In Massachusetts, the contractor who signs your remodeling contract must hold a Home Improvement Contractor (HIC) registration. Any work on the structure, such as walls, framing, roofing, siding, windows, decks, or additions, must also be overseen by someone with a Construction Supervisor License (CSL). Plumbing and electrical work must be done by state-licensed plumbers and electricians. Your registered contractor should pull the building permit. Any job over $1,000 needs a written contract that meets M.G.L. c. 142A, and the deposit is capped at one-third of the price or the cost of special-order materials, whichever is greater.
This guide explains each of those rules and links to the official source for every one. It is written for owners of older homes, where one project often involves several trades. According to the US Census Bureau's American Community Survey (2023), about 60% of homes in Hudson and Marlborough were built before 1980, and about 77% in Worcester. In a house that age, opening a wall can turn a cosmetic job into a structural, plumbing, or electrical one, and each of those needs its own license and permit.
HIC vs. CSL: two different credentials
The state says plainly that a CSL "is different from an HIC Registration and they are not interchangeable" (Mass.gov, HIC Contractor Resources). The two cover different things.
| Home Improvement Contractor (HIC) | Construction Supervisor License (CSL) | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | A business registration with the Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation (OCABR) | A license for an individual, issued through the Office of Public Safety and Inspections (OPSI) |
| Exam required? | No. The contractor pays a registration fee plus a one-time fee to the Guaranty Fund | Yes. The licensee must pass an exam on the state building code |
| What it covers | Soliciting, bidding on, or performing residential contracting on existing, owner-occupied homes of one to four units | Supervising construction, generally any work that involves a building's structural elements |
| What it gives you | Access to state arbitration and the Guaranty Fund | A code-tested person who is responsible for the construction |
Sources: Mass.gov, HIC Homeowner Resources and Mass.gov, When is a Construction Supervisor License required?
When an HIC alone is enough
According to the state's guidance, a contractor with only an HIC registration can do work considered ordinary repair, such as exterior painting, wallpapering, and repairing existing decking. Some work needs neither credential. The state's list of work that does not require an HIC includes interior painting, wall and floor coverings, landscaping, driveways, and ground-level patios (HIC Homeowner Resources).
When a CSL is also needed
Larger projects, like building a deck or an addition, require a CSL. The state's job chart marks structural carpentry, structural flooring, sheetrock, plastering, insulation, siding, installing or replacing windows, new or replacement roofing, demolition, and exterior stairs as needing a CSL, an HIC, and a building permit (What work requires an HIC, CSL, or building permit?). The state describes the chart as general guidance only and says to check with your building official.
The state notes that a kitchen renovation or similar project "may require both a CSL and an HIC registration but not necessarily held by the same person." A registered contractor can subcontract the licensed portion to someone who holds both a license and a registration. The contractor who signs the contract with you must hold the HIC registration.
Plumbing and electrical: separate state licenses
Neither an HIC nor a CSL allows someone to do plumbing or electrical work.
- Plumbing and gas. Only a master or journeyman plumber licensed by the Board of State Examiners of Plumbers and Gas Fitters, with a permit from the local plumbing inspector, may do plumbing work in your home. Plumbing permits are issued only to licensed plumbers. Minor repairs, such as fixing a leaky faucet or clearing a blocked drain, do not need a permit. Replacing or relocating a faucet or piping does not count as a minor repair (Mass.gov, Plumbers and gas fitters consumer fact sheet).
- Electrical. Only a master or journeyman electrician licensed by the Board of State Examiners of Electricians can legally be hired to do electrical work. Board regulations also bar a licensed electrician from connecting wiring that an unlicensed person installed (Mass.gov, Electricians consumer fact sheet).
According to both fact sheets, a plumber's or electrician's license type and number must appear on any sign, listing, or advertisement. Both also advise asking to see the permit.
Who pulls the building permit, and why it matters
Under M.G.L. c. 142A, §2, every home improvement contract must tell you (i) which permits are needed, (ii) that the contractor is obligated to obtain them, and (iii) that homeowners who get their own permits are excluded from the Guaranty Fund (M.G.L. c. 142A, §2). The state adds that the permit card must stay posted at the job site until the work is finished, and that a contractor who refuses to apply for the permit may be unregistered (HIC Homeowner Resources).
Some contractors ask the homeowner to pull the permit. It can look like a small favor, but it costs you access to the Guaranty Fund and to state HIC arbitration, since both require the contractor to have pulled the permit. The building code does have a homeowner exemption for owners doing their own work (780 CMR, Chapter 1, referenced on the CSL requirements page). Ask your town's building department how it applies before you rely on it.
What your contract must include under M.G.L. c. 142A
Any residential contracting agreement for more than $1,000 must be in writing (c. 142A, §2(a)). The state's contract requirements page lists what the contract must contain:
- The complete agreement, plus a clear description of any other documents that are part of it.
- The full names and addresses of the parties (not P.O. boxes), the contractor's registration number, the name of any salesperson, and the date the contract was signed. The state says the registration number must be on the first page.
- The scheduled start date and the date the work will be substantially complete.
- A detailed description of the work and the materials to be used.
- The total price.
- A payment schedule showing each payment in dollars, including all finance charges.
- The signatures of all parties.
- Clear and conspicuous notices of the following:
- contractors and subcontractors must be registered;
- the contractor's registration number;
- your three-day cancellation rights, where they apply;
- all warranties and your rights under the law;
- any lien or security interest the contract places on your home;
- "Do not sign this contract if there are any blank spaces," in 10-point bold type or larger, directly above the signature line.
- Any other lawful terms you agree on, as long as they do not waive your rights under c. 142A.
- The permit disclosure described above.
The law also says no work may begin until the contract is signed and you have received a copy. The contract may not include an acceleration clause, meaning a clause that lets the contractor declare the unpaid balance due because he "deems himself to be insecure." Instead, the contractor may require that the balance still due be placed in a joint escrow account (c. 142A, §2).
The deposit limit
Any deposit paid before work starts "shall not exceed the greater of one-third of the total contract price or the actual cost of any materials or equipment of a special order or custom made nature, which must be ordered in advance of the commencement of work" to keep the project on schedule. The contractor cannot demand final payment until the work is completed to the satisfaction of both parties (c. 142A, §2(a)(6)). If a contractor asks for more than one-third up front, the contract should list the special-order items that justify it.
Arbitration clause
Chapter 142A does not require an arbitration clause. If the contractor wants the right to start arbitration, the clause must be clearly disclosed, use state-approved language, and be signed separately by both parties. You can start arbitration yourself even without that clause (Mass.gov contract requirements).
