Massachusetts Masonry Contractor License Requirements (2026)

Massachusetts does not issue an ordinary masonry trade license. Instead, the applicable credential depends on the contract and permit scope. HIC registration can apply to covered work on existing owner-occupied one-to-four-unit homes; the statute specifically exempts contractors working exclusively on freestanding masonry walls, not masonry work generally. For permit-required masonry construction within its published scope, Massachusetts offers a specialty masonry Construction Supervisor License (CSL). A masonry-only CSL is not sufficient for construction of masonry buildings, which can require at least a restricted CSL depending on the work. The local building official decides permits and may require the appropriate supervising license for the project.

Regulatory Body

Massachusetts Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation and Office of Public Safety and Inspections (OCABR / OPSI) administers the credential or scope-specific rules discussed here under M.G.L. c. 142A; 780 CMR 110.R5. Whether that pathway applies depends on the work scope and conditions explained below. OCABR administers Home Improvement Contractor registration. OPSI and the Board of Building Regulations and Standards administer Construction Supervisor Licenses (CSLs), including the masonry specialty CSL used to supervise covered permit work.

Official portal: https://www.mass.gov/construction-supervisor-licensing

Eligibility Requirements

This guide does not establish a minimum applicant age; confirm any age requirement with the issuing authority. Check the current application for identification and tax-number requirements. No statewide ordinary masonry trade license was identified. HIC and CSL applicants follow their respective state application processes; local permit rules still apply.

Good moral character

HIC applications are subject to the statutory registration process. CSL applicants must submit the current application and supporting experience documentation; this guide does not state unsupported automatic disqualifiers.

Background investigation

M.G.L. c. 142A provides for specified criminal-history review in the HIC process. No separate statewide masonry-trade background-check requirement was identified.

Experience and Education

The experience bar is 3 years of No experience prerequisite is listed for HIC registration. Massachusetts requires applicants for a CSL to verify three years of experience in building construction or design; the masonry specialty scope is limited to the published masonry work category., and it must be backed by verifiable records — typically payroll, tax, project, or supervisor documentation covering the claimed period.

Accepted proof of experience or eligibility

HIC application and applicable guaranty-fund payment when HIC registration is required
CSL candidate application and experience records or attestation required by the current candidate handbook
Local permit application and construction documents when the authority having jurisdiction requires a permit

Education substitution

Consult the current CSL candidate handbook for the documentation and any training credit available for the selected CSL category.

Exam Requirements

Testing provider or authority: PSI administers current Massachusetts CSL examinations. The following examination requirements cover the pathways described in this guide; follow each part's classification, waiver, and local-scope conditions. Unpublished format details do not remove an examination requirement:

Specialty CSL masonry examination — question count: confirm with the authority, timing: confirm with the authority, passing score: confirm in the current candidate bulletin

Examination fee: HIC has no examination. The February 2026 CSL candidate handbook lists a $23 application fee, a $65 fee for specialty examinations, and a $150 specialty CSL issuance fee; confirm fees with PSI and OPSI before filing.

Retake policy: The current CSL candidate handbook states that an applicant may retest without a stated numerical limit while the initial application remains on file for two years.

Insurance and Bonds

No statewide contractor license surety bond is required for this credential in the cited sources. Project-specific, permit, or public-works bonds may still apply, so confirm bonding before bidding a given job.

General liability

Massachusetts does not publish a statewide masonry general-liability minimum in the HIC or CSL materials cited here. A municipality, owner, prime contract, or public procurement program may require coverage or a bond.

Workers' compensation

Assess workers’ compensation obligations separately for the business and workforce. It is not an ordinary masonry-license prerequisite in the state credential materials cited here.

Additional financial requirements

No statewide masonry financial-statement requirement was identified. New HIC registrations include the applicable Residential Contractor Guaranty Fund contribution.

Fee Schedule

Fee	Amount
Application	$150
Initial license	No separate amount recorded; confirm in the fee guidance
Renewal (every 2 years)	$100

To turn these board fees into a realistic year-one budget — bond premium, liability insurance, and exam prep included — open the cost calculator preloaded for Massachusetts masonry.

Renewal and Continuing Education

The Massachusetts Masonry Contractor Requirements (HIC and Specialty CSL) must be renewed every 2 years. The fee to renew is presently $100. The displayed fee is the HIC renewal fee. CSL renewal is also listed at $100 every two years, but its continuing-education condition applies to the CSL.

Continuing education: HIC: no continuing education is listed on the state HIC renewal page. Specialty CSL: six hours of continuing education every two years; track each credential separately.

Reciprocity

Massachusetts grants no NASCLA reciprocity for this classification.

Reciprocal State	Accepted Exam	Conditions
No formal bilateral reciprocity agreements identified.

No reciprocal Massachusetts masonry trade credential was identified. HIC registration and CSL supervision are Massachusetts-specific compliance paths.

Weighing more than one jurisdiction? The national hub compares published Masonry license requirements by state — exam, bond, fee, and experience thresholds side by side.

Masonry Licensing in Neighboring States

Contractors working near a state line, or weighing where to qualify first, should compare Massachusetts's requirements against the bordering jurisdictions before committing to an application:

Connecticut Masonry License Requirements — Connecticut Masonry — DCP Home Improvement Contractor Registration
New Hampshire Masonry License Requirements — New Hampshire Masonry — No General State Trade License
New York Masonry License Requirements — No State Masonry License — Local Contractor Requirements
Rhode Island Masonry License Requirements — Rhode Island Masonry Contractor Registration — RICRLB
Vermont Masonry License Requirements — Vermont Residential Contractor Registration (Masonry Work)

Step-by-Step Application Roadmap

Define the masonry scope and project location. Identify whether the work is a freestanding wall, a fireplace, chimney, egress stair, retaining wall, a masonry building, or another structure. Confirm the permit process with the local building department.
Evaluate HIC registration for covered residential contracting. For existing owner-occupied one-to-four-unit residential contracts, review M.G.L. c. 142A. The statute expressly exempts contractors working exclusively on freestanding masonry walls, but that is not a general masonry exemption.
Obtain HIC registration when it applies. Massachusetts lists a $150 new HIC registration fee plus a $100–$500 guaranty-fund contribution based on employee count. Renewal is $100 every two years.
Use the correct CSL for permit-required supervision. The specialty masonry CSL covers published permit-required masonry work in limited building categories. The state says a masonry-only license is not sufficient for masonry buildings; select at least a restricted CSL when the project scope requires it.
Document CSL experience and pass the required examination. CSL applicants verify three years of qualifying construction or design experience, apply and schedule through PSI, then submit the required post-exam materials to the Board.
Secure the local permit and follow approved plans. A CSL does not replace the local building-permit process. Confirm who must obtain the permit and what license category the building official requires for that project.
Maintain the applicable credentials. HIC renews every two years. Specialty CSL holders renew every two years after completing six hours of state-required continuing education.

Application Checklist

Have each of the following squared away before the packet goes to OCABR / OPSI:

Masonry scope and municipality identified
HIC requirement and the freestanding-wall exemption evaluated
HIC registration completed when required
Correct CSL category selected for permit-required supervision
Three years of CSL experience documented and examination process completed when required
Local building permit and supervisor-of-record requirements confirmed
CSL continuing education and two-year renewal calendar tracked
Project, contract, insurance, and workforce requirements confirmed

Common Filing Mistakes

The following pitfalls summarize the issues most likely to delay, return, or derail a Massachusetts Masonry application based on the published board instructions and source materials cited on this page.

Treating the wall exemption as a general masonry exemption

The HIC statute names contractors working exclusively in freestanding masonry walls. Other masonry work can still trigger HIC and permit/CSL requirements.

Using a masonry-only CSL for a masonry building

Massachusetts expressly states that a masonry-only CSL is not sufficient for masonry buildings. Confirm whether at least a restricted CSL is needed before applying for a permit.

Assuming HIC and CSL are interchangeable

HIC is consumer-protection registration; CSL is construction supervision licensing. A project can require one, both, or local approval depending on its scope.

Skipping the local building official

Permits, local inspection, and the appropriate supervisor of record are determined through the authority having jurisdiction.

Study and Reference Materials

The following references are cited by the regulator, used in the application process, or commonly used to prepare for the trade scope. Listed for reader convenience; CLR receives no compensation for these recommendations.

M.G.L. c. 142A — Home Improvement Contractor law — Massachusetts General Court. Use for HIC definitions, registration, contracts, and the freestanding-wall exemption.
Learn about different Construction Supervisor Licenses — Massachusetts OPSI / BBRS. Current official overview of the masonry specialty CSL scope.
CSL candidate handbook — Massachusetts OPSI / PSI. Use the current handbook for experience evidence, exam administration, and fees.

Other Massachusetts Trade Licenses

CLR maintains guides for additional Massachusetts trades; the published ones are listed here:

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Massachusetts issue a masonry contractor license?

Massachusetts does not publish an ordinary statewide masonry trade license. HIC registration can apply to covered residential contracting, and a specialty masonry CSL can be required to supervise permit-required masonry work within its scope.

Are freestanding masonry walls exempt from Massachusetts HIC registration?

M.G.L. c. 142A, § 14 exempts a contractor working exclusively in freestanding masonry walls. The word “exclusively” matters; do not treat it as an exemption for all masonry contracts or local permitting.

What does a specialty masonry CSL cover?

Massachusetts lists construction, reconstruction, alteration, repair, removal, or demolition of permit-required masonry structures in limited building categories. The state further warns that a masonry-only CSL is not sufficient for construction of masonry buildings.

How much experience is needed for a Massachusetts CSL?

The state CSL application process requires verification of three years of building-construction or design experience. Use the current candidate handbook for the evidence required for the selected license category.

How often does a specialty CSL renew?

Specialty CSLs renew every two years. Massachusetts requires six hours of continuing education for the specialty category in each two-year renewal cycle.

Primary Sources

Regulatory requirements on this page are drawn from the official board, statute, and exam-provider materials listed below.

Verified 2026-09-04 · Next scheduled review 2026-12-03

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Corrections and presentation updates

2026-09-30: Corrected examination detection when format details are unpublished and updated the summary layout and requirements score. Source-check dates are unchanged.
2026-09-08: Shared template updated to distinguish unspecified eligibility requirements, retain cost qualifications, and use consistent headings. Source-check dates are unchanged by presentation updates.
2026-09-21: Local-only guides now use a compliance-focused structure and terminology instead of implying a statewide license application. Source-check dates are unchanged by this presentation update.