- Home Improvement Contractor registration is not needed when the total contract price is under $500. Buildings over 35,000 cubic feet are controlled by a registered design professional rather than a construction supervisor.
- Three years of experience in building construction or design.
- Plan for a trade exam.
- Complete the required continuing education before renewing your CSL. Renewal notices go out 60 days before expiration. HIC registration is valid for two years.
Do you need a state license in Massachusetts?
Massachusetts licenses some roofing work at the state level and leaves the rest alone. Which side of that line a job falls on decides whether you need the state license.
Home Improvement Contractor registration is not needed when the total contract price is under $500. Buildings over 35,000 cubic feet are controlled by a registered design professional rather than a construction supervisor.
Always check with the local building official in the city or town where the job is for any added licensing rules.
Massachusetts license types for roofing 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 |
|---|---|
| Specialty CSL, roof covering | Building, repairing and removing roof covering, including replacing up to 25% of sheathing and sistering up to 25% of rafters |
| Unrestricted CSL | All construction on buildings under 35,000 cubic feet and one and two family homes |
| CSL, one and two family dwellings | Construction on one and two family homes |
| Home Improvement Contractor registration | Work on existing owner occupied homes with one to four units |
Steps to get licensed in Massachusetts
- Confirm you have three years of experience in building construction or design.
- Register with PSI and pass the construction supervisor exam for the roof covering specialty.
- Mail your score report to the Board of Building Regulations and Standards with the required items.
- If you work on existing owner occupied homes with one to four units, register as a Home Improvement Contractor.
- Finish continuing education and renew the CSL for $100.
Experience and other requirements
Experience. Three years of experience in building construction or design.
The license to apply for. Specialty Construction Supervisor License (roof covering).
Massachusetts roofing exams
Trade exam. Yes. The construction supervisor exam is given by PSI and is based on the 10th edition of the State Building Code.
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 3 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 |
|---|---|
| CSL renewal | $100 |
| CSL late renewal, up to 2 years after expiration (additional) | $100 |
| HIC guaranty fund payment, fewer than 4 employees | $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. Complete the required continuing education before renewing your CSL. Renewal notices go out 60 days before expiration. HIC registration is valid for two years.
Reciprocity. Massachusetts does not recognize out of state contractor licenses.
Good to know in Massachusetts
- A CSL that has been expired more than two years requires a new exam and application.
- Splitting one job into contracts under $500 to avoid HIC registration is not allowed.
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 roofer 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, Office of Public Safety and Inspections and the official pages below, checked October 8, 2026. Fees and rules change, so confirm with the board before you file.
More for your trade: how roofing companies run on Koira.