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To become a construction supervisor, you must first obtain a license from the Office of Public Safety and Inspections Division of Occupational Licensure, under the Massachusetts Department of Public Safety. What types of licenses are available, and what are the requirements to obtain them? 

Types of Construction Supervisor Licenses 

In Massachusetts, there are two primary construction supervisor licenses. One is restricted, and one is unlimited. 

The construction supervisor one- and two-family dwellings license restricts your work to structures designed to house one or two families, including those with additional accessory units. Within this scope, you may oversee projects involving: 

• Construction 
• Reconstruction 
• Alteration 
• Repair 
• Removal 
• Demolition 

If you obtain an unrestricted construction supervisor license, you may complete the same type of work, but you aren’t restricted to one- and two-family dwellings. Your scope of permitted work includes: 

• Buildings of any use with less than 35,000 cubic feet 
• Buildings or structures for agricultural use 
• Walls less than 10 feet from the base of the footing to the top of the wall 

If you plan to focus on specialty work, such as demolition, insulation, solid fuel burning appliances, masonry, roof covering, or windows, doors, and siding, you must obtain a specialty construction supervisor license. 

Requirements to Obtain a License 

Before you can obtain a construction supervisor license, you must be at least 18 years old and complete three years of qualifying experience in the field in which you wish to be licensed.  

Furthermore, you must provide documentation proving that you worked full-time (40 hours/week) for 36 months, and the experience must have been completed within the 10 years before applying for a license. 

You may substitute each of the following education requirements for up to one year of work experience: 

• Successful completion of a 3- or 4-year vocational school program in building construction 
• Successful completion of a bachelor’s, master’s, or PhD degree from an accredited college or university in building construction, architecture, science, engineering, technology, or a related field 

Completing both requirements may qualify as a substitution for up to two years of work experience. Relevant active military service experience in construction may also qualify. Finally, you must pass the state exam related to your preferred license. 

The Restricted Construction Supervisor Exam features 60 questions covering the following topics: 

• Restricted construction supervisor administrative responsibilities 
• Concrete and masonry 
• Energy efficiency 
• Moisture intrusion/protection 
• Sitework and foundations 
• Structural framing 
• Doors/windows 
• Roofing/exterior walls 
• Interior environment 
• Fire protection 
• Safety 

You will have three hours to complete this open-book exam, and you must answer a minimum of 42 questions (70%) correctly to pass.  

The Unlimited Construction Supervisor Exam consists of 75 questions on topics such as: 

• Unrestricted construction supervisor administrative responsibilities 
• General building construction knowledge 
• Energy efficiency 
• Accessibility 
• Sitework and foundations 
• Concrete and masonry 
• Structural framing (steel and wood) 
• Moisture intrusion/protection 
• Doors/windows 
• Roofing/exterior walls 
• Interior environment (mechanical and ventilation) 
• Fire protection (mechanical) 
• Safety (construction safety and lead remediation) 

You will have three hours to complete this open-book exam, and you must answer at least 53 questions (70%) correctly to pass. 

How to Get Ready for State Exams 

Preparing for success on state exams starts with finding an exam prep program designed for working professionals, with 24/7 online access to support self-paced learning. 

If you’re ready to obtain your construction supervisor license in Massachusetts, contact RocketCert now to get started.