Home Improvement Contractor (HIC) Program

The Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation oversees the Home Improvement Contractor (HIC) Registration program and its associated Arbitration program and the Guaranty Fund.

The Home Improvement Contractor (HIC) programs were created to protect consumers and regulate the business practices of contractors. The HIC programs require all home improvement contractors to register with the Commonwealth, process consumer complaints, maintain an arbitration program for resolving disputes and compensate consumers up to $25,000 for unpaid judgments from the Guaranty Fund. For any questions about the HIC programs, contact our Consumer Hotline at [phone].

Introducing the MA Contractor Hub!

The MA Contractor Hub is a one-stop platform for consumers and contractors. This new and improved service hub is mobile-friendly and easy to use.

Contractors, in the Hub you are able to:

• Apply for, renew, and update your Home Improvement Contractor registration
• Generate supplemental registration cards
• Pay your balance
• And more!

Contractor Guide for the MA Contractor Hub

Homeowners, in the Hub you are able to:

• Look up contractor registrations and history
• Apply for arbitration and the Guaranty Fund
• File complaints
• Check your submissions
• And more!

Homeowner Guide for the MA Contractor Hub

Contractor resources

In-person service for contractors is now available Monday-Friday, 9:30 AM to 3:30 PM at One Federal Street, Boston (except on holidays).

All contractors, partnerships, and corporations that solicit, bid on, or perform residential contracting as a contractor or subcontractor on an existing one to four unit owner occupied residential property in Massachusetts must be registered as a Home Improvement Contractor (HIC). 

Registration and Renewal:

• Contractor Guide for the MA Contractor Hub
• Do I need a Construction Supervisor's License (CSL) in addition to an HIC registration?
• What work requires an HIC Registration, CSL License, or building permit?
• Contractors: HIC Guide for Registration, Renewal, and Making Changes to your Registration
• Contractors: Registration and Renewal
  • Renew before the expiration date to save money and time. Per updated legal guidance and consistent with HIC statutes, regulations, and renewal notices, HIC registrations expire on the date of expiration. Failure to renew by the date of expiration will lead to extra cost and delays. Your ability to pull necessary municipal permits may also be impacted. 
• Construction Supervisor Licensing Guide
• Change your registered home improvement contractor address

Working With Homeowners:

• Home Improvement Contract Requirements, Details, and Sample Language
• Deleading and Lead Safety
• 201 CMR 18: Registration and enforcement of home improvement contractor program
• 201 CMR 14: Home improvement contractor arbitration and guaranty fund

Homeowner resources

Understanding the HIC Program:

• Homeowner Guide to the MA Contractor Hub
• Homeowners: Guide to Hiring a Home Improvement Contractor
• What work requires an HIC Registration, CSL License, or building permit?

Before Hiring a Home Improvement Contractor:

• Homeowners: Check a Home Improvement Contractor (HIC) Registration Status
• Home Improvement Contract Requirements, Details, and Sample Language

If Something Goes wrong with a Contractor:

• Homeowners: File a Complaint Against a Contractor
• Determine if the HIC Arbitration Program is right for you
• Apply for the Home Improvement Guaranty Fund
• HIC Arbitration and Guaranty Fund Resources

Additional Information:

• Homebuyers Resources
• Visit the MA Contractor Hub

Did you hire Solar Wolf? Need help?

Solar Wolf is currently going through bankruptcy at the United States Bankruptcy Court, District of Massachusetts. As a result, the company cannot be sued in civil court. However, the Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation (OCABR) may be able to assist you through its Home Improvement Contractor (HIC) Arbitration Program and Guaranty Fund.

Details about how to participate in the HIC Arbitration Program and subsequently submit a claim to the Guaranty Fund for payment are below.

Here’s what you need to do:

First, complete and submit the form below to obtain permission from the U.S. Bankruptcy Court to Pursue HIC Arbitration. This is a federal Bankruptcy Court requirement that OCABR cannot waive.

• File an Automatic Relief from Stay with the U.S. Bankruptcy Court. Use the template provided and contact the bankruptcy court at [phone] to learn how to file your request and pay the filing fee. This step is necessary to successfully apply to the HIC Arbitration Program, and then eventually apply to the Guaranty Fund.

Next, submit an HIC Arbitration Application while waiting for a response from U.S. Bankruptcy Court.

• There’s no reason to delay your HIC arbitration application. As soon as you submit your Automatic Relief from Stay form to the U.S. Bankruptcy Court, apply for HIC Arbitration using this form. Information on how to apply is also available online.
• When you apply for Arbitration, you need to include a copy of your signed Solar Wolf contract.
• Supply the approval document from U.S. Bankruptcy Court whenever received, and then your case will be assigned to an arbitrator.
• The arbitrator will consider information submitted from you and issue a legally binding decision.

Last, if you receive an arbitration award it will include a blank Guaranty Fund application.

• Fill out the Guaranty Fund application and email it to [e-mail] or mail a copy to:
  • HIC Guaranty Fund
    Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation
    1 Federal Street, Suite 0720
    Boston MA 02110-2012
• You must provide a copy of the decision from arbitration along with your application.
• Your single damages amount will be listed on the arbitration decision. For damages less than $25,000 you will be paid the amount listed on your decision. For damages more than $10,000, your Guaranty Fund payment is capped by law at $25,000.

Questions about the Guaranty Fund?  
Call 617-973-8708, Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

Massachusetts home improvement law

A compilation of laws, regulations, and web sources on home improvement law by the Trial Court Law Libraries: Massachusetts law about home improvement

MA Contractor Hub Accessibility Statement

Overview

The Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation (OCABR) is committed to achieving meaningful accessibility to this online environment for all users, including users with disabilities. This site follows Commonwealth of Massachusetts enterprise standards designed to meet the needs of our citizens with disabilities. Specifically, the site was designed in accordance with the web content accessibility guidelines developed by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) and tested by a third party vendor for accessibility.

Questions about accessibility

If the formatting of this site prevents you from accessing the information, please contact us for assistance. In order to respond in a manner most helpful to you, please note the nature of your accessibility concern, the webpage address of the requested material, and the best way to contact you.

Some components of the site cannot be modified by OCABR. Salesforce accessibility restrictions that we have tickets open to rectify include:

• Some input feels do not have proper labels which may confuse screen readers
• Error messages are not differentiated which may confuse screen readers
• Autocomplete may not work with some fields
• Limited color contrast may make some text difficult to read
• Inconsistencies in dialogue boxes may be confusing

We also welcome your questions about this accessibility statement and comments on how to improve the site's accessibility. Please contact us at 617-973-8787 (Monday-Friday, 9:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m.).