In Boston, every knob and tube rewire needs an electrical permit from the Inspectional Services Department, and only a licensed electrical contractor can apply for it; a homeowner can’t. The fee is set by a published formula, work can’t start until the permit is issued, and the new wiring has to be inspected before any wall is closed over it. Decker Boston Knob and Tube arranges permitted knob and tube replacement across Boston and nearby cities, carried out by licensed and insured electricians, with a licensed electrician pulling the permit on every job.
The same state code applies everywhere around Boston. What changes across a city line is the office that issues the permit, its fees and its scheduling.
Who files, and what they file
The permit is the contractor’s, by law and by city rule. That’s a protection for the owner, not a formality.
The state rules behind it
Massachusetts law says no one may work in the business of installing wiring without a license from the state examiners of electricians (M.G.L. c. 141, § 1A). A separate law requires anyone installing wiring for hire to notify the inspector of wires on the board’s permit form, before starting or within five days of starting, with a fine of up to $500 for failing to (M.G.L. c. 143, § 3L).
What Boston asks for
Boston’s electrical permit page is plain on this: homeowners can’t apply, and the licensed contractor who applies is the one who does the work. The application includes:
- a description of the project and its estimated total cost;
- a copy of the front and back of the contractor’s trade license;
- a certificate of liability insurance;
- a Massachusetts workers’ compensation affidavit.
What the permit costs
Boston’s fee follows the scope, not the price of the job. Fees are paid upfront when the permit is issued.
| What the job includes | Boston ISD fee |
|---|---|
| Rewire with no change in service | $20 application fee, plus $1 per fixture, plug or outlet and $5 per approved meter |
| New or upgraded service, up to 240 volts | $20 application fee, plus $0.25 per amp |
| Other cases | $10 per $1,000 of estimated cost |
| Work started before the permit is issued | Can mean double the permit cost, or a code violation |
Two examples
These are illustrative only. A rewire touching 30 fixtures, plugs and outlets on one meter works out to $20 + $30 + $5 = $55. A three-family house with three meters adds $15 in meter charges alone. A 200 amp service upgrade at 240 volts is $20 + $50 = $70. Ask ISD how a job that includes both a rewire and a service change is charged. The cost guide puts the permit in context: it is a small fraction of the price.
From filing to final: the sequence
The permit fixes the order of the job. Each step below has a rule or a reason behind it.
- Circuit map and scope. The circuits are traced and the work is written up, because the application needs a project description and cost.
- Permit issued. No work starts until it is.
- Rough-in. New cable and boxes go in, area by area, with the walls still open.
- Rough-in inspection. The inspector of wires sees the new wiring before it’s covered.
- Connection and testing. New circuits are connected and tested, and the old runs are disconnected.
- Final inspection. Booked once the work is finished, with the licensed contractor on site.
- Closing the walls and the record. Patching proceeds after inspection, and you keep the closed permit with a labeled panel schedule.
The replacement process guide covers what happens physically at each step.
Inspection before walls close
Two state rules shape the inspections more than anything else, and both affect when plaster work can begin.
Rule 10: no covering until inspected
Rule 10 of 527 CMR 12.00 says installations can’t be concealed or covered until the inspector of wires has inspected them, within 72 hours of proper notice for interior work, Saturdays, Sundays and holidays excluded. In practice, an opening cut on Thursday and called in that day may not be closable until the following week.
Scheduling the inspection in Boston
Boston ISD schedules inspections by phone at 617-635-5300 or through its online portal, and says the inspector will be in touch within 48 hours. The licensed contractor has to be there.
Testing leads to approval
The inspector judges the installation, but the electrician’s own testing comes first: every outlet and light confirmed on the new circuits, every old run confirmed dead. Under the state law, the inspector then gives written approval or disapproval within five days of the installer’s completion notice. That approval is the document an insurer or buyer will want later.
Permits for related work
A rewire can touch more than one permit or office. These are the usual additions.
| Related work | What it adds |
|---|---|
| Opening non-structural walls | Boston’s guidance lists a short-form permit, which homeowners and contractors can both obtain |
| Service upgrade | A utility work request with Eversource; its contractor guidance asks that the wiring inspector call in the approval |
| Exterior meter, mast or conduit in a historic district | A design decision from the district commission before the building permit (historic district guide) |
| Larger openings in a pre-1978 house | Lead-safe renovation rules under 454 CMR 22.00, separate from the electrical permit |
The panel upgrade service covers the utility side in more detail.
How long a permit stays open
Under Rule 8 of the state code, the permit is issued to the person or firm on the application, who notifies the inspector when the work is complete. A permit can be treated as abandoned if work hasn’t started or progressed within 12 months. A job staged over many months, such as a triple-decker done one floor at a time, should keep that in mind when stages are planned.
Nearby cities run their own wire offices
Outside Boston, the permit goes to each city’s or town’s inspector of wires under the same state code. Their processes differ in ways that matter to a schedule.
| City or town | What’s known about its process |
|---|---|
| Cambridge | Inspectional Services, home of the city’s Electrical/Wiring Division at 831 Massachusetts Avenue, issues electrical permits online. Work started before the permit carries a tripled fee |
| Somerville | Permits go through the city’s CitizenServe portal, and Somerville says a licensed electrician must apply for all electrical permits |
| Medford | All permits are filed online, contractors must register their licenses with the city, and inspections are arranged directly with inspectors during set office hours |
| Brookline and Newton | Permit and fee rules are confirmed per address and project |
Licensing is the same everywhere: the state requires a licensed electrician for wiring done for hire. The legal guide covers the code itself.
If you’d like a rewire planned with the permit, inspections and plaster schedule worked out together, call Decker Boston Knob and Tube at (617) 405-3599 or ask for an estimate.