Arlington, MA · About 5 mi from our Waltham shop
Arlington work, with the neighbors told first
Arlington is one of the few towns that makes the owner mail notice to everyone within 200 feet before a teardown, new house or large addition begins. It also counts covering more than a quarter of a historic front or side wall as demolition.
To scale. Rings every 2 miles from our shop.
Arlington bylaws
What the bylaws ask of a remodel here
Arlington writes a lot of its building rules into the general bylaws rather than zoning, so they reach jobs that other towns leave alone. We confirm each one at permit time.
- 1
Demolition delay for inventoried buildings
If the Historical Commission finds a building on its inventory or the National Register preferably preserved, no demolition permit can issue until twelve months after the application. Removing or covering more than 25% of any front or side elevation counts as demolition.
Source: By-Laws of the Town of Arlington, through 2025 Annual Town Meeting (PDF)
- 2
Seven local historic districts
Avon Place, Broadway, Central Street, Jason/Gray, Mount Gilboa/Crescent Hill, Pleasant Street and Russell are local historic districts, covering over 300 properties. Most exterior changes visible from the street need a commission certificate, and the building department can't issue a permit for exterior work or demolition without it.
- 3
Front fences in historic districts
In the local districts, any fence forward of the front facade needs a certificate of appropriateness, and corner lots have two fronts. Front fences should be open in character, and wrought iron is one of the examples the guidelines say may be allowed case by case.
Source: Arlington Historic District Commissions: Design Guidelines, revised June 2025 (PDF)
- 4
Neighbor notice before big jobs
Before demolition, open foundation excavation, new residential construction or a large addition, the owner must mail notice to abutters and occupants within 200 feet. A large addition means 750 square feet or more, or 50% or more of the existing gross floor area.
Source: Town of Arlington Bylaws: Title VI, Building Regulations
- 5
Residential construction site control
On demolition, excavation, new construction and large addition jobs, the contractor must keep the site neat, secure waste daily and clean or remove dumpsters at least every 30 days. Portable toilets must stay off the public way and at least ten feet from neighboring homes.
Source: By-Laws of the Town of Arlington, through 2025 Annual Town Meeting (PDF)
- 6
Stormwater permit at 350 square feet
Arlington's stormwater bylaw applies to any development or land alteration that adds 350 square feet or more of impervious surface. The Engineering Division administers it, and projects can't be split into phases to avoid it.
Source: By-Laws of the Town of Arlington, through 2025 Annual Town Meeting (PDF)
- 7
Tree plan for demolition or footprint growth
Demolishing a structure, or building on a developed lot so the total footprint grows 50% or more, requires a Tree Plan filed with the Tree Warden before or with the building permit. Healthy private trees of 6 inches DBH or more in the setback area are protected, and removals are paid into the Tree Fund.
Source: By-Laws of the Town of Arlington, through 2025 Annual Town Meeting (PDF)
- 8
Fossil-fuel-free new construction and major renovation
Arlington's bylaw prohibits new fossil fuel infrastructure in new buildings and major renovations. For houses, major renovation includes additions over 1,000 square feet or over 100% of the existing conditioned area, and alterations whose work area tops both 50% of the house and 1,000 square feet.
Source: By-Laws of the Town of Arlington, through 2025 Annual Town Meeting (PDF)
Why it's set up this way
Dense streets, close neighbors, rules to match
Arlington's houses sit close together, and a lot of its bylaws read like they were written by people who lived next to a job site. Site control rules require the contractor to keep a residential construction site neat, have dumpsters cleaned out or swapped at least every 30 days, and keep portable toilets off the public way and at least ten feet from neighboring homes.
The town also treats additions carefully. An addition that grows a house by 750 square feet or by half its gross floor area is a 'large addition', which brings neighbor notice and site rules. On a building on the Historical Commission's inventory, removing or covering more than a quarter of the front or a side wall counts as demolition, even if most of the house stays.
Water runs under a lot of it. The Mill Brook drops more than 140 feet over 2.7 miles from the Arlington Reservoir to the Mystic Lakes, and much of it now runs in culverts. Add 350 square feet of hard surface anywhere in town and the stormwater bylaw applies.
Services
Every service, Arlington rules included
Kitchens, baths and basements make up much of the work in a town of older two-families and colonials. Additions, rebuilds and iron railings each bring their own Arlington bylaw.
- 01Kitchen remodeling in ArlingtonLayouts, cabinets, counters, plumbing & trim.
- 02Bathroom remodeling in ArlingtonTile, showers, tubs, vanities & plumbing.
- 03Basement finishing in ArlingtonFamily rooms, gyms, offices & guest suites.
- 04Home additions in ArlingtonFamily rooms, bedrooms, sunrooms & garages.
- 05New construction in ArlingtonNew homes and full rebuilds, start to finish.
- 06Iron work in ArlingtonStaircases, railings, gates & window guards.
From East Arlington to the Heights
The master plan points out how varied the housing is: steep-gabled English Revival homes in parts of Arlington Heights, uniform mid-century streets, and early twentieth-century brick apartment buildings near Massachusetts Avenue. The seven local historic districts are scattered across town.
- Arlington Center
- East Arlington
- Arlington Heights
- Avon Place
- Broadway
- Central Street
- Jason/Gray
- Mount Gilboa/Crescent Hill
- Pleasant Street
- Russell
Questions
Arlington questions we hear
Do I need to tell my Arlington neighbors before we start?
For a demolition, open foundation excavation, new house or large addition, yes: Arlington requires first-class mail notice to abutters and occupants within 200 feet. Ordinary interior remodels don't trigger it.
Is my Arlington house in a historic district?
Only if it's in one of the seven local districts: Avon Place, Broadway, Central Street, Jason/Gray, Mount Gilboa/Crescent Hill, Pleasant Street or Russell. Individually listed houses outside those districts are handled by the Historical Commission instead.
Can a new Arlington house have gas?
No, not under the town's fossil-fuel-free bylaw, which covers new buildings and major renovations. Listed exemptions include labs, medical facilities and some larger multifamily water heating.
In Arlington the permit is only half the paperwork. The other half is the letter to the neighbors, the tree plan and the stormwater sign-off.
We prepare all three alongside the building permit.
Other towns near Arlington
Where this information comes from
- Town of Arlington Bylaws: Title VI, Building Regulations
- By-Laws of the Town of Arlington, through 2025 Annual Town Meeting (PDF)
- Town of Arlington: Historic Districts Commission
- Arlington Historic District Commissions: Design Guidelines, revised June 2025 (PDF)
- Arlington Master Plan working paper: Historic & Cultural Resource Areas (PDF)
Rules change. These are summaries of Arlington's and Massachusetts' published rules as of our last check, not legal advice; your project's permits are confirmed with the town when we file them.
Free estimate
Planning work on an Arlington home?
We'll come out, measure, listen, and send a written estimate. The visit is free and there's no pressure to sign.
Call 617-934-1875