Berkshire County

Berkshire County, MA Permits for Metal Carports and Garages

Need a Berkshire County carport permit? The permit comes from your city or town building department, because Berkshire County does not issue building permits. Pittsfield files residential building permits online, and the city says even a shed of 200 square feet or less beside a one or two family home still needs a residential building permit under its Zoning Ordinance. Great Barrington's permitting guidebook states plainly that garages and sheds require building permits. Carports and metal garages are reviewed under the 10th Edition Massachusetts State Building Code, plus local zoning and, near water, the conservation commission.

Permit office: Berkshire County has no county permit office, so start with the building department in the city or town where the building will stand.

City of Pittsfield Building Inspectors
Address: 70 Allen Street, Pittsfield, MA 01201
Pittsfield Online Permitting page
Town of Great Barrington Building Department
Address: Town Hall, 334 Main St, Great Barrington, MA
Phone: 413-528-1619 ext. 2600
Great Barrington Building Department page

When a permit is required

Pittsfield: garages and sheds on one or two family properties use the city's Residential Building permit application, filed online.
Pittsfield sheds: per the city's building FAQ, sheds of 200 square feet or less that are accessory to a one or two family home are exempt from the building code permit but still need a residential building permit under the Zoning Ordinance.
Great Barrington: the town's Permitting Guidebook says garages, sheds, fences, decks and swimming pools require building permits.
Massachusetts code: carports and garages are reviewed under the 10th Edition Massachusetts State Building Code (780 CMR), the sole code in effect since July 1, 2025.

Zoning and setbacks

Setbacks come from each community's zoning, not from the county. In Pittsfield, the Building Official also enforces the zoning ordinance, which is why even small sheds go through a permit there. Great Barrington's Zoning Bylaw sets front, rear and side yard setbacks and minimum lot area, and the Building Department provides zoning interpretation. Ask the building office for your district's setback distances before you choose where the carport or garage will sit.

What to bring

In Pittsfield, an account on the city's Full Circle Technologies permitting site; an ID from another Berkshire County town that uses the same system also works.
Plans, pictures or specifications to upload as attachments when the permit type asks for them.
Contractor licenses and certificates of insurance where they apply, which Pittsfield lists among common attachments.
A rough site layout showing the building and its distance to lot lines, so the building office can check zoning.

Farm buildings

A barn or equipment shelter on a Berkshire County farm goes through the town building department like any other building, because Massachusetts only relieves agricultural buildings from construction control under 780 CMR, not from the permit. Farmland gets its help from zoning. M.G.L. c. 40A, s. 3 bars towns from prohibiting agriculture, regulating it unreasonably or demanding a special permit for it on parcels of 5 acres or more, or 2 acres or more grossing $1,000 per acre. Near wetlands or streams, the Conservation Commission still gets a say.

Good to know

Pittsfield stopped accepting paper permit applications on October 1, 2015; applications go through the city's online system and fees can be paid there by card or checking account. The city calculates the fee and it is paid after the permit is issued. Pittsfield's Building Inspectors are open Monday through Friday, 7:30 am to 3 pm, and a public computer for applying sits on the mezzanine level of 100 North Street. In Great Barrington, the Building Department is open Monday to Friday 8:30am to 12 noon or by appointment, and any work within 100 feet of a wetland or 200 feet of a stream or river needs Conservation Commission review.

Common questions

Do I need a permit for a carport in Berkshire County?
Yes in most cases, and you get it from your city or town, not from Berkshire County. Pittsfield requires a residential building permit even for sheds of 200 square feet or less, and Great Barrington says garages and sheds require building permits.

Does a metal garage or shed need a building permit in Pittsfield?
Yes. Garages and sheds on one or two family lots go on Pittsfield's Residential Building permit application, filed online. Sheds of 200 square feet or less skip the building code permit but still need a residential building permit under the Zoning Ordinance.

Does building near a stream in Great Barrington need extra review?
Yes. Great Barrington's permitting guidebook says any work within 100 feet of a wetland or 200 feet of a stream or river needs Conservation Commission review, on top of the building permit.

Sources

Rules and fees change. Call the office to confirm before you order.

See the full Massachusetts permit guide for statewide rules, farm exemptions and wind and snow ratings.

Looking at buildings? See our metal carports, metal garages and metal buildings.

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