Independent Educational Guide: Massachusetts residential solar permit facts, sourced, dated, and confidence-scored. Not legal, engineering, or permit advice.

Boston Solar Permit Guide

Eversource territory · Suffolk County

Boston Solar Permit Checklist
Printed from mygridpermit.com/massachusetts/boston/solar-permit-guide/ · Last verified 2026-08-14 · City of Boston Inspectional Services Department (ISD), Building Division; Boston Fire Prevention (electrical components) / Eversource · Verify current requirements before relying on this checklist. Programs and fees change.
✓ Last verified 2026-08-145 official sources
Informational only. This page is not legal, engineering, or permit advice. Every fact below links to the official source it came from and shows how confident we are in it. Verify current requirements with City of Boston Inspectional Services Department (ISD), Building Division; Boston Fire Prevention (electrical components) and Eversource before making a decision.

Overview

GridPermit collects Massachusetts residential solar and permitting facts directly from official sources (city, county, and state government sites, utilities, and public utilities commissions) and shows only what we can verify, with a confidence score and a link to where it came from. Nothing here is estimated or inferred beyond what's stated below. See our methodology for the rules this page follows.

Battery/solar incentive program on record

No battery/storage incentive program is on record for this locality.

Permit fees

  • Electrical permit fee (general formula — no dedicated solar line item published): $20 ($20.00 application fee plus $10.00 per $1,000.00 of the estimated cost of work (the 'when none of the above apply' tier, covering new electrical installations that don't fall under the service-upgrade or no-service-change tiers))

    Per the City of Boston Inspectional Services Department's own 'Building Division Permit Fees' schedule (Rev. 2021). Solar installations also require an Electrical permit per this record's required_documents; the schedule has no solar-specific line item, so the general Electrical fee formula is recorded here.

Confidence: Medium (0.75)

Source(s): Building Division Permit Fees (Rev. 2021)

Rebates

SMART (Solar Massachusetts Renewable Target) Program — Eastern Massachusetts, Standard Residential (≤25kW AC)

Per-kWh production incentive paid for a 10-year term (200% Base Compensation Rate Factor tier) under Eversource's own SMART tariff (M.D.P.U. No. 74M, filed 2026-06-10, effective 2026-07-01) for Eastern Massachusetts (Eversource/NSTAR territory, which includes Boston). The rate declines across sequential capacity 'blocks' as each fills — Block 1 (the newest/current block at time of research) pays $0.34000/kWh for standard residential; the Low-Income tier (230% factor) pays $0.39100/kWh at Block 1. Both rates decline through at least 8 published blocks (Block 8 standard: $0.255.../kWh). This is paid in addition to net metering, not instead of it.

Status on file: active. Verify current status before relying on this.

Confidence: High (0.85)

Source(s): SMART Tariff (M.D.P.U. No. 74M, effective 2026-07-01)

Utility and generation supplier

Utility

Eversource

Confidence: High (0.85)

Source(s): Massachusetts Net Metering

Generation supplier

Eversource (utility)

No Community Choice Aggregator was found serving Boston's residential solar customers this session; Eversource is recorded as both the distribution and default generation utility.

Confidence: Medium (0.55)

Source(s): Massachusetts Net Metering

Interconnection

https://www.eversource.com/residential/about/doing-business-with-us/interconnections/massachusetts/net-metering

Per Eversource's own page, Massachusetts net metering is organized into three capacity classes: Class I (60kW or less, the typical residential case), Class II (60kW-1,000kW), and Class III (1,000kW-2,000kW). Customers must submit both a separate electrical interconnection application and a net metering application; simplified/expedited application paths exist for smaller systems. Massachusetts also separately runs the SMART (Solar Massachusetts Renewable Target) program, which pays a per-kWh production incentive for a 10-year term on top of (not instead of) net metering — administered via the PowerClerk platform, per search-derived context not independently re-confirmed on Eversource's own page this session.

Confidence: High (0.85)

Permit authority

City of Boston Inspectional Services Department (ISD), Building Division; Boston Fire Prevention (electrical components)

Massachusetts uses a single statewide building code, the Massachusetts State Building Code (780 CMR, currently the 10th Edition), which applies uniformly to every city and town under M.G.L. c. 143, but permit issuance and enforcement is delegated to each municipality's own building department — a MIXED model similar to several other states researched this session. Boston's own Inspectional Services Department is the local AHJ.

Confidence: High (0.9)

Source(s): Install or Replace Solar Panels

Permit page: https://www.boston.gov/boston-permitting/install-or-replace/install-or-replace-solar-panels

Required documents

  • Structural engineer's roof condition report (required when: Short Form path (systems under 20kW on 1-2 family homes))
  • Engineer-stamped plans showing the location of any Energy Storage System (ESS) batteries (required when: when the project includes battery storage)
  • Electrical permit (required when: always)
  • Home Improvement Contractor (HIC) license (required when: always)
  • Roof panel placement sketch (required when: Short Form path)
  • Signed homeowner waiver and site safety affidavit (required when: Short Form path)
  • Stamped, signed, and dated architectural or engineering plans by a Massachusetts Registered Design Professional, location/layout diagrams, ESS descriptions, structural support details, and component specifications/ratings (required when: Long Form path (systems 20kW or greater, or buildings with 3+ units))

Confidence: High (0.9)

Source(s): Install or Replace Solar Panels

Inspection steps

Not yet verified.

Eligibility constraints

  • Property types: residential
  • Max system size (AC): 60 kW
  • Max system size (DC): Not yet verified.
  • Max thermal capacity: Not yet verified.
  • Program/pathway: Short Form (systems under 20kW on 1-2 family homes) vs. Long Form (20kW+ or 3+ unit buildings)
  • Other conditions:
    • The 60kW figure recorded here reflects the statewide Class I net-metering threshold (per Eversource's own page), not a separate City permit-eligibility limit
    • Certain downtown/Back Bay/Fenway zip codes (02108, 02109, 02110, 02111, 02113, 02114, 02115, 02116, 02118, 02199, 02203, 02215, 02222) may fall within Eversource's 'Area Network,' a region where solar interconnection to the distribution grid can be problematic; the City's own guide instructs residents to call Eversource (1-800-340-9822) to confirm suitability before engaging a solar installer
    • Properties in a historic district or a designated/pending Landmark (per the Boston Landmarks Commission) must receive additional approval before a building permit can be issued

Confidence: Medium (0.75)

Source(s): Install or Replace Solar Panels, Massachusetts Net Metering, Going Solar in Boston — A Reference Guide to the Permit Process

Official contacts

Confidence: High (0.8)

Need a solar installer who handles permits in Boston?

EnergySage is an independent solar marketplace where you can request property-specific pricing from installers familiar with local permitting.

Compare quotes from solar installers →

You'll continue on EnergySage's website. GridPermit has a partner relationship with EnergySage; this link is not currently tracked, and whether the partnership results in compensation to GridPermit has not yet been confirmed.

Sources

Frequently Asked Questions

What utility serves solar customers in Boston, Massachusetts?

Eversource is the interconnection and distribution utility for Boston. The default electricity generation supplier is Eversource, a utility, separate from Eversource.

What documents are required for a solar permit in Boston?

Commonly required documents include: Structural engineer's roof condition report; Engineer-stamped plans showing the location of any Energy Storage System (ESS) batteries; Electrical permit; Home Improvement Contractor (HIC) license; Roof panel placement sketch; Signed homeowner waiver and site safety affidavit; Stamped, signed, and dated architectural or engineering plans by a Massachusetts Registered Design Professional, location/layout diagrams, ESS descriptions, structural support details, and component specifications/ratings.

Who do I contact about solar permits in Boston?

Inspectional Services Department (ISD), phone 617-635-5300.

Disclaimers: This page is for informational purposes only and is not legal, engineering, financial, tax, or permit advice. GridPermit is not a solar installer, contractor, engineering firm, public utility, or government agency. Requirements, fees, and program terms change. Verify current requirements with City of Boston Inspectional Services Department (ISD), Building Division; Boston Fire Prevention (electrical components) and Eversource before starting a project. Last verified 2026-08-14.

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