How to get a contractor license in Massachusetts

Licensing office Office of Public Safety and Inspections (OPSI), for the Board of Building Regulations and Standards · (617) 727-3200 [5][13]

The license pathway in Massachusetts

1. 1

   Specialty construction supervisor

   • 3 years of experience
   • Yes, PSI open-book exam in the specialty; 70% to pass
   • $23 application, $65 exam
   • Every 2 years; $100; 6 hours CE

   Limited licenses for one kind of work: masonry, roof covering, windows and siding, solid fuel burning appliances, demolition, or insulation. You need three years of experience in that field. [1][4][6][7]

2. 2

   Restricted construction supervisor (one- and two-family)

   • 3 years of experience
   • Yes, PSI open-book exam, 60 questions in 240 minutes; 70% to pass
   • $23 application, $75 exam
   • Every 2 years; $100; 10 hours CE

   Lets you directly supervise construction, alteration, repair, removal or demolition of one- and two-family homes and their accessory buildings. [1][4][6][7]

3. 3

   Unrestricted construction supervisor

   • 3 years of experience
   • Yes, PSI open-book exam, 75 questions in 240 minutes; 70% to pass
   • $23 application, $75 exam
   • Every 2 years; $100; 12 hours CE

   Covers one- and two-family homes plus buildings of any use with less than 35,000 cubic feet of enclosed space and agricultural buildings. Larger buildings are controlled by a registered design professional (an architect or engineer) instead. [1][2][4][6][7]

When you need a Construction Supervisor License

According to the state, a licensed construction supervisor or a registered design professional (RDP, an architect or engineer) must oversee construction:

• on one- and two-family homes and their accessory structures of any size;
• on most existing one- to four-family owner-occupied homes, where the contractor must also register with the home improvement program; and
• on buildings with less than 35,000 cubic feet of enclosed space, including manufactured buildings.

Larger buildings must be controlled by an RDP, so no CSL is needed there. Homeowners may be exempt under the building code (780 CMR, Chapter 1). Always check with the local building official for any additional licensing rules. [2]

License types

• Unrestricted CSL: buildings of any use under 35,000 cubic feet, one- and two-family homes, agricultural buildings, and walls under 10 feet.
• Restricted CSL: one- and two-family homes and their accessory buildings.
• Specialty CSLs: masonry, roof covering, windows/doors/siding, solid fuel burning appliances, demolition, and insulation.

Each requires three years of experience in the field you want to be licensed in. [1][4]

Experience requirements

You need 36 months of full-time (40 hours per week) experience in building construction or design within the past ten years; it doesn't have to be continuous. Education credit:

• A three- or four-year vocational high school or other vocational school program in building construction, or any bachelor's, master's or PhD degree: one year.
• A degree in architecture or a related science, engineering or technology field: two years.
• Education can count for at most two years.

Union affiliation alone isn't accepted as experience. Relevant active military service may be. You document experience with W-2, 1099 or Schedule C forms covering three years full-time, or a letter of attestation from an engineer, architect, employer, military supervisor, licensed contractor or other person. [1]

The exam

PSI gives the CSL exams, which have been based on the 10th edition of the State Building Code since January 1, 2025. They are multiple-choice and open book: you bring your own copy of the Massachusetts State Building Code and the listed references (including OSHA's construction rules), and you may highlight, underline and tab them beforehand but not write in them during the exam.

• Unrestricted: 75 questions, 240 minutes, 53 correct (70%) to pass.
• Restricted (one- and two-family): 60 questions, 240 minutes, 42 correct (70%).
• Specialty exams: for example, roof covering is 120 minutes with 25 correct needed.

Your results come right after the exam. Your application stays on file for two years; if you don't pass in that time, you must apply again. [1][5]

Fees and renewal

• CSL: $23 application; $75 exam for the unrestricted or restricted license, $65 for other exams; $100 renewal.
• HIC registration: $150 plus a Guaranty Fund payment of $100 (0-3 employees), $200 (4-10), $300 (11-30) or $500 (more than 30); $100 renewal every two years.

CSL holders need continuing education every two years: 12 hours (unrestricted), 10 (restricted) or 6 (specialty), with at least one hour each in code review, workplace safety, business practices and workers' compensation, energy, and lead-safe practices. Up to six hours can be online. Renewal notices go out 60 days before expiration, and there is a one-year grace period after expiration. [1][3][6][7]

Home Improvement Contractor registration

Contractors, subcontractors, partnerships and corporations that solicit, bid on or perform contracting work on an existing owner-occupied home with one to four units must register as a Home Improvement Contractor. The program, run by the Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation, also handles consumer complaints, runs an arbitration program and pays eligible homeowners up to $25,000 from a Guaranty Fund for unpaid judgments against contractors. Register and renew online through the MA Contractor Hub. Out-of-state corporations and LLCs (short for limited liability company) must first register with the Secretary of the Commonwealth. [3][8]

Union carpentry apprenticeship

The North Atlantic States Carpenters Training Fund runs a four-year, competency-based union apprenticeship that combines classroom and on-the-job training. You must attend an information session first (6:00 p.m. on the first Monday of each month, with Massachusetts sessions in Boston and Millbury); the online application opens at the end of the session. The fund also offers members a 24-hour CSL exam prep course and CSL continuing education. See carpenter apprenticeships. [9][10][11][12]

If you're licensed in another state

Massachusetts does not recognize out-of-state contractor licenses, and the state building code (780 CMR) applies to all buildings in Massachusetts. See license reciprocity. [2]

Steps to get licensed in Massachusetts

1. Get three years of construction experience

   Work in building construction or design (36 months full-time within ten years) and keep your tax forms, or arrange a letter of attestation. Up to two years can come from qualifying education. [1]

2. Choose your license type

   Pick unrestricted, restricted or a specialty CSL based on the work you will supervise. [4]

3. Register and pay for the PSI exam

   Read the candidate handbook, then apply and schedule with PSI: $23 application plus $75 (or $65 for a specialty exam). You must be 18. [1][5]

4. Pass the open-book exam

   Bring your own copy of the Massachusetts State Building Code and the other listed references; you may highlight and tab them beforehand. You need 70%. [1]

5. Send in your score report

   Mail the score report to the Board of Building Regulations and Standards with the items listed on it. [5]

6. Register as a home improvement contractor if you'll work on homes

   If you contract on existing owner-occupied homes with one to four units, register online through the MA Contractor Hub: $150 plus the Guaranty Fund payment. [3]

Where to get the hours

Programs that train general contractors in or for Massachusetts, from their own official pages. Listed by type, not ranked.

• Union

  North Atlantic States Carpenters Training Fund (NASCTF)

  The union carpenters' four-year, competency-based apprenticeship with classroom and on-the-job training. Start at a monthly information session. It also offers its members a 24-hour CSL exam prep course and CSL continuing education. [9][10][12]

• State program

  Division of Apprentice Standards (DAS)

  The state office that oversees Massachusetts registered apprenticeship programs, for employers starting a program and for people looking to become apprentices. [14]

Licensed in another state?

Questions people ask