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Home Renovation Contractor in Weston, MA
A new bedroom wing in Weston, with the septic planned in.
In Weston an addition goes to the Board of Health as well as the building department. We plan the wing around the septic and the town’s floor area limit.
Weston houses
Planning an addition on a Weston lot.
Every property in Weston has a private septic system. Renovations and additions need a Board of Health application on top of the building permit, and inside the Cambridge Water Supply Zone, which covers more than half the town, the Title 5 rules are stricter.
The median Weston house was built in 1964, and about 43% were built before 1960. Older houses can also fall under the town’s demolition delay bylaw, Article XXVI.
At the walkthrough we look at the septic, the lot and the age of the house, then plan the addition with you and the designer.
Title 5 rules are stricter inside the Cambridge Water Supply Zone, which covers more than half of Weston (westonma.gov).
Permits and local review
Weston additions start with a meeting.
Before the application there’s a scheduled appointment with the Permit Administrator and the departments involved. Each land use department then signs off in Section 9 of the building permit application. We set up that meeting and handle the permit process with you.
- Building permitsWeston Inspectional Services, applied for online through the SimpliCITY portal. Additions start with a scheduled meeting with the Permit Administrator.
- SepticA Board of Health application for renovations and additions. Title 5 rules are stricter inside the Cambridge Water Supply Zone, more than half the town.
- Planning BoardAdditions to homes permitted on or after October 29, 1998 that exceed the residential gross floor area limit.
- Demolition delayArticle XXVI, for qualifying buildings built by 1945. Partial demolition includes additions and exterior remodeling; the delay is up to 12 months.
- Historic district and energy codeCrescent Street Historic District work goes to its commission. Specialized Opt‑in Energy Code, effective July 1, 2024.
Sources: westonma.gov (Building Department, Applications and Forms, Demolition Delay, Local Historic Districts, Historic Areas); mass.gov energy code adoption by municipality; US Census Bureau, ACS 2019 to 2023 five-year estimates.
Bedrooms and septic
Title 5 sizes a septic system by its bedrooms. In Weston, adding one brings in the Board of Health.
The state sets a house’s septic design flow at 110 gallons a day per bedroom. A new bedroom raises the design flow the system has to carry.
That can change the size or the shape of the wing. We look at the septic with you before the designer starts.
+110 gallons a day for bedroom five
Title 5, 310 CMR 15.203(2), as cited by MassDEP
When does a Weston addition go to the Planning Board?
When the house was permitted on or after October 29, 1998 and the addition takes it over the residential gross floor area limit. New and replacement houses have their own triggers: a lot on a Scenic Road, floor area over 10% of the lot (up to 3,500 square feet), or more than 6,000 square feet anywhere in town.
Why does Weston want a meeting before an addition?
It’s how the town runs new construction and additions. The Permit Administrator and the departments involved meet on the project before the application starts. Applications then go through the SimpliCITY portal, where owners and contractors register to apply.
Does Weston count an addition as demolition?
It can. Article XXVI covers buildings built in whole or in part by 1945 that are on the National Register, in a significant or further study area from the 1993 to 1994 survey, or documented on a Cultural Resources Inventory form. For those, an addition counts as partial demolition, and the delay can run up to 12 months.
Is my house in the Crescent Street Historic District?
Crescent Street is Weston’s one local historic district, and exterior work there goes to the Crescent Street Historic District Commission. We confirm by address whether your house is inside it.
Do you work near Kendal Green and Silver Hill?
Yes, anywhere in Weston, including North Village, Case’s Corner and Pigeon Hill. All of those are historic areas from the town’s 1993 to 1994 survey, and a house there gets checked against the demolition delay bylaw early on.
Around Weston
About 19 miles from our base in Stoughton.
In Weston: a bedroom wing sized with the septic and the floor area limit in mind.
Start your project
Plan your Weston wing around the septic.
We look at the tank, the leaching field and the house on the first visit.
(774) 296-4034Already have a bid for a Weston job? Stephen reads it for $99 before you sign. The $99 bid review