Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Town of Concord, Massachusetts

Town of Concord’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  Most new construction, additions and renovations inside Concord town limits that need a building permit

  • A Title 5 building review by the Concord Health Division must come before the building permit application.
  • Concord uses Form C for septic-connected properties and Form S for sewer-connected properties.
  • The Building Division permit rules and fees were not opened in this pass.

  “a title 5 building review is required before applying for a building permit for most types of construction”

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land inside Concord town limits. Concord town administers its own zoning bylaw.

  • Dimensional and use rules for each district are in Zoning Bylaw Section 6 (Table 3) and Section 4 (Table 1) and were not reached in this research pass.
  • Some districts and overlays are listed in Section 2.1, including residence AA, A, B and C and an MBTA communities multi-family overlay district (MCMOD).

  “for the purpose of this bylaw, the town of concord is hereby divided into the following classes of zoning districts: residential districts”

• Zoning districtsPublished

  Zoning districts inside Concord town limits

  • Zoning map is incorporated by Section 2.2. Districts include residence AA, A, B, C; business districts; limited business and medical-professional districts; industrial districts; and conservancy and overlay districts.
  • The zoning map is dated May 2022 and the floodplain map July 8, 2025, per Section 2.2.

  “location and boundaries of the zoning districts shall be as shown on the following identified zoning maps as the same may be hereinafter amended”

• Who permits septicMixed (with conditions)

  On-site septic systems inside Concord town limits

  • State Title 5 (310 CMR 15.000) applies to septic inspections and system work.
  • The Concord Board of Health, through its Health Division, reviews and approves plans and licenses installers under its own regulations.

  “must comply with massachusetts title 5 and concord board of health regulations”

• Septic permitRequired

  New, repaired, or replaced septic systems inside Concord town limits, administered by the Concord Health Division

  • Form A soil test application is required when designing a new system or when soil conditions need evaluation.
  • All plans must be reviewed and approved by the Health Division before work begins.
  • Installers must be licensed by the town of Concord.

  “disposal system construction permit is required for all system work, including repairs, replacements, and new installations, regardless of whether soil testing is needed”

Rules another office applies inside Town of Concord

Town of Concord does not set these itself; the county, a health district or the state does, and they apply to every address inside its limits.

• Building code adoptedAdopted

  New construction and alterations inside Concord town limits, enforced by the Concord Building Division

  • The Building Division enforces the Massachusetts building code, Architectural Access Board regulations, the Concord zoning and sign bylaws, and the state electrical, plumbing and gas codes.
  • The code is described as the tenth edition, based on modified versions of 2021 ICC codes (IBC, IRC, IEBC, IMC, IECC, ISPSC and portions of IFC).

  “the new tenth edition code is based on modified versions of the following 2021 codes as published by the international code council (icc)”

• Septic inspectionRequired

  Existing septic systems when a property is sold, transferred, or significantly renovated

  • Inspection reports are submitted online only through PermitEyes.
  • The inspector on the report must be permitted in the Town of Concord.

  “a title 5 inspection is required under massachusetts regulations when a property is sold, transferred, or significantly renovated”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Town of Concord or Middlesex County directly.

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder construction inside Concord town limits
• Certificate of occupancy — Certificate of occupancy inside Concord town limits
• Minimum dwelling size — Minimum dwelling size inside Concord town limits
• Minimum lot size — Minimum lot area in the Residence AA, A, B and C districts inside Concord town limits
• Setbacks — Front, side and rear yard setbacks in the Residence AA, A, B and C districts inside Concord town limits

Each answer was extracted from an official source and independently re-checked against that source by a second reviewer. That is an evidence check, not legal advice. Rules change; confirm with the authority before you buy or build.

Off-grid gear

Going off-grid in Town of Concord means bringing your own water and power. The kit we’d start with:

• Water Crystal Quest Filter any source — well, rain, or creek — to drinking-clean.
• Power Bluetti Solar generators and home battery backup for living off the grid.
• Septic Soil percolation test kit Run your own perc test before paying an engineer — the first thing a septic office asks about.
• Water Well water test kit Bacteria, nitrates, hardness — know what the well on a parcel is really pumping.

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