Code of Massachusetts Regulations
780 CMR - STATE BOARD OF BUILDING REGULATIONS AND STANDARDS
Chapter CHAPTER 51 - MASSACHUSETTS RESIDENTIAL CODE
Chapter 3 - BUILDING PLANNING
Section R301
Subsection 301.1


Current through Register 1543, March 14, 2025

Add the following subsection

R301.1.1 Alternative provisions.

4. American Forest and Paper Association ("AF&PA") Prescriptive Residential Wood Deck Construction Guide (DCA6).

https://awc.org/pdf/codes-standards/publications/dca/AWC-DCA62015-DeckGuide-1804.pdf

Add the following subsection

R301.1.5 Townhouse Buildings Greater than 35,000 ft3. Such buildings shall require registered design professional services in accordance with 780 CMR 107.6: Construction Control.

Replace TABLE R301.2 CLIMATIC AND GEOGRAPHIC DESIGN CRITERIA with New Table R301.2(1)

Table 301.2(1) Climatic and Geographic Design Criteria

GROUND SNOW LOAD

Table R301.2(2)

WIND DESIGN

Speed (mph)

Table R301.2(2)

Topographical effects

NO

Special wind region

Table R301.2(2), Note 2.

Windborne debris zone

Any area within a windborne debris region as defined in Chapter 2 of 780 CMR 51.00.

SEISMIC DESIGN CATEGORY

YES

SUBJECT TO DAMAGE FROM

Weathering

Severe

Frost line depth

48 inches. For frost protected shallow foundations, see R403.3.

Termite

Moderate to heavy

ICE BARRIER UNDERLAYMENT REQUIRED

YES

FLOOD HAZARDS

See R322.

AIR FREEZING INDEX

By county

For frost protected shallow foundations, see R403.3 and Table R403.3(2).

Berkshire, Franklin, Hampden and Worcester

2000

All other counties

1500

MEAN ANNUAL TEMPERATURE

See Massachusetts values:

https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/sites/default/files/attachments/Air-Freezing-Index-Return-Periods-and-Associated-Probabilities.pdf

MANUAL J DESIGN CRITERIA

(See2016 ACCA Manual J Table 1a or 1b).

Elevation

Altitude correction factor (see Table 10A), Coincident wet bulb, Indoor winter design dry-bulb temperature, Indoor winter design dry-bulb temperature, Outdoor winter design dry-bulb temperature, Heating temperature difference.

Latitude

Daily Range, Indoor summer design relative humidity, Indoor summer design relative humidity, Indoor summer design dry-bulb temperature, Outdoor summer design dry-bulb temperature, Cooling temperature difference.

Add new Table 301.2(2)

Table 301.2(2) SNOW LOADS AND WIND SPEEDS

SNOW LOADS

City/Town

Ground Snow Load, Pg (psf)

Minimum Flat Roof Snow Load, Pf1 (psf)

Ultimate Wind Speed, Vult (mph)

Abington

35

30

123

Acton

50

35

117

Acushnet

30

30

129

Adams2

60

40

111

Agawam

35

35

115

Alford

40

40

112

Amesbury

50

30

116

Amherst

40

35

114

Andover

50

30

117

Aquinnah3 (Gay Head)

25

25

134

Arlington

40

30

119

Ashburnham

60

35

114

Ashby

60

35

114

Ashfield

50

40

112

Ashland

40

35

119

Athol

60

35

113

Attleboro

35

30

124

Auburn

50

35

118

Avon

35

35

123

Ayer

50

35

116

Barnstable3

30

25

130

Barre

50

35

115

Becket

60

40

113

Bedford

50

30

118

Belchertown

40

35

115

Bellingham

40

35

121

Belmont

40

30

119

Berkley

30

30

126

Berlin

50

35

117

Bernardston

60

35

112

Beverly

50

30

119

Billerica

50

30

117

Blackstone

40

35

121

Blandford

50

40

114

Bolton

50

35

117

Boston

40

30

120

Bourne

30

25

129

Boxborough

50

35

117

Boxford

50

30

117

Boylston

50

35

117

Braintree

35

30

122

Brewster

25

25

130

Bridgewater

30

30

125

Brimfield

40

35

117

Brockton

35

30

123

Brookfield

50

35

117

Brookline

40

30

120

Buckland

60

40

112

Burlington

50

30

118

Cambridge

40

30

120

Canton

40

35

122

Carlisle

50

30

117

Carver

30

30

127

Charlemont

60

40

112

Charlton

50

35

118

Chatham3

25

25

132

Chelmsford

50

30

117

Chelsea

40

30

120

Cheshire

60

40

112

Chester

60

40

113

Chesterfield

50

40

113

Chicopee

35

35

115

Chilmark3

25

25

134

Clarksburg2

60

40

111

Clinton

50

35

117

Cohasset

35

30

122

Colrain2

60

40

112

Concord

50

35

118

Conway

50

40

113

Cummington

60

40

113

Dalton

60

40

112

Danvers

50

30

118

Dartmouth3

30

30

129

Dedham

40

35

120

Deerfield

50

35

113

Dennis3

30

25

130

Dighton

30

30

126

Douglas

40

35

120

Dover

40

35

120

Dracut

50

30

116

Dudley

50

35

119

Dunstable

50

35

115

Duxbury

30

30

125

E. Bridgewater

35

30

124

E. Brookfield

50

35

117

E. Longmeadow

35

35

116

Eastham

25

25

130

Easthampton

40

35

114

Easton

35

30

123

Edgartown3

25

25

134

Egremont

40

40

112

Erving

50

35

113

Essex

50

30

118

Everett

40

30

119

Fairhaven3

30

30

130

Fall River

30

30

128

Falmouth3

30

25

131

Fitchburg

60

35

115

Florida

60

40

111

Foxborough

35

35

122

Framingham

40

35

119

Franklin

40

35

121

Freetown

30

30

127

Gardner

60

35

114

Georgetown

50

30

117

Gill

50

35

113

Gloucester

50

30

119

Goshen

50

40

113

Gosnold3

30

25

132

Grafton

50

35

119

Granby

35

35

114

Granville

50

40

114

Great Barrington

50

40

113

Greenfield

50

35

113

Groton

60

35

116

Groveland

50

30

116

Hadley

40

35

114

Halifax

30

30

125

Hamilton

50

30

118

Hampden

35

35

116

Hancock2

50

40

111

Hanover

35

30

124

Hanson

35

30

124

Hardwick

50

35

115

Harvard

50

35

116

Harwich3

25

25

131

Hatfield

40

35

114

Haverhill

50

30

116

Hawley

60

40

112

Heath

60

40

112

Hingham

35

30

122

Hinsdale

60

40

112

Holbrook

35

30

123

Holden

50

35

116

Holland

40

35

117

Holliston

40

35

120

Holyoke

35

35

114

Hopedale

40

35

120

Hopkinton

40

35

119

Hubbardston

50

35

115

Hudson

50

35

117

Hull

35

30

122

Huntington

50

40

114

Ipswich

50

30

118

Kingston

30

30

126

Lakeville

30

30

127

Lancaster

50

35

116

Lanesborough2

50

40

111

Lawrence

50

30

116

Lee

50

40

112

Ludlow

35

35

115

Lunenburg

60

35

115

Lynn

40

30

119

Lynnfield

50

30

118

Malden

40

30

119

Manchester

50

30

119

Mansfield

35

30

123

Marblehead

40

30

119

Marion

30

30

129

Marlborough

50

35

118

Marshfield

35

30

125

Mashpee3

30

25

130

Mattapoisett3

30

30

130

Maynard

50

35

118

Medfield

40

35

120

Medford

40

30

119

Medway

40

35

120

Melrose

40

30

119

Mendon

40

35

120

Merrimac

50

30

116

Methuen

50

30

116

Middleborough

30

30

126

Middlefield

60

40

113

Middleton

50

30

118

Milford

40

35

120

Millbury

50

35

118

Millis

40

35

120

Millville

40

35

121

Milton

40

30

121

Monroe

60

40

111

Monson

40

35

116

Montague

50

35

113

Monterey

50

40

113

Montgomery

40

40

114

Mount Washington

40

40

113

Nahant

40

30

120

Nantucket3

25

25

137

Natick

40

35

119

Needham

40

35

120

New Ashford2

50

40

111

New Bedford3

30

30

129

New Braintree

50

35

115

New Marlborough

50

40

113

New Salem

50

35

114

Newbury

50

30

116

Newburyport

50

30

116

Newton

40

30

119

Norfolk

40

35

121

North Adams2

60

40

111

North Andover

50

30

116

North Attleborough

35

30

123

North Brookfield

50

35

116

North Reading

50

30

118

Northampton

40

35

114

Northborough

50

35

118

Northbridge

40

35

119

Northfield

60

35

112

Norton

35

30

124

Norwell

35

30

123

Norwood

40

35

121

Oak Bluffs3

25

25

133

Oakham

50

35

116

Orange

60

35

113

Orleans3

25

25

130

Otis

50

40

113

Oxford

50

35

119

Palmer

40

35

116

Paxton

50

35

116

Peabody

50

30

119

Pelham

40

35

114

Pembroke

30

30

124

Pepperell

60

35

115

Peru

60

40

112

Petersham

50

35

114

Phillipston

60

35

114

Pittsfield2

50

40

112

Plainfield

60

40

112

Plainville

40

35

123

Plymouth

30

30

127

Plympton

30

30

126

Princeton

50

35

116

Provincetown

25

25

127

Quincy

40

30

121

Randolph

35

30

122

Raynham

35

30

125

Reading

50

30

118

Rehoboth

35

30

125

Revere

40

30

119

Richmond2

50

40

112

Rochester

30

30

129

Rockland

35

30

123

Rockport

50

30

119

Rowe

60

40

111

Rowley

50

30

117

Royalston

60

35

113

Russell

40

40

114

Rutland

50

35

116

Salem

50

30

119

Salisbury

50

30

116

Sandisfield

50

40

114

Sandwich

30

25

129

Saugus

40

30

119

Savoy

60

40

112

Scituate

35

30

123

Seekonk

35

30

125

Sharon

35

35

122

Sheffield

40

40

113

Shelburne

50

40

112

Sherborn

40

35

120

Shirley

60

35

116

Shrewsbury

50

35

118

Shutesbury

40

35

114

Somerset

30

30

127

Somerville

40

30

119

South Hadley

35

35

114

Southampton

40

35

114

Southborough

40

35

119

Southbridge

40

35

118

Southwick

40

35

115

Spencer

50

35

117

Springfield

35

35

115

Sterling

50

35

116

Stockbridge

50

40

112

Stoneham

40

30

119

Stoughton

35

35

122

Stow

50

35

117

Sturbridge

40

35

118

Sudbury

40

30

118

Sunderland

40

35

113

Sutton

50

35

119

Swampscott

40

30

119

Swansea

30

30

127

Taunton

35

30

125

Templeton

60

35

114

Tewksbury

50

30

117

Tisbury3

25

25

133

Tolland

50

40

114

Topsfield

50

30

118

Townsend

60

35

115

Truro

25

25

128

Tyngsborough

50

30

116

Tyringham

50

40

113

Upton

40

35

119

Uxbridge

40

35

120

Wakefield

50

30

118

Wales

40

35

117

Walpole

40

35

121

Waltham

40

30

119

Ware

40

35

115

Wareham

30

30

129

Warren

40

35

116

Warwick

60

35

113

Washington

60

40

112

Watertown

40

30

119

Wayland

40

35

119

Webster

50

35

119

Wellesley

40

35

119

Wellfleet

25

25

129

Wendell

50

35

113

Wenham

50

30

118

W. Boylston

50

35

117

W. Bridgewater

35

30

124

W. Brookfield

40

35

116

W. Newbury

50

30

116

W. Springfield

35

35

115

W. Stockbridge2

40

40

112

W. Tisbury3

25

25

133

Westborough

50

35

118

Westfield

40

35

114

Westford

50

35

116

Westhampton

50

40

114

Westminster

60

35

115

Weston

40

35

119

Westport3

30

30

128

Westwood

40

35

121

Weymouth

35

30

122

Whately

50

35

113

Whitman

35

30

124

Wilbraham

35

35

115

Williamsburg

50

40

113

Williamstown2

50

40

111

Wilmington

50

30

118

Winchendon

60

35

113

Winchester

40

30

119

Windsor

60

40

112

Winthrop

40

30

120

Woburn

50

30

118

Worcester

50

35

117

Worthington

60

40

113

Wrentham

40

35

122

Yarmouth3

30

25

131

Note 1: The design flat roof snow load shall be the larger of the calculated flat roof snow load using Pg or the value of Pf1 listed in this table.

Note 2: Special Wind Region. Specific locations within these municipalities may have conditions that cause higher wind speeds than the tabulated values. See https://asce7hazardtool.online for location specific details for special wind regions in ASCE/SEI 7-16, Risk Category II.

Note 3: Windborne Debris Region. Specific locations within these municipalities may be within a Windborne Debris Region (with Vult 130 mph or more) as defined in 780 CMR R202.0. See https://asce7hazardtool.online for location specific details for windborne debris regions in ASCE/SEI 7-16, Risk Category II.

Disclaimer: These regulations may not be the most recent version. Massachusetts may have more current or accurate information. We make no warranties or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness, or adequacy of the information contained on this site or the information linked to on the state site. Please check official sources.
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