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How do you check a contractor license in Massachusetts?

In Massachusetts, a contractor needs a registration from the Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation to do residential contracting work on owner-occupied homes of one to four units. The state board of building regulations and standards issues a separate license to construction supervisors. The old registration lookup page now points to a new address.

Source: Massachusetts Legislature, chapter 142A, section 9, read 22 October 2026.
Source: Massachusetts Legislature, chapter 142A, section 1, read 22 October 2026.
Source: Massachusetts Legislature, chapter 143, section 94, read 22 October 2026.
Source: Massachusetts Legislature, chapter 143, section 93, read 22 October 2026.
Source: Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation, Home Improvement Contractor Registration Lookup notice page, read 22 October 2026.

The license lookup is yours to run on the state's site.

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By InstaBids editorial team with AI research agents. Sources last read: 22 October 2026

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Key facts

Trade license pages

Where do you look up a home improvement contractor in Massachusetts?

On the registration lookup of the Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation, which has moved to a new address (quoted below).

Source: Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation, Home Improvement Contractor Registration Lookup notice page, read 22 October 2026.

The old lookup page, read 22 October 2026, carries this notice: "The Home Improvement Contractor Registration Lookup website has been updated. Please update your bookmarks or favorites with the new link: https://contractorhub.mass.gov/."

Source: Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation, Home Improvement Contractor Registration Lookup notice page, read 22 October 2026.

Section 1 of chapter 142A defines the director it refers to as "the director of consumer affairs and business regulation."

Source: Massachusetts Legislature, chapter 142A, section 1, read 22 October 2026.

On public records, section 13 of chapter 142A reads: "(a) The director shall keep on file, in convenient form and open to public inspection, all applications for registration and copies of registrations issued and the names of all contractors or subcontractors whose registration has been revoked, suspended or surrendered."

Source: Massachusetts Legislature, chapter 142A, section 13, read 22 October 2026.

Section 18 sets out what the director may do after a violation: "If the director determines that any registrant is liable for a violation of any of the provisions of this chapter, the director may suspend the registrant's certificate of registration for such period of time as shall be determined by the director, revoke the registrant's certificate of registration, or reprimand the registrant."

Source: Massachusetts Legislature, chapter 142A, section 18, read 22 October 2026.

Which Massachusetts jobs need a home improvement contractor registration?

Residential contracting on an existing owner-occupied home of one to four dwelling units (quoted below). The registration comes through the Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation.

Source: Massachusetts Legislature, chapter 142A, section 9, read 22 October 2026.
Source: Massachusetts Legislature, chapter 142A, section 1, read 22 October 2026.

Section 9 of chapter 142A opens with the rule: "Section 9. (a) No contractor or subcontractor shall undertake, offer to undertake, or agree to perform residential contracting services unless registered therefor with the approval of the office of consumer affairs and business regulation."

Source: Massachusetts Legislature, chapter 142A, section 9, read 22 October 2026.

The definition of residential contracting in section 1 reads: "the reconstruction, alteration, renovation, repair, modernization, conversion, improvement, removal, or demolition, or the construction of an addition to any pre-existing owner occupied building containing at least one but not more than four dwelling units, which building or portion thereof is used or designed to be used as a residence or dwelling unit, or to structures which are adjacent to such residence or building."

Source: Massachusetts Legislature, chapter 142A, section 1, read 22 October 2026.

Section 17 lists acts barred to contractors and subcontractors, starting with: "(1) operating without a certificate of registration issued by the director;"

Source: Massachusetts Legislature, chapter 142A, section 17, read 22 October 2026.

What must a home improvement contract in Massachusetts show?

Two parts of chapter 142A deal with the contract itself: section 2 on written agreements and section 13 on where the registration number appears. Their words are quoted below.

Source: Massachusetts Legislature, chapter 142A, section 2, read 22 October 2026.
Source: Massachusetts Legislature, chapter 142A, section 13, read 22 October 2026.

Section 2 sets the threshold: "Section 2. (a) Every agreement to perform residential contracting services in an amount in excess of one thousand dollars shall be in writing and shall include the following documents and information:"

Source: Massachusetts Legislature, chapter 142A, section 2, read 22 October 2026.

One required notice in that list reads: "that all contractors and subcontractors must be registered by the director and that any inquiries about a contractor or subcontractor relating to a registration should be directed to the director;"

Source: Massachusetts Legislature, chapter 142A, section 2, read 22 October 2026.

Section 13 adds where the number appears: "(c) Every contract, building permit and advertisement shall display the contractor's or subcontractor's certificate of registration number."

Source: Massachusetts Legislature, chapter 142A, section 13, read 22 October 2026.

On permits, section 2 also says: "Any contract entered into between a contractor and homeowner shall require the contractor to inform the homeowner of the following: (i) any and all necessary permits, (ii) that it shall be the obligation of the contractor to obtain said permits, and (iii) that homeowners who secure their own permits will be excluded from the guaranty fund provisions of this chapter."

Source: Massachusetts Legislature, chapter 142A, section 2, read 22 October 2026.

And section 13 ties building permits to registration: "(b) All building permits shall clearly state that persons contracting with unregistered contractors do not have access to the guaranty fund under this chapter."

Source: Massachusetts Legislature, chapter 142A, section 13, read 22 October 2026.

For disputes, section 3 of chapter 142A reads: "(b) In the alternative, an owner may request that a dispute resulting from and relating to residential contracting be decided under the terms of a private arbitration program approved by the director."

Source: Massachusetts Legislature, chapter 142A, section 3, read 22 October 2026.

Who licenses construction supervisors in Massachusetts?

The state board of building regulations and standards, a board set up within the division of occupational licensure. It is a separate credential from the home improvement contractor registration.

Source: Massachusetts Legislature, chapter 143, section 93, read 22 October 2026.
Source: Massachusetts Legislature, chapter 143, section 94, read 22 October 2026.
Source: Massachusetts Legislature, chapter 142A, section 9, read 22 October 2026.

Chapter 143, section 93 creates the board: "There is hereby established within the division of occupational licensure a board to be known as the state board of building regulations and standards, in this section and in sections ninety-four to one hundred, inclusive, called the board."

Source: Massachusetts Legislature, chapter 143, section 93, read 22 October 2026.

Among the board's powers in section 94 of the same chapter: "(i) To issue licenses to individuals engaged as construction supervisors."

Source: Massachusetts Legislature, chapter 143, section 94, read 22 October 2026.

What should you ask a Massachusetts contractor before you search?

Get the contractor's registration number and trade name in writing, then look it up yourself as an optional public-record step. These are practical suggestions, not state rules.

  1. Ask for the certificate of registration number and the exact business name the contractor registered under, in writing.
  2. If the job also needs a construction supervisor, ask for that person's license details separately.
  3. Look the contractor up on the registration lookup at its new address, quoted above.

    Source: Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation, Home Improvement Contractor Registration Lookup notice page, read 22 October 2026.

  4. Compare the number on the lookup with the number on your contract and on any building permit.

    Source: Massachusetts Legislature, chapter 142A, section 13, read 22 October 2026.

  5. Ask who pulls the building permit, and keep that answer with your contract.

    Source: Massachusetts Legislature, chapter 142A, section 2, read 22 October 2026.

  6. Keep a note of each search and its date.

Who sees your contact details when you post a job on InstaBids?

One point about InstaBids follows. Contact details stay hidden until the homeowner picks a contractor and they confirm the connection.

Source: InstaBids process and privacy, live-page excerpts, read 22 October 2026.

Post your job on InstaBids, and contractors can bid in writing on one written scope.

Homeowners anywhere in the US can post a job; once you send it, InstaBids finds contractors to bid on it.

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