top of page
Search

Permits and the Stretch Code Take Center Stage in the Governor's Race

Writer: Bob Wiltse
Bob Wiltse
5 days ago
4 min read

Both candidates say Massachusetts needs more homes. They disagree on how to get them, and the energy code is one big dividing line.


Bob Wiltse, REALTOR®

Research & Writing Assistant: Claude.ai

October 17, 2026


Thursday night's final gubernatorial debate was held at WCVB's studio in Needham, a Boston suburb. Housing came up again. One topic stood out for homebuyers: the Massachusetts stretch code, the tougher energy rules most towns use for new houses.


This article does not endorse a candidate.


Building Permits: Massachusetts builds 28% less than the U.S.
Building Permits: Massachusetts builds 28% less than the U.S.

What the candidates said


WBUR reports Republican Mike Minogue wants to cut the home-building permit timeline to 45 days. He also said he would work with cities and towns to ease the stretch code. "No one can live in 'underway,'" he said, pushing back on Gov. Maura Healey's housing record.

Healey said the state has cut its permit timeline to 30 days. State House News Service, via GBH, reports she cited 100,000 homes built, permitted, or in development during her term and wants to double that in a second term. She also pointed to a first-time buyer program offering $25,000 toward a purchase. Minogue said many started under former Gov. Charlie Baker.


At the first debate on Oct. 8, Banker & Tradesman reports Minogue proposed giving towns more state money if they cut permitting to 45 days and drop the stretch code. Healey blamed tariffs and interest rates for high building costs. Both candidates said they support Question 7, the "starter homes" ballot question.


What is the Massachusetts stretch code?


A building code is the rulebook builders must follow. Every town uses the state's base energy code. Towns can also choose the stretch code, which requires new homes to use less energy. A third level, the "specialized" code, goes further and pushes new homes toward all-electric heat or extra solar and efficiency.


The state energy office says 302 cities and towns, covering over 92% of the state's people, now use the stretch or specialized code. It also says the average new Massachusetts home in 2026 scores 47 on the HERS scale. HERS is an energy score where lower is better. A typical older house scores far higher.


Does it raise the price of a new home?


That depends on who you ask. In 2023, a study paid for by the state's home builders group estimated about $23,000 in added cost per single-family home, Banker & Tradesman reported. The state's Department of Energy Resources disagreed, saying a 2,100-square-foot home built to the stretch code could cost nearly $29,000 less after tax credits and Mass Save rebates.


Passive House Massachusetts found that stretch-code towns added 14% more housing than base-code towns.


If the builders' $23,000 figure is right, my math puts it at about 5.8% of the U.S. median new home price ($393,700 in August) but only about 1.3% of the $1,790,000 median for 2026 single-family builds in Middlesex County (my MLS PIN data). Financed at this week's 7.40% rate, $23,000 adds about $159 a month (my math). Lower energy bills could offset part of that, especially with today's high heating oil and electric costs.


National vs. Massachusetts vs. Middlesex County


The candidates are arguing over a real gap.

  • Nationally: The U.S. issued about 281 housing permits per 100,000 people in 2024, according to Pioneer Institute data reported by New Bedford Guide.

  • Massachusetts: The state issued about 201 per 100,000, the sixth-lowest in the nation. That is about 28% below the U.S. rate (my math). It is not last, as Minogue claimed, at least on that 2024 measure. Pioneer's September report adds the state's housing stock grew about 4% since 2020, compared with 7.2% nationally.

  • Middlesex County: Census data on FRED shows 2,341 new home structures permitted in 2025, down from 5,569 in 2019, a drop of about 58% (my math).


Locally, the code map is mixed. According to the state's adoption list (as of June 4, 2026):

  • North: Wakefield, Winchester, and Melrose use the specialized code. Woburn, Burlington, Reading, Stoneham, and Lynnfield do not.

  • West: Newton, Lexington, Arlington, Concord, Wellesley, Natick, and Acton use it. Waltham does not.

  • South: Needham, Milton, Dedham, Norwood and Canton use it. Quincy, Braintree, Westwood and Weymouth do not.


Two new homes a few miles apart can be built under different rules, and the Massachusetts stretch code debate could widen or shrink that gap.


What it means for you


  • Ask which code the home was built under. Base, stretch, and specialized homes can differ in heating systems, insulation, and wiring for solar or car chargers.

  • Ask for the HERS score. Compare it to the state's average of 47. A lower number usually means lower bills.

  • Ask about rebates. Some energy savings go to the builder, some to you. Find out who gets what.

  • Watch the rules, not the speeches. Any change to the stretch code would take a new law or town votes. That likely means months or years, not days.


Have questions about a new home in Massachusetts? Reach out to Bob Wiltse, REALTOR®, eXp Realty. 978-793-1719 | bobwiltse.com


Sources

  1. WBUR, "Healey and Minogue meet in unbridled final debate before election," Oct. 15, 2026. https://www.wbur.org/news/2026/10/15/healey-and-minogue-meet-in-unbridled-final-debate-before-election

  2. GBH / State House News Service, "Affordability and accountability dominate Healey-Minogue finale," Oct. 16, 2026. https://www.wgbh.org/news/politics/2026-10-16/affordability-and-accountability-dominate-healey-minogue-finale

  3. Banker & Tradesman, "Healey, Minogue Tout Housing Ideas During WBZ Debate," Oct. 9, 2026. https://bankerandtradesman.com/healey-minogue-tout-housing-ideas-during-wbz-debate/

  4. Mass.gov (DOER), "Stretch Energy Code Development," accessed Oct. 16, 2026. https://www.mass.gov/info-details/stretch-energy-code-development

  5. Mass.gov, "Massachusetts Building Energy Code Adoption by Municipality," as of June 4, 2026. https://www.mass.gov/info-details/massachusetts-building-energy-code-adoption-by-municipality

  6. Banker & Tradesman, "Builders Predict More Pain for Housing Production," July 23, 2023. https://bankerandtradesman.com/builders-predict-more-pain-for-housing-production/

  7. Phius / Passive House Massachusetts, "Massachusetts Energy Codes are Compatible With Increasing Housing Supply," Feb. 5, 2026 (originally Dec. 30, 2025). https://www.phius.org/massachusetts-energy-codes-are-compatible-increasing-housing-supply

  8. New Bedford Guide, "Massachusetts ranks sixth lowest in the nation in per capita building permits," Sept. 9, 2025. https://www.newbedfordguide.com/massachusetts-ranks-sixth-lowest-in-the-nation-in-per-capita-building-permits/2025/09/09

  9. Pioneer Institute, "The House Call," September 2026. https://pioneerinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/House-Call-September-09142026.pdf

  10. U.S. Census Bureau via FRED, "New Private Housing Structures Authorized by Building Permits for Middlesex County, MA," updated May 28, 2026. https://fred.stlouisfed.org/data/BPPRIV025017

  11. Freddie Mac, "Mortgage Rates Hold Steady at 7.40%," Oct. 15, 2026. https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2026/10/15/3381991/0/en/mortgage-rates-hold-steady-at-7-40.html

  12. NAHB, "Housing Headwinds Intensify Heading Into 2027" (August U.S. median new home price $393,700), Oct. 1, 2026. https://www.nahb.org/blog/2026/10/housing-headwinds-intensify

  13. Bob Wiltse, MLS PIN data: single-family homes built 2026, Middlesex County, sold in the six months to late September 2026 (123 sales, median $1,790,000).

Comments

bottom of page