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Contractor license lookupMassachusetts contractor license lookup
Where to check a contractor's license in Massachusetts, what the state licenses, and what to look for before a sub starts work.
- Licensing agency
- Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation (OCABR), Home Improvement Contractor Program
- Licensing level
- statewide license for some work (e.g. residential, or specialty trades)
Opens mass.gov in a new tab.
What's licensed in Massachusetts
Massachusetts requires home improvement contractors to register for work on existing owner-occupied homes of one to four units. Structural work on one- and two-family homes and other buildings under 35,000 cubic feet must also be supervised by a holder of a Construction Supervisor License, a separate license.
Source: mass.gov · Checked on
How to verify a sub's license
- Search the exact business name the sub uses on your contract, LLC or Inc. included, or the license number they gave you.
- Check that the status is active, not expired, suspended or inactive.
- Check that the classification matches the work you're hiring them for.
- Check the expiry date, and note it so you can ask for the renewal in time.
- Local licenses may apply too. The city or county where the job is can have its own requirements.
Track your subs' license expiry dates
GreenlightSubs keeps each sub's contractor license and its expiry date on file, next to their certificates of insurance and W-9. Before a license expires, the sub gets an email with a no-login link to upload the renewed one, and you review and approve it. Free for up to 5 vendors, no card.
Not legal advice. This page is general information to help you find the right place to check a license. Licensing rules change, and cities and counties can have their own requirements, so always confirm with the licensing agency. If something here is wrong or out of date, email us and we'll fix it.