Permits, Inspections & Fee Schedule

(Scroll to bottom for Fee Schedule & PDF permit applications)

PRIOR APPROVAL REQUIRED:

ALL permit applications, fees and any applicable plans (for review depending on permit type) MUST BE APPROVED by the Fire Dept. AND PAID, BEFORE ANY WORK OR INSTALLATION IS DONE or an inspection is scheduled. In an emergency only, the Fire Chief (or his designee) may give prior verbal approval only if he is contacted beforehand via phone.

PLANS FOR REVIEW? DO YOU NEED THEM?

If your permit, inspection or other item needs plans to be reviewed - full size plans must be mailed or dropped off to the Fire Station on East Street. Failure to: include plans along with the correctly filled out permit application AND fee will result in a delay. It is the responsibility of the builder, contractor or technician to send us the plans. DO NOT give us plans that are on letter-sized paper. If you don't know if you need to submit plans, call or email us (413-584-0874, ext. 311 or fireadmin@hadleyma.gov). 

HOW TO:

1. Please use the specific forms at the bottom of this page tailored to our Town and Department.
2. Submitting an incorrect our outdated form(s) will cause a delay in processing. 
3. ALL inspections or permits must be requested or scheduled a minimum of 7 business days in advance. Due to the busy and unpredictable nature of fire department and EMS operations, last minute requests cannot be guaranteed. The only exception to this are the annual Residential Open Burn permits that are done between January 15th - May 1st annually.
4. Permit applications need to be legible, filled out with the correct address of where the work or inspection will take place, and include a description of said work or reason for the permit. Missing information may cause a delay in processing your request.All permit applications and the fee schedule are linked below.
5. If the permit application you are looking for is not listed at the bottom of this page, please CLICK HERE to be redirected to MA.GOV website for a list of all current permit applications.
6. If you still have questions after reading the Fee Schedule or the Permit Application, please call the Fire Station at 413-584-0874, ext. 311.

RESIDENTIAL OPEN BURN SEASON - January 15th to May 1 only:  

Burn permits must be filled out IN PERSON - at the main fire station on the day you plan to burn @ 15 East St., Hadley. The annual open burning season is regulated by the Massachusetts Dept. of Environmental Protection and the MA Dept. of Fire Services. Each year by January 1st, updated burn permit information will be posted on our website. For more information click HERE.

PHOTOVOLTAIC INSTALLATIONS AND ENERGY STORAGE SYSTEMS: 

Permit forms are linked at the bottom of this page.

***UPDATED PV PERMIT APPLICATIONS & REQUIRED CHECKLIST*** required for all submittals after Feb. 7, 2024. All PV Plan Review permits, PV Accessory/Stand Alone Structure permits and Energy Storage System (ESS) permit applications now have an attached checklist. The checklist shows required items to be included with your permit application and plan(s) submittal. NO PV Plan Reviews will be started unless this checklist accompanies your permit application, fee and drawings.

• All instructions are on the forms including PLACARD instructions and a sample image. 
• Please reference the new permitting codes which took effect December 2022 here: https://www.mass.gov/service-details/statutes-regulations-and-guidelines. 
• Plans, cut sheets and other required documents for plan review must be mailed to the Fire Department with the fee. Do not email plans unless specifically requested for by the Fire Chief for revisions. All original submittals must be printed hard copies mailed via USPS or other carrier.
• Plan reviews can take up to 30 days from time received and paid for in our offices. "30 days" are business days only; not to include weekends or holidays. Our staff is extremely busy with multiple residential and commercial inspections, other plan reviews, fire and EMS emergencies, fire administration, fire prevention and a host of other tasks. All Emergencies take precedence over plan reviews.
• Codes: All applicable codes that pertain to the design, installation and otherwise shall be listed on page 1 of the plans.
• Conduit: If the conduit is to be run in the attic space that will be fine or if run along rake or ridge of the roofline allowing for deployment of roof ladders that are not impacted by conduit.  However, if it is run on any part of the roof whether in FD egress pathways or on bare roof it is required that this information be provided to the fire department. The fire department in accordance with 527 CMR 1 and referenced NFPA 1-2021, section 11.12.3.1.2 " The AHJ shall be permitted to reduce or modify roof access based upon fire department ventilation procedures or alternative methods that ensure adequate fire department access, pathways and smoke ventilation". 
• Once approved or if revisions are required, you will receive an email from the Fire Chief.
• Please contact our office if it has been 30 days since your plans were submitted or after receiving an email from the Fire Chief.
• Only after approval has been received for a Photovoltaic Installation plan review and the installation is complete, to schedule the final inspection please contact the Town of Hadley Building Department. These final inspections are done jointly by the Building Commissioner and the Fire Department. 

TOWN OF HADLEY - SOLAR PLACARD REQUIREMENTS:  

The Hadley Electrical Inspector and Fire Chief have worked jointly to establish the following labeling requirement.

• Please mimic the example shown below exactly - but put the house in the orientation that works best for you.
• The placard must be included with the permit applications AND meet NEC 705.10 and ANSI Z535.4-2011 (R2017) as well as all other applicable Codes and Standards including 527 CMR 1.00 Fire Prevention Regulations and referenced NFPA 1-2021 Section 11.12.2.1.6. 
• Your placard must be included as part of your application and plans for:  Photovoltaic Plan Review as well as Application for Photovoltaic Plan Review-Accessory/Stand Alone Structures for approval. 
• If the placard does not meet these requirements or there is information missing, it will delay approval of a Plan Review.
• SOLAR PLACARD LABEL should mimic the example below and MUST INCLUDE:
  • The orientation of the home, driveway and street can differ from the example, as long as it coordinates with the North directional symbol. 
  • The Placard must meet NEC 705.10 and ANSI Z535.4-2011 (R2017) plus include:
    • Red background with White lettering
    • North directional symbol somewhere on the placard and visible.
    • PV Service Provider name and phone # to be included, not just blank lines for space as in the example.
    • Street label in correct orientation to the property with street name and house #. Driveway must be shown.

SMOKE OR CARBON MONOXIDE (CO) DETECTORS:

PRIOR TO ANY SALE OR TRANSFER OF A RESIDENCE: 

Massachusetts General Law, chapter 148 section 26F½ and 527 CMR 1.00:13.7.6 mandates that upon the sale or transfer of any residence, the local fire department must inspect the residence for carbon monoxide alarm compliance. After a successful inspection, the local fire department will issue a Certificate of Compliance indicating that the residence meets the carbon monoxide alarm requirements. Smoke alarm and CO alarm inspections can be conducted in the same visit. Smoke alarm inspections known as a 26F inspection are also required on certain homes before the sale or transfer of ownership.  *These inspections are required to be done before the closing date; not after. This is required of all sellers and new owners and pertains to any sale or transfer, including those between family members or a family and an estate. Click the link below to learn more about how to prepare your home for a smoke detector and CO alarm inspection.

INSTALLING NEW OR ALTERING OR REPLACING SMOKE OR CO DETECTORS BY A COMPANY: 

In accordance with Massachusetts Fire Regulations 527 CMR and all applicable codes and NFPA standards, anytime a company is hired to install, replace or alter smoke or carbon monoxide detectors (CO) in a home or business, the proper permit application, fees (and plans if applicable plan) must be done and submitted to the Fire Department. Plans are required to be submitted for: all new construction, any significant renovation of 50% or more of the structure, or if adding a bedroom. The Fire Chief or Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ) may require plans under other circumstances depending upon the project scope. Anytime a company is hired to take out existing smoke or CO detectors and replace them with new ones, even if in the same location - a permit and fee is still required. This is different than a 26F or 26F 1/2 inspection. See permit in the list below to download and fill out. NO WORK MAY BE PERFORMED UNTIL THE PERMIT APPLICATION AND FEE ARE PAID AND APPROVED.

WOOD OR PELLET STOVES & FIREPLACE INSERTS:

Do I need a permit or an inspection for a wood stove or a pellet stove?

Yes, the State of Massachusetts requires permits for the installation of a "solid fuel burning appliance" such as a wood stove or a pellet stove. This also includes fireplace inserts. Installers must be licensed by the state but a homeowner may install one on their own, with a permit, if the homeowner feels that they are qualified to install. You apply for the permit through the Building Commissioner’s Office (https://www.hadleyma.org/building-department)  All stoves are different regarding installation and distances to combustibles. Please review the particular installation instructions that go with your particular model. Have these instructions available at the time of inspection. At the time of inspection, both the Fire Department and the Building Inspector will inspect. The Fire Department will check for the proper location of all code required carbon monoxide and smoke detectors. Smoke detectors must be less than 10 years old. CO detectors must be less than 7 years old. If either are out of date, they must be replaced per Massachusetts fire regulations. All smoke and CO detectors now have the date of manufacture stamped on the bottom.

LINKS:

Click link ⇒ Preparing your home for a Smoke Detector of CO Alarm inspection

Click link ⇒ MA fire regulations to reference all new 527 CMR 1 and referenced NFPA (2021 ed.) fire regulations and permit/inspection guidelines.

Click link ⇒  Food Truck Safety Fact Sheet

Click link ⇒  Welding, Cutting, and Other Hot Work ; Fire Safety Requirements in Massachusetts 

The Massachusetts permit & inspection forms below must be used by companies submitting for work to be done in the Town of Hadley. These updated forms include detailed requirements per the Fire Chief and are all fillable PDF's. Other Massachusetts fire departments towns are welcome to use or borrow them for their town after removing our town's name/address from them.