- HIC registration is not needed for a job under $500 total, or for part time operators with less than $5,000 a year in contracting revenue. Buildings over 35,000 cubic feet are overseen by a registered design professional instead of a construction supervisor.
- CSL: 3 years of experience in building construction or design.
- Plan for a trade exam.
- HIC registration renews every two years. CSL renewal needs continuing education every 2 years: 12 hours for unrestricted, 10 for restricted and 6 for specialty licenses. A CSL has a 1 year grace period, can be renewed up to 2 years late for an extra $100, and after that needs a new exam.
Do you need a state license in Massachusetts?
Massachusetts licenses general contractor work at the state level through the Massachusetts Board of Building Regulations and Standards, through the Office of Public Safety and Inspections (CSL), and Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation (HIC). Below is what the board asks for, in the order you will run into it.
HIC registration is not needed for a job under $500 total, or for part time operators with less than $5,000 a year in contracting revenue. Buildings over 35,000 cubic feet are overseen by a registered design professional instead of a construction supervisor.
Always check with the local building official for added licensing rules. An expired HIC registration can affect your ability to pull permits.
Massachusetts license types for general contractor work
Massachusetts splits the work into 4 licenses. Pick the one that matches the jobs you take, since working outside its scope is the same as working without one.
| License | What it covers |
|---|---|
| Unrestricted CSL | Build, alter, repair or demolish buildings of any use under 35,000 cubic feet, 1 and 2 family homes, and farm buildings |
| CSL One and two family dwellings | Build, alter, repair or demolish 1 and 2 family homes and their accessory structures |
| Specialty CSLs | Masonry, roof covering, windows doors and siding, solid fuel burning appliances, demolition, and insulation |
| Home Improvement Contractor registration | Contracting work on existing owner occupied homes with one to four units |
Steps to get licensed in Massachusetts
- Pick the CSL type that fits your work: unrestricted, 1 and 2 family, or a specialty.
- Document 3 years of experience in building construction or design.
- Register with PSI and pass the CSL exam.
- Mail your score report to the Board of Building Regulations and Standards with the items it lists.
- Register as a Home Improvement Contractor on the MA Contractor Hub and pay the $150 fee plus the guaranty fund payment.
- Renew HIC every two years, and finish CSL continuing education before each CSL renewal.
Experience and other requirements
Experience. CSL: 3 years of experience in building construction or design.
The license to apply for. Construction Supervisor License (CSL) and Home Improvement Contractor (HIC) registration.
Massachusetts general contractor exams
Trade exam. Yes. The CSL exam is given by PSI and is based on the 10th Edition of the State Building Code. You mail your score report to the Board of Building Regulations and Standards.
Business and law exam. The official pages we read do not say. Check with the board (official site).
What it costs in Massachusetts
The board lists 7 fees along the way. These are the state's own numbers. Insurance, any bond, exam prep and your business registration come on top.
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| HIC registration | $150 |
| HIC guaranty fund payment, 0 to 3 employees | $100 |
| HIC guaranty fund payment, 4 to 10 employees | $200 |
| HIC guaranty fund payment, 11 to 30 employees | $300 |
| HIC guaranty fund payment, more than 30 employees | $500 |
| HIC renewal | $100 |
| CSL renewal | $100 |
Insurance and bond
Insurance. The official pages we read do not say. Check with the board (official site).
Bond. The official pages we read do not say. Check with the board (official site).
Renewal and licenses from other states
Renewal. HIC registration renews every two years. CSL renewal needs continuing education every 2 years: 12 hours for unrestricted, 10 for restricted and 6 for specialty licenses. A CSL has a 1 year grace period, can be renewed up to 2 years late for an extra $100, and after that needs a new exam.
Reciprocity. None. Massachusetts does not recognize out of state contractor licenses.
Good to know in Massachusetts
- HIC registration and a CSL are different and not interchangeable.
- HIC registrants pay into the Guaranty Fund based on how many people they employ.
- Out of state corporations and LLCs must register with the Secretary of the Commonwealth before applying for HIC.
- Up to six hours of CSL continuing education can be taken online.
After you are licensed
The license lets you take the work. Getting the work is the next job.
- Register the business. If you work under a name other than your own, register it where your state asks (often the Secretary of State, sometimes the county), and keep the name the same on your license, your truck and your invoices.
- Claim your Google Business Profile. It is the listing people see when they search for a contractor near them. Fill in your service area, hours and real photos of your work.
- Put up a website that shows the license. Customers look for it before they call. Koira builds a contractor website for you and keeps it current.
- See where you stand. The free Koira report checks how your business shows up in search and on maps against shops near you.
Where this comes from
Every fact on this page comes from the Massachusetts Board of Building Regulations and Standards, through the Office of Public Safety and Inspections (CSL), and Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation (HIC) and the official pages below, checked October 8, 2026. Fees and rules change, so confirm with the board before you file.
- Mass.gov when is a Construction Supervisor License required
- Mass.gov apply for a Construction Supervisor License
- Mass.gov types of Construction Supervisor Licenses
- Mass.gov renew your Construction Supervisor License
- Mass.gov continuing education for construction supervisors
- Mass.gov HIC registration and renewal
- MGL c.142A section 14, exemptions