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Cambridge, MA contractor license lookup: HIC, construction supervisor, trade licenses and the permits

A Cambridge contractor check is three state searches: the Home Improvement Contractor (HIC) registration of the business, the Construction Supervisor License (CSL) of the person who will run the job, and the licenses of the electrician and plumber. The City of Cambridge issues the permits. In our Cambridge file, 4,965 firms and licensed tradespeople pulled 15,278 permits on residential property from October 2023 to September 2026, 3,512 of them for remodels, additions and alterations.

By Contractor Records · data through October 16, 2026

Which license each job needs in Cambridge

Work Credential Where to check Cambridge permits (firms)
Any home improvement on an existing owner-occupied 1–4 unit home HIC registration (Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation) Contractor Hub HIC search remodel 3,512 (1,395)
Construction on buildings under 35,000 cubic feet, such as additions and decks Construction Supervisor License (OPSI) for the person overseeing it OPSI verification inside remodel above
Roofing, siding HIC on an owner-occupied home; ask the building official whether the job also needs a CSL Contractor Hub and OPSI roofing 766 (353)
Electrical State master or journeyman electrician eLIPSE 3,820 (1,038)
Plumbing State master or journeyman plumber eLIPSE 2,906 (802)
Gas piping and appliances State gas fitter eLIPSE 2,057 (543)
HVAC and sheet metal Ask which state license covers the work eLIPSE or OPSI 1,470 (470)

The HIC rule covers "Contractors, subcontractors, partnerships, or corporations" working "on an existing, owner-occupied residential property with one to four units", and the registration "is different from a Construction Supervisor License"; the two "are not interchangeable" (HIC Registration, read 22 October 2026). For buildings under 35,000 cubic feet, "A licensed construction supervisor or registered design professional (RDP) must oversee construction", and "Massachusetts does not recognize out of state contractor licenses" (CSL page). The state's HIC resources chart shows a deck needs all three of HIC, CSL and a permit, while exterior painting needs only the HIC. Plumbers and gas fitters must be "licensed by the examiners" (M.G.L. c. 142, s. 3).

The City's side: "Building permits are issued to construction supervisors licensed by the City of Cambridge", with an exception for owners of one- or two-unit homes they live in or will live in (Apply for a Building Permit).

The Guaranty Fund only works if the contractor pulled the permit

The HIC Guaranty Fund "Compensates eligible consumers for their actual loss up to $25,000", but only if the contractor was registered when the contract was signed, the contractor (not you) secured the building permit, and the home is your primary residence of one to four units (Guaranty Fund claims). A contractor who asks you to pull a homeowner permit is taking that protection away. The usual Cambridge remodel permit carries $24,805; set that against the $25,000 cap before paying a large deposit.

How to run the lookup in five minutes

  1. Ask for four numbers: the HIC registration, the supervisor's CSL, and the electrician's and plumber's licenses.
  2. HIC: search the Contractor Hub. The business on the search should be the one on your contract.
  3. CSL: search OPSI's verification site by name or number (records from 2001).
  4. Electrician, plumber, gas fitter: search eLIPSE, the state's lookup for Occupational Board licenses.
  5. Track record: open the firm on our Cambridge remodeler list, electrician list or plumber list.

How to search Cambridge permit records

Since April 2026 the City publishes the Cambridge Permit Finder, one dataset of "over 30 types of permits" from Inspectional Services and Public Works, with address, permit type, issue date and status, and an interactive dashboard to search it (City news, 8 April 2026). Applications go through the City's OpenGov portal, which needs an account. Inspectional Services: 617-349-6100.

The finder is organised by address. Ours is organised by firm: each firm's or tradesperson's Cambridge permits, the share completed and the estimated days to completion, on the Cambridge permit statistics page and the compare lists.

What 15,278 Cambridge permits show

Trade Permits Firms Completed Usual days to completion (estimate) Firms with one permit
Electrical 3,820 1,038 71.5% 104 44.5%
Remodel, addition & alteration 3,512 1,395 51.3% 304 63.8%
Plumbing 2,906 802 67.8% 69 50.9%
Gas fitting 2,057 543 54.3% 46 55.6%
HVAC & sheet metal 1,470 470 53.4% 325 60.9%
Roofing 766 353 92.4% 17 73.9%

"Completed" is the share of permits a year or more old marked Complete. Cambridge publishes a status but no completion date, so days to completion are our estimate from status and permit age. Remodels are slow here: only 51.3% of remodel permits a year or more old were completed. Among the 71 electricians with 10 or more permits, the 10th-percentile one completed 54.1% and the 90th 88.2%.

See every Cambridge remodeler by permits completed →

Red flags in Cambridge

  • No HIC registration on a firm working on your owner-occupied home, or an HIC number that belongs to a different business.
  • A request that you pull a homeowner permit. You lose the Guaranty Fund and become responsible for the work.
  • A "license" from another state. Massachusetts does not recognise out-of-state contractor licenses.
  • An electrician or plumber who cannot give a state license number.
  • A firm that has gone quiet: 40 electricians and 36 remodelers with 5+ permits filed none in the last 12 months.

What this lookup does not tell you

We have not matched Cambridge permits to the HIC, CSL or occupational-board lists, so our Cambridge pages show no license status; a blank there says nothing about the firm. Cambridge's electrical permits name the licensed master electrician, often a person rather than a company, so an electrician may appear under their own name. Days to completion are estimates. Our data stops at September 2026. Statewide rules and penalties are in How to check a contractor's license in Massachusetts.

How we know this

Permits are City of Cambridge Inspectional Services permits on residential parcels, 2023-10 to 2026-09, from the City's open data, grouped into the trades above; owner-pulled permits are left out. "Completed" uses permits a year or more old; days to completion are estimated from status and age, because no completion date is published. No license status is shown. Rules are quoted from Mass.gov, the General Laws and City of Cambridge pages, read 22 October 2026.

Numbers come from City of Cambridge Inspectional Services permits (the city's per-type open-data permit files), data through October 16, 2026. Nobody paid to be on this page and nobody can.

Questions

  • What license does a Cambridge remodeler need?

    Usually two credentials. The business on your contract needs a Massachusetts Home Improvement Contractor (HIC) registration for work on an existing owner-occupied home of one to four units, and the person running the job needs a Construction Supervisor License (CSL) for structural work on buildings under 35,000 cubic feet. Cambridge issues building permits to licensed construction supervisors.

  • Where do I check an HIC registration?

    On the state's Contractor Hub HIC search at contractorhub.mass.gov/s/hic-contractor-search. The HIC registration is what makes the state Guaranty Fund available, up to $25,000.

  • How do I check a Cambridge electrician or plumber?

    On the state's eLIPSE lookup for Occupational Board licenses (occupationallicensingandpermitting.mass.gov). Plumbers and gas fitters must be licensed by the state examiners (M.G.L. c. 142, s. 3). Construction supervisor licenses are on OPSI's verification site, madpl.mylicense.com/Verification.

  • When does the HIC Guaranty Fund pay?

    Up to $25,000 of actual loss, if the contractor was registered when the contract was signed, the contractor (not the homeowner) pulled the building permit, the home is your primary residence of one to four units, and you hold a court judgment or arbitration award you could not collect.

  • How do I find the permits on a Cambridge address?

    Use the City's Cambridge Permit Finder, an open dataset and dashboard launched in April 2026 that combines Inspectional Services and Public Works permits with address, type, issue date and status. Applications themselves go through the City's OpenGov portal; Inspectional Services is on 617-349-6100.

Build your own list

Every firm with that kind of permit on record. Pick what you value. The list moves.

Cambridge remodel, addition & alterationCambridge electricalCambridge plumbingCambridge gas fittingCambridge roofingCambridge HVAC & sheet metal

Related guides

All guides →

Sources
  1. Check if your contractor is a registered Home Improvement Contractor — Mass.gov (2026-10-22)
  2. Home Improvement Contractor Registration and Renewal — Mass.gov (2026-10-22)
  3. HIC contractor resources (HIC, CSL or building permit?) — Mass.gov (2026-10-22)
  4. File a Guaranty Fund claim for an unpaid HIC judgment — Mass.gov (2026-10-22)
  5. When is a Construction Supervisor License required? — Mass.gov (2026-10-22)
  6. Check a license issued by the Office of Public Safety and Inspections (OPSI) — Mass.gov (2026-10-22)
  7. Check an Occupational Board license — Mass.gov (2026-10-22)
  8. M.G.L. c. 142, s. 3 Master plumbers or gas fitters; licensing (2026-10-22)
  9. Apply for a Building Permit — City of Cambridge (2026-10-22)
  10. Cambridge Permit Finder dataset and interactive dashboard now available — City of Cambridge (8 April 2026) (2026-10-22)
  11. Cambridge Permit Finder — Cambridge Open Data (2026-10-22)