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Natick, Massachusetts: what can you build or do?

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

Last reviewed 2026-10-19

• Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs)
  Yes. Natick allows one ADU per lot as of right in its single-family districts. You file an ADU Application Review and get a building permit. The ADU can be attached or detached and can be no larger than half the main home's floor area or 900 sq ft, whichever is smaller. Neither the ADU nor the main house may be used as a short-term rental.Allowed with a permit
• Backyard Chickens
  Yes, with a Board of Health permit. You can keep up to 6 hens. Roosters aren't allowed. The hen house or yard must be at least 50 feet from any dwelling and 15 feet from property and street lines. The permit expires every April 30 and must be renewed.Allowed with a permit
• Short-Term Rentals (Airbnb / VRBO)
  If your lot has an ADU, Natick's zoning explicitly bans short-term rentals (stays under 31 days) of both the ADU and the main house. For other homes, the bylaw defines short-term rentals but doesn't list them as an allowed use anywhere, and it prohibits any use it doesn't list. Our reading is that whole-home Airbnb-style rentals aren't allowed, but confirm with the Building Commissioner. The licensed alternatives are a Bed and Breakfast Home or Establishment, which need a special permit.Restricted
• Fences
  Fences up to 6 feet are allowed. Anything taller needs a special permit. The fence must sit at least 1 foot inside your property line unless the abutter gives written permission, and the finished side must face the neighbor. On a corner lot, nothing within 15 feet of the intersection may be more than 3 feet high.Allowed
• Sheds & Accessory Buildings
  Sheds up to 200 sq ft don't need a building permit in Natick. A shed no larger than 10'x12' and 10 ft high can sit 6 feet from the side and rear lot lines in the RS and RG districts if it has no utilities. Larger sheds and other accessory buildings must be 10 feet from those lines and from other buildings. No shed may go in the front yard.Allowed
• Burn Permits & Backyard Fires
  You can burn brush in Natick only from January 15 to May 1. Get permission by calling the Joint Dispatch Center at 508-647-9550 on the day you plan to burn. Burning is allowed only between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. and more than 75 feet from any dwelling. Natick's sources don't set a local rule for backyard fire pits, so state rules apply.Allowed with a permit
• Home-Based Businesses
  Yes, but in Natick's single-residence (RS) and general-residence (RG) districts a home occupation needs a special permit from the Planning Board. It's allowed by right in RM, a district where new one-family homes aren't a listed use. The rules: one non-family employee at a time, no more than 25% of the home used for the business, no business in an accessory building, and one 2-sq-ft sign.Allowed with board review
• Swimming Pools
  Yes, with a Board of Health permit. Natick's pool rules (last amended in 2003) require the pool to be at least 10 feet from side and rear lot lines and from buildings, and 20 feet from any septic component. A permanent fence at least 5 feet high with self-closing, self-latching, locked gates must go up within 30 days of installation. Electrical and building inspections are also required before you fill the pool.Allowed with a permit
• Building Near the Water (Wetlands Rules)
  Work within 100 feet of a pond, lake, stream or wetland in Natick needs a permit (Order of Conditions) from the Conservation Commission under the town's Wetlands Protection Bylaw. Nothing may be altered within 25 feet of the resource area unless the permit allows it. No buildings, including sheds, may go in the next 15 feet, which covers roughly 25 to 40 feet from the edge.Allowed with board review
• Docks, Piers & Floats
  Natick has no dock bylaw and sets no dock size limits. A dock, pier or float on a pond or stream counts as work regulated by the Wetlands Protection Bylaw, so you need an Order of Conditions from the Conservation Commission. The Commission's fee schedule lists docks as a Category 1 Notice of Intent activity ($100). State Chapter 91 licensing may also apply on great ponds (see the state section).Allowed with board review