Before You Buy Any Appliance in Massachusetts in 2026, Do These 3 Things First

If you’re building or renovating in Massachusetts, you can do everything right and still run into real issues.

Most of the time, it is not the appliance. It is code, access, or even damage that can be prevented.

Here are three things you should do before you buy anything.

Before You Buy Any Appliance in Massachusetts in 2026, Do These 3 Things First

Checklist Item 1: Think Twice About Gas Cooking

⚡ Quick Takeaway: Gas cooking rules vary by town, so call your building department before you buy to confirm what is allowed and whether you are truly grandfathered in.

This one is very Massachusetts-specific.

If you are building a new house and planning a big professional gas range, think again.

In a lot of towns across Massachusetts, gas cooking in new construction is restricted or effectively outlawed, even when you think you are grandfathered in.

We had a client installing a 60-inch Wolf dual-fuel range in Brookline. It was approved by the town and then denied by the inspector.

She ended up having to switch to two 30-inch induction ranges and add almost 100 amps of electrical service.

That is a big change late in the process, and it is expensive.

Before you buy anything, call your building department and ask one question: Are there restrictions on gas cooking in my town, and am I actually grandfathered in?

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Checklist Item 2: Measure the Entire Delivery Path

⚡ Quick Takeaway: Measure from the front door to the final spot, including landings, because most delivery problems are access issues, not appliance issues.

This one really matters in Boston and any older city.

I live in the South End. The stairways are usually fine, but the landings are not. That is where appliances get stuck.

So you do not just measure the space where the appliance ends up. You need to measure the entire path to get there.

That means doorways, hallways, stair widths, and especially landings. This comes up most with refrigerators.

Now, this is not just a city issue.

In the suburbs, laundry is where people get surprised.

New front-load washers and dryers are much bigger than the old top-load machines they are replacing.

They are deeper, and sometimes taller too. So even if you already have a laundry room, that does not mean the new machines will fit.

Measure from the front door all the way to the final spot, and pay close attention to depth.

That is where most people have issues.

And if you have measured and you still do not know, have your appliance store send a delivery supervisor to your house to look at the delivery path.

It is something we do every day in Massachusetts, and most appliance stores offer that service.

Checklist Item 3: Protect Against Water and Floor Damage Before Delivery

⚡ Quick Takeaway: Put laminated paper under your dishwasher and washer, and use masonite for heavy appliances, to catch leaks fast and prevent costly floor damage.

This is one everyone should do, and it has saved us millions of dollars in insurance claims over the years.

Before we deliver any dishwasher or washer, we place laminated paper underneath the unit.

If there is any moisture at all, we see it immediately. Our customers can see it immediately too, and we fix it before it becomes a problem.

Most companies do not do this, but you can.

Just put laminated paper under your dishwasher and washer. If there is a leak, you will know right away instead of finding out after water has caused damage or mold.

Here is a bonus.

If you are having heavy appliances delivered, like professional ranges or Sub-Zero refrigerators, and they are sitting in the kitchen waiting for installation, put them on masonite.

If you do not, those appliances can dent new floors. We have not paid for a damaged floor since we started doing this.

Masonite costs about ten dollars. Laminated paper costs less than a dollar. That is a small price for a lot of prevention.

What Happens When You Do These Three Things First?

⚡ Quick Takeaway: These three quick checks can save you time, money, and frustration by preventing the most common avoidable problems before they happen.

If you do these three simple things, you will save a ton of time and a lot of money in Massachusetts or anywhere else.

More importantly, you will avoid a lot of frustration for not much effort at all.

We also have a delivery checklist that goes way deeper than this. It is a free download, and it is designed to help you catch problems before they happen.

If you like this kind of content, hit like and subscribe, and we will keep showing you how to avoid the mistakes we see every day.

Additional Resources

Get the free Yale Appliance Buying Guide. It has features, specs, and inside tips to all the brands like Sub-Zero, Thermador, Bosch, and Miele. It covers built-ins, counter depth, freestanding vs. slide-in, and much more (plus a ton of good product shots). Well over 1 million people have read a Yale Guide.

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