How to Check a Massachusetts Home Improvement Contractor Before You Sign - Top General Contractor in Boston for Bathroom & Kitchen Remodeling and Renovation

Short answer: In Massachusetts, a contractor doing remodeling work on an owner-occupied home with one to four units must be registered with the state as a home improvement contractor. Anything beyond a very small job needs a written contract, and state law spells out what that contract has to contain. Check the registration and read the contract against that list before you pay a deposit.

Who the registration rule covers

Massachusetts General Laws chapter 142A covers “residential contracting”: renovation, repair, remodeling, demolition or an addition on a pre-existing, owner-occupied building with one to four dwelling units, plus structures next to it. Section 9 says no contractor or subcontractor may do, offer or agree to do that work unless registered with the state’s Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation.

If you own and live in a single-family home, a two-family or a triple-decker and you’re planning a bathroom, kitchen or basement project, this law is about you.

Step 1: Confirm the registration

Ask for the contractor’s home improvement contractor (HIC) registration number, then look it up yourself with the state rather than relying on a photo of a card. The law requires that number to be printed in the contract, so a contractor who won’t give it to you before signing is a reason to stop.

Registration tells you the business is on file with the state. It isn’t a rating of workmanship, so it’s the first check, not the only one.

Step 2: Read the contract against what the law requires

Above the small-job threshold in chapter 142A section 2, which any real remodel will exceed, the law requires a written contract that includes, among other things:

the full names and street addresses of the parties (no P.O. box only), the contractor’s registration number, and the date the contract was signed
a start date and a date the work is scheduled to be substantially complete
a detailed description of the work and the materials to be used
the total price and a payment schedule stating each payment in dollars, including any finance charges
the signatures of everyone involved, and a copy for you at signing
clear notices about contractor registration, your three-day cancellation right where it applies, warranties, and any lien or security interest on your home
in bold type directly above the signature line: “Do not sign this contract if there are any blank spaces”

The law also says no work may start before the contract is signed and you have your copy.

Step 3: Check the deposit

Under section 2, a deposit required before work starts can’t be more than the greater of one-third of the total contract price, or the actual cost of special-order or custom-made materials that have to be ordered in advance. The final payment can’t be demanded until the work is finished to the satisfaction of both sides.

Step 4: Ask who is pulling the permits

The contract has to tell you which permits are needed and that getting them is the contractor’s job. It also has to tell you that homeowners who pull their own permits are excluded from the state guaranty fund set up under the same chapter. If someone suggests you pull the permit yourself to “save time,” you’d be giving up that protection.

For work that touches the structure of the house, also ask who will be the license holder on the building permit. Your local building department can tell you what your project needs.

Warning signs

Each of these runs against something chapter 142A requires:

No registration number, or a reluctance to give it. The number has to be in the contract.
No start date or completion date. Both are required items.
A one-line scope. “Remodel bathroom” doesn’t describe the work and materials in the detail the law asks for.
A large deposit with nothing special-ordered. The deposit limit is tied to one-third of the price or to special-order materials.
Pressure to start before you’ve signed, or before you have a copy. The law says work can’t begin until both happen.
“You pull the permit, it’s faster.” Homeowners who pull their own permits lose access to the state guaranty fund.
Blank spaces on the contract. The contract itself has to warn you not to sign with blanks.

A quick checklist before you sign

Registration number in hand and looked up with the state
Start date and substantial-completion date written in
Scope and materials described in detail, not “remodel bathroom”
Total price plus a dollar-by-dollar payment schedule
Deposit within the one-third / special-order limit
Permits listed, with the contractor responsible for pulling them
No blank spaces anywhere

FAQ

Does this apply if I’m a landlord and don’t live in the building? Chapter 142A is written around owner-occupied buildings with one to four units. If you don’t live there, the registration and contract rules in this chapter may not apply in the same way; check with the state before relying on them.

Is a verbal agreement okay for a small job? Section 2 exempts only very small jobs from the written-contract requirement. For a bathroom, kitchen or basement project, expect a written contract.

Can the contractor ask for half up front? Only if half is no more than the greater of one-third of the price or the actual cost of special-order materials. For most remodels, that means a deposit above one-third needs to be backed by special-order items.

What if I want to cancel right after signing? The contract must tell you about your three-day cancellation right where the law gives you one. Read that notice; it explains how to cancel.

Sun Shore Construction Team. Sun Shore Construction is a general contractor in Greater Boston, founded in November 2019. We’re licensed and insured, and we handle permits and inspections on the projects we take on.

Planning a project? Get a free in-home estimate: call us or fill out the form on sunshoreconstruction.com.