L4 State Board of Building Regulations and Standards (BBRS)
Department of Public Safety
One Ashburton Place, Room 1301
Boston, MA 02108
Tel: (617) 727-3200
TTY: (617) 727-4266
Fax: (617) 248-0813
www.mass.gov/dps
The Board of Building Regulations and Standards has the sole responsibility for
maintaining the State Building Code. The State Building Code contains
provisions for structural safety by specifying loading criteria for dead, live, wind, snow
and seismic loads; has provisions for foundation and structural design; contains life
safety provisions to provide for safe egress from buildings in the event of an emergency;
contains provisions for fire safety through the installation of automatic sprinkler and
fire detection and alarm systems and; standards for energy conservation in buildings. The
board has the following major objectives: promulgating uniform standards throughout the
Commonwealth for construction and construction materials compatible with accepted
standards of engineering and fire prevention practices, energy conservation, and public
safety; and promoting the use of modern technical methods, devices, and improvements.
Its responsibilities also include: (1) approval of new building products, materials, and
construction methods not addressed in the State Building Code; (2) licensing of concrete
technicians as well as laboratories testing concrete; (3) licensing of construction
supervisors, and registration of home improvement contractors and sub-contractors; (4)
certification of producers of manufactured buildings (including modular homes) and
third-party inspection agencies (i.e. agencies certified by the board to act on its
behalf); and (5) registration of persons or firms milling lumber within the state.
The State Building Code Appeals Board hears appeals between the regular community and
local building officials on building code matters as well as reviews decisions by local
building code appeals boards. The BBRS develops requirements for the
certification of municipal building officials (referred to as Building Code Enforcement
Officials which include inspectors of buildings, local inspectors as well as building
commissioners) and develops and approves courses of continuing education for maintenance
of such certification.