Handyman Business Permit Requirements in Boston, MA

1. EIN (Employer Identification Number)

   Required if you have employees or operate as an LLC/corporation. Free from the IRS.

   Official government source

   Free·Immediate (online application)

   Free

   Immediate (online application)

1. Massachusetts Home Improvement Contractor (HIC) Registration

   Contractors, subcontractors, partnerships, or corporations that solicit, bid on, or perform contracting work in Massachusetts on an existing, owner-occupied residential property with one to four units must register as a Home Improvement Contractor with the Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation. This applies to handymen doing regular home improvement work, and there is no dollar-amount exemption. Registration and payment are completed online through the MA Contractor Hub (paper applications are no longer accepted). If you register under a trade name (DBA) you must upload a copy of the business certificate filed with the city or town clerk where your business is based. HIC registration is not the same as, and is not interchangeable with, a Construction Supervisor License.

   Official government source

   $150 registration fee, plus a mandatory Guaranty Fund payment based on employee count: $100 (0-3 employees), $200 (4-10), $300 (11-30), $500 (more than 30). Renewal is $100 every two years. Supplemental employee registration cards are $10 each.·Register and pay online through the MA Contractor Hub; start renewals 30-60 days before the expiration date

   $150 registration fee, plus a mandatory Guaranty Fund payment based on employee count: $100 (0-3 employees), $200 (4-10), $300 (11-30), $500 (more than 30). Renewal is $100 every two years. Supplemental employee registration cards are $10 each.

   Register and pay online through the MA Contractor Hub; start renewals 30-60 days before the expiration date

2. Massachusetts Construction Supervisor License (CSL) — if supervising construction

   Under the Massachusetts State Building Code (780 CMR), a licensed construction supervisor or a registered design professional must oversee construction on 1- and 2-family homes and appurtenant structures of any size, on most existing 1- to 4-unit owner-occupied homes, and on buildings under 35,000 cubic feet of enclosed space. For larger buildings the registered design professional is the licensed person and no CSL is required. Applicants must verify 3 years of experience in building construction or design and pass the PSI exam on the current edition of the building code; the score report is then mailed to the Board of Building Regulations and Standards. A CSL is separate from HIC registration — contractors doing home improvement work generally need both. Always check with the municipal building official for additional local requirements.

   Official government source

   Exam fees are set and collected by PSI (see the current candidate handbook); license renewal is $100. A license may be renewed up to 2 years after expiration for an additional $100 late fee.·Allow about 5 weeks for application processing; renewal notices are sent 60 days before expiration

   Exam fees are set and collected by PSI (see the current candidate handbook); license renewal is $100. A license may be renewed up to 2 years after expiration for an additional $100 late fee.

   Allow about 5 weeks for application processing; renewal notices are sent 60 days before expiration

1. City of Boston Business Certificate (DBA) for a Handyman Business

   Massachusetts General Laws chapter 110, section 5 requires anyone conducting business under a title other than their real legal name to file a certificate with the clerk of every city or town where the business has an office. In Boston that is the City Clerk's Office. This is a public record of who owns the business, not a business license, and it does not replace or substitute for any trade or health license. The trigger is the name, not the entity type: a sole proprietor, partnership, LLC, or corporation all must file if the operating name differs from the owner's legal name or the name on record with the Secretary of the Commonwealth. Your signature must be executed under oath, so the form has to be notarized (the Clerk's Office will notarize it if you bring valid photo ID). You must supply a signed lease with start and end dates, or a notarized letter from your landlord; a virtual address or P.O. box is not accepted. The certificate is in force for four years and must be renewed every four years or it lapses. Operating without one is punishable by a fine of up to $300 for each month the violation continues. If you work as a home improvement contractor, the Clerk requires a valid copy of your Home Improvement Contractor registration from the Massachusetts Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation at filing; a Construction Supervisor must produce the license issued by the Office of Public Safety and Inspections. Questions about either: 617-973-8797 or 888-283-3757.

   Official government source

   $65. If you are not a Massachusetts resident but want to conduct business in the Commonwealth, you pay an additional $35. Paying by credit card or pinless debit card adds a non-refundable processor fee of 2.5% of the payment ($1 minimum), which the City does not keep. A later change-of-location filing is $50.·Same day: bring the notarized form, a copy of your signed lease (or a notarized letter from your landlord), and payment to the City Clerk's Office, Room 601, 1 City Hall Square, Monday through Friday 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Filing by mail is also accepted; enclose a self-addressed stamped envelope and allow return-mail time.

   $65. If you are not a Massachusetts resident but want to conduct business in the Commonwealth, you pay an additional $35. Paying by credit card or pinless debit card adds a non-refundable processor fee of 2.5% of the payment ($1 minimum), which the City does not keep. A later change-of-location filing is $50.

   Same day: bring the notarized form, a copy of your signed lease (or a notarized letter from your landlord), and payment to the City Clerk's Office, Room 601, 1 City Hall Square, Monday through Friday 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Filing by mail is also accepted; enclose a self-addressed stamped envelope and allow return-mail time.

Official Sources

• Mass.gov — Home Improvement Contractor Registration
• Mass.gov — HIC Program
• City of Boston — DBA Filing
• City of Boston — Home Improvement Tips

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