Home improvement contracts: the terms state laws require, as the state pages say

This page reports what the official source says. It is not legal advice: ask the office named here. It reports two state pages and one federal rule. Neither state page names tree work, so whether a state's home improvement law reaches a given tree job is a question for the office named. Rules after a disaster are on the guide to storm contractor rules.

Connecticut

The Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection page, dated April 28, 2026, says all home improvement projects in the state must have a written contract under state law, including all changes and modifications. It lists what every contract must include:

the Home Improvement Contractor (HIC) registration number;
four dates: signing, start of work, completion, and the last day the homeowner may cancel;
the entire agreement on the work and the price, which the page says should cover the quality or brand of materials, who cleans the site, who gets any building permits from the town, and a schedule of payments;
a notice of the customer's right to cancel within three business days after signing, attached to the contract, in duplicate, and placed near the customer's signature.

The page adds that Saturday is a legal business day in Connecticut under the Home Solicitation Sales Act, and that a business day excludes Sundays and nine named holidays. It says both the contractor and the customer must sign and date the contract, and the contractor must give the customer a signed and dated copy.

Maryland

The Maryland Home Improvement Commission (MHIC), part of the state labor department, publishes a notice to contractors on the form and content of home improvement contracts. It says each contract must be in writing and legible, and that a contractor cannot accept a deposit or payment until each party has signed. It says the contract must describe each document it incorporates, such as drawings or a building permit, and that the homeowner must receive a signed copy before work starts. The notice lists what a contract must contain:

the contractor's name, address, telephone number and MHIC license number;
a salesperson's name and license number if a salesperson sold the contract;
the approximate dates the work will begin and be substantially completed;
a description of the work and the materials to be used;
the Commission's telephone number and website, and a notice of protections available through it, including mediation, the Guaranty Fund, and a homeowner's right to ask the contractor to buy a performance bond.

On money, the notice says a contractor cannot accept more than one third of the contract price as a deposit. It says beyond the deposit the law does not control the payment schedule. It says the regulations let the Commission issue civil citations of US$500 to US$5,000 for violations of the contract requirements. Where payment is secured by an interest in residential real estate, it says the first page must carry a written notice in at least 10-point bold type about a mortgage or lien and a right to rescind within three business days. It adds that most home improvement contracts are also covered by the Maryland Door-to-Door Sales Act, which it says requires a notice of the right to cancel before midnight of the fifth business day, or the seventh if the buyer is at least 65 years old.

Federal cooling-off rule

The Federal Trade Commission's rule at 16 CFR Part 429 covers door-to-door sales: sales of consumer goods or services where the seller personally solicits the sale and the buyer's agreement is made away from the seller's place of business. The text sets a purchase price of US$25 or more if the sale is made at the buyer's residence. It says it is an unfair and deceptive practice for a seller not to give the buyer a completed copy of the contract with a statement of the right to cancel before midnight of the third business day, and a notice of cancellation form in duplicate. The definitions leave out a sale where the buyer started the contact and the goods or services are needed for a bona fide immediate personal emergency, if the buyer gives a separate dated and signed handwritten statement waiving the right to cancel. The text also excludes a sale where the buyer started the contact and asked the seller to visit the home to repair or maintain the buyer's personal property. The guide on door-to-door and cooling-off rules covers the federal rule in more detail.

At a glance

Item	Connecticut	Maryland
Written contract	Required, with changes	Required, legible
Registration or licence on the contract	HIC registration number	MHIC license number
Cancellation notice	Three business days	Five business days under the Door-to-Door Sales Act, seven if the buyer is 65 or older
Deposit limit	Not published on the page	One third of the contract price
Copy to the homeowner	Signed and dated copy	Signed copy before work starts