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

Minnesota earns a B in the 2026 Home Job Readiness Grade, with 6 of 8 possible points on 4 scored measures. The grade covers what state law and official state pages tell a homeowner about deposits, written contracts, cancelling and an online contractor record.

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Reviewed 24 October 2026. Researched by the InstaBids editorial team.

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Minnesota Home Job Readiness Grade 2026: B (6 of 8 points)

This grade is a compilation of statute text and official state pages, reviewed 24 October 2026. It is not legal advice.

How did each measure score?

Statutory deposit limit: 0 of 2 points

No statutory deposit limit was found in the official sources reviewed 22 October 2026. Not found means not found in the sources checked; it is not an official statement that the state has no cap.

Official sources reviewed: source 1, source 2, source 3, source 4

Written-contract rule for home-improvement work: 2 of 2 points

A state statute or regulation requires a written contract for home-improvement or residential work within its scope, and lists what it must contain. The scope, including any dollar threshold or licence condition, is in the quoted words below.

(a) All agreements including proposals, estimates, bids, quotations, contracts, purchase orders, and change orders between a licensee and a customer for the performance of a licensee's services must be in writing and must contain the following: (1) a detailed summary of the services to be performed; (2) a description of the specific materials to be used or a list of standard features to be included; and (3) the total contract price or a description of the basis on which the price will be calculated.

Source: Minn. Stat. § 326B.809(a), read 14 October 2026

Statutory right to cancel: 2 of 2 points

A state statute gives a right to cancel that reaches home-improvement contracts or sales made at the home within the scope and dollar limits in the quoted words below.

In addition to any other rights the buyer may have, the buyer has the right to cancel a home solicitation sale until midnight of the third business day after the day on which the home solicitation sale occurs. Cancellation is evidenced by the buyer giving written notice of cancellation to the seller at the address stated in the agreement or offer to purchase.

Source: Minn. Stat. § 325G.07, read 14 October 2026

Online public record of the state's home-contractor credential: 2 of 2 points

The state publishes an online public record of its statewide home-contractor credential. A lookup is an optional public-record step.

Visit iMS, our licensing management system, to check the status of a license, continuing education completion, work experience, plumbing bond holders and whether there are enforcement actions against a license.

Source: dli.mn.gov, read 22 October 2026

An account is not required to search.

Source: dli.mn.gov, read 22 October 2026

Is there a federal rule too?

Federal rule, not scored here: 16 CFR 429.1(a), the FTC door-to-door sales rule, covers a sale the seller personally solicits that is agreed at a place other than the seller's place of business, for $25 or more at the buyer's home or $130 or more elsewhere, with exceptions in 16 CFR 429.0. For those sales it requires this statement in the buyer's contract or receipt:

You, the buyer, may cancel this transaction at any time prior to midnight of the third business day after the date of this transaction.

Source: 16 CFR 429.1(a), eCFR, read 22 October 2026

What can a homeowner check in Minnesota before hiring?

A state agency licence or registration search page: dli.mn.gov, read 24 October 2026. A lookup is an optional public-record step.
State consumer-protection office: Minnesota Attorney General, read 24 October 2026.
Ask for the job scope, the deposit and the cancel terms in writing before you sign, and keep a copy.

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Minnesota Home Job Readiness Grade 2026: B, points by measure

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<figure><img src="https://instabids.ai/fl/data/home-job-readiness-grade/minnesota.svg" alt="Minnesota Home Job Readiness Grade 2026: B, points by measure" width="640"><figcaption><a href="https://instabids.ai/us/home-job-readiness-grade/minnesota">InstaBids</a></figcaption></figure>

All 50 states and the District of Columbia, and how the grade works