Massachusetts Contractor Licensing

Trade-by-trade licensing requirements for Massachusetts, sourced directly from the state regulatory board and maintained by Gabriel Giner, editor. We currently publish 18 published trade guides, with direct links to each underlying board, statute, or exam-provider resource.

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General Contractor
Massachusetts Construction Supervisor License (CSL) and Home Improvement Contractor (HIC) Registration
Verified 2026-09-04
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Electrician
Massachusetts Journeyman Electrician (Certificate B) and Master Electrician (Certificate A)
Verified 2026-09-04
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Plumber
Massachusetts Apprentice, Journeyman, and Master Plumber Requirements
Verified 2026-09-04
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HVAC Technician
Massachusetts HVAC — Refrigeration, Sheet Metal, Gas, Plumbing, and Oil-Burner Credentials
Verified 2026-09-04
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Roofing Contractor
Massachusetts Roofing Contractor Requirements (HIC and Roof-Covering CSL)
Verified 2026-09-04
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Painting Contractor
Massachusetts Painting Contractor Requirements (HIC and Lead-Safety Rules)
Verified 2026-09-04
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Landscaping Contractor
Massachusetts Landscaping — No State Trade License; Pesticide Credentials When Applicable
Verified 2026-09-04
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Masonry Contractor
Massachusetts Masonry Contractor Requirements (HIC and Specialty CSL)
Verified 2026-09-04
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Concrete Contractor
Massachusetts Concrete Contractor — No Standalone State Concrete License
Verified 2026-09-08
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Carpentry Contractor
Massachusetts Carpentry Contractor Requirements (HIC and CSL)
Verified 2026-09-04
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Solar Installer
Massachusetts Solar Contractor Requirements (Electrical, HIC, CSL, and Local Permits)
Verified 2026-09-04
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Low-Voltage Technician
Massachusetts Systems Technician, Systems Contractor, and C1 Systems Business Requirements
Verified 2026-09-04
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Fire Sprinkler Contractor
Massachusetts Sprinkler Fitter and Fire Protection Sprinkler Fitter Contractor License
Verified 2026-09-04
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Home Inspector
Home Inspector License (with an entry-level Associate Home Inspector License)
Verified 2026-09-30
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Pool Contractor
No dedicated pool/spa contractor license — residential in-ground pool construction is covered by Home Improvement Contractor (HIC) registration (pool construction is exempt from the Construction Supervisor License requirement)
Verified 2026-07-10
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Handyman
Home Improvement Contractor (HIC) Registration (with a MGL c.142A §14 minor-work exemption)
Verified 2026-07-17
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Pest Control
Commercial Applicator Certification, Category 7 (Industrial, Institutional, Structural and Health-Related Pest Control)
Verified 2026-07-28
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Septic Contractor
Disposal System Installer’s Permit
Verified 2026-09-30
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Published guides: 18
Exam-backed: 12
Bond-backed: 0
Local / municipal: 14
Avg initial fee: $122

How licensing works in Massachusetts

Massachusetts is not a one-size-fits-all licensing market. Across the 18 guides currently live on this state hub, 12 require a formal trade examination and 0 require a surety bond before the credential can issue. 14 of the published entries rely on city, county, or municipal registration rather than a single statewide credential, so contractors need to confirm the local building department or business-license office before bidding work.

The point of this state page is to give you a fast read on the regulatory model before you dive into a specific trade. Start with the trades grid below if you already know your specialty. If you are comparing jurisdictions, use the cost calculator for first-year cost and the reciprocity matrix for license portability.

Main boards and agencies

Massachusetts Office of Public Safety and Inspections — Board of Building Regulations and Standards
OPSI and the Board of Building Regulations and Standards administer Construction Supervisor Licenses. OCABR separately administers Home Improvement Contractor registrations.
Open agency site
Massachusetts Board of State Examiners of Electricians
The Board licenses individual electricians and electrical/systems businesses, sets eligibility rules, and contracts with PSI for application processing and examinations.
Open agency site
Massachusetts Board of State Examiners of Plumbers and Gas Fitters
The Board regulates apprentices, journeymen, and master plumbers and gas fitters; administers examinations and licensure; and adopts the Massachusetts State Plumbing and Fuel Gas Code. Local plumbing inspectors issue and inspect local permits.
Open agency site
Massachusetts Division of Occupational Licensure, Office of Public Safety and Inspections, and local authorities
Massachusetts has no single HVAC license. OPSI licenses refrigeration apprentices, technicians, and refrigeration contractors; the Sheet Metal Workers Board licenses commercial duct and exhaust work; separate boards regulate gas fitting and plumbing; the Department of Fire Services regulates oil burner technicians. Municipalities issue trade/building permits and inspections for the particular installation.
Open agency site
Massachusetts Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation and Department of Labor Standards
OCABR administers Home Improvement Contractor registration and the Residential Contractor Guaranty Fund. The Department of Labor Standards administers Massachusetts lead-safe renovation and deleading credentials.
Open agency site
Massachusetts Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation and Office of Public Safety and Inspections
Administers HIC registration and building-code supervisor licensing; Massachusetts does not issue a concrete-only contractor credential.
Open agency site
Massachusetts Board of State Examiners of Electricians, OCABR, and local inspection authorities
The Electricians Board licenses electrical work and issues solar-PV licensing guidance. OCABR administers HIC registration. Municipal building officials and inspectors of wires issue and inspect local permits; CSL or registered-design-professional oversight depends on the construction scope.
Open agency site
Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources and local authorities having jurisdiction
Massachusetts does not issue a statewide landscaping trade license. The Home Improvement Contractor program expressly exempts contractors working exclusively in landscaping. MDAR licenses individual pesticide applicators when pesticide work is part of the service, while municipalities administer site-specific permits, conservation, public-way, zoning, and building requirements.
Open agency site
Massachusetts Bureau of Pipefitters, Refrigeration Technicians, and Sprinkler Fitters
Through the Division of Occupational Licensure’s Office of Public Safety and Inspections, the Bureau examines and licenses sprinkler apprentices, journeymen, and Fire Protection Sprinkler Fitter Contractors.
Open agency site
Massachusetts Board of State Examiners of Electricians and Office of Public Safety and Inspections
The Board licenses Systems Technicians (Class D) and Systems Contractors (Class C). A systems business uses a C1 business license with a Massachusetts Systems Contractor Licensee of Record. OPSI separately administers the S-license and security-worker Certificates of Clearance.
Open agency site
Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources (MDAR) — Pesticide Program
State agency (Department of Agriculture) that certifies and licenses individual commercial pesticide applicators, including structural and termite pest control, under M.G.L. c. 132B and 333 CMR 10.00. Massachusetts does not issue a separate pest-control business license.
Open agency site
Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation — Home Improvement Contractor Program
OCABR administers Home Improvement Contractor (HIC) registration, the residential-contractor credential that covers in-ground pool construction on owner-occupied one-to-four-unit homes. Massachusetts issues no pool-specific construction license, and pool construction is expressly exempt from the Construction Supervisor License requirement, so no CSL is needed to build pools. Local building permits under the Massachusetts State Building Code still govern the actual construction.
Open agency site
Board of Registration of Home Inspectors
State board within the Division of Occupational Licensure (DOL) that licenses and regulates home inspectors and associate home inspectors, sets training, examination, and insurance standards, and administers renewals and discipline.
Open agency site
MassDEP / local approving authorities
Use the cited agency guidance for the named installer pathway and the authority responsible for each project.
Open agency site

Compare Massachusetts against other states

Every trade above also has a national comparison hub showing how Massachusetts's exam, bond, fee, and experience requirements stack up against the other 50 jurisdictions.

States bordering Massachusetts

Licensing rules change at the state line. Contractors bidding work across the border should review the neighboring hub before assuming Massachusetts's requirements carry over.

Best starting points in Massachusetts

Budget

Estimate first-year cost

Compare filing fees, bond premiums, insurance assumptions, and renewal cost before you apply.

Mobility

Check reciprocity pathways

See whether this state accepts NASCLA or uses bilateral reciprocity for the trade you hold now.

Research

Search related guides

Jump directly to linked state and trade pages if you are comparing multiple jurisdictions side by side.