Before you hire a remodeling contractor in Salisbury, verify an active Maryland Home Improvement Commission (MHIC) license that matches the business name on your contract. For covered home improvements, you must receive a written contract signed by both parties before work starts or money changes hands. Your deposit cannot exceed one-third of the contract price.
Before signing, check these points:
Licenses cover who does the work. Permits cover the project. Check both before work begins, whether the job is one room or a whole-home interior remodeling project.
Hiring a Salisbury Remodeling Contractor: 6 Checks Before Work Starts
Maryland’s license requirements depend on the work being done. Home remodeling, trade work, and new-home construction have different rules.
Contractors who perform covered home improvements directly for homeowners need an MHIC license under MHIC license requirements. The license must match the exact business name on your contract.
Use official MHIC resources to confirm that the license is active and check complaint or disciplinary history. Our guide on how to choose a bathroom remodeling contractor in Maryland provides more context on checking contractors.
An MHIC license doesn’t cover every trade on the job. Plumbing, electrical, and HVACR work require separate credentials, even when your main contractor holds an MHIC license.
Before work begins, identify each provider and confirm the required trade license. Electrical licensing may be state or local, depending on the jurisdiction. Confirm who holds the license - and who will handle permits and inspections.
An MHIC license does not cover new-home construction. Builders constructing new homes must meet separate registration requirements through the Maryland Attorney General’s Home Builder Registration Unit.
Remodeling or adding to an existing home generally falls under home improvement rules. Once you’ve confirmed which license applies, get a written contract before any work starts.
Once you’ve confirmed the right license for home remodeling services in Salisbury, the contract sets the scope, payment terms, and timeline.
Maryland requires a legible, written contract signed by both parties. You must receive a signed copy before work starts or any money changes hands. The contract must include the contractor’s name, address, phone number, MHIC number, scope of work, materials, incorporated documents, approximate start and completion dates, and required MHIC notices.
The deposit cannot exceed one-third of the contract price. If a licensed contractor fails to deliver, the Guaranty Fund may cover some of your losses.
Maryland’s Home Improvement Guaranty Fund may reimburse qualifying actual losses from defective, incomplete, or abandoned work by licensed MHIC contractors. Recovery has limits and isn’t automatic. Check the official Guaranty Fund limits and claims for details. Keep your contract, payment records, photographs, and repair estimates from licensed contractors.
Crossing the state line changes the licensing rules. The Maryland contract and Guaranty Fund rules above apply to Maryland projects - not automatically to Southern Delaware projects.
| Requirement | Maryland | Southern Delaware |
|---|---|---|
| General remodeling licensing | MHIC license required for direct homeowner contracts; no statewide general contractor license | No statewide general contractor license |
| What to verify | Current MHIC license for covered remodeling work | Division of Revenue business license |
| Specialized trades | Applicable plumbing, electrical, and HVACR licenses; electrical licensing may be state or local depending on jurisdiction | Electricians are licensed separately by the state |
Match these license requirements to the type of work your project needs.
For interior remodeling in Salisbury, licenses authorize the contractor; permits approve the project. Before work starts, confirm permit requirements with the City of Salisbury or the applicable county or municipal office. Before signing, verify the contractor’s MHIC status and complaint history. The prime contractor must obtain required permits or make sure they’re obtained.
For bathroom remodeling, MHIC alone doesn’t cover plumbing, electrical, or HVACR work. Those tasks require the appropriate trade licenses.
Spell out who handles fixtures, plumbing connections, ventilation, and inspections. Subcontractors working under the licensed contractor don’t need their own MHIC license, but regulated trade licensing still applies.
For kitchen remodeling, plumbing connections, new electrical circuits, and regulated HVACR changes require the applicable trade licenses. Electrical licensing may be state or local, depending on the jurisdiction.
Name the responsible trades in the scope, and plan required inspections before walls are closed. For scope and sequencing, see what to expect from a kitchen remodeling contractor.
For decks and additions, the structural scope should clearly cover applicable footings, framing, stairs, guards, or foundations. Confirm required plans, zoning approvals, permits, and inspections. Identify separately licensed plumbing, electrical, or HVACR trades when their work is part of the project, and make sure the license, permits, and trade scope match before work starts.
The contract should state who submits plans, secures approvals, schedules inspections, and corrects inspection issues. A new dwelling requires separate home-builder registration - an MHIC license alone doesn’t cover it.
Check the contractor’s active MHIC license before you sign. Verify the complaint history, legal business name, and license number, too. See how to choose a bathroom contractor in Maryland for the review process.
Next, confirm who will handle plumbing, electrical, and HVACR work, whether they hold the required trade licenses, and who will secure bathroom remodel permits in Salisbury. Make sure the project falls under existing-home remodeling or new construction; new construction follows separate builder-registration rules. If you are updating an existing space, specific kitchen remodel permits may also be required.
With licensing and scope settled, put the job in writing. Don’t pay or let work begin until both parties have signed a written home-improvement contract. Keep your signed copy, change orders, receipts, permit records, photos, and communications. Guaranty Fund protection covers only qualifying work by licensed contractors, and recovery has a cap. Check the Maryland Home Improvement Guaranty Fund FAQ for eligibility rules and recovery limits.
OC Home Services holds MHIC license #132817 and handles bathroom remodeling projects in Salisbury and across the Eastern Shore.
Contact the Maryland Home Improvement Commission (MHIC) right away to check your contractor’s license status. Working without an active license violates state law. If your contractor performs work while unlicensed, you may not qualify for MHIC Guaranty Fund protection.
Make sure your contractor’s license stays active throughout your renovation.
Stop work until the required permits are obtained. Document all completed work and communications, then check the permit status with your local permitting office.
Verify that the contractor holds a Maryland MHIC license and that all trade licenses required for the work are in place. If needed, file a complaint through Maryland’s MHIC resources.
Put every change in writing before additional work begins. You and your contractor should sign a change order that spells out any adjustments to the scope, cost, or timeline. This helps prevent misunderstandings and makes the agreed changes legally binding.
Maryland law also requires home improvement contracts to be in writing and signed by both parties before work starts or any money is paid.
