Moving to Massachusetts as a general contractor: every state's rule

The broadest contractor credential Massachusetts issues is the Unrestricted Construction Supervisor License (CSL), and it is not split residential against commercial the way most states split their general and residential tiers. The Unrestricted CSL covers construction, reconstruction, alteration, repair, removal and demolition of buildings of any use containing less than 35,000 cubic feet of enclosed space, together with one- and two-family dwellings of any size, agricultural buildings and retaining walls under ten feet, so it is the commercial and mixed-use tier as well as the homes tier. Above 35,000 cubic feet there is no contractor license to hold: the Board states that a registered design professional, an engineer or architect, controls the construction of larger buildings and 'a construction supervisor license is not required for larger projects since the RDP is considered the licensed person for the project'. There are also six Specialty CSL classes - masonry, roof covering, windows and siding, solid fuel-burning appliances, demolition and insulation - each carrying the same building-size scope within its own trade. Like the homes-only class, the Unrestricted CSL is held by a person rather than by a business: M.G.L. c. 143, § 94(i) has the Board issue licenses 'to individuals engaged as construction supervisors', so a contractor moving to Massachusetts applies in their own name rather than qualifying a company, and every building permit application names that individual and their license number. Massachusetts publishes no dollar limits and no classification tiers beyond these, and the Board states that 'Massachusetts does not recognize out of state contractor licenses'.