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Medford, Massachusetts: what can you build or do?

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

Last reviewed 2026-10-15

• Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs)
  Yes. Medford's zoning (codified through April 2024) allows one accessory dwelling unit per lot, as of right inside an existing home or by special permit in an existing detached structure, capped at 900 sq ft or half the main home's floor area, whichever is smaller. The ordinance's owner-occupancy affidavit and special-permit requirements predate the February 2025 state ADU law, which may override them for one ADU per lot.Allowed with a permit
• Backyard Chickens
  Probably not a typical flock. Medford's zoning bans "keeping or raising of livestock," defined as keeping three or more animals three months or older, in every residential district, and the city has no hen ordinance we could find. Keeping one or two hens isn't clearly addressed, so check with the Medford Health Department, which issues permits to keep certain animals.Restricted
• Short-Term Rentals (Airbnb / VRBO)
  Only in your primary residence. Medford allows short-term rentals of the home you live in at least nine months a year, with registration through the Building Department and a $200 annual fee; renting rooms while you're home is allowed year-round, but renting the whole unit while you're away is capped at 90 days a year.Restricted
• Fences
  Yes, within height limits, though Medford's zoning has no fence section; the limits come from its yard rules. Fences under 4 feet may sit in the required front yard and in side yards within 15 feet of a street, and fences up to 6 feet in the rest of the required side yard; the ordinance sets no specific rear-yard fence height, and on corner lots nothing may block the 35-foot corner visibility triangle.Allowed
• Sheds & Accessory Buildings
  Yes, in the rear yard. Medford's zoning allows a tool shed by right in the residential districts, but it must go in the rear yard (not the required front or side yard), stay at least 3 feet from side and rear lot lines and 10 feet from the house, and be no taller than 15 feet. Under the state building code, a shed over 200 sq ft also needs a building permit.Allowed
• Burn Permits & Backyard Fires
  Medford's ordinances ban making any bonfire in the city and ban carelessly setting fire to brush, leaves, grass or rubbish, and Medford is also on the state's list of communities where open burning is never allowed. Don't plan on burning brush or yard waste; ask the Medford Fire Department before using a wood-burning fire pit, since the ordinance doesn't say whether a small backyard fire counts as a bonfire.Not allowed
• Home-Based Businesses
  Yes. In Medford a quiet home business run only by the people who live there, with no customer visits, no nonresident employees and at most a 2-square-foot sign, is allowed as of right. A business with clients coming to the house or up to two nonresident employees needs a special permit from the Zoning Board of Appeals, which the use table doesn't allow in the apartment (APT) districts.Allowed
• Swimming Pools
  Yes, in the rear yard. On a residential lot over 4,500 sq ft, Medford's zoning allows a pool by right; on a smaller lot you need a special permit from the Zoning Board of Appeals. The water's edge must be at least 6 feet from side and rear lot lines and pump equipment at least 12 feet, and a building permit and a 48-inch barrier are required under state code.Allowed with a permit
• Building Near the Water (Wetlands Rules)
  Building, additions, sheds, decks, grading or tree cutting within 100 feet of a wetland, pond or other resource area, or within 200 feet of a river, needs a permit from the Medford Conservation Commission under the city's Wetlands Ordinance (Chapter 87). Within 200 feet of a river you must also show there is no practicable alternative with less impact.Allowed with board review
• Docks, Piers & Floats
  Medford has no dock or harbor ordinance, but its Wetlands Ordinance (Chapter 87) requires a Conservation Commission permit to build anything in or over a river, pond, bank or land under water, including driving piles or placing objects in the water. Docks on a river also face a strict test: you must show there is no practicable alternative with less impact.Allowed with board review