Does Massachusetts require a state contractor license bond?

No. Massachusetts does not license or bond general contractors at the state level. Home improvement contractors register under a program backed by the state Guaranty Fund rather than a surety bond, and the Construction Supervisor License is exam-based with no bond. The bonds Massachusetts requires are municipal — drain-layer, street-opening, and right-of-way bonds — plus the state Department of Revenue’s non-resident contractor tax bond.

What is a Massachusetts drain layer bond?

It is the bond a contractor posts to be licensed to connect a building to a municipal sewer or storm drain. Most Massachusetts cities and towns require it, with fixed amounts set locally — for example $50,000 in Fall River and $10,000 in Barre, Billerica, and Dartmouth. In several cities the bond runs to an independent water-and-sewer commission or sewer district rather than to the town.

Which Massachusetts contractor bonds have a fixed amount set by law?

The drain-layer bonds (for example $50,000 in Fall River; $10,000 in Barre, Billerica, Dartmouth, and Lynn; $7,500 in Southbridge; $2,000 in Marblehead), Boston’s street occupancy ($5,000) and excavation ($20,000) bonds, the Springfield ($10,000) and Woburn ($5,000) street-opening bonds, and the Cambridge sidewalk bond ($1,000) are all fixed and codified. Where a town sets the amount per permit or accepts a cash deposit, the requirement is listed without a fixed price.

Who needs the Massachusetts non-resident contractor tax bond?

An out-of-state general contractor or subcontractor performing a qualifying Massachusetts contract uses it to guarantee the state sales and use tax on the job, payable to the Department of Revenue. The Department also accepts a cash deposit or a statutory holdback, and the amount tracks the contract value rather than a fixed figure, so we list it without a price.

Massachusetts Surety Bonds

Contractor License & Permit Bonds in Massachusetts

Find the exact license, permit, right-of-way, or public-works bond your Massachusetts obligee requires — by city, county, and the state. License and permit bonds issue online.

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How contractor bonding works in Massachusetts

Massachusetts bonds contractors at the municipal level, not the state

Massachusetts is a municipal bond state — the densest in this directory. The Commonwealth itself does not license or bond general contractors; instead, dozens of its cities and towns require their own bonds, and the signature requirement is the drain layer bond a contractor posts to connect to or work on a municipal sewer. Massachusetts also bonds street openings and work in the public right-of-way town by town, and Boston runs its own public-works and water-and-sewer bonds. The one bond Massachusetts requires at the state level is the Department of Revenue’s non-resident contractor tax guarantee for out-of-state contractors. We cover that municipal depth: drain-layer and sewer-connection bonds across the Commonwealth, street-opening and right-of-way bonds, Boston’s excavation and occupancy bonds, and statewide general-use products for the long tail of town obligees.

Massachusetts has no state contractor license bond

A contractor searching for a “Massachusetts contractor license bond” will not find one — and that is the accurate answer, not a gap. Massachusetts protects homeowners through the Home Improvement Contractor program, which is backed by a state Guaranty Fund funded by registration fees, not by a surety bond. The separate Construction Supervisor License that authorizes building work is an exam-based license with no bond, and the plumbing, gas, and electrical trades are licensed with insurance rather than a bond. So there is no statewide general-contractor or home-improvement surety bond to buy. The only state-level surety is the Department of Revenue’s non-resident contractor tax bond, which out-of-state contractors post to guarantee Massachusetts sales and use tax on a job — its amount tracks the contract, so we list it rather than state a fixed price.

The drain layer bond is the signature Massachusetts requirement

To connect a building to a municipal sewer or storm drain in Massachusetts, a contractor must be a licensed drain layer, and most cities and towns condition that license on a surety bond. The amounts are fixed and codified town by town: the City of Fall River requires a $50,000 drain layer bond — the largest in the Commonwealth — while Barre, Billerica, and Dartmouth each set $10,000 and Southbridge $7,500. Many of these run not to the town but to an independent water-and-sewer authority — the Boston Water and Sewer Commission, the Lynn Water and Sewer Commission ($10,000), the Marblehead Water and Sewer Commission ($2,000), and the Oxford-Rochdale ($5,000) and Cherry Valley sewer districts.

Street-opening and right-of-way bonds, town by town

Opening or excavating a public street, or occupying the right-of-way, triggers a separate municipal bond in most Massachusetts cities. Boston requires a $5,000 bond for a street occupancy permit and a $20,000 bond to excavate a public way; Springfield sets a $10,000 street-opening bond and Woburn $5,000 per permit. Sidewalk work is bonded too — the City of Cambridge requires a codified $1,000 sidewalk-and-obstruction bond. Where a town sets the amount per permit or accepts a cash deposit in place of a bond, we list the requirement without a fixed price.

Statewide general-use bonds for the long tail

Massachusetts has 351 cities and towns, and the drain-layer and street-opening patterns repeat far beyond the jurisdictions we carry individually. For an obligee not listed on its own page, four statewide general-use products cover the gap: the drain layer and sewer connection bond, the street opening and right-of-way bond, the sidewalk permit bond, and the land disturbance bond. Each is confirmed with the issuing town when you start it, so we list these without a fixed amount.

Massachusetts bonds we write

Contractor License & Permit Bonds

Statewide

Massachusetts Non-Resident Contractor Tax Bond — Massachusetts Department of Revenue · Portal

Statewide / General-Use Bonds

Massachusetts Drain Layer and Sewer Connection Bond — Massachusetts municipalities and sewer districts (multi-obligee, statewide general-use) · Portal
Massachusetts Land Disturbance Bond — Massachusetts municipalities (multi-obligee, statewide general-use) · Portal
Massachusetts Sidewalk Permit Bond — Massachusetts municipalities (multi-obligee, statewide general-use) · Portal
Massachusetts Street Opening and Right-of-Way Bond — Massachusetts municipalities (multi-obligee, statewide general-use) · Portal

City

Amesbury Street Opening Bond — City of Amesbury (Department of Public Works) · $5,000
Arlington Street Opening Bond — Town of Arlington (Board of Public Works) · Portal
Attleboro Sewer and Water Installation Bond — City of Attleboro (Department of Public Works; Department of Water and Wastewater) · $5,000
Barre Drainlayer Bond — Town of Barre Board of Sewer Commissioners · $10,000
Billerica Drain Layer Bond — Town of Billerica Department of Public Works (Wastewater Division) · $10,000
Boston Street Excavation Bond — City of Boston (Public Works Department) · $20,000
Boston Street Occupancy Bond — City of Boston (Public Works Department) · $5,000
Brookline Drainlayer License Bond — Town of Brookline Department of Public Works (Water and Sewer Division) · Portal
Brookline Public Works Permit Bond — Town of Brookline (Commissioner of Public Works) · $5,000
Cambridge Sidewalk Permit Bond — City of Cambridge (Superintendent of Streets) · $1,000
Canton Utility Contractors License Bond — Town of Canton (Department of Public Works) · $2,000
Charlton Drain Layer Bond — Town of Charlton (Board of Water and Sewer Commissioners) · Portal
Chelmsford Street Opening Bond — Town of Chelmsford (Department of Public Works) · Portal
Cohasset Drain Layer Bond — Town of Cohasset Board of Sewer Commissioners · Portal
Concord Right-of-Way Bond — Town of Concord (Public Works Commission) · Portal
Danvers Street Opening Bond — Town of Danvers (Department of Public Works) · Portal
Dartmouth Utility Layer Bond — Town of Dartmouth Board of Public Works · $10,000
Dedham Drainlayer Bond — Town of Dedham (Town Engineer) · $5,000
Easton Drain Layer Bond — Town of Easton (DPW / Sewer Commission) · Portal
Everett Street Opening Bond — City of Everett · Portal
Fall River Drainlayer Bond — City of Fall River (City Engineer / Sewer Commission) · $50,000
Foxborough Street Opening Bond — Town of Foxborough · Portal
Framingham Street Opening Bond — City of Framingham (Engineering and Transportation Division) · Portal
Grafton Drain Layer Bond — Town of Grafton Board of Sewer Commissioners · $5,000
Haverhill Drainlayer Bond — City of Haverhill (City Engineer / Engineering Division) · Portal
Holden Drain Layer Bond — Town of Holden (Superintendent of Sewers, DPW Water and Sewer Division) · Portal
Hudson Drain Layer Bond — Director of Public Works of the Town of Hudson · $1,000
Lawrence Street Excavation Bond — City of Lawrence (filed with the City Clerk) · Portal
Lexington Street Opening Bond — Town of Lexington · $5,000
Littleton Street Opening Bond — Town of Littleton (Highway Department) · Portal
Ludlow Drain Layer Bond — Town of Ludlow (Board of Public Works) · $3,000
Mansfield Drainlayer Bond — Town of Mansfield (DPW / Engineering) · $5,000
Marlborough Drain Layer Bond — City of Marlborough (Commissioner of Public Works) · $1,000
Marlborough Street Opening Bond — City of Marlborough (penal sum set by City Council; Commissioner of Public Works) · Portal
Medford Licensed Contractor Bond — City of Medford (DPW Engineering) · $10,000
Natick Street Opening Bond — Town of Natick (DPW, Engineering Division) · Portal
Needham Street and Sidewalk Permit Bond — Town of Needham (Department of Public Works) · $5,000
New Bedford Right-of-Way Bond — City of New Bedford (Department of Public Infrastructure) · Portal
Newton Street Opening Bond — City of Newton (Department of Public Works) · Portal
North Andover Street Opening Bond — Town of North Andover (Director of Public Works) · Portal
Northborough Drain Layer Bond — Board of Water and Sewer Commissioners, Town of Northborough · $5,000
Northbridge Street Opening Bond — Town of Northbridge · $10,000
Norwood Drain Layer Bond — Town of Norwood (Department of Public Works) · Portal
Oxford Drainlayers License Bond — Town of Oxford (Sewer Enterprise / DPW) · $5,000
Peabody Drainlayer Bond — City of Peabody (Engineering Division / Department of Public Services) · Portal
Quincy Street Opening Bond — City of Quincy (Commissioner of Public Works) · $5,000
Raynham Drain Layer Bond — Town of Raynham, Board of Sewer Commissioners · $5,000
Revere Drain Layer Bond — City of Revere (Water and Sewer Department) · $10,000
Salem Street Opening Bond — City of Salem (City Engineer / Director of Public Services) · Portal
Southborough Street Opening Bond — Town of Southborough (Board of Selectmen) · Portal
Southbridge Drainlayer License Bond — Town of Southbridge (Department of Public Works) · $7,500
Springfield Street Opening Bond — City of Springfield (Director of Public Works) · $10,000
Stoughton Drainlayers Bond — Town of Stoughton (Engineering Department) · $5,000
Taunton Street Opening Bond — City of Taunton (Treasurer/Collector; DPW Commissioner) · Portal
Tyngsborough Drainlayer License Bond — Tyngsborough Sewer Commission · $5,000
Walpole Drain Layer Bond — Town of Walpole Board of Sewer and Water Commissioners (filed with the Town Administrator) · Portal
Waltham Street Opening Bond — City of Waltham (Consolidated Public Works Department) · Portal
Wayland Street and Sidewalk Opening Bond — Town of Wayland (Department of Public Works) · $5,000
Westborough Drainlayer Bond — Town of Westborough Department of Public Works (Water and Sewer Division) · $10,000
Weston Street Opening Bond — Town of Weston (Department of Public Works) · $10,000
Weymouth Drain Layer Bond — Town of Weymouth (Superintendent of Public Works) · Portal
Woburn Street Opening Bond — City of Woburn (Superintendent of Public Works) · $5,000
Worcester Driveway and Street Opening Bond — City of Worcester (Commissioner of Public Works) · Portal

Special District

Boston Water and Sewer Commission Drain Layer Bond — Boston Water and Sewer Commission · Portal
Cherry Valley Sewer District Drain Layer Bond — Cherry Valley Sewer District · Portal
Lynn Drainlayer Bond — Lynn Water and Sewer Commission · $10,000
Marblehead Drain Layer Bond — Marblehead Water and Sewer Commission · $2,000
Oxford-Rochdale Sewer District Drain Layer Bond — Oxford-Rochdale Sewer District (Board of Sewer Commissioners) · $5,000

Underwritten bonds in Massachusetts

Bid, performance, and payment bonds are individually underwritten — request a quote rather than the instant portal:

Massachusetts surety bond FAQ

Does Massachusetts require a state contractor license bond?: No. Massachusetts does not license or bond general contractors at the state level. Home improvement contractors register under a program backed by the state Guaranty Fund rather than a surety bond, and the Construction Supervisor License is exam-based with no bond. The bonds Massachusetts requires are municipal — drain-layer, street-opening, and right-of-way bonds — plus the state Department of Revenue’s non-resident contractor tax bond.
What is a Massachusetts drain layer bond?: It is the bond a contractor posts to be licensed to connect a building to a municipal sewer or storm drain. Most Massachusetts cities and towns require it, with fixed amounts set locally — for example $50,000 in Fall River and $10,000 in Barre, Billerica, and Dartmouth. In several cities the bond runs to an independent water-and-sewer commission or sewer district rather than to the town.
Which Massachusetts contractor bonds have a fixed amount set by law?: The drain-layer bonds (for example $50,000 in Fall River; $10,000 in Barre, Billerica, Dartmouth, and Lynn; $7,500 in Southbridge; $2,000 in Marblehead), Boston’s street occupancy ($5,000) and excavation ($20,000) bonds, the Springfield ($10,000) and Woburn ($5,000) street-opening bonds, and the Cambridge sidewalk bond ($1,000) are all fixed and codified. Where a town sets the amount per permit or accepts a cash deposit, the requirement is listed without a fixed price.
Who needs the Massachusetts non-resident contractor tax bond?: An out-of-state general contractor or subcontractor performing a qualifying Massachusetts contract uses it to guarantee the state sales and use tax on the job, payable to the Department of Revenue. The Department also accepts a cash deposit or a statutory holdback, and the amount tracks the contract value rather than a fixed figure, so we list it without a price.

Nate Jones, CPCU · Founder, Wexford Bonds

Nate Jones is a CPCU-designated surety bond producer and the founder of Wexford Insurance, LLC and Wexford Bonds. He places bonds through a panel of 10 sureties across 48 U.S. states. Call 317-942-0549 or email info@wexfordbonds.com.

Last updated June 23, 2026 · Reviewed by Nate Jones, CPCU · Contact a producer

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