Massachusetts home improvement contract template: what 142A requires, and how much deposit you can take

Published November 3, 2026 · Statutes and regulations checked November 3, 2026

Free. The download links come by email.
Deepsel is our product: free estimate, invoice and scheduling software for home-service contractors (scheduling, quotes, invoicing, card payments). The section before the FAQ says where it fits and what it won't do for you.
Not legal advice. Have a Massachusetts attorney read the template before you use it.

Massachusetts requires a written contract for any home improvement job over $1,000 on an owner-occupied home with one to four units, and Chapter 142A of the General Laws lists what it must contain.¹² The deposit you take before work starts can't be more than one-third of the contract price, or the actual cost of special-order materials if that's higher.¹ And if the homeowner signs anywhere but your business address, they get three business days to cancel, and you can't start work until those days are up.³

I wrote a free template that covers all of it: every item Section 2 requires, laid out like the state's own sample contract,⁵ with the deposit math on the page and the cancellation forms attached. Get it three ways: make your own copy in Google Docs (opens in your Drive), download the Word version (.docx), or download the PDF. Pick a format, enter your email and I'll send the links.

Why a Massachusetts one? A contractor on Reddit put it better than I can: "just googling a contract and hoping for the best won't get one that's written specifically for the state he works in."⁴ The state's deposit cap, its three-day rule (which has no exception for a repair call the customer asked for) and the bold warning it wants above the signature line are all its own. A generic template from somewhere else misses most of them.

Does Chapter 142A apply to your job?

Chapter 142A covers "residential contracting": the reconstruction, alteration, renovation, repair, modernization, conversion, improvement, removal or demolition of, or an addition to, "any pre-existing owner occupied building containing at least one but not more than four dwelling units," plus structures next to it.² OCABR's regulation gives garages, sheds, cabanas, pool houses and gazebos as examples of those structures.⁶ Three questions decide whether a job is in:

Is the building already there? A new house isn't "pre-existing," so new construction is out.
Does the owner live there? The regulation means the owner's primary residence. A condo owner counts if the building has four units or fewer, and so does a tenant the owner has authorized. An LLC, corporation, partnership or business trust doesn't count as an owner.⁶
Does the building have one to four units? At five or more, Chapter 142A doesn't apply.

Three yeses mean you need a Home Improvement Contractor registration to offer or do the work,⁷ which you just got ($150 plus a Guaranty Fund payment, renewed every two years).⁸ Any contract over $1,000 must then be in writing with the items in the next section.¹ Under $1,000, Chapter 142A doesn't demand paper, though the home solicitation law might (see the cancellation section). A rental the owner doesn't live in, a commercial job or a new build sits outside Chapter 142A. I'd still use this contract there. The extra notices cost nothing, and a written price, schedule and change-order clause protect you on any job.

By trade: who the rules reach

Everyone on the list that sent you this article holds an HIC registration. That settles most of the trade questions, because OCABR's regulation says a person who is exempt from registration "and who does not voluntarily register, is not subject to any of the provisions" of Chapter 142A.⁶ Registered means covered.

Trade	HIC registration	Do the 142A contract rules apply?	What I'd do
Home improvement and general contractors	Required for residential contracting on owner-occupied homes with 1 to 4 units	Yes, in full	Use the template on every job over $1,000, and on smaller jobs agreed at the customer's home.
Roofers	Required. Roofing isn't on any exempt list⁶	Yes, in full	Same. I found no Massachusetts rule that adds contract terms for a roof paid by insurance, so if the job is tied to a claim, write that into Section 13 as an agreed term.
Electricians and plumbers	Exempt while "acting exclusively within the scope of the profession for which they are currently licensed"⁶	Not for an unregistered licensee doing only licensed work. Yes once you've registered, and for any part of a job outside your licence, like framing or finish carpentry	Use the template. The three-day cancellation rules apply to you either way.
HVAC	The regulation exempts "persons who install" central heating, air-conditioning systems and energy-conservation devices⁶	Same as electricians and plumbers: yes once you've registered	Use the template. If you also build the closet the air handler goes in, that part is remodeling.

What a Massachusetts home improvement contract must include

Section 2(a) of Chapter 142A has ten numbered items. OCABR's regulation, 201 CMR 18.05, repeats them with two changes worth knowing: leave Social Security numbers out (use a federal ID number if you have one), and put your registration number on the first page.¹⁶ Here's the list in the law's words, and where each item sits in the template.

Item	What the law says	In the template
1. The whole agreement	"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"	Page 1 lists every attachment (drawings, specs, warranty terms, appendices). Section 14 says nothing else counts.
2. Who, and when signed	"the full names, social security numbers, addresses, exclusive of post office box addresses, registration number of the contractor, the names of the salesperson, if any, who solicited or negotiated the contract and the date when said contract was executed." The regulation swaps in "federal ID number if applicable, (exclusive of social security number)" and says the registration number "must appear on the first page"	The page 1 table
3. Dates	"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"	Page 1 and Section 3
4. Scope	"a detailed description of the work to be done and the materials to be used"	Section 1, a table by area with type, brand, model, grade and color
5. Price	"the total amount agreed to be paid for the work"	Page 1 and Section 4.1
6. Payments and deposit	"a time schedule of payments ... and the amount of each payment stated in dollars, including all finance charges," the deposit cap, and "No final payment shall be demanded until the contract is completed to the satisfaction of the parties thereto"	Section 4, with the deposit worksheet and the special-order list
7. Signatures	"the signatures of all parties"	Page 1
8. Notices	That contractors must be registered and where to send questions; your registration number; the owner's three-day cancellation rights; "all warranties and the owner's rights" under 142A; "Do not sign this contract if there are any blank spaces" "in ten point bold type or larger, directly above the space provided for the signature"; and "any lien on or security interest on the residence as a consequence of the contract"	Page 1 (registration, cancellation, blank spaces), Section 6 (warranties), Section 7 (owner's rights), Section 8 (liens)
9. Other agreed terms	"such other matters upon which the owner and the contractor may lawfully agree," none of which "may waive any rights conveyed to the owner"	Section 13
10. Anything else the law requires	"any other provision otherwise required by the applicable laws of the commonwealth"	The Notice of Cancellation forms (Appendices A and B) and the lead paint section (Section 11)

Four more rules sit in the same section, below the numbered list.¹

The contract has to name the permits the job needs, say that getting them is your job, and warn that "homeowners who secure their own permits will be excluded from the guaranty fund." The template's Section 2 reads: "The contractor will obtain all necessary construction-related permits, as the homeowner's agent," followed by the Guaranty Fund warning in bold.
No acceleration clause. You can't give yourself the right to call the whole balance due because you feel insecure. If you're worried about getting paid, you can require the unpaid balance to go into a joint escrow account that needs both signatures to withdraw.
"No work shall begin prior to the signing of the contract and transmittal to the owner of a copy of such contract."
Homeowners can always take a dispute to the state's arbitration program. You get the same right only if the contract includes it "in language designated by the director" and both sides sign that clause separately. Section 12 of the template has the state's wording and its own signature lines.

For the registration notice, OCABR's sample page asks for the office's address and phone number.⁵ The template prints: "All home improvement contractors and subcontractors must be registered by the Director of the Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation. Direct any questions about a contractor's or subcontractor's registration to: OCABR Home Improvement Contractor Program, 1 Federal Street, Suite 0720, Boston, MA 02110-2012, phone 617-973-8787 or 888-283-3757." The same registration number goes on every building permit and every ad you run, too.⁹

And directly above the signature lines, in bold of at least 10 points: DO NOT SIGN THIS CONTRACT IF THERE ARE ANY BLANK SPACES. Fill every bracket in the template or write N/A. A blank is exactly what that line tells the homeowner not to sign.

Massachusetts contractor deposit law: one-third, or the special-order cost

One contractor on Reddit asked it straight out: "are you allowed legally to charge that much deposit?"¹⁰ In Massachusetts the answer is one sentence of Section 2(a)(6). A deposit paid before work starts "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."¹

Watch the words "the greater of." OCABR's sample contract says it the same way, "whichever is greater."⁵ Two examples:

A $12,000 bathroom with stock fixtures. One-third is $4,000, nothing is special-order, so $4,000 is the most you can take before you start.
A $30,000 kitchen with $14,500 of custom cabinets that must be ordered now to hit the install date. One-third is $10,000 and the cabinets cost $14,500, so the deposit can go up to $14,500. List the cabinets, the supplier and the cost in the contract, and keep the supplier's quote.

I read "actual cost" as what you pay the supplier, before markup, and the template's worksheet is set up that way. Stock items you could pick up at the supply house the morning of the job aren't special order.

How to set the payment schedule

The cap only covers money taken before work starts. Once you're working, progress payments are fine, as long as each one is in the written schedule with a dollar amount and a date or milestone.¹ Section 4 of the template has a worksheet: one-third of the price on one line, the special-order total on the next, the larger of the two as your maximum, then the deposit you're charging. A schedule I'd start from on a $30,000 remodel with no special orders:

Deposit at signing: $9,000 (30 percent, under the $10,000 cap)
Rough-in inspection passed: $10,000
Cabinets and countertops installed: $8,000
Final, when the work is done to both sides' satisfaction: $3,000

Since you can't demand that last payment until the job is finished to both sides' satisfaction,¹ size it for what's left at that point: the punch list and the walk-through. Leave card fees out of the schedule entirely. Massachusetts law says "No seller in any sales transaction may impose a surcharge on a cardholder who elects to use a credit card," though you can offer every customer a discount for cash or check.¹¹

How the deposit must be held

Massachusetts doesn't require a trust account, escrow or separate bank account for a home improvement deposit. I went through Chapter 142A and OCABR's regulation looking for one and found none.¹⁶ The only escrow in the law runs the other way: the joint escrow you can ask the owner to fund when you're worried about the unpaid balance. Three rules still decide what you do with the money:

Credit it. "Failing to credit to the owner any payment they have made" is a prohibited act.¹²
Pay your suppliers with it. Failing to pay for materials "where he has received sufficient funds as payment" is another.¹²
Be ready to give it back. If the homeowner cancels inside the three business days, you refund every payment, deposit included, within ten business days.³

In practice: spend it on that job's materials, and don't place a special order until the cancellation window has closed.

If you take too much, or take it and don't start

"Demanding or receiving payment in violation of" the deposit rule is a prohibited act under Section 17, and so is "abandoning or failing to perform, without justification, any contract."¹² OCABR can suspend or revoke your registration and fine you up to $2,000 per violation.¹³ A knowing and willful violation is also a crime, punishable by a fine of up to $2,000, up to a year in jail, or both.¹⁴ On top of that, every violation of Chapter 142A is an unfair or deceptive act under Chapter 93A, so the homeowner can sue for damages, doubled or tripled if the court finds you acted willfully or knowingly, plus their lawyer's fees.¹⁵ I found no separate crime for taking a deposit and not starting; those sections are what cover it. If a homeowner wins a judgment or arbitration award you don't pay, the state's Guaranty Fund can pay them,¹⁶ and failing to repay the fund is one more prohibited act.¹²

The 3-day cancellation rules: Massachusetts and the FTC

Two rules give the homeowner three business days to cancel. The Massachusetts one reaches further, so plan around it.

Massachusetts: household jobs over $25 agreed away from your business

Chapter 93, Section 48 covers an agreement for goods or services "primarily for personal, family or household purposes in excess of twenty-five dollars in value" that is signed "at a place other than the address of the seller."³ It doesn't matter who called whom. There's no exception for a repair visit the customer asked for, which the federal rule has. When it applies:

The agreement must be in writing, signed by you, with your address, the date and all the terms. If a required term is missing or the customer never gets a copy, the three days don't start until you fix it.
The front page needs this statement next to the buyer's signature, in bold type of at least 10 points: "You may cancel this agreement if it has been signed by a party thereto at a place other than an address of the seller, which may be his main office or branch thereof, provided you notify the seller in writing at his main office or branch by ordinary mail posted, by telegram sent or by delivery, not later than midnight of the third business day following the signing of this agreement. See the attached notice of cancellation form for an explanation of this right." That's why the template's signatures are on page 1.
Attach a completed Notice of Cancellation form, in duplicate and easy to detach. The statute lets you use the FTC's form instead, and the template does.
Tell the customer about the right out loud when they sign.
Don't start. "A seller of services shall not commence such service during the three business day cancellation period," and a customer who cancels owes nothing for work done in that time.
If they cancel, refund everything within ten business days.

The one way around the wait is a real emergency. The homeowner contacted you, the work is needed for "a bona fide immediate personal emergency," and they give you "a separate dated and signed personal statement in the buyer's handwriting" describing it and waiving the right to cancel.³ A burst pipe at 2 a.m. fits. A kitchen remodel doesn't. Appendix D of the template is a blank page for that statement. Breaking Section 48 carries a fine of up to $500 and is a Chapter 93A violation.³

One open question: a quote the customer e-signs on their phone at home. The statute asks where the agreement is "consummated," and I didn't find a Massachusetts ruling on whether an e-signature from home counts. My advice is to put the notice in every residential contract and wait the three days. Waiting costs you three days. Skipping it, if a court reads the law the homeowner's way, can cost you the job.

The FTC Cooling-Off Rule

The federal rule, 16 CFR Part 429, covers a "door-to-door sale": you personally solicit it (including when the buyer invited you), the buyer agrees somewhere other than your place of business, and the price is $25 or more at the buyer's home or $130 or more anywhere else away from your business, like a rented hotel room, a fairground or the buyer's workplace.¹⁷ It needs its own statement near the buyer's signature, in 10-point bold: "You, the buyer, may cancel this transaction at any time prior to midnight of the third business day after the date of this transaction. See the attached notice of cancellation form for an explanation of this right." You hand over two copies of the Notice of Cancellation with your name, business address, the date and the deadline filled in on both, tell the buyer about the right out loud, and refund within ten business days if they cancel.¹⁷

It doesn't apply to sales made entirely by mail or phone, or when the buyer asked you out to repair or maintain something (anything extra you sell on that visit is covered, though). It has the same handwritten emergency waiver as the state rule. Business days are every day except Sundays and federal holidays, so Saturday counts.¹⁷ The FTC rule also says it doesn't override a state law that gives buyers the same right or more, which Massachusetts does.¹⁷ The template puts both statements on page 1 and the FTC form twice, in Appendices A and B, so one contract meets both rules.

If you finance the job yourself and take a security interest in the home, a different three-day right applies: the Truth in Lending rescission rule in Chapter 140D, Section 10, with its own forms.¹⁸ Section 48 steps aside for those deals.³ The template isn't written for financed jobs.

Other notices and paperwork

Liens. The contract must say whether it puts "any lien on or security interest on the residence."¹ The template says it doesn't, and adds that you keep your mechanic's lien rights under Chapter 254. Those rights come from having "a written contract with the owner," which is one more reason to have one. To use them, you record a notice of contract at the registry of deeds within 90 days after your last day of work, record a statement of account within 120 days after your last day, and sue within 90 days after the statement. Both recording deadlines come sooner if a notice of substantial completion or of termination has been recorded.¹⁹
Warranties. List every warranty and attach its terms. OCABR's sample contract asks yes or no on an express warranty, and reminds owners that goods sold in Massachusetts carry implied warranties of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose.⁵ The template's Section 6 has a one-year workmanship warranty you can change. The homeowner's time to sue comes from statute, separate from your warranty: six years for a contract claim, and up to six for a construction-defect negligence claim.²⁰
Arbitration. Homeowners can take a dispute to a state-approved private arbitration program up to five years after the contract date, and registered contractors "impliedly consent" to it.²¹ Your own right to start arbitration needs the separately signed clause.
Lead paint. If the home was built before 1978, renovation, repair or painting has to be done by a lead-safe renovation contractor licensed by the Department of Labor Standards, and "the contractor must provide to you a copy of the Renovate Right pamphlet before the work begins."²² Appendix E is the receipt.
Insurance. Chapter 142A doesn't require an insurance notice in the contract. OCABR does ask for evidence of "adequate contractor insurance" when you register, and its sample page tells homeowners to ask for your insurer's details.⁶⁵ Section 9 of the template states your coverage so they don't have to ask.

If a customer hasn't paid, the Massachusetts mechanics lien guide has the steps, every deadline and a demand letter.

What happens if your contract is wrong

The contract itself survives. Section 2 ends: "Contracts which fail to comply with the requirements of this section shall not be invalid solely because of noncompliance."¹ The trouble lands on you instead.

Chapter 93A: every violation of Chapter 142A "shall constitute an unfair or deceptive act."¹² The homeowner sends a 30-day demand letter, and in court they recover their actual damages (at least $25), two to three times that for a willful or knowing violation or a bad-faith answer to the demand, plus attorney's fees.¹⁵ A $3,000 problem can turn into a $9,000 judgment plus both sides' legal bills.
OCABR can reprimand you, suspend or revoke your registration, and fine you up to $2,000 per violation.¹³
Criminal court is possible too. Working without a registration carries up to a $5,000 fine or two years. Other knowing and willful violations carry up to $2,000 or a year.¹⁴ Breaking the three-day rule carries up to $500 or six months.³
The cancellation clock can stall. Under Chapter 93, a contract missing a required term, or a copy you never handed over, keeps the three days from starting until you fix it.³

The Massachusetts home improvement contract template: what's in it

It's built from the statute, OCABR's regulation and OCABR's sample language, in plain English.

Page 1: the parties, your HIC number, a federal ID line (no Social Security number), the salesperson, the building, dates, price and deposit, the registration notice, both cancellation statements, where it was signed and the last day to cancel, the "DO NOT SIGN" warning in bold, and the signatures. Keep it as page 1.
Sections 1 to 14: scope, permits, the schedule with the three-day start rule, payments with the deposit worksheet and special-order list, written change orders, warranties, the owner's rights, liens, insurance, lead paint, and disputes with the optional contractor arbitration clause in the state's wording.
Appendices: the Notice of Cancellation twice (one for the homeowner to keep, one to send), a change order form, the handwritten emergency statement page, and a receipt for the lead pamphlet.

Get it as a Google Docs copy, a Word file or a PDF. Replace every bracket, delete the grey instruction line at the top, and have a Massachusetts attorney read it once before the first job. An hour of review costs less than one Chapter 93A demand letter.

Where Deepsel fits

Deepsel is the field service software I build. It does quotes with options, and a shop-wide terms text is copied onto every quote, so the 142A notices and your payment terms can sit there. The customer approves the quote online and signs it on screen, and you can ask for a deposit (a percent or a fixed amount) that they pay by card when they approve; it's credited on the final invoice. On Pro, this Massachusetts contract is built in. Attach it to the estimate, and the customer reads it on the quote page, 142A notices included, and signs it when they approve; your saved signature goes on when you send, and you both get the signed copy to print or save as PDF. Template, not legal advice. Have it reviewed for your business. Free covers 30 estimates and 30 invoices a month for your whole team, with scheduling and dispatch, quotes, invoicing, card payments and customer and equipment records, and Pro is $29 a month for unlimited estimates and invoices (pricing). What it won't do: Deepsel doesn't know Massachusetts law. The terms text alone won't add the state's notices, Deepsel won't stop a deposit above one-third, and it won't hold a job for three business days after a customer approves from home. Set the deposit at 33 percent or less, put every Section 2 item into your terms if the approved quote is going to be your contract, and watch the calendar yourself.

Start free Copy the template

Free up to 30 estimates and 30 invoices a month, then $29 a month for your whole team. No credit card required.

Frequently asked questions

How much deposit can a contractor ask for in Massachusetts?

Before work starts, no more than one-third of the total contract price, or the actual cost of special-order or custom-made materials that have to be ordered before work starts to keep the schedule, whichever is greater. That's M.G.L. c. 142A, section 2(a)(6), and it covers home improvement work on owner-occupied homes with one to four units. Once work starts you can take progress payments on the written schedule, but you can't demand the final payment until the job is done to both sides' satisfaction.

Do you need a contractor's license in MA?

For most work on an existing owner-occupied home with one to four units, you need a Home Improvement Contractor (HIC) registration from the Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation: $150 plus a Guaranty Fund payment of $100 to $500 depending on how many people you employ, renewed every two years. OCABR says the HIC registration and the Construction Supervisor License are different and not interchangeable; the CSL comes from a different office. Licensed electricians and plumbers working only within their licence are exempt from HIC registration.

Does a handyman need a license in MA?

Usually an HIC registration, if the work is on an owner-occupied home. OCABR's regulation exempts a contractor whose total price to the owner for one project is under $500 (as long as the job isn't split up to dodge the rule), and someone working part-time who earned under $5,000 from residential contracting in the 12 months before the contract. Some work is exempt if it's all you do: landscaping, interior painting and wallpaper, finished flooring, fences and freestanding masonry walls, above-ground pools, shutters and awnings, ground-level patios, and driveways.

How long is a contractor liable for his work in Massachusetts?

A homeowner has six years from when a contract claim accrues to sue on it. A negligence claim for a construction defect has to be filed within three years after it accrues, and never more than six years after the improvement was opened to use or substantially completed and occupied. Under Chapter 142A, a homeowner can file for state-approved arbitration up to five years from the date of the contract. A written warranty sits on top of those deadlines; it doesn't shorten them.

Do I need a written contract for a job under $1,000 in Massachusetts?

Chapter 142A only requires one above $1,000. But the Massachusetts home solicitation law (chapter 93, section 48) covers household jobs over $25 agreed anywhere other than your business address, and it requires those agreements to be in writing with the cancellation notice. So a $400 repair agreed at the customer's house needs paper too. OCABR's own sample page tells homeowners and contractors to consider a contract for every job, whatever the price.

Can I start work the day the homeowner signs?

Not if they signed at home. Chapter 93, section 48 says a seller of services 'shall not commence such service during the three business day cancellation period', and if the customer cancels they owe nothing for work done in that window. The exception is a real emergency the homeowner contacted you about, with a separate statement in their own handwriting describing it and waiving the right to cancel. Appendix D of the template is the page for that statement.

Is a 142A contract void if it's missing something?

No. Section 2 says a contract 'shall not be invalid solely because of noncompliance', so you can still enforce it. But every violation of Chapter 142A counts as an unfair or deceptive act under Chapter 93A, which can mean double or triple damages plus the homeowner's attorney's fees, and OCABR can fine you up to $2,000 per violation and suspend your registration.

Sources

Massachusetts General Laws chapter 142A, section 2, "Residential contracting agreements; requirements" - writing required over $1,000, the ten required items, the deposit cap ("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"), no acceleration clause, permits notice, copy before work, contractor arbitration clause, "shall not be invalid solely because of noncompliance." malegislature.gov, read November 3, 2026.
M.G.L. c. 142A, section 1, definitions of "residential contracting," "owner" and "contractor." malegislature.gov, read November 3, 2026.
M.G.L. c. 93, section 48, "Cancellation of agreements consummated at place other than seller's place of business" - the $25 threshold, the required front-page statement and Notice of Cancellation, the FTC-form substitution, refund within ten business days, the $500 fine, the c. 93A link, "A seller of services shall not commence such service during the three business day cancellation period," and the emergency and c. 140D exceptions. malegislature.gov, read November 3, 2026.
Reddit, r/Contractor - "just googling a contract and hoping for the best won't get one that's written specifically for the state he works in." reddit.com.
Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation, "Home Improvement Contract Sample Language" - required items, the registration notice with the office's address and phone, the sample payment table ("Not to exceed 1/3 of the total contract price or the cost of special-order items, whichever is greater"), the arbitration wording, the express and implied warranty notes, changes in writing, insurance advice to homeowners. mass.gov, read November 3, 2026.
201 CMR 18.00, "Registration and Enforcement of Home Improvement Contractor Program" (OCABR regulation, version dated June 6, 2025) - 18.01(2) definitions of owner and owner-occupied; 18.01(6) persons exempt from registration, including (c) licensed electricians and plumbers "acting exclusively within the scope of the profession," (g) projects under $500, (h) part-time under $5,000, (j) installers of central heating and air-conditioning, (k) landscaping, painting, flooring and other listed trades; 18.02(1)(b) evidence of "adequate contractor insurance"; 18.05 contract contents, "exclusive of social security number," registration number "on the first page," and the designated arbitration language. mass.gov, read November 3, 2026.
M.G.L. c. 142A, section 9 - "No contractor or subcontractor shall undertake, offer to undertake, or agree to perform residential contracting services unless registered." malegislature.gov, read November 3, 2026.
OCABR, "Home Improvement Contractor Registration and Renewal" - who must register, HIC is not a Construction Supervisor License, $150 fee, Guaranty Fund payment $100 to $500 by employee count, two-year renewal. mass.gov, read November 3, 2026.
M.G.L. c. 142A, section 13(c) - "Every contract, building permit and advertisement shall display the contractor's or subcontractor's certificate of registration number." malegislature.gov, read November 3, 2026.
Reddit, r/GeneralContractor - "are you allowed legally to charge that much deposit?" reddit.com.
M.G.L. c. 140D, section 28A - "No seller in any sales transaction may impose a surcharge on a cardholder who elects to use a credit card in lieu of payment by cash, check or similar means"; cash discounts allowed when offered to all buyers and disclosed. malegislature.gov, read November 3, 2026.
M.G.L. c. 142A, section 17, prohibited acts - including (2) abandoning or failing to perform, (3) failing to credit payments, (14) failing to pay for materials when paid, (16) "demanding or receiving payment in violation of clause (6) of paragraph (a) of section two," (19) failing to repay the fund; "Violations of any of the provisions of this chapter shall constitute an unfair or deceptive act under the provisions of chapter ninety-three A." malegislature.gov, read November 3, 2026.
M.G.L. c. 142A, section 18 - suspension, revocation, reprimand, and an administrative penalty "not to exceed two thousand dollars ... for each violation." malegislature.gov, read November 3, 2026.
M.G.L. c. 142A, section 19 - operating unregistered, "a fine not exceeding five thousand dollars or imprisonment not exceeding two years, or both"; knowing and willful violations, "a fine of not more than two thousand dollars or by imprisonment for not more than one year or both." malegislature.gov, read November 3, 2026.
M.G.L. c. 93A, section 9 - 30-day demand letter; "actual damages or twenty-five dollars, whichever is greater; or up to three but not less than two times such amount" for willful or knowing violations or a bad-faith refusal; attorney's fees and costs. malegislature.gov, read November 3, 2026.
M.G.L. c. 142A, section 5 - the Residential Contractor's Guaranty Fund compensates owners for actual losses when "the contractor has failed to pay the judgment or award." malegislature.gov, read November 3, 2026.
16 CFR Part 429, FTC "Rule Concerning Cooling-Off Period for Sales Made at Homes or at Certain Other Locations" - 429.0 definitions ($25 at the buyer's residence, $130 elsewhere, the repair, mail-or-phone and emergency exclusions, business day), 429.1 the required statement and Notice of Cancellation, 429.2 state laws not preempted. ecfr.gov, read November 3, 2026.
M.G.L. c. 140D, section 10 - right to rescind a consumer credit transaction secured by the borrower's principal dwelling until midnight of the third business day. malegislature.gov, read November 3, 2026.
M.G.L. c. 254, sections 2 (notice of contract: lien for "a written contract with the owner," recorded by the earliest of 60 days after a notice of substantial completion, 90 days after a notice of termination, or 90 days after last work), 8 (statement of account: earliest of 90, 120 or 120 days) and 11 (action within 90 days after the statement). Section 2, Section 8, Section 11, malegislature.gov, read November 3, 2026.
M.G.L. c. 260, section 2 (contract actions within six years) and section 2B (construction-defect tort actions within three years of accrual and no more than six years after opening to use or substantial completion and occupancy). Section 2, Section 2B, malegislature.gov, read November 3, 2026.
M.G.L. c. 142A, sections 3 and 4 - court or approved arbitration; "No claim may be filed for arbitration after 5 years from the date of the contract"; registered contractors "impliedly consent." malegislature.gov, read November 3, 2026.
Massachusetts Department of Labor Standards, "Lead-safe renovation for contractors" (a licensed lead-safe renovation contractor must be used on pre-1978 homes, 454 CMR 22.00) and the "Lead-safe Renovation Contractor" property owner checklist ("The contractor must provide to you a copy of the Renovate Right pamphlet before the work begins"). mass.gov, checklist, read November 3, 2026.