Massachusetts · Roofing licensing · official-source guide
Massachusetts licenses roofing indirectly. The Board of Building Regulations and Standards issues a Specialty Construction Supervisor License in roof covering to supervise permitted roofing work, while OCABR's Home Improvement Contractor program registers contractors who work on existing owner-occupied one- to four-unit homes. Most residential roofers need both; the state recognizes no out-of-state license.
State-level license
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Verify a licenseVerified against agency sources on 2026-09-18. Rules and fees change; confirm with the named authority before relying on this guide.
Massachusetts does not issue a single credential called a roofing license. Instead, two separate state programs cover roofing contractors, and both can apply to the same job. The Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation (OCABR) runs the Home Improvement Contractor (HIC) program, which registers contractors and subcontractors who solicit, bid on, or perform work on existing, owner-occupied residential property with one to four units. Separately, the Board of Building Regulations and Standards (BBRS), acting through the Office of Public Safety and Inspections (OPSI) Division of Occupational Licensure, issues Construction Supervisor Licenses (CSL) that authorize a person to supervise construction requiring a building permit. The CSL program includes a Specialty CSL in roof covering, a category built specifically around roofing scope of work. Mass.gov states that an HIC registration and a CSL are different credentials and are not interchangeable. A roofing contractor working on an existing owner-occupied home typically needs both: HIC registration to contract with the homeowner, and a CSL (unrestricted, restricted, or the roof covering specialty) to supervise the permitted work, unless a registered design professional is supervising instead. Massachusetts also does not recognize construction supervisor licenses issued by other states, so a roofing contractor moving into Massachusetts from another state must apply fresh rather than transfer a credential. Because the state building code, 780 CMR, applies to every building and structure in the Commonwealth, these requirements are not optional add-ons; they are the baseline for any permitted roofing project, residential or otherwise. Cities and towns layer their own building permit process on top of the state rules, and a roofing contractor should confirm both the HIC and CSL status of anyone hired for occupied one- to four-family home work, since neither the registration number nor a license number alone proves the other credential also exists.
Two credential families apply to Massachusetts roofing work. The first is Home Improvement Contractor (HIC) registration, a single registration type covering individuals, proprietorships, partnerships, and corporations that contract on existing owner-occupied homes with one to four units; there is no separate HIC subtype for roofing specifically. The second is the Construction Supervisor License (CSL), which does break out by scope. Mass.gov lists an Unrestricted CSL for buildings of any use under 35,000 cubic feet, one- and two-family dwellings, agricultural structures, and walls under 10 feet; a Restricted CSL limited to one- and two-family dwellings with accessory structures; and several Specialty CSL categories, including masonry, windows/doors/siding, solid fuel-burning appliances, demolition, insulation, and roof covering. The Specialty CSL in roof covering authorizes construction, reconstruction, alteration, repair, or removal of roof covering, including replacement of up to 25 percent of roof sheathing and up to 25 percent of sistering roof rafters, on buildings under 35,000 cubic feet, one- and two-family dwellings with accessory structures, and agricultural buildings. A roofer whose work stays within that scope can hold the roof covering specialty rather than an unrestricted CSL. Work that goes beyond that scope, such as full sheathing replacement past the 25 percent threshold or structural framing repair, falls outside the specialty and would need an unrestricted or restricted CSL, or a registered design professional on larger buildings. None of these CSL categories substitute for HIC registration when the job is contracting directly with a homeowner on an existing owner-occupied one- to four-unit property; the two systems run in parallel and a contractor doing that kind of work generally needs both.
Sourcesmass.gov 1mass.gov 2
Mass.gov separates the CSL and HIC triggers by what the project is and who owns it. For one- and two-family homes and their appurtenant structures of any size, a licensed construction supervisor or a registered design professional must oversee the construction. For most existing one- to four-family owner-occupied homes, the same supervision rule applies, and the contractor must also register with the home improvement program. For any building under 35,000 cubic feet of enclosed space, including manufactured buildings, a CSL holder or registered design professional must oversee the work. For buildings larger than 35,000 cubic feet, a registered design professional, meaning a licensed engineer or architect, controls the construction instead, and a CSL is not required for that project because the registered design professional is treated as the licensed party. Applied to roofing, this means a roofer reroofing a single-family home needs a CSL (general or the roof covering specialty) supervising the permitted work and, because the home is owner-occupied and one to four units, the contracting business also needs HIC registration. A roofer working on a large commercial building over 35,000 cubic feet does not need a CSL for that project, because the registered design professional carries that role, though the roofing subcontractor may still need to pull permits through the design professional or general contractor of record. New construction and non-owner-occupied rental or commercial property fall outside the HIC registration trigger, which mass.gov limits to existing, owner-occupied one- to four-unit homes. Mass.gov also directs contractors to always check with the local building official, since municipalities can add their own permitting steps on top of these state-level triggers.
Sourcesmass.gov 1mass.gov 2
The official application page for the Construction Supervisor License tells applicants to determine which type of license fits their scope of work, since supervisor licenses are split by the kind of construction to be supervised, and to verify three years of experience in building construction or design before applying, directing candidates to the exam candidate handbook for the full detail behind that requirement. The same application process and experience-verification step is described as the path into any CSL category on the official application page, including the specialty categories such as roof covering, though mass.gov does not publish a separate, shorter experience threshold specific to the roof covering specialty on that page. Applicants register for and schedule their exam through PSI, the third-party vendor that administers CSL testing, and are told to review the candidate handbook for the detailed eligibility and documentation rules before registering. HIC registration, by contrast, carries no state-mandated experience or education prerequisite on the mass.gov registration and renewal page; it is a registration process built around business information (individual, proprietorship, partnership, or corporation status, a DBA business certificate if applicable, and permanent address) rather than a trade competency test. Continuing education requirements, covered separately below, apply after licensure rather than as a precondition for a first CSL. Because this brief only publishes numbers confirmed on the agency's own pages, any experience or education detail beyond the three-year figure stated for CSL applications generally, such as a shorter track specific to specialty categories, is left out here and flagged as unconfirmed rather than guessed.
Sourcesmass.gov 1mass.gov 2
Mass.gov describes the CSL exam process on the official application page rather than publishing exam content itself. The board tests against the Massachusetts State Building Code, 780 CMR, and the testing cycle is tied to code editions: CSL testing based on the 9th Edition of the state building code concluded December 31, 2024, and testing on the 10th Edition began January 1, 2025. As of December 17, 2024, new candidates could only register for testing on the 10th Edition, and registration runs through PSI, the outside vendor that administers the exam. The application page instructs candidates to first determine which license type they are applying for, since the exam and its scope depend on the supervisor category, including the specialty roof covering license. Candidates are told to verify three years of experience in building construction or design and to review the PSI candidate handbook for full eligibility and content detail, with exam-related questions directed to PSI rather than the board. After sitting for the exam, the candidate mails the score report to the Board of Building Regulations and Standards along with any required items listed on that score report, and that submission is part of how the license itself gets issued rather than a separate downstream step. Mass.gov does not publish the exam fee, the number of questions, the passing score, or the exact content outline on its own pages; that detail lives inside the PSI candidate handbook, which this brief did not open because it sits outside the agency's own domain and the goal here is to cite only what the issuing agency itself publishes. Those specifics are listed in the unsourced facts at the end of this file rather than stated as a number here.
Sourcesmass.gov
Home Improvement Contractor fees are published in detail on the HIC registration and renewal page. A new HIC registration costs a 150 dollar registration fee, plus a separate, mandatory payment into the Residential Contractor's Guaranty Fund that scales with headcount: 100 dollars for zero to three employees, 200 dollars for four to ten employees, 300 dollars for eleven to thirty employees, and 500 dollars for more than thirty employees. HIC registration must be renewed every two years for a 100 dollar renewal fee. If a registration lapses, the contractor must reapply and pay the full 150 dollar registration fee again, plus the same tiered Guaranty Fund payment. Each supplemental registration card issued to an officer, partner, or employee costs 10 dollars; a duplicate card for one already issued, such as a replacement for one lost or stolen, carries no charge. On the Construction Supervisor License side, the renewal fee is 100 dollars per license, due every two years, with a one-year grace period after expiration; renewing in the second year of that grace period, up to two years after expiration, carries an additional 100 dollar fee on top of the base renewal. If a CSL lapses for more than two years, the holder must retake the exam and apply as a new candidate rather than simply pay a late fee. Mass.gov does not publish the CSL initial application fee or the PSI exam fee on its own pages, so this brief does not state either number; both are listed as unsourced. All figures above come directly from the agency pages cited, not from third-party fee summaries, exam-prep sites, or insurance blogs.
Sourcesmass.gov 1mass.gov 2
Massachusetts does not require a roofing contractor to post a surety bond as a condition of HIC registration or CSL licensure; mass.gov's own registration and renewal page describes the consumer protection mechanism as the Residential Contractor's Guaranty Fund rather than a bond. Every new and renewing HIC registrant pays into that fund on a tiered scale based on employee count, from 100 dollars for a contractor with zero to three employees up to 500 dollars for one with more than thirty. The fund is described on the HIC program page as compensating eligible homeowners up to 25,000 dollars for unpaid judgments against a registered contractor, and Chapter 142A, Section 13(b) requires every building permit to clearly state that a homeowner who contracts with an unregistered contractor does not have access to that fund. That last point is a real advertising and sales lever: a homeowner working with an unregistered roofer has no state-backed fund to fall back on if the job goes bad, while one working with a registered HIC contractor does, up to the 25,000 dollar cap per claim. Mass.gov's own HIC and CSL pages do not publish a specific state-mandated general liability insurance minimum in dollars for either credential, so this brief does not state a liability insurance figure. Massachusetts law separately requires most employers, including roofing contractors with employees, to carry workers compensation insurance, but the specific minimum coverage amount and the exact threshold for which businesses must carry it were not confirmed on an issuing agency page during this research and are left out rather than guessed. Contractors should confirm current insurance obligations directly with the Department of Industrial Accidents and their insurer rather than relying on a number not sourced here.
HIC registration and CSL licensure both run on two-year cycles but renew through separate offices. HIC registration renews every two years for a 100 dollar fee through OCABR's MA Contractor Hub; mass.gov warns contractors to start the renewal process 30 to 60 days before expiration, since a lapsed registration can also block the ability to pull municipal permits. A CSL also renews every two years for a 100 dollar fee, with license renewal notifications sent 60 days before expiration, and carries a one year grace period after expiration; renewing in the second year of that grace period costs an additional 100 dollars, and a license lapsed more than two years requires retaking the exam and reapplying as new. Continuing education is a CSL requirement, not an HIC one. Mass.gov's continuing education page sets the required hours by license type: an unrestricted construction supervisor must complete 12 hours every two years, a restricted (one- and two-family) construction supervisor must complete 10 hours, and a specialty construction supervisor, the category that covers roof covering along with masonry and insulation, must complete 6 hours. Every category must include at least 1 hour each of code review, workplace safety, business practices and workers compensation, energy, and lead safe practices. Up to 6 hours of that continuing education can be completed online; any remaining hours must come from in-person, classroom training. Courses should be finished at least 60 days before the license expires, and a course completion certificate already used for a prior renewal cannot be resubmitted for the next one. HIC registration and renewal, by comparison, does not require continuing education credits on the mass.gov registration page.
Massachusetts does not offer reciprocity for construction supervisor licensing. Mass.gov states plainly, on the page explaining when a Construction Supervisor License is required, that Massachusetts does not recognize out-of-state contractor licenses, and that the state building code, 780 CMR, applies to every building and structure in the Commonwealth regardless of where the contractor is normally licensed. A roofing contractor licensed as a construction supervisor, or holding an equivalent roofing credential, in another state cannot use that out-of-state license to supervise permitted roofing work in Massachusetts; the individual must apply for a Massachusetts CSL through the same process as any first-time applicant, including verifying the required experience and sitting for the PSI exam on the current edition of the state building code. The same applies on the registration side: mass.gov's HIC registration page describes one registration process for individuals, proprietorships, partnerships, and corporations, with no separate track or waiver for a business already registered as a home improvement contractor in another state. This matters for any roofing company expanding into Massachusetts from a neighboring state, since neither the CSL nor the HIC side offers a fast path around the standard application, exam, and fee process described elsewhere in this brief. Mass.gov's pages reviewed for this research did not mention any exception for specific bordering states or any formal reciprocity agreement, so this brief treats Massachusetts as a non-reciprocity state for both credentials rather than assuming an unconfirmed carve out. A contractor should confirm current status directly with the Division of Occupational Licensure before assuming any prior out-of-state credential will transfer.
Sourcesmass.gov 1mass.gov 2
Chapter 142A, Section 19 sets out the criminal penalties for operating as an unregistered home improvement contractor or subcontractor in Massachusetts. Anyone who knowingly, willfully, or negligently operates without the required certificate of registration, and is not otherwise exempt, or who continues to operate after a registration is revoked or suspended, or who fails to renew it, faces a fine of up to 5,000 dollars, imprisonment of up to two years, or both. A separate, lower tier applies to other willful violations of the chapter that do not carry their own specific penalty elsewhere in the law: a fine of up to 2,000 dollars, imprisonment of up to one year, or both. The statute is explicit that these fines and imprisonment terms apply on top of any administrative penalty already available under the chapter, and that the criminal case can be brought by the Attorney General or a district attorney. Section 17 of the same chapter lists the specific acts that trigger exposure, starting with operating without a certificate of registration issued by the director, and separately covering knowingly contracting beyond the scope of an existing registration, meaning a roofer whose registration or CSL scope does not cover a given job cannot simply take it anyway. Section 13(b) reinforces the financial stakes for the homeowner's side of an unregistered job: every building permit must clearly state that a person who contracts with an unregistered contractor has no access to the Guaranty Fund, so an unregistered roofing job leaves the customer with no state-backed recovery path if the contractor walks away or does defective work. These penalties apply to the HIC registration requirement; mass.gov's CSL pages describe license revocation and suspension as the primary enforcement tool for supervising work without the correct CSL category, rather than publishing a separate criminal fine schedule for that specific violation.
Sourcesmalegislature.gov 1malegislature.gov 2malegislature.gov 3
Massachusetts building permits are administered locally, even though the CSL and HIC credentials that authorize the underlying work are issued at the state level. In Boston, the Inspectional Services Department, based at 1010 Massachusetts Avenue, handles building permits citywide, and a roofing contractor working in Boston needs a permit through that department in addition to holding current HIC registration and the appropriate CSL, whether unrestricted, restricted, or the roof covering specialty, for the job. Boston's permitting portal groups building permits, permit status checks, and related forms under Inspectional Services, and the department can be reached at 617-635-5300 for permitting questions. Mass.gov's own guidance repeatedly tells contractors to always check with the municipal building official in the city or town where a project is located for any additional local licensing requirements on top of the state HIC and CSL rules, which means a roofing contractor working across several Massachusetts municipalities, such as Boston, Worcester, Springfield, or Cambridge, should expect each city's building department to run its own permit process and inspection schedule, even though the underlying state registration and license numbers stay the same everywhere in the Commonwealth. This research verified Boston's Inspectional Services Department directly on boston.gov; it did not independently verify a separate permit fee schedule or roofing-specific local ordinance for Worcester, Springfield, or Cambridge, so no city-specific fee figures for those other metros are stated here. A roofing contractor bidding work in any Massachusetts city should confirm that city's own building permit requirements and any local contractor registration on top of the statewide HIC and CSL requirements described throughout this brief, since 780 CMR sets a statewide floor rather than a ceiling on local permitting rules.
Sourcesboston.gov 1mass.gov 2
Chapter 142A directly regulates how a Massachusetts home improvement contractor, including a roofing contractor, can advertise. Section 13(c) requires that every contract, building permit, and advertisement display the contractor's or subcontractor's certificate of registration number; this is not limited to paperwork, it covers marketing materials generally. Section 17(8) makes it a prohibited act to publish, directly or indirectly, any advertisement relating to home construction or home improvements that does not contain the contractor's or subcontractor's registration number, or that contains an assertion, representation, or statement of fact that is false, deceptive, or misleading. Section 17(9) separately prohibits advertising that a business is registered under the chapter unless the advertisement includes an accurate reference to the actual certificate of registration, so a roofing company cannot claim to be a registered HIC contractor in an ad without also giving the real, current registration number. Section 17(5) prohibits knowingly contracting beyond the scope of a registration, which is directly relevant to a roofer holding a Specialty CSL in roof covering rather than an unrestricted CSL: advertising or accepting work outside that specialty's defined scope, such as major structural framing repair, risks violating both the CSL scope rules and the chapter 142A advertising and misrepresentation provisions if the ad implies broader authority than the registration or license actually covers. Section 17(4) separately prohibits material misrepresentation made to procure a contract, or any false promise likely to influence, persuade, or induce a customer into signing. Mass.gov's own pages reviewed for this brief did not spell out a specific dollar penalty tied only to an advertising violation; the fine and imprisonment ranges described in the penalties section above apply to willful violations of the chapter generally, including these advertising provisions, rather than carrying a separate advertising-only fine schedule.
Chapter 142A, Section 2 sets specific, mandatory content for any residential contracting agreement over 1,000 dollars, which covers most roofing jobs. The agreement must be in writing and include the full agreement between owner and contractor; identifying information for the parties and any salesperson, plus the contractor's registration number and the date the contract was signed; the scheduled start date and substantial completion date; a detailed description of the work and materials; the total contract price; and a payment schedule stated in dollars, including finance charges. Any deposit collected before work begins cannot exceed the greater of one-third of the total contract price or the actual cost of special-order or custom-made materials that must be ordered in advance to keep the project on schedule, and no final payment can be demanded until the work is completed to the satisfaction of the parties. The contract must carry the signatures of all parties and a clear, conspicuous notice covering several specific points: that contractors and subcontractors must be registered with the director and where to direct registration inquiries; the contractor's registration number; the owner's three-day cancellation rights, which the statute ties to Chapter 93, Section 48, Chapter 255D, Section 14, or Chapter 140D, Section 10, depending on which applies to the transaction; all warranties and the owner's statutory rights; the sentence 'Do not sign this contract if there are any blank spaces,' printed in at least 10-point bold type directly above the signature line; and any lien or security interest the contract creates on the residence. The statute also allows other lawful terms the owner and contractor agree to, provided none of them waive rights the chapter otherwise gives the homeowner. A roofing contractor writing its own residential contract template should check it against each of these required elements directly.
Sourcesmalegislature.gov
Storm and hail damage roofing work in Massachusetts is not governed by a separate, roofing-specific storm restoration statute that this research was able to confirm on an issuing agency page. What does clearly apply is the general Home Improvement Contractor Law framework covered elsewhere in this brief: a roofer soliciting storm-damage repair work on an existing owner-occupied one- to four-unit home still needs current HIC registration and the correct CSL or specialty CSL for the scope of repair, the same written contract requirements and three-day cancellation right under Chapter 142A, Section 2 apply to storm-repair contracts over 1,000 dollars, and the Section 17(4) prohibition on material misrepresentation or false promises used to procure a contract applies directly to high-pressure, post-storm sales tactics, since that provision does not carve out an exception for weather-driven urgency. Massachusetts separately licenses insurance producers and related roles through its Division of Insurance, and public adjusters, who are licensed to represent policyholders in negotiating property insurance claims, are a distinct regulated role from a roofing contractor; a roofing contractor who is not separately licensed as a public adjuster should not be negotiating or settling a homeowner's insurance claim on the homeowner's behalf. This research could not confirm the specific Division of Insurance statute or regulation setting out Massachusetts public adjuster licensing requirements or any roofing-specific prohibition on contractors acting as public adjusters, since the mass.gov pages checked for that topic returned not-found errors during this research, so no public adjuster license requirement, fee, or specific prohibited-conduct list is stated here as fact; it is listed in the unsourced facts below. A homeowner working with a roofer after storm damage should independently confirm both the contractor's HIC and CSL status and, separately, whether anyone advising on the insurance claim itself holds an actual Massachusetts public adjuster license before signing an assignment of insurance benefits or a contract tied to an unresolved claim.
Massachusetts maintains two separate, free online lookup tools that correspond to the two credentials described throughout this brief, and a homeowner or general contractor hiring a roofer should check both. Home Improvement Contractor registration status can be searched through the MA Contractor Hub's public HIC contractor search, which mass.gov itself links to directly as the way to look up a registered contractor. Construction Supervisor License status, including the specific CSL category a person holds, such as unrestricted, restricted one- and two-family, or the roof covering specialty, is checked through the Division of Occupational Licensure's License Verification Site. Mass.gov describes that verification tool as searchable by profession, license type, license number, license status, name, city, state, zip code, and county for an individual license, or by business name and manager name for a facility search, and it covers license records from 2001 to the present. Checking only one of the two systems is not enough: a contractor can show a valid HIC registration number while the individual actually supervising the roof work holds no current CSL, or a CSL holder can supervise roofing work while the contracting business itself has an expired or never-issued HIC registration, and either gap removes real consumer protections described elsewhere in this brief, including access to the 25,000 dollar Guaranty Fund. Because Chapter 142A, Section 13(c) requires the registration number to appear on the contract itself, a customer can pull that number directly off the paperwork before searching either database, rather than relying on a number recited verbally or printed only on a business card or a vehicle. Confirming both registration and license status before signing, and before paying any deposit, is the most direct way a customer can apply the state's own consumer-protection framework to a specific roofing bid.
Sourcescontractorhub.mass.gov 1mass.gov 2malegislature.gov 3
These are common details other guides publish about Massachusetts, but we could not verify them from the agency source. Confirm them directly before relying on them.
Not under that name. Roofing work is covered by two state credentials: Home Improvement Contractor (HIC) registration through OCABR for work on existing owner-occupied one- to four-unit homes, and a Construction Supervisor License (CSL), including a Specialty CSL in roof covering, issued by the Board of Building Regulations and Standards to supervise permitted construction.
It is a Construction Supervisor License category limited to construction, reconstruction, alteration, repair, or removal of roof covering, including replacing up to 25 percent of roof sheathing and up to 25 percent of sistering roof rafters, on buildings under 35,000 cubic feet, one- and two-family homes, and agricultural buildings.
For an existing, owner-occupied one- to four-unit home, generally yes: HIC registration covers the contracting relationship with the homeowner, and a CSL, unrestricted or the roof covering specialty, covers supervision of the permitted work, unless a registered design professional is supervising instead.
Not necessarily. Mass.gov states that for buildings over 35,000 cubic feet of enclosed space, a registered design professional, meaning a licensed engineer or architect, controls construction instead of a CSL holder, because the design professional is treated as the licensed party for that project.
A new HIC registration costs a 150 dollar registration fee plus a Guaranty Fund payment based on employee count, ranging from 100 dollars for zero to three employees up to 500 dollars for more than thirty employees. Renewal, required every two years, costs 100 dollars.
CSL renewal costs 100 dollars every two years. There is a one-year grace period after expiration, and renewing in the second year of that grace period adds another 100 dollar fee. Mass.gov does not publish the initial CSL application fee.
Mass.gov describes the state's consumer protection mechanism as the Residential Contractor's Guaranty Fund, funded by HIC registrant payments, rather than a bond requirement, and the fund pays eligible homeowners up to 25,000 dollars for unpaid judgments against a registered contractor.
No. Mass.gov states directly that Massachusetts does not recognize out-of-state contractor licenses, and the state building code applies statewide, so an out-of-state roofer must apply for Massachusetts HIC registration and a Massachusetts CSL through the standard process.
Chapter 142A, Section 19 sets a fine of up to 5,000 dollars, imprisonment of up to two years, or both, for knowingly, willfully, or negligently operating without required registration, on top of any administrative penalty, and the case can be brought by the Attorney General or a district attorney.
Yes. Chapter 142A, Section 13(c) requires every contract, building permit, and advertisement to display the registration number, and Section 17(8) separately prohibits publishing a home improvement advertisement that omits that number or contains a false or misleading statement.
HIC registration status is searchable through the MA Contractor Hub's public HIC contractor search. Construction Supervisor License status, including the specific CSL category, is searchable through the Division of Occupational Licensure's License Verification Site, which covers records from 2001 to the present.
This research found no roofing-specific storm or hail restoration statute on an issuing agency page. The general Home Improvement Contractor Law still applies, including the Section 17(4) prohibition on material misrepresentation or false promises used to procure a contract, which covers high-pressure post-storm sales.
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