HANSON, MA – October 22, 2026 – PRESSADVANTAGE –
Massachusetts requires a written agreement for covered residential contracting work in an amount greater than $1,000 under Chapter 142A. EJS Deck & Home Solutions is a South Shore contractor whose work includes decking and home improvements. The law says an amount in excess of $1,000, not an amount equal to $1,000; the distinction matters when evaluating a contract.
The Massachusetts Legislature’s current text of Chapter 142A, Section 2, says the written agreement must contain the complete arrangement between owner and contractor and describe any documents incorporated into it. It also calls for contractor and salesperson identification, the contract date, start and substantial-completion dates, a detailed description of work and materials, and the total price. A homeowner evaluating a deck or remodeling contract should be able to tell which drawings, material choices and specifications actually form part of the bargain. An attractive estimate that does not identify those details is not a substitute for the required written agreement.
The law requires a schedule of payments stating when payments will be made and the amount of each in dollars, including finance charges where applicable. The advance deposit cannot exceed the greater of one-third of the total contract price or the actual cost of special-order or custom-made materials or equipment that must be ordered before the work starts. That exception is narrower than permission to demand any amount simply because materials will be purchased. Chapter 142A also states that final payment may not be demanded until the contract is completed to the satisfaction of the parties. It does not impose a universal rule that each intermediate installment must correspond exactly to a particular percentage of completed labor.
Notices are another part of the agreement. The statute calls for a clear disclosure of registration information, applicable three-day cancellation rights under other laws, warranties, and any lien or security interest in the residence arising from the contract. It also requires a bold warning above the signature line not to sign a contract with blank spaces. The Massachusetts consumer agency’s sample language explains that a cancellation notice applies to an agreement signed in the home or another place outside the contractor’s office or business. The right should not be summarized as identical for every kind of transaction without examining where and how the contract was made.
Massachusetts’ sample contract is a practical reference, but the agency says it satisfies basic requirements without necessarily including all the language a homeowner may want for additional protection. A homeowner can compare a proposed agreement against the sample and ask about unclear scope, substitutions, change orders, payment triggers and the process for documenting a delay. Those are review questions, not a promise that a project will finish on the date first discussed. Even a well-written contract cannot make the weather, permits, deliveries or site conditions predictable; it can make the parties’ responsibilities and agreed terms easier to identify.
Registration should be checked separately from the text of the contract. A prospective client can retain a copy of the state lookup result and the signed agreement together, making it easier to distinguish the contractor’s identity from a salesperson’s name or a trade name later. A number typed on a form is not proof that a particular registration is active or belongs to the entity that will perform the work. The state’s Home Improvement Contractor resources provide the appropriate verification route. The registration program and a construction supervisor license serve different purposes; one should not be treated as proof of the other.
EJS’s company information identifies Josh Dumas as the owner. Its work across the South Shore includes decks and other home improvements. Questions about the scope of work and product choices should be resolved in the written project agreement rather than by assuming that a broad category of services describes the particular job. A warranty, when offered, should be read in its own terms to determine who provides the coverage, which work or materials are included and how a claim is made.
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For more information about EJS Deck and Home Solutions, contact the company here:
EJS Deck and Home Solutions
Josh Steinman
+16173626621
josh@ejshomeimprovement.com
1000 Main St #208, Hanson, MA 02341, United States
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