Home › Massachusetts
Massachusetts
Source: Local Help Stations (localhelpstations.com). Last updated November 2, 2026.
Massachusetts registers home improvement contractors through the Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation and licenses plumbers and electricians through state boards. These are the statewide home and car rules we could confirm on official Massachusetts pages.
Key Massachusetts facts
- Contractors must be registered with the state before they offer or do residential contracting work. (source: Massachusetts Legislature)
- Registration is needed for work on an existing, owner occupied home with one to four units. (source: Massachusetts Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation)
- New construction, buildings over four units, and vacation or investment homes are not covered by this law. (source: Massachusetts Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation)
- Any home improvement deal over $1,000 must be a written contract. (source: Massachusetts Legislature)
- A deposit cannot be more than one third of the price, or the cost of special order materials if that is higher. (source: Massachusetts Legislature)
- The final payment cannot be demanded until the job is finished to both sides' satisfaction. (source: Massachusetts Legislature)
- Contractor ads must show the state registration number. (source: Massachusetts Legislature)
- A deal for home goods or services over $25 signed away from the seller's address can be canceled by midnight of the third business day. (source: Massachusetts Legislature)
- If you hire an unregistered contractor, you cannot use state arbitration or the Guaranty Fund. (source: Massachusetts Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation)
- The state suggests interviewing at least three contractors and getting a written, detailed estimate. (source: Massachusetts Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation)
- Let the registered contractor pull the building permit. If you apply for it yourself, you may lose Guaranty Fund eligibility. (source: Massachusetts Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation)
- State arbitration must be requested within five years of the contract date, and the arbitrator fee runs $500 to $1,250. (source: Massachusetts Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation)
- The Guaranty Fund can pay eligible homeowners up to $25,000 when a contractor does not pay a judgment or award. (source: Massachusetts Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation)
- After the Fund pays, the contractor must repay it with interest within 30 days. (source: Massachusetts Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation)
Massachusetts topics
Massachusetts plumbing
Massachusetts plumbing rules here come from General Laws chapter 142 and the Board of State Examiners of Plumbers and Gas Fitters.
Massachusetts electrician
Massachusetts electrical rules here come from General Laws chapter 141 and the Board of State Examiners of Electricians.
Massachusetts auto
Massachusetts car rules here come from General Laws chapter 90, sections 7N½ and 7N¼, and the state Lemon Law program.
Not covered yet
We have not published Massachusetts pages for these topics yet, because we have not confirmed enough Massachusetts specific facts on official pages: HVAC, Roofing, Appliance repair, Garage doors, Locksmith, Pest control, Movers.
Sources
- Massachusetts Legislature (General Laws): M.G.L. c. 142A, § 9 (Registration of contractors) (checked November 2, 2026)
- Massachusetts Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation: HIC Homeowner Resources (checked November 2, 2026)
- Massachusetts Legislature (General Laws): M.G.L. c. 142A, § 2 (Residential contracting agreements) (checked November 2, 2026)
- Massachusetts Legislature (General Laws): M.G.L. c. 142A, § 17 (Prohibited acts) (checked November 2, 2026)
- Massachusetts Legislature (General Laws): M.G.L. c. 93, § 48 (Cancellation of agreements made away from the seller's place of business) (checked November 2, 2026)
- Massachusetts Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation: Request Arbitration to Resolve a Conflict (checked November 2, 2026)
- Massachusetts Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation: Home Improvement Contractor Program (checked November 2, 2026)
- Massachusetts Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation: File a Guaranty Fund Claim for an Unpaid HIC Judgment (checked November 2, 2026)
Last updated: