The Massachusetts home improvement contractor registration, explained

Key takeaways

• Massachusetts does not issue a “home improvement contractor license.” The Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation (OCABR) issues a Home Improvement Contractor (HIC) registration under M.G.L. Chapter 142A.
• A new HIC registration costs $150, plus a one-time Guaranty Fund payment of $100 to $500 based on the number of employees, according to OCABR’s fee schedule checked on November 13, 2026.
• HIC registration lasts two years, and the renewal fee is $100. Registration, renewal and payment all go through the MA Contractor Hub online portal.
• The HIC registration and the Construction Supervisor License (CSL) are different credentials and are not interchangeable. The CSL comes from the Office of Public Safety and Inspections.
• The HIC Guaranty Fund pays an eligible homeowner up to $25,000 on an unpaid judgment, and the registered contractor has 30 days to repay the Fund with interest.

If you run a remodeling, roofing, siding or carpentry business in Boston or anywhere else in the state, the credential people call a Massachusetts home improvement contractor license is a registration. A Home Improvement Contractor (HIC) registration is a state certificate, issued by the Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation, that a contractor or subcontractor needs before soliciting, bidding on or doing work on an existing owner-occupied home with one to four units. The state sets the rule, and building permits have to show the registration number.

This guide covers who has to register, who is exempt, the fees, the Construction Supervisor License, the Guaranty Fund, the contract rules and the penalties.

Who needs a Massachusetts home improvement contractor registration?

A Massachusetts home improvement contractor registration is required for any contractor, subcontractor, partnership or corporation that solicits, bids on or performs residential contracting work on an existing, owner-occupied residential property with one to four units, according to OCABR.

Residential contracting is defined in M.G.L. c. 142A, section 1 as the reconstruction, alteration, renovation, repair, modernization, conversion, improvement, removal or demolition of a pre-existing owner-occupied building with at least one and no more than four dwelling units, or the construction of an addition to one.

Two limits follow from that definition. New home construction is outside the program, because the building has to be pre-existing. Commercial buildings and residential buildings with five or more units are outside it too. A contractor who only builds out shops and restaurants does not need an HIC registration for that work.

Who is exempt from HIC registration?

Exemptions from HIC registration are listed in M.G.L. c. 142A, section 14. The exemptions most likely to matter to a small business are these:

• Licensed professionals, such as electricians, plumbers and architects, when they work only within their licensed field. Section 14 says construction supervisors do not get this exemption.
• Employees paid wages or salary by a contractor or subcontractor, who do not act as contractors themselves.
• A contractor on a single project with a total contract price under $500, unless the price was set under $500 to avoid the law.
• Part-time contractors with less than $5,000 in gross contracting revenue in the previous 12 months.
• Contractors who work only in certain trades: landscaping, interior painting or wall covering, finished floor covering (carpet, vinyl, tile), fencing or freestanding masonry walls, above-ground swimming pools, shutter or awning installation, ground-level patios, and asphalt and driveway work.

The trade exemption applies only to a business that does that work exclusively. A painter who takes interior jobs alone is exempt under section 14. OCABR’s job chart lists exterior painting as work that requires HIC registration.

How much does HIC registration cost in Massachusetts?

HIC registration in Massachusetts costs $150 for a new registration, plus a separate, mandatory payment to the Guaranty Fund, according to OCABR’s registration page as checked on November 13, 2026. The Guaranty Fund payment is paid once, at first registration, and depends on how many employees the business has.

Number of employees	Guaranty Fund payment
0 to 3	$100
4 to 10	$200
11 to 30	$300
More than 30	$500

A sole proprietor with no employees pays $250 in total to register: $150 plus $100. Renewal costs $100, plus any outstanding balance on the account. OCABR also charges $10 for each supplemental registration card issued to an officer, partner or employee. Every card carries the same registration number.

How do you register as a home improvement contractor?

You register as a home improvement contractor online, through the MA Contractor Hub at contractorhub.mass.gov. OCABR no longer accepts paper applications or paper certified checks and says it returns them. The steps, as OCABR describes them, are:

1. Decide how the business registers: as an individual, proprietorship, partnership or corporation.
2. If the business uses a trade name (a DBA), have the name, the permanent address and a digital copy of the business certificate filed with the city or town clerk where the business is based.
3. If the business is a corporation or LLC formed in another state, complete foreign registration with the Secretary of the Commonwealth first.
4. Create an account in the MA Contractor Hub, complete the application and pay the $150 fee and the Guaranty Fund payment.
5. After approval, generate the digital registration card in the Hub.

Under M.G.L. c. 142A, section 9, a corporation or partnership has to name an individual responsible for its work, and the business and that person are jointly liable for fees and violations.

OCABR’s office is at 1 Federal Street, Suite 0720, in downtown Boston. The Contractor Support Line is 617-648-2467.

What is the difference between HIC registration and a Construction Supervisor License?

HIC registration and a Construction Supervisor License are separate credentials from separate state offices, and OCABR states they are not interchangeable. HIC registration is a consumer protection registration for the business that contracts with the homeowner. A Construction Supervisor License (CSL) is an individual license, based on an exam, for the person who oversees construction under the State Building Code (780 CMR).

The CSL is handled by the Office of Public Safety and Inspections and the Board of Building Regulations and Standards. Applicants need three years of experience in building construction or design and a passing score on the CSL exam, which is scheduled through the testing company PSI, according to the state’s CSL application page.

OCABR’s contractor resources page charts which jobs need which credential. Exterior painting needs HIC registration and no CSL. Decks, new roofing and window replacement need both, plus a building permit. Central air conditioning needs a CSL and a permit but no HIC registration.

OCABR calls the chart general guidance and says the answer depends on the project. The contractor who signs the contract with the homeowner has to hold the HIC registration. The CSL can be held by a different person. Massachusetts does not recognize out-of-state contractor licenses, according to the Office of Public Safety and Inspections.

What is the HIC Guaranty Fund?

The HIC Guaranty Fund is a state fund of last resort that pays homeowners who hold an unpaid court judgment or arbitration award against a registered contractor. The Fund pays up to $25,000 per eligible claim, based on the homeowner’s actual loss, according to OCABR.

A homeowner can claim only if the contractor was registered when the contract was signed, the contractor (not the homeowner) pulled the building permit, the home is the owner’s primary residence with one to four units, and reasonable efforts to collect have failed. Homeowners who hire unregistered contractors have no access to the Fund.

OCABR says the registered contractor has to reimburse the Fund, with interest, within 30 days. Failure to repay can lead to administrative fines, revocation of the registration and, in extreme cases, criminal prosecution.

What contract rules apply to registered home improvement contractors?

Contract rules for registered home improvement contractors are set by M.G.L. c. 142A, section 2, which requires a written contract for any residential contracting agreement over $1,000. The contract has to include the following:

• The names and street addresses of the parties, the contractor’s registration number and the date signed.
• The start date and the date of substantial completion.
• A detailed description of the work and materials, and the total price.
• A payment schedule in dollars. Final payment cannot be demanded until the work is completed to the parties’ satisfaction.
• Notice of the owner’s three-day cancellation right and any lien on the home.

Section 2 caps the deposit at the greater of one-third of the contract price or the actual cost of special-order or custom materials that have to be ordered before work starts. The owner gets a signed copy, and no work starts before then. Advertisements and contracts have to show the active registration number too.

What happens if you work without HIC registration?

Working without HIC registration when one is required is a crime under M.G.L. c. 142A, section 19, punishable by a fine of up to $5,000, imprisonment of up to two years, or both.

Registered contractors face administrative penalties as well. Under M.G.L. c. 142A, section 18, the OCABR director can reprimand a registrant, suspend or revoke the registration, and assess a penalty of up to $2,000 per violation, payable within 30 days.

Renewal lapses carry their own cost. OCABR advises starting renewal 30 to 60 days before the expiration date. A contractor whose registration has expired has to reapply and pay the $150 registration fee and the Guaranty Fund payment again.

What should you recheck before you act?

The figures below were checked on November 13, 2026 against the sources named. Confirm each one before you file or pay.

• The $150 registration fee, the $100 renewal fee, the $10 supplemental card fee and the $100 to $500 Guaranty Fund payment: OCABR’s Home Improvement Contractor Registration and Renewal page on mass.gov.
• The $25,000 Guaranty Fund limit and the claim filing deadline: OCABR’s Guaranty Fund claim page. That page gives the seven-year deadline two ways (from the contract date and from the judgment or award), so ask OCABR which applies.
• The $1,000 written contract threshold: section 2 of Chapter 142A says “over” $1,000, while OCABR’s contractor resources page says $1,000 or more.
• The $500 and $5,000 exemption amounts and the penalty amounts: M.G.L. c. 142A, sections 14, 18 and 19 on malegislature.gov.
• CSL exam, fee and renewal details: the Office of Public Safety and Inspections at 617-727-3200.

This guide is general information, not legal or tax advice. Rules and fees change; confirm the current requirements with the agency named before you file or pay.

Spotted something out of date, or have a question this guide should answer? Send us a note.