Cambridge Building Permit Lookup
Search 14,186 Cambridge Inspectional Services Department (ISD) records covering 2018 to 2026. See what was filed, who filed it, and what was never closed out.
Searching in Cambridge, Massachusetts · Street address only, no city or state
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Navigating the Cambridge permit registry
Building permits in Cambridge are public records. Every renovation, addition and structural change that went through the proper process left a filing with Cambridge Inspectional Services Department (ISD), and the gaps in that record are often more revealing than the filings themselves.
We pull directly from Cambridge Inspectional Services Department (ISD), whose published records begin in 2018 and now run to 14,186 permits. That includes building work alongside the trade permits — electrical, mechanical and plumbing — that carry most of a house's renovation history.
One limitation worth knowing before you search. Cambridge publishes a status column that never closes — 14,186 of 14,186 permits carry a value recording only that a permit was granted, not whether the work ever finished. We show the full history and withhold the risk score rather than guessing at one. Why open permits matter.
Use Cases
Most filed in Cambridge
- Building: Alteration and Addition14,186
Source
- Authority
- Cambridge Inspectional Services Department (ISD)
- Feed
- Socrata
- Index refreshed
- September 2026
- Typical review
- ~20 days
Cambridge Permit Registry FAQ
How far back do the records go?
Cambridge's published permit records begin in 2018 and run through 2026. Work done before then will not appear here, even if it was properly permitted at the time.
How many permits are in the database?
14,186 for Cambridge, pulled from Cambridge Inspectional Services Department (ISD) over Socrata. Our index was last refreshed in September 2026.
Are these records official?
Yes. Every permit shown comes from Cambridge Inspectional Services Department (ISD) through its public data feed. We reformat the records, we do not create them.
Why is there no risk score for Cambridge?
Cambridge publishes a status column, but it does not close. 14,186 of 14,186 permits carry a value that records only that a permit was granted, not whether the work ever finished. Scoring on that would flag every property in the city. We show the full history and withhold the score.
What if I find work without a permit?
Unpermitted work is common and usually negotiable before closing. Get a contractor's estimate for bringing it into compliance, and raise it with the seller while you still have leverage.
Does every minor repair need a permit?
Most cosmetic work does not. Anything structural, electrical or plumbing almost always requires a filing, which is why those are the gaps worth checking.
How current is the data?
We query Cambridge Inspectional Services Department (ISD)'s feed directly at search time. How fresh that feed is depends on the department, and some publish on a lag of days. The most recent permit in our Cambridge index was issued 2026.
Ready to check another address?
Searching in Cambridge, Massachusetts · Street address only, no city or state
Not sure what you’ll get? See a sample report