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Dock, pier and float rules in Duxbury, Massachusetts

Duxbury, Plymouth County · Bylaws checked 2026-10-03 · Reviewed · 16 cited sections

Allowed with board review

Possibly, but a new residential pier in Duxbury needs a special permit from the Zoning Board of Appeals and an Order of Conditions from the Conservation Commission. Zoning caps a pier at 200 feet long and 4 feet wide, with floats up to 200 sq ft, and requires a 25-foot setback from neighbors' lines. Only one pier is allowed per lot, and boat lifts aren't allowed.

Town approvalsZBA special permit plus Conservation Commission Order of Conditions [1]
Max pier length200 feet (zoning and wetlands regulations) [2]
Max walkway width4 feet (3.5 ft in Waterfront Scenic Area) [2]
Seaward platformZoning: 6 x 10 ft; Conservation regs: 6 x 8 ft including walkway [8]
Float sizeOne float, max 10 x 20 ft (200 sq ft) [8]
Setback from abutting property lines25 ft (never less than 15 ft) [5]
Distance from town landing / way to waterAt least 50 ft [6]
Piers per lot1 [9]

These rules come from Duxbury's zoning bylaw as compiled through the June 2025 Special Town Meeting; later Town Meetings may have changed them.

Approvals

A new residential pier requires a special permit from the Zoning Board of Appeals and must meet the zoning bylaw's design criteria [1]. Piers are special-permit structures in the Wetlands Protection Overlay District [15]. Because a pier crosses marsh, beach or water, you also need an Order of Conditions from the Conservation Commission under the town wetlands bylaw and its pier standards. State Chapter 91 licensing and federal Army Corps permits are covered in the state section on this page.

Size limits

  • Length and width: no more than 200 feet long and 4 feet wide [2]. Over salt marsh, the pier may extend only as far as needed to reach just beyond the marsh [13].
  • Platform: zoning allows up to 6 x 10 feet at the seaward end [3]. The Conservation Commission's regulations allow 6 x 8 feet, including the walkway [8].
  • Floats: no more than 200 sq ft unless the Conservation Commission and Harbormaster allow more [4]. The regulations allow only one float, up to 10 x 20 feet [8].
  • Materials: principally wood, or a material that looks like natural wood [7].
  • In the Waterfront Scenic Area Overlay, new piers are limited to 3.5 feet wide with a handrail on only one side [12].

Placement

New piers must be set back 25 feet from abutting property lines. The setback can drop only if 25 feet would make a pier impossible, and never below 15 feet [5]. A pier must also be at least 50 feet from the sideline of a town landing or way to the water [6]. Only one pier is allowed per residential lot [9]. Float stop piles and boat lifts are not permitted [10], and floats can't be stored in a wetland resource area [14]. Shared piers between neighbors can have floats of 200 sq ft per owner, up to 600 sq ft [16].

Existing piers

A pre-existing pier with a recorded Chapter 91 license may be rebuilt to the design in that license [11].

Seasonal floats

The bylaws we reviewed don't set up a separate harbormaster permit for seasonal floats. Ask the Harbormaster. The Conservation Commission regulations we used are dated August 2022; the Commission lists a June 2023 revision we could not obtain, so confirm the pier standards with it.

See how Duxbury compares with 8+ other Massachusetts towns on docks, piers & floats →

Next steps

  1. Talk to the Conservation Commission and Harbormaster early about location, salt marsh and shellfish habitat.
  2. File a Notice of Intent with the Conservation Commission for an Order of Conditions, with an engineered pier plan.
  3. Apply to the Zoning Board of Appeals for a special permit under Zoning Bylaw Sec. 404.20 (the Board refers it to the Conservation Commission, Bay Management Commission, Board of Health and Planning Board).
  4. Get the state Chapter 91 license (MassDEP) and any Army Corps authorization, then a building permit.

Common questions

Can I build a dock or pier in Duxbury, Massachusetts?
Possibly. A new residential pier needs a special permit from the Zoning Board of Appeals and an Order of Conditions from the Conservation Commission. Only one pier is allowed per lot, and boat lifts aren't allowed.
How long can a pier be in Duxbury, Massachusetts?
Zoning caps a pier at 200 feet long and 4 feet wide, with floats up to 200 sq ft.
How far must a dock be from my neighbor's property line in Duxbury, Massachusetts?
Zoning requires a 25-foot setback from abutting property lines, and never less than 15 feet.
What approvals do I need for a dock in Duxbury, Massachusetts?
You need a Conservation Commission Order of Conditions and a Zoning Board of Appeals special permit, then the state Chapter 91 license (MassDEP), any Army Corps authorization, and a building permit.

Massachusetts state rules for docks and piers

A private dock in Massachusetts usually needs several layers of approval beyond local zoning.

  • Chapter 91 waterways license (MassDEP): any structure, regardless of size, permanent or seasonal, in tidal waters, in a great pond (a pond over 10 acres in its natural state), or in certain navigable rivers needs Chapter 91 authorization (M.G.L. c. 91; 310 CMR 9.00). For small residential docks there are simpler routes:

    • a General License certification for pile-supported residential docks, piers, ramps and floats with no fill or dredging, outside ACECs and Designated Port Areas (310 CMR 9.29)
    • a Simplified License for residential docks up to 600 sq ft below the high-water line (310 CMR 9.10)

    Licenses must be recorded at the Registry of Deeds, and Chapter 91 protects public rights to fish, fowl and navigate.

  • Conservation Commission: dock work in or near wetlands, banks or land under water needs an Order of Conditions under the Wetlands Protection Act (c. 131, §40).

  • Harbormaster: bottom-anchored moorings, floats and rafts (no pilings) can be authorized by an annual permit from the local harbormaster instead of a Chapter 91 license (c. 91, §10A). Mooring fees can't discriminate based on residence.

  • U.S. Army Corps of Engineers: work in navigable waters may also need federal approval. Small private piers and floats are often covered by the Corps' Massachusetts General Permits, which can involve self-verification or pre-construction notification.

State sources: MassDEP, Chapter 91: The Massachusetts Public Waterfront Act · M.G.L. c. 91, §10A (harbormaster mooring permits) · M.G.L. c. 91, §18C (General License for residential structures) · 310 CMR 9.10, Simplified procedures for small residential structures (LII) · 310 CMR 9.29, General License certification (LII) · M.G.L. c. 131, §40 (Wetlands Protection Act) · USACE New England District, Massachusetts General Permit

What the bylaw says

Exact text from Duxbury's published bylaws. Section numbers are as printed in the source.

  1. Sec. 404.20, Protective (Zoning) Bylaws, amended through June STM 2025, p. 40
    New residential piers require a special permit and must conform to the following criteria:
  2. Sec. 404.20(2), Protective (Zoning) Bylaws, amended through June STM 2025, p. 40
    2. The pier shall not exceed two hundred (200) feet in length and must extend the full distance over any salt marsh used to access the water’s edge. The width of the pier shall not exceed four (4) feet.
  3. Sec. 404.20(3), Protective (Zoning) Bylaws, amended through June STM 2025, p. 40
    3. The platform at the seaward end of the pier shall not exceed six (6) feet by ten (10) feet, i.e.: two (2) feet by ten (10) feet wider than the walkway.
  4. Sec. 404.20(5), Protective (Zoning) Bylaws, amended through June STM 2025, p. 41
    5. Floats attached to piers shall not exceed two hundred (200) square feet unless permitted by the Duxbury Conservation Commission and the Duxbury Harbormaster.
  5. Sec. 404.20(8), Protective (Zoning) Bylaws, amended through June STM 2025, p. 41
    8. All new piers shall be setback twenty-five (25) feet from abutting property lines unless this single requirement would otherwise prevent a new pier from being approved. In no case shall the setback be less than fifteen (15) feet.
  6. Sec. 404.20(9), Protective (Zoning) Bylaws, amended through June STM 2025, p. 41
    9. All new piers shall be located no closer than fifty (50) feet from the nearest sideline of a Town Landing or Way to the Water.
  7. Sec. 404.20(7), Protective (Zoning) Bylaws, amended through June STM 2025, p. 41
    7. Piers, floats and gangways must be made principally out of wood or other materials of a color and reflective quality similar to natural wood.
  8. DWR 23.6(e) (Piers), Duxbury Wetlands Regulations (Conservation Commission), revised 07/12/2022, approved 08/09/2022, p. 64
    The Commission may allow at its discretion, a walkway no greater than 4 feet wide at any point; a walkway and platform up to 200 feet long from the landward limit to the seaward edge of the platform (including the pilings, walkway, platform, and any tie-off pilings); a platform no greater than 6 feet by 8 feet including the walkway; and only one float no greater than 10 feet by 20 feet.
  9. DWR 23.6(a), Duxbury Wetlands Regulations (Conservation Commission), revised 07/12/2022, approved 08/09/2022, p. 64
    a) No more than one Pier shall be permitted to be constructed or located on any residential property or parcel of land at any time.
  10. DWR 23.6(j)-(k), Duxbury Wetlands Regulations (Conservation Commission), revised 07/12/2022, approved 08/09/2022, p. 64
    j) Float stop piles are not permitted. k) Boat lifts are not permitted.
  11. Sec. 404.30, Protective (Zoning) Bylaws, amended through June STM 2025, p. 41
    The reconstruction of a Pre-existing Pier that has been licensed under Chapter 91 and recorded at the Registry of Deeds shall be reconstructed with design standards as approved in the Chapter 91 license.
  12. Sec. 404.50(3) (Waterfront Scenic Area Overlay), Protective (Zoning) Bylaws, amended through June STM 2025, p. 42
    3. New piers shall be limited to three and one-half (3.5) feet in width, may have a handrail only on one (1) side of the pier with its upper rail member having a profile of no greater than one and one-half (1.5) inches viewed horizontally and a mid-rail member having a profile of no greater than one- quarter (¼) inch viewed horizontally.
  13. DWR 23.6(d), Duxbury Wetlands Regulations (Conservation Commission), revised 07/12/2022, approved 08/09/2022, p. 64
    In areas or locations where a Pier extends over Salt Marsh, no Pier shall extend any greater distance than necessary to reach just beyond the Salt Marsh.
  14. DWR 23.6(h), Duxbury Wetlands Regulations (Conservation Commission), revised 07/12/2022, approved 08/09/2022, p. 64
    h) No floats may be stored in a wetland Resource Area.
  15. Sec. 404.6(1), Protective (Zoning) Bylaws, amended through June STM 2025, p. 38
    1. Accessory use or structure to a residential home located on that lot or an adjoining lot in common ownership, such as a footbridge, plank walk or pier.
  16. Sec. 404.40(3) (Shared Piers), Protective (Zoning) Bylaws, amended through June STM 2025, p. 42
    3. Float sizes of two hundred (200) square feet per owner shall be permitted up to a maximum of six hundred (600) square feet total, unless permitted by the Duxbury Conservation Commission and the Duxbury Harbormaster.
This page summarizes Duxbury's posted bylaws as of 2026-10-03. Bylaws are amended, and individual lots can have overlays, subdivision covenants, or HOA rules that are stricter. Confirm with Building Department (Building Commissioner / Director of Municipal Services) (781-934-1100 ext. 6002 (Building Dept); ext. 5481 (Building Commissioner)) before you build. Spot an error?