When the record is not online
The open data starts in 2014. For older files, the City's Public Records Requests page names the City Solicitor as Records Access Officer under G.L. c. 66, § 6A: City Hall, 93 Highland Ave., (617) 625-6600 x4400, publicrecords@somervillema.gov (read 23 October 2026).
What our Somerville data adds
CitizenServe and the dataset are organised by application. Ours groups them by firm: the Somerville permit statistics, and the compare lists for electricians, plumbers and remodelers. The Massachusetts license and HIC checks are in the Somerville contractor license lookup; which jobs need a permit is in Do I need a permit?
See every Somerville remodeler by share closed →
How we know this
Portal wording and contacts are from the City of Somerville's Licenses and Permits, ISD Building Division and Public Records Requests pages and the open dataset's description, read 23 October 2026; the status list is a count of the dataset that day. Our counts are issued permits on Somerville homes, October 2023 to September 2026.
Numbers come from City of Somerville permit applications (issued permits only), data through October 15, 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 Somerville?
Search the address in the City's CitizenServe portal, where Somerville says you can research and apply for home and property permits, or filter the Applications for Permits and Licenses open dataset by your address.
- Are Somerville building permits public record?
Yes. Somerville publishes over 90,000 permit and license applications since 2014 as open data, and the City's Records Access Officer handles requests under the Massachusetts public records law.
- Can I search Somerville permits by contractor?
Yes, in the open dataset, which has contractor company and contractor name columns. Our Somerville pages list 11,222 home permits from October 2023 to September 2026 under 3,583 firms and tradespeople.
- Why does my Somerville permit still say Issued?
Many Somerville permits are never formally closed. In our file only 63.2% of remodel permits and 38.8% of roofing permits a year or more old were closed, so ask ISD whether the final inspection was done.
- How do I request older Somerville permit records?
Email the City's Records Access Officer at publicrecords@somervillema.gov or call (617) 625-6600 x4400. For questions about a specific permit, ISD is on (617) 625-6600 x5600, isd@somervillema.gov.
Build your own list
Every firm with that kind of permit on record. Pick what you value. The list moves.
Related guides
- Cambridge building permit search: the Permit Finder, OpenGov and public records
- Miami building permit search: iBuild, permit history and old records
- Somerville, MA contractor license lookup: HIC, construction supervisor, trade licenses and the permits
- Cambridge, MA contractor license lookup: HIC, construction supervisor, trade licenses and the permits
- Do I need a gas permit in Somerville, MA? Yes, for gas piping and appliances, and only a licensed plumber pulls it
For one city
- Somerville demolition review and local historic districts: the 75-year rule, the Historic Permit, and what it means for windows, roofs and additions
- Do I need an electrical permit in Somerville, MA? Yes, and only a licensed electrician can pull it
- Home improvement costs in Somerville, MA (2026): what 10 kinds of jobs were filed at
- Licenses and Permits (CitizenServe) — City of Somerville (2026-10-23)
- Applications for Permits and Licenses — Somerville open data (2026-10-23)
- ISD Building Division — City of Somerville (2026-10-23)
- Public Records Requests — City of Somerville (2026-10-23)