Hardscape & Paving Contractor in Wellesley, MA

A wall that holds back four feet or more of soil needs a building permit, and the Design Review Board weighs in at seven feet. Walls four feet or taller have to stay 10 feet from a property line, and none may exceed 15 feet without a special permit.

Terraces count as separate walls only if they are spaced at least twice the height of the taller one. The tree bylaw applies to walls covered by this section, so the trees near the wall line belong on the plan.

No part of a pool may be within 30 feet of a street. At the sides and rear, the setback is four times the pool’s height above grade at the nearest lot line, never less than 10 feet or more than 30. A pool set at grade does not count as building coverage.

Wellesley asks for a fence or barrier at least six feet tall with self-latching gates, in a type and place the Building Inspector accepts. That is taller than most towns require.

The driveway apron policy requires the Town Engineer’s written approval for any new or altered apron or curb cut. A single driveway may be no more than 12 feet wide at the property line, and a double no more than 20.

The apron inside the public way must be asphalt or cement concrete. Brick pavers, cobblestones and stone may be used on your own land, starting eight feet beyond the edge of the road.

Wellesley’s wetlands regulations set a 25-foot No Disturbance Zone around ponds, banks and wetlands, isolated ones included. Beyond that line but inside the 100-foot buffer, turning existing lawn into a patio or driveway is normally handled with a simpler filing.

Morses Pond, Lake Waban, Fuller Brook and the Charles River put many lots within reach of these rules. Projects with 400 square feet or more of soil disturbance in the regulated area need a full Notice of Intent.