Boston

Ordinance Administration

The Inspectional Services Department administers the facade ordinance for the City of Boston. The department is located at 1010 Massachusetts Avenue, Fifth Floor, Boston, Massachusetts 02118; telephone: 617.635.5300. Sections 9-9.12 of the Boston Building Code entitled “Inspection of Exterior Walls and Appurtenances of Buildings Requiring Periodic Inspection” are applicable, which was most recently amended in July 2022.

Buildings Requiring Inspection

Any exterior wall of a building over seventy (70') feet in height, or classified as a high rise structure, or (2) any exterior wall of an unoccupied building, of over thirty-five thousand (35,000) cubic feet and excluding residential buildings that are classified as three family, two family, or single family except as required by the Commissioner.

Inspection of an occupied structure is required at least once every 5 years and once per year for unoccupied structures. Inspection reports are required to be written by a registered architect or engineer.