What does Massachusetts law tell a homeowner before a home job?

(6) a time schedule of payments to be made under said contract and the amount of each payment stated in dollars, including all finance charges. Any deposit required under the contract to be paid in advance of the commencement of work under said contract shall not exceed the greater of one-third of the total contract price or the actual cost of any materials or equipment of a special order or custom made nature, which must be ordered in advance of the commencement of work, in order to assure that the project will proceed on schedule. No final payment shall be demanded until the contract is completed to the satisfaction of the parties thereto;

Source: Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 142A, § 2(a)(6), read 22 October 2026

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: (1) the complete agreement between the owner and the contractor and a clear description of any other documents which are or shall be incorporated into said agreement;

Source: Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 142A, § 2(a) (intro) and (a)(1), read 14 October 2026

(3) the date on which the work under the contract is scheduled to begin and the date on which said work is scheduled to be substantially completed; (4) a detailed description of the work to be done and the materials to be used in the performance of said contract; (5) the total amount agreed to be paid for the work to be performed under said contract;

Source: Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 142A, § 2(a)(3)-(5), read 14 October 2026

A. An agreement providing for the sale or lease of goods, or the rendering of services, or both, primarily for personal, family or household purposes in excess of twenty-five dollars in value and which is consummated by a party thereto at a place other than the address of the seller or lessor, which may be his main office or branch thereof, may be canceled by the buyer for other than the seller's or lessor's breach, whether or not such agreement contains a provision for periodic payments or an extension of credit, provided the buyer, not later than midnight of the third business day following execution of the agreement, notifies the seller or lessor that he is canceling, and such cancellation shall be effective thereupon.

Source: Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 93, § 48(A), read 14 October 2026

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: services.oca.state.ma.us, read 22 October 2026