Bolthole Index

Norfolk County, Massachusetts

Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Medfield, Massachusetts

The Town of Medfield, Massachusetts adopts its own Zoning Bylaw, so zoning is decided in town, not by Norfolk County1. Building permits come from the town's own Building Department2, and septic permits run through the Medfield Board of Health and its Public Health Department3. Living in an RV or mobile home is allowed only by special permit, for no more than 6 months4.

At a glance

Zoning
Town of Medfield's own Zoning Bylaw (Chapter 300)1
Building permit
Issued by the town's Building Department under the state building code25
Septic
State Title 5 rules, administered by the local Board of Health63
RV living
Special permit from the board of appeals, 6 months maximum4
Accessory dwelling
State law protects one accessory unit in a single-family district7
Owner-builder
Exempt from home-improvement-contractor registration, not from permits8
Minimum home size
Zoning may not regulate interior area of a single-family home9

Who to call

Building permits

Medfield Building Department

Building permits, plus wiring, plumbing and gas inspections, inside the Town of Medfield

508-906-3005

459 Main Street, Medfield, MA 02052

Septic permits

Medfield Public Health Department (Board of Health)

Septic system permits and local public health enforcement inside the Town of Medfield

459 Main Street, Medfield, MA 02052

Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on October 23, 2026.

Off-grid gear

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

These are affiliate links — we may earn a commission, at no cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, Bolthole Index earns from qualifying purchases.

Does Medfield have zoning, and what does it mean for RVs, tiny homes, lot size and setbacks?

Yes. The Town of Medfield enforces its own Zoning Bylaw, Chapter 300 of the town code, with area, height and bulk tables for each district1. Named districts include the residential RE, RT, RS and RU districts, business and industrial districts, and floodplain, watershed and aquifer overlays10. Massachusetts leaves zoning to cities and towns, so the rules differ from town to town11.

Lot area, frontage and building height are set district by district in the bylaw's tables; only land inside Medfield counts toward minimum lot area and frontage12. We could not read the per-district numbers, so ask the Building Department for your lot's district before you buy. One fixed rule: accessory buildings in an R district sit at least 60 feet from the street lot line13.

An RV or mobile home used as living quarters needs a special permit from the board of appeals and may be used for no more than 6 months4. We could not confirm how Medfield treats tiny homes; the state's tiny-house statute covers only designated seasonal communities14. Massachusetts bars zoning bylaws from regulating the interior area of a single-family home, so Medfield zoning cannot set a minimum home size9.

Do you need a building permit in Medfield, and who issues it?

Building permits in Norfolk County are issued by each municipality's own building inspector, not the county15. In Medfield, that is the town's Building Department at the Town House, 459 Main Street; its page answers "How do I apply for a building permit?"2. The Massachusetts state building code applies to every building in every city and town, enforced by the local inspector5.

We could not confirm Medfield's general building-permit rules, fees or inspection steps, so call the Building Department at 508-906-30052. Owner-builders are exempt from home-improvement-contractor registration, but that exemption does not waive building permits or inspections8.

Two zoning-driven checks apply to some lots. Parking and loading must be approved by the planning board before a certificate of occupancy is granted16. Lots in the floodplain or watershed protection districts need sign-offs from the board of appeals, building inspector, board of health, conservation commission and planning board, or 45 days to elapse17.

How do septic permits work in Medfield?

Septic systems in Massachusetts follow the state's Title 5 code, and the local Board of Health issues the permits6. In Medfield, the Public Health Department works through the Board of Health to enforce state and local health and environmental rules3. Local boards may adopt stricter rules after a public hearing18.

Inside Medfield's floodplain and watershed protection districts, no building permit issues until the board of health approves the sanitary and storm drainage system or 45 days pass after the application19. If a public sewer runs in the street in front of a lot, the owner must connect to it as the sewer authority directs20. Typical rules for other lots, private wells and septic inspections are unconfirmed; ask the Public Health Department. Massachusetts lets a town require a local site permit from well drillers21.

Nearly all soils in Norfolk County rate as limited for a conventional drain field, so expect a site evaluation and possibly an engineered system22.

Can you build an accessory dwelling or add a second unit in Medfield?

State law protects one accessory dwelling unit in a single-family zoning district, up to the lesser of half the main home's floor area or 900 square feet7. Medfield's own bylaw also has a special-permit route for an accessory unit inside a house that existed before 1938, has at least 2,000 square feet and meets the district's lot-area rule23. Check with the Building Department on how the two interact.

Building a home in Medfield: the steps, in order

  1. Ask the Building Department which zoning district your lot is in and what its lot, frontage and height rules are2.
  2. If land is being divided, the planning board must approve a subdivision plan first24.
  3. Check floodplain, watershed and aquifer districts, which add permit conditions25.
  4. Contact the Public Health Department about septic or sewer, and any well3.
  5. Apply for the building permit with the Building Department2.
  6. Finish required inspections and obtain a certificate of occupancy before moving in16.

What stays with Norfolk County, and what to check before you buy in Medfield

Norfolk County does not issue building permits or zoning; those stay with the town15. For land outside Medfield, see the Norfolk County page. Norfolk County's population density is about 1,837 people per square mile, and the nearest city of 100,000 or more is about 11 miles away2627. Norfolk County's typical home value is $785,82228, and the effective property tax rate is 1.1%29. Service driveways must be 12 to 24 feet wide30.

Watch-outs

  • Medfield's zoning tables for lot area, frontage, height and lot coverage were not readable, so confirm your lot's district limits with the Building Department before buying12.
  • Floodplain, watershed and aquifer districts add permit sign-offs, including board of health approval, before a building permit or certificate of occupancy25.
  • We could not confirm permit fees or short-term-rental rules in Medfield; ask the Building Department2.

Sources

  1. Medfield Chapter 300 Zoning, Article 6 Area, Height and Bulk Regulations (eCode360) (Town of Medfield), quoted and re-checked
  2. Medfield Building Department (town.medfield.net)
  3. Medfield Public Health Department (Board of Health) (town.medfield.net)
  4. Town of Medfield Existing Zoning Bylaw (town-hosted PDF dated 02-27-23) (Town of Medfield), quoted and re-checked
  5. Massachusetts General Laws, Chapter 143, Section 3A: Enforcement of state building code (Massachusetts statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  6. MassDEP - 310 CMR 15.000 Septic Systems (Title 5) (2026 county census)
  7. Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 40A, Section 3 (Massachusetts statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  8. Massachusetts General Laws, Chapter 142A, Section 14 (Massachusetts statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  9. General Law - Chapter 40A, Section 3 (Massachusetts statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  10. Medfield Chapter 300 Zoning, Article 6 Area, Height and Bulk Regulations (eCode360) (Town of Medfield), quoted and re-checked
  11. Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 40A, Section 1A, quoted and re-checked
  12. Medfield Chapter 300 Zoning, Article 6 Area, Height and Bulk Regulations (eCode360) (Town of Medfield), quoted and re-checked
  13. Medfield Chapter 300 Zoning, Article 6 Area, Height and Bulk Regulations (eCode360) (Town of Medfield), quoted and re-checked
  14. Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 23B, Section 32 (Massachusetts statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  15. City of Quincy - Building Department (Inspectional Services) (2026 county census)
  16. Town of Medfield Existing Zoning Bylaw (town-hosted PDF dated 02-27-23) (Town of Medfield), quoted and re-checked
  17. Town of Medfield Existing Zoning Bylaw (town-hosted PDF dated 02-27-23) (Town of Medfield), quoted and re-checked
  18. Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 111, Section 31E (Massachusetts statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  19. Town of Medfield Existing Zoning Bylaw (town-hosted PDF dated 02-27-23) (Town of Medfield), quoted and re-checked
  20. Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 83, Section 5 (Massachusetts statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  21. Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 21G, Section 20 (Massachusetts statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  22. Share of soils USDA rates "not limited" for a conventional septic drain field (SSURGO). A strict rating: the median county is about 6% and a tenth of counties are 0%, so a low figure means most lots need a site evaluation or an engineered system, not that septic is impossible. Cite it only with that caveat: Bolthole Index county data
  23. Town of Medfield Existing Zoning Bylaw (town-hosted PDF dated 02-27-23) (Town of Medfield), quoted and re-checked
  24. Town of Medfield, MA code table of contents (eCode360) (Town of Medfield), quoted and re-checked
  25. Medfield Chapter 300 Zoning, Article 6 Area, Height and Bulk Regulations (eCode360) (Town of Medfield), quoted and re-checked
  26. Population density: Bolthole Index county data
  27. Straight-line distance from the county center to the nearest city of 100,000+ people: Bolthole Index county data
  28. Typical home value (Zillow): Bolthole Index county data
  29. Effective property tax rate: Bolthole Index county data
  30. Medfield Chapter 300 Zoning, Article 6 Area, Height and Bulk Regulations (eCode360) (Town of Medfield), quoted and re-checked

Written October 23, 2026 from the rules quoted below, each taken from an official source and re-checked by an independent reviewer. This is research, not legal advice: rules change, so confirm with the office before you buy or build.

Answers from the rulebook for Town of Medfield

Town of Medfield’s own rules

  • Certificate of occupancyRequired

    Land inside Medfield's floodplain district (Article 10) and watershed protection district (Article 11)

    • Requires a certified plan of foundation and floor elevations and sewage disposal system elevations, and sign-off by the board of appeals, building inspector, board of health, conservation commission and planning board, or 45 days elapsed.
    • Applies only inside the listed districts.

    review period after plan receipt: 45 days (alternative to written sign-off by each board)

    “no certificate of occupancy shall be issued until the board of appeals, the building inspector, the board of health, the conservation commission and the planning board have received a certified plan”
    One more reviewed finding on this topic
  • Local zoningPresent

    All land inside Medfield town limits; Medfield's own Zoning Bylaw (Chapter 300 on eCode360) with district area and height/bulk tables

    • Medfield's eCode360 Chapter 300 includes legislation through 05-05-2025; the zoning bylaw PDF in the record is dated 02-27-23 and may be older than the current text.
    • Only land within the town's borders counts toward minimum lot area and frontage (§ 300-6.2u).
    “the table of area regulations included as an attachment to this bylaw, together with the notes therein, are part of this bylaw.”
  • Zoning districtsPartial

    Medfield zoning districts named in the bylaw text (re, rt, rs, ru residential; b, bi business; ie industrial; open space residential; floodplain; watershed; aquifer)

    • District names are taken from bylaw text; the zoning map and the district-by-district tables were not opened.
    “the board of appeals may, in districts re, rt, rs and ru, by special permit as specified in § 300-14.10e, allow a lesser setback”
  • Minimum lot sizeDistrict specific (with conditions)

    Single-family residential zoning districts in Medfield town, including districts re, rt, rs and ru; the numeric minimum for each district is in the Table of Area Regulations, which was not read

    • Lot area and frontage are measured only on land inside the town.
    • Per-district numeric minimums are not recorded in this claim.
    “only land or that portion of land located within the town of medfield shall be included for purposes of determining compliance with minimum lot area and frontage requirements set out in the table of area regulations”
  • SetbacksSpecified

    Principal-structure yards in all districts are set by the Table of Area Regulations (not read); accessory buildings in any R district have the fixed minimums below

    • Accessory buildings in an R district: not less than 60 feet from any street lot line; corner-lot garages set back as the adjacent front yard.
    • One accessory structure up to 200 sq ft and 12 ft high may sit in the rear yard with reduced setbacks.
    • Setbacks in the table do not apply to fences up to six feet high.
    • Decks and porches may be set back up to 6 feet less than the required front or rear setback by special permit in districts re, rt, rs and ru.

    accessory building setback from street lot line: >= 60 feet (corner-lot garage set back at least the adjacent front yard) · small accessory structure rear-yard setback to rear lot line: >= 20 feet (structure up to 200 sq ft and 12 ft high) · small accessory structure setback to side lot line: >= 12 feet (structure up to 200 sq ft and 12 ft high)

    “provided that one accessory structure that will not exceed 200 square feet, and not exceeding 12 feet in height, shall be allowed to be located in the rear yard with a setback to the rear lot line of no less than 20 feet and side lot line of no less than 12 feet.”
  • Lot coverageDistrict specific (with conditions)

    Lot coverage in each zoning district of Medfield town; the maximum for each district is in the Table of Height and Bulk Regulations, which was not read

    • Maximum impervious surface is set by the height and bulk table.
    • Board of appeals may grant special permit for up to 5% more lot coverage in districts re, rt, rs and ru (recreational structures).

    special-permit increase over district maximum lot coverage: <= 5 percent (special permit from board of appeals in districts re, rt, rs and ru)

    “the maximum amount of impervious surface allowed shall be as indicated in the table of height and bulk regulations”
  • Building heightDistrict specific (with conditions)

    Maximum building height in each zoning district of Medfield town; numeric limits are in the Table of Height and Bulk Regulations, which was not read

    • Height is further subject to the state building code.
    • Exempt structures (e.g., spires, chimneys, appurtenances) must increase setbacks as stated in § 300-6.3a.
    “set forth in the table of area regulations and table of height and bulk regulations”
  • Living in an RVLimited

    Use of a travel trailer (RV) as living quarters on private land inside Medfield town, in any district

    • Requires a special permit from the board of appeals.
    • Trailer must keep wheels and tires and retain a current state motor vehicle license; no skirts, porches or fences added.
    • Each trailer and its lot remain subject to district requirements.

    maximum period of use: <= 6 months (special-permit condition)

    “for the use of a travel trailer or mobile home located in any district, provided: any travel trailer or mobile home shall not be used for more than six months;”
  • Manufactured homesLimited

    Occupancy of a mobile home (manufactured home on wheels) inside Medfield town, in any district

    • Requires a special permit from the board of appeals.
    • Wheels and tires may not be removed; no skirts, porches or fences added; current state motor vehicle license required.

    maximum period of use: <= 6 months (special-permit condition)

    “any travel trailer or mobile home shall not be used for more than six months; no wheels, tires or other means of keeping the travel trailer or mobile home mobile shall be removed;”
  • Accessory dwellingsLimited

    Accessory dwelling unit inside a single-family dwelling in Medfield town, by special permit from the board of appeals

    • House must have existed before 1938.
    • House must have at least 2,000 square feet of existing floor area.
    • House must meet the lot-area requirement for a single-family dwelling in its district.
    • Addition of up to 10% of existing floor area allowed in rear or side yard if architecturally consistent.
    • Subject to conditions imposed by the board of appeals.

    house construction year: < 1938 year (house must have existed prior to this year) · existing floor area of house: >= 2000 square feet · addition allowance: <= 10 percent of existing floor area (rear or side yard only)

    “(a) the house was in existence prior to 1938. (b) the house has a minimum of 2,000 square feet of existing floor area. (c) the house meets the lot area requirement for a single-family dwelling in its district. (d) an addition to the house of up to 10% of the existing floor area shall be allowed in the rear or side yard, provided the addition is architecturally consistent with the existing house.”
  • Septic permitRequired

    Building permits for construction inside Medfield's floodplain district and watershed protection district

    • Permit may be waived only if the board of health allows 45 days to elapse after receipt of the application.
    • General septic permit for other lots not established.

    board of health review period: 45 days (if the board of health has not acted, building permit may issue after this period)

    “no building permit shall be issued until the board of health has issued a permit under this article approving the proposed sanitary and storm drainage system or has allowed 45 days to elapse after receipt of the application.”
  • Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

    Division of land into lots inside Medfield town under the town's Subdivision of Land bylaw

    • Subdivision rules are in Chapter 310 (§ 310-1.1 to § 310-5.3); the chapter's terms were not read.
    • Open-space residential development must be served by public water and sewer or an approved on-site system (zoning § 300-7).
    “chapter 310 subdivision of land (§ 310-1.1 &ndash; § 310-5.3)”
  • Driveway accessLimited

    Legal service driveways serving lots inside Medfield town (driveway width only)

    • Applies to service driveways; no general curb-cut or access permit rule was read.

    service driveway minimum width: >= 12 feet · service driveway maximum width: <= 24 feet

    “a legal service driveway shall have a minimum width of 12 feet and a maximum width of 24 feet.”
  • Building in a floodplainRequired

    Building inside the floodplain district (Article 10), watershed protection district (Article 11), open space residential (Article 7) and aquifer protection district (Article 16) of Medfield town

    • Each listed district is governed by its own zoning article's permit conditions.
    • Floodplain permit requires board of health approval of sanitary/storm drainage and conservation commission and other sign-offs before certificate of occupancy.
    “building within the following districts will be subject to the respective zoning bylaw section: open space residential, article 7; floodplain district, article 10; watershed protection district, article 11; and aquifer”

Still unanswered

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

  • Building permit — New single-family home construction inside Medfield town
  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-built home construction inside Medfield town
  • Inspections — Inspections of new residential construction inside Medfield town
  • Minimum dwelling size — Minimum dwelling floor area in Medfield town
  • Tiny homes — Tiny-home occupancy inside Medfield town
7 more unanswered
  • Septic inspection
  • Off-grid sanitation
  • Well permit
  • Agricultural exemption
  • Short-term rentals
  • Permit fees
  • Permit process

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.

Unanswered questions are usually a sign that Town of Medfield publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Norfolk County’s page lists the county offices to call.

← All of Norfolk County: county rules, score and offices