Worcester
City of Worcester Department of Inspectional Services, Housing & Health Division
In short
City of Worcester Department of Inspectional Services, Housing & Health Division issues 6 permits we publish for Worcester, last verified 2026-09-05. Each carries the fee as the agency publishes it, with a link to the schedule it was read from.
What this agency issues
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Food and Drink Establishment Permit | City of Worcester Department of Inspectional Services, Housing & Health Division | $275–$450 a year — $275 for 0–100 occupancy, $350 for 101–499, $450 for 500 or more | annual — expires December 31; late renewal draws a $200 penalty | 2026-09-05 |
| Mobile Food Vendor Permit | City of Worcester Department of Inspectional Services, Housing & Health Division | $250 a year | annual — expires December 31 | 2026-09-05 |
| Sign Permit | City of Worcester Department of Inspectional Services, Housing & Health Division | $135 flat, for a ground, wall, projecting or roof sign | one-time, per sign | 2026-09-05 |
| Certificate of Use and Occupancy | City of Worcester Department of Inspectional Services, Housing & Health Division | $100 flat, per certificate — the schedule's Certificate of Use and Occupancy line | issued once per qualifying occupancy | 2026-09-05 |
| Commercial Building Permit | City of Worcester Department of Inspectional Services, Housing & Health Division | $12.00 per $1,000 (or fraction) of construction value, dropping to $9.00 per $1,000 over $1,000,000; minimum $100. A $50 paper-application processing fee applies if not filed through the city's online portal. | one-time, per project | 2026-09-05 |
| Day Care Certificate of Inspection | City of Worcester Department of Inspectional Services, Housing & Health Division | $150 a year | annual | 2026-09-05 |
Fees shown as a range or formula are set that way by the issuing agency — we do not average them into a single number.
About each permit
Food and Drink Establishment Permit
Issued by ISD's Housing & Health Division (Food Protection Unit), not the separately-branded Division of Public Health. A retail-food-only permit is $175; retail with a bakery, $400; retail with bakery and restaurant, $500. Plan review for a new establishment is $200, and a change-of-ownership review is $85.
Mobile Food Vendor Permit
Confirmed directly against the department's own fee schedule. Applicants must also submit an accredited Food Safety Manager class certificate and Allergen Awareness certification, and must check with the Fire Prevention Division about gas/propane permits, though no dollar fee for that fire check is published.
Sign Permit
A digital billboard is priced differently instead, at $11 per $1,000 of construction value, minimum $135.
Certificate of Use and Occupancy
Under the Massachusetts State Building Code (780 CMR 111), no building or structure may be used or occupied, and no change made in the occupancy classification of all or part of one, until the Building Commissioner issues a Certificate of Occupancy and Use; a new certificate is needed when a building is altered from one use group to another, changed to a different use within the same use group, or has its live-load or occupancy-load capacity increased. The certificate is issued within ten days once an inspection finds no violations, a temporary certificate of up to 180 days may be issued where part of the work can be occupied safely before the whole is finished, and a copy must be posted at the main entry or kept readily available for inspection. Confirmed directly against ISD's own current fee schedule: the certificate is a flat $100.00, and a Change of Use permit where no construction is involved is a separate $100.00 line on the same schedule. Any permit filed on paper rather than through the city's online permitting system carries a $50.00 processing fee.
Commercial Building Permit
Working without a permit, or undervaluing the project, triples the fee, with a minimum $1,000 penalty for commercial property.
Day Care Certificate of Inspection
This is a recurring Certificate of Inspection fee under the state building code, confirmed directly against ISD's own fee schedule, separate from the state EEC child-care license.
Contact
- Jurisdiction
- Worcester
- Phone
- (508) 799-1198
Contact details are taken from the agency’s own site or its published fee schedule. Where we have not verified a phone number we leave it blank rather than guess.
Sources
Every fee and term above was read from one of these government pages on the date shown.
- 780 CMR, Massachusetts State Building Code, Tenth Edition — Chapter 1, Scope and Administration, section 111 (Certificate of Occupancy and Use)Massachusetts Board of Building Regulations and Standards · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-18
- City of Worcester Inspectional Services — Schedule of Fees, effective March 1, 2024City of Worcester Inspectional Services Department · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-05
Other offices serving Worcester
The full permit list for this jurisdiction
Industry permit lists that include this agency
Massachusetts jurisdictions
Commercial Compliance Hub publishes information, not legal advice. Requirements change — confirm anything you rely on with the issuing agency before you file.