Massachusetts Contractor License Requirements
Massachusetts has no project-value general-contractor license. It supervises construction with an individual Construction Supervisors License (OPSI/BBRS, 780 CMR) whose trigger is building type and the 35,000-cubic-foot volume test — above that volume a registered design professional controls and no CSL is required — it registers the business of home improvement (HIC, M.G.L. c. 142A) for existing owner-occupied 1–4 unit property, and it licenses the trades separately — plumbers and gas fitters (248 CMR) and electricians/systems contractors (237 CMR). Every claim below is traced to an official source with a verification date.
01 The Massachusetts model
Massachusetts is not a value-threshold state: there is no general-contractor license keyed to project value. What exists is an individual supervision licence (the CSL), a business registration (the HIC) and individual trade licences — plus the municipal building official for every permit.
- No value-threshold GC license — verified absence — the CSL is an individual scope licence and the HIC is a business registration. (Rule MA-NO-GC-LICENSE.) S-MA-CSL-WHEN
- Supervision is by volume, not by dollars — under 35,000 cubic feet a CSL or an RDP must oversee; at or above it the RDP controls and no CSL is required. (Rules MA-CSL-REQUIRED, MA-CSL-VOLUME.) S-MA-CSL-WHEN
- Home improvement is a registration — c. 142A §9: no residential contracting services unless registered. (Rule MA-HIC-REGISTRATION.) S-MA-HIC-REG
- No out-of-state recognition — 'Massachusetts does not recognize out of state contractor licenses. 780 CMR … applies to all buildings and structures in the Commonwealth.' (Rule MA-OUT-OF-STATE.) S-MA-CSL-WHEN
We publish no Massachusetts dollar-value licence threshold, because none exists on any official page read — the legacy '$100,000 Restricted CSL' claim is kept outside the conflict ledger (no official source carries a dollar cap, and a conflict row needs two official sources), the Guaranty Fund cap as CONFLICT-MA-001, and the 'Restricted vs one- and two-family' naming as CONFLICT-MA-002. The CSL initial licensure fee amount and local permit fees are NOT_VERIFIED.
02 Who regulates
The official host of the General Laws. Every statute cited in this seed was read on malegislature.gov on 2026-10-05 with HTTP 200 (via text-extraction proxy): Chapter 142A (Home Improvement Contractors) §5 Guaranty Fund established, §7 claims and award limitations ($25,000 per claimant / $150,000 per registrant per 12 months / 7-year window), §9 registration required, §11 registration fees (tied to the c. 143 §94 construction-supervisor fee).
https://malegislature.gov/Laws/GeneralLawsIssues the individual Construction Supervisor License (CSL) under 780 CMR (Massachusetts State Building Code, 10th Edition since 2025-01-01) after a PSI examination; the BBRS owns the license types and their scopes. Renewal portal madpl.mylicenseone.com. Also the authority that answers 'when is a CSL required?' — the 35,000-cubic-foot threshold, the 1-/2-family rule, the RDP control above 35,000 cu ft, the homeowner exemption reference and the no-out-of-state-recognition rule.
https://www.mass.gov/construction-supervisor-licensingRegisters and regulates Home Improvement Contractors under M.G.L. c. 142A: registration of contractors/subcontractors/partnerships/corporations that solicit, bid on or perform work on existing, owner-occupied 1–4 unit residential property; runs complaints, arbitration and the Residential Contractor's Guaranty Fund (compensates eligible homeowners up to $25,000). Registration and payment run through the MA Contractor Hub.
https://www.mass.gov/home-improvement-contractor-programConducts exams and issues licenses for journeyman and master plumbers and gas fitters, registers apprentice plumbers and gas fitters, and issues corporate/partnership plumbing business licenses (M.G.L. c. 142; 248 CMR). Applications, renewals and reinstatements run online through eLIPSE — mailed applications are returned. Renewals close May 1 (late fee $57); CE 12 hours for plumbers, 6 hours for gas fitters and LP installers.
https://www.mass.gov/orgs/board-of-state-examiners-of-plumbers-and-gas-fittersLicenses journeyman and master electricians plus systems technicians and systems contractors (M.G.L. c. 141; 237 CMR 13.00 eligibility, 237 CMR 17.01 continuing education). Applications and renewals run through eLIPSE with a DOL CORI form; examinations are PSI ($80 trade + $55 business/practical). Licenses expire July 31 on a three-year cycle with 21 hours of CE.
https://www.mass.gov/board-of-state-examiners-of-electricians-licensingAdministers workers' compensation in Massachusetts: all employers operating in the Commonwealth must carry workers' compensation insurance for their employees and themselves if they are an employee of their company, regardless of hours worked or number of employees (only domestic employees under 16 hours a week fall outside). Rates and class codes are set by WCRIBMA and the Division of Insurance, not the DIA.
https://www.mass.gov/info-details/workers-compensation-insurance-requirements03 The Construction Supervisors License (CSL)
mass.gov, verbatim: 'For 1- and 2-family homes and/or appurtenant structures of any size — a licensed construction supervisor or a registered design professional (RDP) must oversee construction.' Applicants verify 3 years of experience in building construction or design, register with PSI ($23 application; $75 for the Restricted/Unrestricted exams, $65 for every other exam; open book, 70% to pass, unlimited retests, 10th Edition of the State Building Code), then mail the score report to the Board of Building Regulations and Standards within one year.
- When a CSL (or RDP) is required — (Rule MA-CSL-REQUIRED.) S-MA-CSL-WHEN
- Experience — 3 years — tax records or a letter of attestation. (Rule MA-CSL-EXPERIENCE.) S-MA-CSL-APPLY
- Examination — PSI, 70% — (Rule MA-CSL-EXAM.) S-MA-CSL-HANDBOOK
- The eight classes — unrestricted; restricted / one- and two-family; and the masonry, roof-covering, window-and-siding, solid-fuel, demolition and insulation specialties, each with express structural limits. (Rule MA-CSL-SCOPE-CLASSES.) See the classifications page.
04 The threshold — 35,000 cubic feet
The Massachusetts trigger is enclosed volume: buildings under 35,000 cubic feet need a licensed construction supervisor or an RDP; above it, 'A registered design professional (RDP) - engineer or architect - must control the construction … a construction supervisor license is not required for larger projects since the RDP is considered the licensed person for the project.'
- Volume test — (Rule MA-CSL-VOLUME.) S-MA-CSL-WHEN
- Homeowner exemption — reference only — mass.gov points to '780 CMR, Chapter 1 for home owner exemption language'; the text was not read this phase, so no scope is asserted. (Rule MA-HOMEOWNER-EXEMPTION.) S-MA-CSL-WHEN
05 The HIC registration (c. 142A)
'Contractors, subcontractors, partnerships, or corporations that solicit, bid on, or perform contracting work in Massachusetts on an existing, owner-occupied residential property with one to four units, must be registered as a Home Improvement Contractor (HIC).' An HIC registration 'is different from a Construction Supervisor License (CSL) and they are not interchangeable.' Fees: $150 registration + a mandatory Guaranty Fund payment of $100–$500 by employees; renewal every two years for $100.
- Registration required — (Rule MA-HIC-REGISTRATION.) S-MA-HIC-REG
- Scope — the property test — (Rule MA-HIC-SCOPE.) S-MA-HIC-RES
- Fees & Guaranty Fund tiers — (Rule MA-HIC-REGISTRATION.) S-MA-HIC-REG
- Guaranty Fund caps — c. 142A §7 — up to $25,000 per claimant, $150,000 per registrant per 12 months, claims within 7 years. (Rule MA-GUARANTY-FUND.) S-MA-142A-7
06 Contracts, cancellation and advertising
- Written contract at $1,000 — 'For work estimated at $1,000 or more, the contractor and homeowner must have a written contract containing certain required provisions as specified in the law.' (Rule MA-HIC-CONTRACT.) S-MA-HIC-RES
- 3-business-day cancellation — for a contract signed away from the contractor's normal place of business, cancellation by written notice no later than midnight of the third business day. (Rule MA-HIC-CANCEL.) S-MA-HIC-CONTRACT
- Registration number everywhere — 'Building permits, contracts, and advertising … must contain the active registration number of the contractor', and every permit must state that unregistered-contractor victims have no Guaranty Fund access. (Rule MA-HIC-REGNUMBER.) S-MA-HIC-RES
07 Plumbers & gas fitters — 248 CMR
The Board of State Examiners of Plumbers and Gas Fitters licenses journeyman and master plumbers, registers apprentices, issues gas fitter licences on a separate track, and issues the plumbing business licence to corporations and partnerships. Applications run only through eLIPSE (mailed applications are returned). Fees: $31 application; $52 journeyman / $78 master plumber; $52 journeyman / $97 master gas fitter; $225 business licence.
- Plumbing licence required — (Rule MA-PLUMBING-LICENSE.) S-MA-PL-BOARD
- Gas fitting is a separate licence — (Rule MA-GAS-FITTER-LICENSE.) S-MA-GF-APPLY
- Plumbing business licence — $225 — (Rule MA-PLUMBING-BUSINESS.) S-MA-PL-BIZ
08 Electricians & systems — 237 CMR
The Board of State Examiners of Electricians licenses journeyman and master electricians plus systems technicians and systems contractors. Eligibility sits in 237 CMR 13.00; exams are PSI ($80 trade + $55 business/practical); fees are $31/$104 (journeyman, systems technician) and $66/$155 (master, systems contractor). Licenses expire July 31 on a three-year cycle with 21 hours of CE (15 mandatory).
- Electrical licence required — (Rule MA-ELECTRICAL-LICENSE.) S-MA-ELEC-APPLY
- Renewal — 21 hours / 3 years — (Rule MA-ELECTRICAL-CE.) S-MA-ELEC-RENEW
09 Permits — the official HIC/CSL/permit chart
mass.gov publishes a job-by-job chart: roofing (new/replacement), insulation, demolition, siding, windows, solid-fuel appliances and masonry related to building are CSL + HIC + permit; a fence under seven feet needs neither permit nor CSL; finished flooring is CSL no / HIC no; plumbing and wiring are 'by licensed trades, as required by law' with permit + CSL if building elements are cut or notched. The page is 'for general guidance only … always consult with the appropriate building official.'
- The chart, verbatim — (Rule MA-BUILDING-PERMIT.) S-MA-HIC-RES
10 Bond & insurance
- No surety bond — verified absence — neither the CSL nor the HIC registration imposes one; the consumer instrument is the Guaranty Fund. (Rule MA-NO-SURETY-BOND.) S-MA-HIC-REG
- No state liability minimum — verified absence — no official page read imposes a general-liability floor on construction supervisors or HIC registrants. (Rule MA-WORKERS-COMP.) S-MA-HIC-RES
- Workers' compensation — required for all employers — 'no matter the number of hours worked or the number of employees'. (Rule MA-WORKERS-COMP.) S-MA-WC
11 Fees
Every amount below was read verbatim on 2026-10-05. See the Massachusetts fees page for the full list; the CSL initial licensure fee and all local permit fees are not published here.
- Construction Supervisor License — examination application fee (PSI) — $23 S-MA-CSL-HANDBOOK
- CSL examination fee — Restricted or Unrestricted exam — $75 S-MA-CSL-HANDBOOK
- CSL examination fee — all other examinations (specialty classes) — $65 S-MA-CSL-HANDBOOK
- Construction Supervisor License — renewal — $100 S-MA-CSL-RENEW
- CSL renewal up to 2 years after expiration — additional fee — $100 S-MA-CSL-RENEW
- Home Improvement Contractor — registration fee — $150 S-MA-HIC-REG
12 Renewal
- REN-MA-CSL — 24 months S-MA-CSL-RENEW
- REN-MA-HIC — 24 months S-MA-HIC-REG
- REN-MA-PLUMBING — 24 months S-MA-PL-RENEW
- REN-MA-ELECTRICIAN — 36 months S-MA-ELEC-RENEW
- CSL — $100 every 2 years with 12/10/6 hours of CE; 1-year grace, +$100 up to 2 years late, exam after that. (Rule MA-CSL-RENEWAL.) S-MA-CSL-RENEW
- Plumbing/gas — May 1 deadline with 12 hours (plumbers) / 6 hours (gas fitters, LP installers) and a $57 late fee. (Rule MA-PLUMBING-RENEWAL.) S-MA-PL-RENEW
CSL: 12 / 10 / 6 hours every 2 years (max 6 online). Plumbers: 12 hours; gas fitters and LP installers: 6 hours. Electricians: 21 hours every 3 years (15 mandatory). S-MA-CSL-CE
13 Exemptions & verified absences
- No out-of-state reciprocity — (Rule MA-OUT-OF-STATE.) S-MA-CSL-WHEN
- No dollar-value licence threshold — the model is building type and 35,000 cubic feet (research §A); the legacy $100,000 claim has no official source and is therefore not a seeded conflict.
- HIC does not reach beyond 'existing, owner-occupied 1–4 units' — (Rule MA-HIC-SCOPE.) S-MA-HIC-RES
- Homeowner exemption — reference only — 780 CMR Chapter 1 text not read. (Rule MA-HOMEOWNER-EXEMPTION.) S-MA-CSL-WHEN
14 Documented conflicts
Legacy figure (official but superseded): OCABR's earlier public-awareness article states the HIC law 'created a fund of last resort — the Guaranty Fund, to compensate eligible consumers up to $10,000 for unpaid judgments against home improvement contractors.' Older material still repeats $10,000.
Home Improvement Contracting: Nail Everything Down Before You Start! (OCABR, archived by the State Library of Massachusetts)M.G.L. c. 142A §7 verbatim: the fund administrator may not award '(1) more than $25,000 or any amount necessary to compensate the owner for his actual loss, whichever is less to any one claimant or; (2) more than $150,000 to claimants on account of the conduct of any one registered contractor or subcontractor within a twelve month period…'. mass.gov's HIC Program page agrees: the Fund 'compensates eligible homeowners up to $25,000 from the Guaranty Fund for unpaid judgments against contractors.'
M.G.L. c. 142A §7 — Claims against the fund; award limitationsRESOLVED — the per-claim cap is $25,000 (and $150,000 per registrant per 12 months, claims within 7 years). The $10,000 figure is published beside it as the superseded official value (REQ-MA-HIC-GUARANTY-001 carries the statute).
Analysis notes
Detected 2026-10-05 while cross-checking the mass.gov Guaranty Fund figure against c. 142A.
'Learn about different Construction Supervisor Licenses' lists: Unrestricted CSL; 'CSL One and two family dwellings' (one and two family dwellings with any additional accessory); and six Specialty CSLs (masonry, roof covering, windows doors sliding, solid fuel-burning appliance, demolition, insulation). There is NO 'Restricted' entry on this page.
Learn about different Construction Supervisor LicensesCSL Candidate Handbook (Feb 2026): 'Restricted Construction Supervisor is responsible for directly supervising … any one- and two-family dwelling and accessory buildings thereto, irrespective of size'; the fee schedule prices the 'Restricted Construction Supervisor Exam and Unrestricted Construction Supervisor Exam' at $75; PSI's catalog sells 'MA Restricted Construction Supervisor Exam 10th code' and no one-and-two-family exam; and the CE page budgets 'Restricted construction supervisor: 10 hours'.
CSL Candidate Handbook (February 2026) + PSI exam catalog + CE pageOPEN — both namings are official and describe the same 1-/2-family scope. This seed publishes ONE classification ('Construction Supervisor License — Restricted / One- and Two-Family Dwellings') carrying both names, and does not claim Massachusetts has two separate classes. No third name, no dollar cap, and no missing exam is invented.
Analysis notes
Detected 2026-10-05. Re-check the OPSI site before ever asserting that 'Restricted' and 'one and two family' are distinct credentials.
15 Verify a Massachusetts license
Look a credential up at the official source — never a third party.
16 Project guides
- HVAC Replacement (4)
- Roof Replacement (3)
- Water Heater Replacement (4)
- Bathroom Remodel (4)
- Home Addition (3)
- Minor Work (3)