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Gloucester, Massachusetts: what can you build or do?

Plain-English answers to common homeowner questions, taken from Gloucester's published bylaws, with every rule linked to the section it comes from.

Last reviewed 2026-10-15

• Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs)
  Yes. Gloucester's zoning (Sec. 5.24, adopted 2021) allows one ADU per lot with a single-family home in the residential districts (R-80 through R-5), up to 900 sq ft or 50% of the home's habitable floor area, whichever is less, with a building permit from the Building Inspector. The ordinance still requires the owner to live on site and keeps attached ADUs inside the existing house, but Massachusetts' ADU law (since Feb. 2, 2025) may override those limits for one ADU.Allowed with a permit
• Short-Term Rentals (Airbnb / VRBO)
  Yes, with an annual short-term rental permit from Inspectional Services ($100 for rooms in your home, $150 for your primary residence, $300 for a non-primary unit). A home you don't live in at least six months a year can be rented no more than 120 days a year, each operator may register only one such unit, and the city caps non-primary permits at 500.Allowed with a permit
• Fences
  Gloucester's zoning doesn't set a fence height limit or a setback for ordinary fences: fences up to 6 feet aren't treated as structures, so they can go in yards and along lot lines. A fence over 6 feet counts as a structure under zoning, corner lots must keep a 25-foot sight triangle clear between 2.5 and 8 feet high, and a fence along a public street needs lines and grades from the City Engineer first.Allowed
• Sheds & Accessory Buildings
  Sheds are allowed as accessory buildings in every residential district, but they can't be closer to the street than your house. In R-80 through R-20 a shed must be at least 15 ft from side and rear lot lines (10 ft in R-10, 5 ft in R-5), and a shed that doesn't meet the house setbacks is limited to 12 ft tall. Gloucester's ordinances don't set a permit size threshold; the state building code does.Depends on your zone
• Burn Permits & Backyard Fires
  Brush burning is allowed only January 15 to May 1, with a $25 permit from the Fire Department (applied for online), between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., at least 75 feet from any dwelling, and only on days the Fire Department authorizes it (call 978-325-5306). A chiminea or outdoor fireplace needs no permit if you burn only firewood, set it on a non-combustible surface at ground level at least 25 feet from structures, and keep water within 75 feet.Allowed with a permit
• Home-Based Businesses
  A simple home office with no employees, signs or customer visits is allowed everywhere without zoning approval. A home occupation that has an employee, a sign or customers needs a special permit from the Zoning Board of Appeals in residential districts, and can use no more than 25% of the home, have one outside employee, and a sign no bigger than 2 sq ft.Allowed with board review
• Swimming Pools
  Yes. A private pool is an allowed accessory recreational use in residential districts, but it can't sit in the required setbacks, and every in-ground or above-ground pool must be enclosed by a fence at least 4 feet high, at least 5 feet from the pool, with self-latching gates. Above-ground pools with walls 5 feet or higher don't need a separate fence, but the access needs a gate.Allowed with a permit
• Building Near the Water (Wetlands Rules)
  Work in or within 100 feet of a wetland, beach, bank, marsh, stream or the ocean needs Conservation Commission approval under Gloucester's Wetlands Ordinance as well as the state Wetlands Protection Act. In FEMA VE (coastal high-hazard) zones, zoning bans new homes and any expansion that adds lot coverage, and in AE zones the added lot coverage on a lot can't exceed 10% of the lot's AE-zone land area.Allowed with board review
• Docks, Piers & Floats
  A private dock, pier or float needs a special permit from the Zoning Board of Appeals in every Gloucester zoning district, plus a Conservation Commission Notice of Intent (Category 5, $4 per linear foot, capped at $200 for a single-family home). State Chapter 91 and federal permits also apply, and the city's waterways board reviews waterfront projects.Allowed with board review

We couldn't download Gloucester's bylaw text for the other 1 topics yet, so we don't cover them rather than guess.