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Docks, Piers & Floats in Massachusetts: rules in 25 towns compared
Can I put in a dock, pier, or float? Here's how each town answers it. Click a town for the details and the exact bylaw text.
Last reviewed
This page is for Massachusetts waterfront owners planning a private dock, pier or float. A dock usually needs several layers of approval. Under Chapter 91 (M.G.L. c. 91; 310 CMR 9.00), any structure of any size, permanent or seasonal, in tidal waters, a great pond (over 10 acres in its natural state) or certain navigable rivers needs a MassDEP waterways license, with simpler General License and Simplified License routes for small residential docks. Work in or near wetlands or land under water also needs an Order of Conditions from the Conservation Commission under the Wetlands Protection Act. Bottom-anchored moorings, floats and rafts can be allowed by an annual harbormaster permit instead, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers may also need to sign off.
In all 25 towns we cover for this topic, the Conservation Commission (in Concord, the Natural Resources Commission; in Wellesley, the Wetlands Protection Committee) reviews dock work, under the state Wetlands Protection Act or a local wetlands bylaw. Inland towns such as Belmont, Lexington and Hamilton have no dock-specific rules. Coastal towns go further: Duxbury and Chatham require a Zoning Board of Appeals special permit, and Hingham, Duxbury, Chatham, Falmouth and Barnstable set limits on pier length, width and float size. Chatham bans new private piers in parts of its harbors, Nantucket's regulations bar new residential piers on land under the ocean, and Hingham and Barnstable allow no new docks in an ACEC. Pick your town below for the details and the bylaw text.
Town-by-town comparison
| Town | Verdict | Short answer |
|---|---|---|
| Wellesley | Allowed with board review | Wellesley has no dock or harbor bylaw, but a dock, pier or float on a pond or stream is regulated under the town's Wetlands Protection Bylaw: its regulations list docks, pilings and floats as obstructions in water, so you need a permit from the Wetlands Protection Committee before installing one. No local size limits were found; state Chapter 91 licensing may also apply on great ponds such as Lake Waban. |
| Weston | Allowed with board review | Weston has no dock-specific bylaw. But building on a pond, river or the land under it, including driving piles or placing objects in water, needs a Conservation Commission permit under the town's Wetlands Protection By-law. The local sources we reviewed set no size limits for docks; state Chapter 91 licensing may also apply. |
| Lexington | Not specifically regulated | Lexington's bylaws and rules we reviewed don't specifically regulate private docks, piers or floats; Lexington is an inland town with no harbor rules. Any dock or float in a pond, stream or wetland would still need a Conservation Commission permit under the town's wetland bylaw, which covers building any structure or driving piling in those areas. |
| Concord | Allowed with board review | Concord has no dock bylaw. A dock, pier or float is work in a wetland resource area, so it needs a permit from the Natural Resources Commission under the Wetlands Bylaw (usually a Notice of Intent and public hearing). Docks are exempt from the Commission's 50-ft No Build Zone, but no local size limits are set, and state Chapter 91 and federal permits may also apply. |
| Brookline | Not specifically regulated | Brookline's bylaws we reviewed don't specifically regulate docks, piers or floats. Brookline is an inland town with few waterfront lots, so any work in or next to a pond or stream would go through the Conservation Commission under the local Wetlands Protection Bylaw. |
| Needham | Allowed with board review | Needham has no separate dock or harbor bylaw, but a dock, pier or float in any pond, river or stream is regulated by the Conservation Commission under the town's Wetlands Protection By-Law, so you need a Commission permit first. The bylaw and regulations set no dock size limits; the Commission reviews each project against its standards for water bodies and the 25-foot no-disturb zone. |
| Dover | Allowed with board review | A dock, pier or float on a Dover pond or river needs a permit from the Conservation Commission, because any building on or within 100 feet of a pond or river requires one under the Wetlands Protection Bylaw. The Commission's filing fee for dock work is $4 per linear foot, with a $100 minimum and $2,000 maximum. Dover's rules set no dock size limits; the Commission sets conditions case by case. |
| Sudbury | Allowed with board review | Possibly, with two local approvals. Sudbury has no dock bylaw, but building on banks, ponds, rivers or land under water needs a Conservation Commission permit under the Wetlands Administration Bylaw. In the Flood Plain Overlay District, "duck-walks and boat landings" need a special permit from the Zoning Board of Appeals. |
| Wayland | Allowed with board review | A dock or pier counts as "altering" a resource area under Wayland's wetlands bylaw (Chapter 194), so you need a Conservation Commission permit before you install one. The local sources we reviewed set no size limits for docks. |
| Lincoln | Allowed with board review | Lincoln has no dock-specific bylaw, but building a dock or float on any pond or stream counts as altering a protected resource area under the town's Wetlands Protection Bylaw. You must file a Notice of Intent with the Conservation Commission and get an Order of Conditions before work starts. The bylaw sets no size limits; the Commission decides case by case. |
| Belmont | Not specifically regulated | Belmont's Zoning By-Law doesn't regulate private docks, piers or floats. Belmont is an inland town, and any dock in a pond, brook or wetland would be reviewed under state law, including Conservation Commission approval and possibly a Chapter 91 license. |
| Winchester | Allowed with board review | Winchester has no separate dock bylaw; a dock, pier or float on a pond, lake or river is work on land under water and within 100 ft of a bank, so it needs a Conservation Commission permit under the Wetlands Bylaw. The Commission's buffer rules allow docks within the 25-ft buffer only where docks are allowed on that waterbody. |
| Andover | Allowed with board review | A private dock on an Andover pond, lake or river needs a permit from the Andover Conservation Commission, because the town's Wetlands Protection Bylaw covers building on land under water and banks. Dock filings cost $4 per linear foot ($100 minimum). Boat docks aren't allowed on Haggett's Pond or Fish Brook, which are drinking-water sources. |
| Hingham | Allowed with board review | Possibly, with Conservation Commission approval. Hingham's wetland regulations limit a private residential pier to 4 feet wide and 150 feet long, with a 6-by-8-foot platform and one float of up to 10 by 20 feet, and only one pier per property. In the Floodplain Protection Overlay District a dock also needs a Zoning Board of Appeals special permit, and a float on a mooring needs a Harbormaster permit. |
| Cohasset | Allowed with board review | A private dock, pier or float in Cohasset needs Conservation Commission approval under the town wetlands bylaw. You must also show that state Chapter 91 and Army Corps permits have been applied for. Solid-fill docks are prohibited, and no new dock is allowed in an identified shellfish area. A float on a mooring in the harbor also needs a Harbor Master mooring permit. |
| Duxbury | 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. |
| Manchester-by-the-Sea | Allowed with board review | A private dock or pier in Manchester-by-the-Sea needs several approvals. Building below mean high water needs a state Chapter 91 license and Planning Board review under zoning (marked as a Planning Board special-permit use in most waterfront districts), and the Conservation Commission must approve work in wetlands or within 100 feet of them. A bottom-anchored float without a Chapter 91 license needs a free waterway permit from the Harbormaster, and may be used only May 1 to October 15. |
| Nantucket | Restricted | Any pier or dock on Nantucket needs Conservation Commission approval through a Notice of Intent, and the local regulations limit residential piers: they can't be solid-fill, can't obstruct public fishing, shellfishing or navigation, and one provision states that no new residential piers shall be permitted on land under the ocean. Expect a difficult review and check with the Conservation Commission before planning a dock. |
| Chatham | Restricted | It depends on where you are. Chatham bans new private piers in much of Pleasant Bay and Chatham Harbor, and new private residential piers anywhere in the Stage Harbor complex. Elsewhere a residential pier needs a ZBA special permit, must be seasonal, can be no longer than 80 feet with floats up to 300 sq ft, and needs Conservation Commission and state approvals. |
| Falmouth | Allowed with board review | Possibly, but only with a Conservation Commission permit under strict standards (from the town's 2014 wetland regulations, which may have changed). In Falmouth's recreational harbors, a private dock can extend no more than 100 feet beyond mean high tide (or the edge of salt marsh), the end float or "L"/"T" can't exceed 100 sq ft, and the water at the end must be at least 3 feet deep at mean low water. New docks are barred within 50 feet of eelgrass and near productive shellfish beds, and in V-zones and ACECs unless there's a public benefit. |
| Barnstable | Allowed with board review | A private dock in Barnstable needs a Notice of Intent and approval from the Conservation Commission, which presumes docks are harmful unless you prove otherwise. Under the Commission's dock rules, floats are capped at 200 sq ft total, the walkway at 4 feet wide, and no dock may extend more than 100 feet past mean low water or more than half your water frontage. No new docks are allowed in an Area of Critical Environmental Concern (ACEC). |
| Scituate | Allowed with board review | A private, non-commercial dock, pier or float can be built in Scituate, but because it alters land under water or within 100 feet of the shore, it needs Conservation Commission approval under the town's wetlands bylaw, plus a state Chapter 91 license. Bottom-anchored floats and rafts instead need an annual mooring permit from the Harbormaster. The bylaws we reviewed set no specific size limit for private docks. |
| Swampscott | Not specifically regulated | Swampscott's bylaws that we reviewed don't have specific rules for private docks, piers or floats. Any dock work on the coast would fall under the Conservation Commission's Wetlands Protection Act review, and state Chapter 91 and federal permits also apply. |
| Hamilton | Not specifically regulated | Hamilton's bylaws we reviewed have no specific rules for private docks, piers or floats. Hamilton is an inland town, and any dock on a pond, lake or river would need a permit from the Conservation Commission under the town wetlands bylaw, and possibly state approvals. |
| Carlisle | Allowed with board review | Yes, with approvals. Carlisle's zoning allows piers and docks as of right in the Wetland/Flood Hazard District, as long as they involve no filling, earth removal or paving and all required state and federal permits are obtained. Because a dock alters a bank or land under water, you'll also need Conservation Commission approval under the town's wetlands bylaw. The town sets no dock size limits. |
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.
Common questions about docks & piers in Massachusetts
- Do I need a permit to build a dock in Massachusetts?
- Yes, in almost every case. A dock in tidal waters, a great pond or certain navigable rivers needs a Chapter 91 license from MassDEP, and work in or near wetlands or land under water needs an Order of Conditions from your Conservation Commission. Some towns add zoning or harbormaster approvals.
- What are the Massachusetts dock regulations under Chapter 91?
- Chapter 91 (M.G.L. c. 91; 310 CMR 9.00) requires a waterways license for any structure, regardless of size, permanent or seasonal, in tidal waters, great ponds and certain rivers. Small residential docks can use a General License certification or a Simplified License for docks up to 600 sq ft below the high-water line. Licenses must be recorded at the Registry of Deeds.
- Do I need a permit for a float or mooring in Massachusetts?
- Yes. Bottom-anchored moorings, floats and rafts without pilings can be allowed by an annual permit from your local harbormaster instead of a Chapter 91 license. Harbormaster rules, seasons and waiting lists vary by town.
- How long can a private dock be in Massachusetts?
- It depends on your town. The state sets licensing routes rather than one length limit. Some coastal towns we cover cap pier length, width and float area in their bylaws or wetlands regulations, while many inland towns set no size limit and let the Conservation Commission decide case by case.
- Do I need a federal permit for a dock in Massachusetts?
- Possibly. Work in navigable waters may also need approval from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Small private piers and floats are often covered by the Corps' Massachusetts General Permits, which can involve self-verification or pre-construction notification.
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