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Massachusetts |
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Anyone who supervises construction work or demolition (even a crew of one) needs a license.
To find out if a home improvement contractor is licensed in
Massachusetts, click http://www.state.ma.us/bbrs/Hicsearch.htm
To find out if an electrician, plumber, or gas fitter is licensed in Massachusetts,
click http://license.reg.state.ma.us/pubLic/licque.asp?color=green.
To find out if an asbestos abatement or lead contractor is licensed, click http://www.mass.gov/dos/forms/index.htm#Lists.
There are two types of Construction Supervisor's license, unrestricted and restricted. The Restricted Construction Supervisor's License limits work to one- and two-family dwellings and accessory buildings. The Unrestricted License allows work on structures up to 35,000 cubic feet. To apply for either license, contact:
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State Board of Building Regulations and Standards McCormack State Office Building One Ashburton Place, Room 1301 Boston, MA 02108 (617) 727-3200 Fax: (617) 227-1754 http://www.state.ma.us/bbrs/hic.htm |
You must pass an exam to be licensed, and you must have at least three years of full time work experience to take the exam. The exam is three hours long, open book with 50 multiple choice questions. It covers:
| Subject | Number of questions |
| Code administration | 7 - 9 |
| Quality, strength, safety of materials and designs | 3 - 5 |
| Site work and foundations | 3 - 5 |
| Concrete | 3 - 5 |
| Masonry | 3 - 5 |
| Metals | 2 - 4 |
| Wood | 7 - 9 |
| Thermal and moisture protection | 4 - 6 |
| Doors, windows, and passages | 2 - 4 |
| Finishes | 1 - 2 |
| Mechanical systems | 2 - 4 |
| Fire protection | 2 - 4 |
Candidates must take a copy of the Massachusetts State Building Code, 6th edition including a copy of Chapter 36 (Massachusetts State One- and Two-Family Dwelling Code, 6th Edition) to the test center. The State Building code may be purchased by contacting The State Bookstore, State House, Room 116, Boston, Massachusetts 02133 or by calling (617) 727-2834.
For information on the test, contact:
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Experior Massachusetts Construction Supervisors Licensing Examinations 2 Mount Royal Avenue, Suite 250 Marlborough, MA 01752 (800) 626-0750 http://www.experioronline.com |
Contractor's license fees: The exam costs
$100. The license costs $150.
Home Improvement Contractor's Licenses
If you work on existing residential structures that are one- to four-unit owner-occupied buildings, you also need to register with the state. To do this, contact the State Board of Building Regulations and Standards and ask for an application to register as a Home Improvement Contractor or Subcontractor. There's no exam connected with this registration.
Home Improvement Contractor's registration will cost you $100. But you may not have register if you have a Construction Supervisor license in Massachusetts.
There's also a Guaranty Fund that you may have to contribute to the first time you register. The amount you need to contribute will depend on how many employees your company has:
| Number of employees | Required fund contribution |
| 0 - 3 | $100 |
| 4 - 10 | $200 |
| 1 - 30 | $300 |
| More than 30 | $500 |
Asbestos or Lead Abatement Licenses
To do asbestos or lead abatement work in Massachusetts, you need a license. To get an application, contact:
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Department of Labor & Workforce
Development Division of Occupational Safety 100 Cambridge St., Room 1106 Boston, MA 02202 (617) 727-7047 (800) 425-0004 (in Massachusetts only) http://www.state.ma.us/dos |
Forms are available online at http://www.state.ma.us/dos/pages/Forms.htm.
Here are the licenses the Department issues and the nonrefundable yearly fee for each one:
| License | Fee |
| Asbestos contractor license | $2,050 |
| Asbestos project designer certificate | $625 |
| Asbestos inspector certificate | $625 |
| Asbestos project monitor certificate | $625 |
| Asbestos management planner certificate | $625 |
| Asbestos supervisor certificate | $225 |
| Asbestos worker certificate | $75 |
| Deleader contractor license | $575 |
| Deleader supervisor license | $150 |
| Deleader worker certificate | $50 |
There may also be a surcharge due along with your license fee.
Before you can get any of these licenses you must have completed the training the Department requires.
Electrician's Licenses
To do electrical work in Massachusetts you need a license. All electrical licenses are good for three years. To get an application click http://www.magnet.state.ma.us/reg/boards/el/forms.htm, or contact:
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Division of Professional
Licensure Board of State Examiners of Electricians 239 Causeway St., Ste. 500 Boston, MA 02114 (617) 727-9931 http://www.magnet.state.ma.us/reg/home.htm |
The Board issues journeyman, master, system contractor, and system technician licenses. You must pass an exam for any of these licenses. To take the journeyman exam you need three years of electrical work experience (four years if you started in the profession after September 1, 1981), and 300 hours of Board-approved education. You need to hold a journeyman license from the Board at least one year before you can take the master exam.
All the electrical licensing exams are given by:
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PSI Examination Services 3210 E. Tropicana Ave. Las Vegas, NV 89121 (800) 733-9267 http://www.psiexams.com |
Both master and journeyman exams are open book. The master exam has 80 questions and a time limit of 240 minutes. The journeyman exam has 70 questions and a time limit of 180 minutes.
| Number of questions | ||
| Subject | Journeyman | Master |
| State specific electrical requirements | 0 | 4 |
| General knowledge | 8 | 6 |
| Services | 11 | 11 |
| Grounding and bonding | 7 | 10 |
| Wiring methods and devices | 18 | 15 |
| Motors | 4 | 7 |
| Transformers | 1 | 1 |
| Low-Voltage distribution | 2 | 2 |
| Special occupancies and equipment | 5 | 10 |
| Overcurrent protection | 6 | 6 |
| Lighting | 2 | 2 |
| Alarm systems | 6 | 6 |
For a master license you will need to take the Business and Law exam. The open-book exam has 40 multiple choice questions.
| Content area | Number of questions |
| Massachusetts licensing | 16 |
| Estimating and bidding | 4 |
| Lien laws | 1 |
| Financial management | 3 |
| Tax laws | 3 |
| Labor laws | 3 |
| Project management | 3 |
| Contracts | 6 |
| Business organization | 2 |
| Risk management | 4 |
| Environmental and safety | 5 |
You need to pass a practical exam to get a journeyman license. The exam has 30 questions. Here's a breakdown of its contents:
| Subject | Approximate number of questions |
| Circuit calculations | 5 |
| Electrical schematics and plans | 5 |
| Materials and components | 6 |
| Troubleshooting and testing | 6 |
| Massachusetts amendments | 6 |
| Licensing laws and regulations | 2 |
You can take this exam the same day you take the journeyman exam.
The Contractor and Technician examination has are based on the content areas listed below:
| Number of questions | ||
| Subject | Contractor | Technician |
| General electric and electronic theory and knowledge | 9 | - |
| NEC alarm requirements | 15 | 20 |
| Intrusion detection and notification | 15 | - |
| Fire detection and notification | 31 | 30 |
Technician candidates are required to pass the practical examination. The examination consists of 30 questions on:
| Subject | Approximate number of questions |
| Circuit calculations | 6 |
| Electrical schematics and plans | 6 |
| Materials and components | 8 |
| Troubleshooting and testing | 8 |
| Licensing laws and regulations | 2 |
If you have a journeyman or master electrician license in New Hampshire, Vermont or Maine you can apply to get a license from the Board by reciprocity.
Here are the licenses available, and fees for each:
| License | Exam and license fee |
| Journeyman (both written and practical) | $312 |
| Master | $402 |
| Systems contractor | $402 |
| Systems technician |
$312 |
| Recommended Reading for the Electrical Exams Master and Journeyman Exams These materials are allowed for use during the examination: NFPA 70 - National Electrical Code, current edition, National Fire Protection Association, 1 Batterymarch Park, P.O. Box 9101, Quincy, MA 02269, http://www.nfpa.org National Fire Alarm Code, National Fire Protection Association, 1 Batterymarch Park, P.O. Box 9101, Quincy, MA 02269, http://www.nfpa.org Massachusetts Electrical Code, Board of Fire Prevention Regulations, http://www.mass.gov/dfs/osfm/fireprevention/cmr/index.htm Systems Contractor Exam These materials are allowed for use during the examination: NFPA 70 - National Electrical Code, current edition, National Fire Protection Association, 1 Batterymarch Park, P.O. Box 9101, Quincy, MA 02269, http://www.nfpa.org Massachusetts Electrical Code, Board of Fire Prevention Regulations, http://www.mass.gov/dfs/osfm/fireprevention/cmr/index.htm National Fire Alarm Code, National Fire Protection Association, 1 Batterymarch Park, P.O. Box 9101, Quincy, MA 02269, http://www.nfpa.org Systems Technician Exam NFPA 70 - National Electrical Code, current edition, National Fire Protection Association, 1 Batterymarch Park, P.O. Box 9101, Quincy, MA 02269, http://www.nfpa.org National Fire Alarm Code, National Fire Protection Association, 1 Batterymarch Park, P.O. Box 9101, Quincy, MA 02269, http://www.nfpa.org 237 CMR 12.00-23.00 - Rules and Regulations of the Board of State Examiners of Electricians, State House Book Store, Rm 116, Boston, MA 02133 You can get the reference books from: Builders' Book Depot |
Plumber's and Gasfitter's Licenses
To do plumbing work in Massachusetts you need a license. All plumbing licenses are good for three years. For an application, click http://www.state.ma.us/reg/boards/pl/forms.htm or contact:
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Division of Professional
Licensure Board of State Examiners of Plumbers 239 Causeway St., Ste. 500 Boston, MA 02114 (617) 727-9952 http://www.state.ma.us/reg/boards/pl/default.htm |
Every applicant for a journeyman plumber’s license shall have worked at least three years in Massachusetts as an apprentice before being eligible to take the examination. At least 300 hours plumbing theory is also required. Every applicant for journeyman gasfitter’s license shall have worked at least two years in Massachusetts as an apprentice before being eligible to take the examination. At least 150 hours of gasfitting theory is also required. You must pass an exam for either of these licenses. All exams are closed book, multiple choice format. The exams each costs $117. This covers the application fee and the examination fee.
Exams are given by Experior. You can contact them for information on the exams at:
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Experior 2 Mount Royal Avenue, Suite 250 Marlborough, MA 01752 (508) 624-0826 http://www.experioronline.com |
Plumbing Exam:
The plumbing exams consist of 2 parts. You will
have 4 hours to complete both parts.
Part I - Written
| Subject | Percent of exam |
| Installation practices | 15 |
| Science and theory | 5 |
| Math | 20 |
| Blueprint reading and design | 5 |
| Code | 55 |
Part II - Practical
This part consists of multiple-choice questions referenced to plumbing such as sizes, dimensions, clearances, capacities, etc. as they apply to the drawings presented in the exam. Some questions may ask you to recognize compliance with, or a violation of, the code as shown in the drawing and as they relate to fittings and appurtenances.
Gas Fitting Exams:
The gas fitter exams consist of one part. The exams are closed book,
multiple-choice format. Time limit is 2 hours.
| Subject | Percent of exam |
| Combustion air and venting | 20 |
| Piping installation practices | 20 |
| Materials | 15 |
| Sizing and estimating | 10 |
| Equipment locations | 10 |
| Code definitions | 10 |
| Testing | 5 |
| Troubleshooting and adjustment | 5 |
| Pressure limitations | 5 |
Department of Transportation (DOT)
You must be prequalified to bid on Massachusetts Department of Highways work. Prequalification is good for up to 24 months. To get an application, contact:
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Massachusetts Highway Department Prequalification and Contract Office 10 Park Plaza, Room 7373 Boston, MA 02116-3973 (617) 973-7620 http://www.state.ma.us/mhd/ |
Forms are available online at http://www.mhd.state.ma.us/default.asp?pgid=InfoIndex2&sid=info2.
The application will ask you:
Here are classes of work the Highway Department uses:
| Asbestos removal | Landscaping and roadside development |
| Bridge construction | Electrical lighting |
| Catch basin cleaning | Marine construction |
| Chemical storage sheds | Mowing and spraying |
| Crack sealing | Structural painting |
| Demolition | Pavement marking |
| Drawbridge maintenance | Processing, recycling, transporting excavated soils |
| Drilling and boring | Reclamation |
| Impact attenuators | Sewer and water |
| Intelligent transportation systems | Structural signs |
| Guardrail and fencing | Surfacing |
| Hazardous waste remediation | Traffic signals |
| Highway construction | Tunnels |
| Highway maintenance | Underground tank removal and replacement |
| Highway sweeping | Utilities |
For those contractors who are incorporated outside of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts it also requires a Certificate of Good Standing from the Massachusetts Secretary of State Office.
Out-of-State Corporations
You must register with the Massachusetts Secretary of State and get a Certificate of Good Standing to do business in the state. To get an application, contact:
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Office of the State Secretary One Ashburton Place, Room 1717 Boston, MA 02108 (617) 727-9640 http://corp.sec.state.ma.us/portal/portalpage.htm |
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