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Permits die quietly: months pass with no inspection, and the permit lapses while the job is still running. Enter the issue date and the last passed inspection — see where the clock stands.
Based on the common convention that permits lapse after roughly 180 days without inspection activity. Local rules and practice vary by municipality — the wiring inspector's answer beats this calculator. A passed inspection restarts the clock.
The common convention is that a permit lapses after roughly 180 days without inspection activity, though rules and practice vary by municipality. A passed inspection restarts the clock.
The town can require re-permitting to finish or close the work — and inspectors may need to see work that's now concealed. Reinstating an expired permit is always harder than keeping one alive.
Schedule inspections at real milestones — a passed rough or partial inspection resets the inactivity clock. Treat ~150 days without activity as the warning line so there's runway to get on the inspector's calendar.
RevnuPros tracks every job's permits through applied → pulled → rough → signed off and warns automatically when one approaches the stale line — across every town you work in.
Start free →Also free: Massachusetts permit guide · materials markup calculator · contractor glossary