Contractors hired to work on a residential home in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts must provide written contracts with required information provided if the amount of the work will exceed one thousand dollars. In fact, so-called "handshake deals", verbal agreements, or simple invoice contracts more likely than not will violate Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 142A.
In 1992, the Massachusetts legislature passed the Home Improvement Contractor Law which became Massachusetts General Laws chapter 142A. This law lays the foundation for agreements between contractors and homeowners when the value of the work being performed will exceed one thousand dollars.
A firm understanding of this law (as well as the requirements of a contract) will help protect both the homeowner and the contractor.
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