Pulling permit for 5 unit in MA - do I have to use a contractor?

Question

My insurance company is requiring a repair and I'd like to do the work myself; however, according to the city of Gardner, anything over two-units requires a licensed contractor to do the work. Does anyone know if it's possible to get an exemption from this rule? Seems kind of rigid. Have you successfully pulled a permit for a 3+ unit in MA before without a contractor? If not, do you know any reputable, licensed contractors in the Gardner/greater Worcester area?

Thanks!

Jonathan Bombaci · Answer

Do you live in the property? If YES then go down to the town and talk to them. Every town in MA is different, which keeps things interesting, but many towns have a loophole for being able to do your own work on your primary residence.

If it is a strict investment property then I would recommend having a licensed contractor pull the permit, do the job, and get it signed off on by the town. Your insurance company may ask to see the receipt and/or a copy of the contractors insurance once the job is done so it's good to have your bases covered.

I do know a licensed and insured contractor out of the Worcester area that is used to doing work on rentals (His company owns rentals themselves) that I could recommend, you maybe able to work something out with him. If you're interested just PM me.

Account Closed · Answer

Thanks @Jonathan Bombaci. Actually just got off the phone with the building commissioner and he said it's a state law that anything over two units (owner occupied or not) requires a licensed contractor. He said there are no exceptions. Either way, it's an investment property and not owner-occupied so I'll likely need to go the route of finding a contractor.

Mark Terry · Answer

Account Closed hello there. I would take five minutes and become familiar with what work requires a license and what work does not. It is true that you need a license but there are different levels of licenses and different types of contractors.

Say you need your roof redone, a gas line fixed and some painting. Here are two options:

1. Hire a general contractor who is responsible for all the work. They will hire different sub contractors, manage them and make sure they come out to site and get the inspections. He will charge you what the subs charged him and then an additional percentage on top (say 10%-15%). This means you don't have to worry about anything but it costs you a little bit extra.

2. Painting does not need to be licensed or permit - so you do that yourself. Then you get quotes from different plumbers and roofers. Each will have a license in the state for the work they do and you don't need a General Contractor to pull the permits. Also, by getting multiple quotes you are more likely to get a lower price on the labor. The difference here is that it is more work for you to make sure they come out to the site and get work done.

I hope that helps, here is a little more reading about the different licenses:

https://generalcontractorlicenseguide.com/massachusetts-contractors-license/

Dan K. · Answer

In my experience in Cambridge, MA, you will need a contractor. If it's a 5-unit I don't think you'll get a lot of slack from the building department.

If you have a relationship with a contractor, you might be able to do some or most of the work under his or her license.

Note: You do not need a GC that is licensed to do new construction, somebody with a restricted license is enough.

Pulling permit for 5 unit in MA - do I have to use a contractor?

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