Massachusetts Handyman License Requirements
Massachusetts's small-job figure is $500. The exact wording below decides whether a job fits.
M.G.L. c.142A §14: HIC registration not required for 'any contractor or subcontractor who works on one undertaking or project by one or more contracts where the aggregate contract price is less than five hundred dollars' (strictly less than $500; anti-splitting proviso). Also exempt: 'any person who engages in the business of a contractor or subcontractor on other than a full-time basis, and who has earned in gross revenues... less than five thousand dollars in the previous twelve-month period'. Trade exemptions: contractors working exclusively in landscaping, interior painting/wall covering, finished floor covering, fencing, above-ground pools, shutters/awnings, ground-level patios, asphalt/driveways. NOTE: $1,000 figure often cited is the written-contract threshold, NOT the registration exemption.
What counts toward it: other: 'aggregate contract price' for one undertaking or project (statute does not split labor vs materials; aggregate contract price = whole contract). Separate exemption: part-time contractors with under $5,000 gross revenue in previous 12 months.
"any contractor or subcontractor who works on one undertaking or project by one or more contracts where the aggregate contract price is less than five hundred dollars"
Source: malegislature.gov · mass.gov · checked November 2, 2026
Who regulates this
Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation (OCABR) - Home Improvement Contractor Program; Office of Public Safety and Inspections (OPSI), Division of Occupational Licensure - Construction Supervisor License (Board of Building Regulations and Standards). Electricians/plumbers: separate DOL boards (Board of State Examiners of Electricians; Board of State Examiners of Plumbers and Gas Fitters) - not fetched.
Source: mass.gov · checked November 2, 2026
Does Massachusetts license general and residential work?
Two separate state credentials. (1) Home Improvement Contractor (HIC) registration (M.G.L. c.142A, Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation) for anyone soliciting/bidding/performing work on existing owner-occupied 1-4 unit residences. (2) Construction Supervisor License (CSL) (Board of Building Regulations and Standards, administered by Office of Public Safety and Inspections, Division of Occupational Licensure) for structural/permitted building work. HIC alone covers 'ordinary repairs' like exterior painting, repairing existing decking.
When a permit changes the answer
HIC $500 exemption is not tied to permits. But CSL requirement is permit/work-type driven: OCABR chart says work like structural carpentry, decks, door installation, sheetrock, siding, windows, roofing, insulation requires a CSL (and building permit); 'ordinary repairs' do not. Building permits must show HIC registration number. CSL scope set by 780 CMR (not fetched).
Source: mass.gov · checked November 2, 2026
Registration
HIC: $150 registration fee + one-time Guaranty Fund payment ($100 for 0-3 employees, $200 for 4-10, $300 for 11-30, $500 for 30+); renew every two years at $100; online via MA Contractor Hub. Registration number must appear on permits, contracts and advertising. Written contract required for work $1,000 or more.
Insurance and bond
No bond for HIC; instead mandatory Guaranty Fund payment ($100-$500). Fund compensates homeowners up to $25,000 for unpaid judgments against registered contractors.
What a handyman should charge in Massachusetts
Statewide planning estimate: $84 to $113 an hour. It's an estimate from public data, not the market rate. City pages use local wages when we can match them.
| Step | Low end | High end |
|---|---|---|
| Your pay (employee wage for this work in Massachusetts) | $58,320 median | $69,500 top quarter starts here |
| Overhead ($33,148 national, adjusted to local prices at 105.8) | $35,057 | $35,057 |
| Profit 15% + PTO 10% + warranty 3% + business taxes 12% | +40% | +40% |
| Yearly total to cover | $130,727 | $146,379 |
| Billed hours a year (hours on the job × 52) | 30 × 52 = 1,560 | 25 × 52 = 1,300 |
| Hourly rate | $84 | $113 |
- Wages: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, occupation 49-9071 Maintenance and Repair Workers, General, Massachusetts (statewide figure, because we could not match a metro for this place). The top-quarter figure is in the BLS data file.
- Local prices: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024, Massachusetts, all items index 105.8 (US = 100).
- Overhead, hours and percentages: median answers from members using our hourly rate calculator, the same formula that tool uses. National, not local.
Massachusetts places we cover (23)
Rules change. This page shows what official sources said on the dates above. It is not legal advice.