Boston electrical permits by the numbers
How many one-to-four-family homes in Boston pulled permits for service changes, rewires, heat pumps and meter banks, from 2025-11-01 to 2026-11-02.
The counts
3,734 electrical permits for one-to-four-family homes were issued in the period. Of those, at least:
| Job (keyword match) | Permits, at least | Median declared value |
|---|---|---|
| Service or panel change | 1,068 | $7,500 |
| Rewire or whole-house wiring | 558 | $15,000 |
| Heat pump or mini-split circuits | 373 | $3,000 |
| EV charger | 99 | $2,270 |
| Meter bank or extra meters | 79 | $7,000 |
| Fuse box, Federal Pacific or Zinsco | 7 | n/a |
A permit can match more than one job. Declared value is what the contractor wrote on the application, not a price or a quote.
Where service and panel changes happen
Permits for a service or panel change, by Boston neighbourhood, top ten:
| Neighbourhood | Permits, at least | |
|---|---|---|
| Dorchester | 258 | |
| Hyde Park | 124 | |
| Roslindale | 103 | |
| Mattapan | 101 | |
| West Roxbury | 87 | |
| Jamaica Plain | 83 | |
| Brighton | 66 | |
| East Boston | 62 | |
| Roxbury | 51 | |
| South Boston | 47 |
The work is spread across the outer neighbourhoods where one-to-three-family houses are the main housing. It is also spread across many small shops: 475 different applicants pulled the 1,068 service and panel permits.
Boston requires a licensed contractor to apply for the electrical permit. The City says homeowners must hire one to apply and do the work.
Common questions
Does this cover Cambridge, Somerville or Medford?
No. This dataset is the City of Boston only. Other cities and towns issue their own permits.
Is the declared value a price?
No. It is the figure the contractor wrote on the permit application. It is often low and it is not a quote.
Send two photos, get a price.
A photo of the panel and one of the boiler or furnace is enough to start. We look at it and get back to you.
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