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Boiler / Pressure Vessel Installation Permit & Certificate of Inspection (state): Boston restaurant guide

MA Department of Fire Services — Boiler & Pressure Vessel Permits (with ISD gas/plumbing permits)

What it is

Non-residential boilers and pressure vessels need a state installation permit before they go in and a state engineering inspection afterward, then an annual inspection and certificate. ISD separately permits the gas or plumbing connection.

When a restaurant needs it

Installing or replacing a boiler or a large water heater in a commercial space.

How to apply

Your installer mails the boiler permit application (form BPV-030B) with the fee to the Boiler & Pressure Vessel Permits office in Boston; a state inspector then arranges the first inspection. ISD gas/plumbing permits are filed by the licensed trade in the ISD portal.

Documents you’ll need

Fee
State: boiler inspection $50 (cast iron) or $100 (other); pressure vessel inspection $50; certificate of inspection $50. ISD gas permit for boilers/heaters: $20 + $50 each + $0.09 per 1,000 BTU.
Processing time
Permit approval after the application and payment are received; inspection scheduled by a state inspector
Renewal
Boilers inspected annually; pressure vessels every 2 years
Who files
Filed by the installing contractor; the state inspector must witness the installation.

Good to know

Mail-in only: there is no online filing for the state boiler permit. Build the inspection wait into your mechanical schedule.

Official source

MA DFS — boiler/pressure vessel installation permit & inspection · Boston — Gas Permit (boiler/heater fees)

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Last reviewed 2026-10-06. Guidance only, not legal advice.