Architect Companies in Massachusetts

Short answer: Exchange lists 9 architecture firms in Massachusetts. Architects are registered individually by the Board of Registration of Architects under M.G.L. c. 112, sections 60A to 60O, and must renew every year with 12 hours of health, safety and welfare continuing education. Buildings of 35,000 cubic feet or more of enclosed space generally need a registered architect or engineer. The 10th edition of the State Building Code, 780 CMR, based on the 2021 International Codes, has been the only code in effect since June 30, 2025.

Licensing board

The Massachusetts Board of Registration of Architects, within the Division of Occupational Licensure, registers individual architects under M.G.L. c. 112, sections 60A to 60O.

Renewal and CE

Massachusetts architect registrations expire each August 31, renewal costs $125, and architects must complete 12 hours of health, safety and welfare continuing education each year.

Size threshold

In Massachusetts, M.G.L. c. 112, section 60L exempts buildings under 35,000 cubic feet of enclosed space and one and two-family homes from the architect requirement, and 780 CMR section 107.6 applies construction control at 35,000 cubic feet and above.

Building code

The Massachusetts State Building Code, 780 CMR 10th edition, based on the 2021 I-Codes, took effect October 11, 2024 and became the only code in force after June 30, 2025.

Energy code

Massachusetts municipalities choose between the base energy code in 780 CMR and the opt-in Stretch or Specialized codes in 225 CMR 22.00 and 23.00, administered by the Department of Energy Resources.

Public design

Massachusetts' designer selection law, M.G.L. c. 7C, section 44 and following, requires qualifications-based selection where the design fee is $30,000 or more and construction cost $300,000 or more.

Who licenses architects in Massachusetts?

Architecture in Massachusetts is regulated by the Board of Registration of Architects, established under section 44A of chapter 13 of the General Laws and administered within the Division of Occupational Licensure. The practice act sits in M.G.L. c. 112, sections 60A to 60O, and the Board's procedural rules are in 231 CMR. Section 60A defines the practice of architecture broadly, covering anyone who performs, agrees to perform or holds themselves out as able to perform professional services for the design, construction, expansion or remodelling of buildings, including studies, drawings, coordination of structural and mechanical systems and oversight of construction contracts.

The Board registers individuals, not companies. Applicants need a professional degree in architecture accredited by the National Architectural Accrediting Board, or a foreign degree evaluated against NCARB's education standard, together with completion of NCARB's experience programme, which the Board's rules still call the Intern Development Program, and a passing result on the Architect Registration Examination. Applications are filed online through the Division's eLIPSE portal. Architects already licensed elsewhere can register by reciprocity if they hold an NCARB certificate.

Massachusetts runs on an annual cycle. All architect registrations expire on August 31, renewal costs $125 with a $57 late fee, and each architect must complete 12 hours of continuing education in health, safety and welfare subjects during the September 1 to August 31 year. Excess hours cannot be carried forward, records must be kept for two full registration periods, and renewals are audited at random. Firms that rely on several registered architects to sign drawings should confirm every one of them renewed by the end of August.

The Board's rules are being revised. In 2025 the Board took a redlined draft of 231 CMR 3.00 to public hearing; the draft appears to shift more application and education review to NCARB and to add renewal certifications covering criminal convictions, adverse actions and the business entities an architect controls. No effective date has been published, so owners and firms should watch the Board's regulations page for the final text.

When does Massachusetts law require a registered architect on a project?

Section 60L of chapter 112 lists the work that may be done without a registered architect. The most important exemptions for owners are buildings containing less than 35,000 cubic feet of enclosed space, one and two-family dwellings and their accessory buildings, farm buildings and minor alterations that do not significantly change the structure. Contractors may prepare shop drawings, professional engineers may perform architectural work incidental to their engineering, and employees of a registered architect may work under that architect's direction.

The same 35,000 cubic foot line appears in the State Building Code. Under 780 CMR section 107.6, buildings of 35,000 cubic feet or more of enclosed space are subject to construction control, meaning a registered design professional must be responsible for the design and must also review submittals, carry out special inspection duties and visit the site at intervals appropriate to the stage of construction. Volume is measured to the exterior wall and roof surfaces, and for an addition the calculation includes the existing building plus the addition, so a modest extension to a large existing building can bring the whole project into construction control.

At the end of the work, the registered design professional files a final construction control document with the local building official stating that the work has been performed in accordance with the approved plans and the code. That filing is an important reason owners of mid-size commercial, institutional and multi-family projects in Massachusetts hire an architect for construction administration as well as design, since the building official will expect the same professional who stamped the drawings to sign off at the end.

Below the threshold, Massachusetts uses the Construction Supervisor Licence. For one and two-family homes of any size, most existing one to four-family owner-occupied homes and buildings under 35,000 cubic feet, construction must be overseen by either a licensed construction supervisor or a registered design professional. Above 35,000 cubic feet a construction supervisor licence is not required, because the registered architect or engineer controlling construction is treated as the responsible licensed person.

Which licenses, permits and registrations apply in Massachusetts?

How do I check an architect in Massachusetts before I sign?

7 checks, in order, using the Massachusetts registers and rules described on this page:

1. Ask for the names of the Massachusetts-registered architects who will seal the drawings and confirm each one's current registration with the Board of Registration of Architects, remembering that registrations expire every August 31.
2. If the firm is a corporation, partnership or LLC, confirm under 231 CMR 4.04 that a registered officer, partner or manager will sign the contract and that the firm carries professional liability insurance.
3. Calculate the building's enclosed volume and, if it is 35,000 cubic feet or more, make sure the contract includes construction control services and the final construction control document required by 780 CMR 107.6.
4. Check DOER's municipal adoption map to see whether the base, Stretch or Specialized energy code under 225 CMR 22.00 and 23.00 applies, and ask how the proposed 2026 revisions could affect your permit timing.
5. Test the 521 CMR 3.3 accessibility triggers early by comparing the renovation budget with $100,000 and with 30% of the building's full and fair cash value.
6. For public projects, confirm the selection process complies with M.G.L. c. 7C designer selection thresholds of $30,000 in fees and $300,000 in construction cost, and that an owner's project manager is engaged at $1,500,000 under c. 149, section 44A½.
7. Track the designer's lien window under M.G.L. c. 254 and collect lien releases from the architect and its consultants at closeout.

How can architecture firms legally practise in Massachusetts?

Because the Board licenses only individuals, a Massachusetts architecture firm's right to practise depends on who inside it is registered. Under 231 CMR 4.04, a corporation may practise architecture if at least one officer, designated as such by its articles or by-laws, is registered as an architect in Massachusetts. Contracts for architectural services must be signed for the corporation by that registered officer, and the work must be done by the officer or by others under the officer's responsible control.

Partnerships and limited liability companies follow the same pattern. A partnership needs at least one registered partner who executes its architectural contracts, and a limited liability company needs at least one registered manager, or a registered member where management is vested in members. Limited liability companies and limited liability partnerships must also maintain the professional liability insurance required by the Board's rules, which gives clients a reason to ask for a current certificate when they hire an LLC-structured practice.

Firms register their entity with the Secretary of the Commonwealth, and the Board's role is to certify the registered architects associated with it. The Division's guidance describes a 'Certificate by Regulatory Board' form, obtained from the Secretary's office, on which a corporation lists only its Massachusetts-licensed architects and submits it to the Board with a $15 fee per listed person. Checking that the architect named in a proposal is actually listed for the entity is a useful step for owners.

Public clients apply stricter entity rules. For state public building work, M.G.L. c. 7C, section 44 defines a designer as a registered architect, landscape architect or engineer and, for a firm, requires that a majority of partners, or a majority of directors or stock ownership plus the chief executive in the case of a corporation, be registered, with the project lead registered in the relevant discipline. Joint ventures must satisfy the same test for each venturer. A practice that is properly organised for private work may not automatically qualify as a designer for Commonwealth projects.

What does the 10th edition of 780 CMR change for design work in Massachusetts?

The Massachusetts State Building Code is promulgated by the Board of Building Regulations and Standards as 780 CMR. The 10th edition is based on modified versions of the 2021 International Codes, including the IBC, IRC, IEBC, IMC, IECC, ISPSC and IFC. It first took effect on October 11, 2024 with a concurrency period during which either the 9th or 10th edition could be used. That period was extended and ended on June 30, 2025, so every permit application filed now must comply with the 10th edition.

The code adopts the 35 chapters and appendices of the 2021 IBC as its primary structure, but Massachusetts replaces or heavily amends many chapters to reflect conditions in the Commonwealth. Residential work is now governed by a new Chapter 51, the Massachusetts Residential Code, which adopts the 2021 IRC with state amendments. Existing buildings are addressed through Chapter 34 amendments tied to the IEBC, which matters for the adaptive reuse, mill conversion and historic renovation projects that make up a large share of architectural work in older Massachusetts cities.

The base energy code is part of 780 CMR, in Chapter 11R for residential and Chapter 13 for commercial buildings, and is the 2021 IECC with Massachusetts amendments. It is only a floor, because many municipalities have adopted the stricter Stretch or Specialized energy codes administered by the Department of Energy Resources. The Board of Building Regulations and Standards notes that the online amendments are unofficial and that official versions are sold through the State House Bookstore, with the base I-Codes available from the International Code Council.

For architects, the practical effect of the transition is that projects designed under the 9th edition but not permitted before June 30, 2025 must be checked against the new code. Owners carrying a design forward from a stalled project should ask their architect for a code review against the 10th edition, and should expect fees for that review if the original contract assumed the older code.

How do the Massachusetts Stretch and Specialized energy codes affect design?

Massachusetts has three tiers of building energy code. The base code is in 780 CMR. The opt-in Stretch Code is in 225 CMR 22.00 for residential and 225 CMR 23.00 for commercial buildings, and the opt-in Specialized Code adds Appendix RC to 225 CMR 22.00 and Appendix CC to 225 CMR 23.00. All three are built on the 2021 IECC with Massachusetts amendments, but the Stretch and Specialized codes are written and administered by the Department of Energy Resources rather than the building code board.

Municipalities choose their tier by local vote. In towns the decision is made by Town Meeting, usually as a general bylaw, and in cities by the mayor and council or city manager and council, usually by ordinance, after a public hearing. A community must adopt the codes as written without local amendments, and later editions take effect automatically unless the community rescinds its adoption. That means an architect working across several Massachusetts towns may be designing to three different energy standards in the same year, and owners should confirm the tier from DOER's municipal adoption map before schematic design.

The Specialized Code goes furthest. For low-rise residential work it offers all-electric, mixed-fuel and zero-energy pathways, with mixed-fuel homes required to install solar and pre-wire for future electrification. For larger multi-family and commercial projects, the Stretch and Specialized codes push designers toward Passive House certification or the Thermal Energy Demand Intensity (TEDI) pathway, for which DOER offers a free peer review service. These requirements shape massing, glazing ratios, envelope detailing and mechanical systems from the first concept, which is why energy code expertise is a core selection criterion for Massachusetts architects.

Changing soon: DOER has proposed 2026 revisions to both codes, with a public hearing held on June 16, 2026 and written comments accepted until June 24, 2026. The proposals include a new TEDI row for commercial buildings under 40,000 square feet, the multi-family EV-ready option for townhouse developments of six or more units, accessory dwelling unit and tiny home definitions, and a HERS rating trigger where an alteration over 1,000 square feet is combined with an addition over 600 square feet. A six-month concurrency period would follow publication in the Massachusetts Register, during which either the February 2025 code or the update could be used. No final effective date has been published.

How are public design contracts procured in Massachusetts?

Massachusetts has a distinct statutory framework for public design work that architects bidding for schools, libraries, town halls and state buildings must know. The designer selection law in M.G.L. c. 7C, section 44 and the sections that follow governs how public agencies choose architects and engineers for public building projects. Since June 15, 2018, when Chapter 113 of the Acts of 2018 raised the thresholds, the law applies when the estimated design fee is $30,000 or more and the estimated construction cost is $300,000 or more. Below those levels, the Office of the Inspector General recommends obtaining qualifications and price information from at least three design firms.

Where both thresholds are met, the awarding authority must run an advertised, competitive, qualifications-based selection process. Fee competition is not the starting point. For MassDOT, the Massachusetts Port Authority and the MBTA, section 58 of chapter 7C goes further, requiring at least 14 days' notice before advertising, selection on qualifications and any technical proposal, and prohibiting the agency from seeking cost estimates or fee proposals until a firm has been selected for negotiation. If negotiations with the top-ranked firm fail, the agency must end them in writing and move to the next firm.

Chapter 149 adds construction-side rules that shape the architect's role. Under section 44A½, a public agency must engage an owner's project manager before entering a design contract for any building project estimated at $1,500,000 or more. The owner's project manager must be a registered architect or engineer with at least five years of building construction experience, or a non-registered professional with at least seven years, and must be independent of the designer and contractors. The owner's project manager advises on design and value engineering and evaluates the designer's performance in writing.

Construction bidding under section 44A of chapter 149 then follows value tiers: sound business practices below $10,000, written responses from at least three contractors between $10,000 and $50,000, advertised competitive bids between $50,000 and $150,000, and award to the lowest responsible and eligible general bidder above $150,000. On larger jobs, section 44F requires separate filed sub-bids for listed trades estimated to exceed $25,000, and the architect's specifications must be organised into the matching sections. Architects new to Massachusetts public work often underestimate how much of the specification format is dictated by statute.

What accessibility, local and climate rules shape projects in Massachusetts?

Accessibility in Massachusetts is governed by the Architectural Access Board's regulations, 521 CMR, alongside the federal ADA. The state rules have their own triggers for existing buildings. Under 521 CMR 3.3, if work costs less than 30% of the building's full and fair cash value and less than $100,000, only the work being performed must comply. If it costs $100,000 or more, the work must comply and the building must also gain an accessible public entrance and accessible toilet room, telephone and drinking fountain where those are provided. If work reaches 30% or more of full and fair cash value, the entire building must comply.

Those thresholds have a direct effect on renovation budgets, especially for the triple-deckers, mill buildings and nineteenth-century commercial blocks common across the state. An architect should calculate the full and fair cash value test at feasibility stage, because crossing 30% can turn a cosmetic fit-out into a full accessibility upgrade. Variances are available from the Architectural Access Board but take time and are not guaranteed.

Boston adds an emissions layer. The Building Emissions Reduction and Disclosure Ordinance covers non-residential buildings of 20,000 square feet or more and residential buildings with 15 or more units, requires annual energy and water reporting by May 15 for the previous calendar year, and sets emissions standards that begin in 2025 or 2030 depending on building size, with all covered buildings expected to reach net-zero emissions by 2050. Design decisions on fuel source, envelope and controls for Boston projects are therefore judged against future compliance years as well as the code in force at permit.

Climate and geography matter too. Massachusetts architects deal with heavy snow loads in the interior and western counties, nor'easter wind and coastal flood exposure along Cape Cod, the Islands, the North Shore and Boston Harbor, and long heating seasons that make envelope performance the dominant energy issue. Many town centres are local historic districts under M.G.L. c. 40C, where exterior changes need a certificate from the historic district commission before a building permit can issue, adding a review step that a firm with local experience will plan for.

How should owners vet and contract with an architecture firm in Massachusetts?

Start by confirming registration. Ask for the names and licence numbers of the Massachusetts-registered architects who will sign and seal the drawings and control construction, and check them with the Board of Registration of Architects, which can be reached at 617-701-8690 or architectboard@mass.gov. Because licences expire every August 31, check status close to the date the contract is signed. For a firm organised as a corporation, partnership or LLC, confirm that a registered officer, partner or manager will sign the contract, as 231 CMR 4.04 requires.

Next, match the firm's experience to the regulatory path. A project over 35,000 cubic feet will need construction control under 780 CMR 107.6, so the contract should include construction administration and the final construction control document rather than design only. Ask which energy code tier applies in the municipality, whether the firm has delivered Passive House or TEDI projects under the Stretch or Specialized codes, and how it will handle 521 CMR accessibility triggers. For public clients, ask for evidence of work under c. 7C designer selection and c. 149 filed sub-bid specifications.

Understand the firm's lien rights. Since July 1, 2011, under Chapter 424 of the Acts of 2010, Massachusetts has extended mechanics lien protection to registered architects, landscape architects, engineers and land surveyors, even where construction never proceeds. A design professional can record a notice of contract at any time after the written contract is signed, but no later than the earlier of 60 days after a notice of substantial completion is recorded or 90 days after it last performed services. Owners should keep fee payments current and obtain lien releases at closeout.

Finally, put the essentials in writing. A Massachusetts architect agreement should define scope by phase, name the responsible registered architect, state the code editions assumed, address the 2026 Stretch and Specialized code updates if the project will be permitted after they take effect, set out professional liability insurance, and explain how additional services will be priced. Clear terms on these points prevent most of the disputes that arise when a project's regulatory path changes partway through design.

What has changed recently, or is about to change, for architects in Massachusetts?

Last reviewed October 19, 2026 against the primary sources listed below. Dates are effective dates unless marked otherwise.

• June 16, 2026 — Proposed: Massachusetts DOER's proposed 2026 revisions to the Stretch and Specialized energy codes went to public hearing on June 16, 2026; no final effective date is published.
• June 30, 2025 — In force: The concurrency period ended, making the 10th edition of the Massachusetts State Building Code, 780 CMR, the only code for permit applications.
• October 11, 2024 — In force: The 10th edition of the Massachusetts State Building Code, 780 CMR, based on the 2021 International Codes, first took effect.

Where can I verify a license and check the source in Massachusetts?

Every figure and rule on this page can be checked against the primary source. These are the offices that publish them. Confirm current requirements directly before you rely on any of them:

Mass.gov Board of Registration of Architects — General licensing FAQs; Massachusetts Legislature — M.G.L. c. 112, section 60L; Mass.gov Board of Building Regulations and Standards — Tenth Edition of the MA State Building Code 780; Mass.gov Department of Energy Resources — Massachusetts Building Energy Codes; Mass.gov — Designer selection law thresholds change; Massachusetts Legislature — M.G.L. c. 149, section 44A.

Nearby regions and related trades

Architect contractors in other regions: California, Florida, Illinois, New York, Pennsylvania, Texas.

Other trades in Massachusetts: General Contracting, Roofing & Waterproofing.

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