New Hampshire: no state license covers chimney work. Here's what that means.

New Hampshire BREAKS the master correlation, and does so cleanly. The rule says weak licensing should buy strong seller disclosure — but NH licenses no chimney work AND gives buyers a disclosure form that never mentions the chimney, naming only water, septic, insulation, flood zone and oil tanks. It is a rare double-negative: caveat-emptor on both axes, softened only by a real 2x–3x consumer-fraud multiplier and a 3-day door-to-door cancel. There isn't even a statewide written-contract rule for home improvements — only a pre-lawsuit right-to-repair notice on jobs over $5,000. In a state with one of the nation's highest wood-heat shares, that vacuum is exactly what an independent inspection and individual certs exist to fill.

No state license covers chimney work in New Hampshire — the state licenses only specialty trades. The Office of Professional Licensure and Certification (OPLC) licenses electricians, plumbers, and gas fitters (STATE LAW) but does not license general contractors, carpenters, masons, or chimney sweeps. So chimney masonry, relining, and sweeping fall entirely outside occupational licensure. There is also NO statewide home-improvement contractor registration and NO contractor bond. (Debunk, verified Jul 10, 2026 and still true Sep 2026: the "RSA 310-A:188 registration / $10,000 bond under RSA 332-B" claims circulating on SEO and bond-vendor sites are false — RSA 332-B is the NH Veterinary Practice Act. Nothing in this file relies on either citation; they appear only as the debunked claim.)

CORRECTED Sep 15, 2026 — there is no general statutory written-contract duty for home improvements. The prior draft said "RSA 359-G, the Home Improvement Contracts statute, requires a written contract for any home improvement over $1,000." That was wrong. RSA 359-G is titled "Residential Construction Defects; Dispute Resolution" (gc.nh.gov). It is a right-to-repair statute: before suing a contractor over a construction defect, a homeowner must serve written notice of the alleged defects and give the contractor an opportunity to inspect and offer repair or settlement (RSA 359-G:4). RSA 359-G:7 requires that, where the contract amount exceeds $5,000, the contractor give the owner conspicuous written notice of that pre-suit process (it may be in the contract). The $1,000/$500 threshold question is moot — neither number exists in 359-G. A written contract is good practice, not a statewide mandate, except that door-to-door sales need a written contract with a cancel notice (RSA 361-B, §4). Licensing that matters is LOCAL for permits — see §5. "Licensed and bonded" in NH usually means a trade license (electrical/plumbing/gas) or local permit standing, not a chimney credential.

As wide as any no-license state. Statewide there is nothing to verify for chimney competence — no exam, no chimney registry, no contractor registry. Even the trade licenses NH does issue (electrical, plumbing, gas) don't test flue diagnosis or masonry. Individual certs (NCSG CCP/CCR; CSIA CCS, C-DET) and an independent audit fill a genuine vacuum here.

New Hampshire's mandatory seller disclosure is narrow and does not name the chimney. RSA 477:4-c requires disclosure of private water supply and sewage disposal information; RSA 477:4-d (1–4 family dwellings) requires written disclosure of private water and sewage systems, insulation type/location, whether the property is in a federally designated flood hazard zone, and any residential heating-oil underground storage tanks (amended effective Jul 19, 2024 and Aug 4, 2026); RSA 477:4-a requires radon, arsenic, lead, PFAS and flood-risk notices; 477:4-e (on-request history), 4-g (meth), 4-h (energy tariffs) round out the chapter. Checked Sep 15, 2026: there is no statutory whole-house known-defect disclosure form and no chimney/fireplace/flue line item anywhere in RSA 477:4-a–4-h. The one 2026 bill to add an item (HB 1015, Japanese knotweed) was voted Inexpedient to Legislate Mar 11, 2026. No inspection is mandated at transfer; NFPA 211 Level 2 stays a NATIONAL STANDARD.

The Consumer Protection Act, RSA 358-A, gives a private right of action and AG enforcement. RSA 358-A:10, I (verified): recovery of actual damages or $1,000, whichever is greater; for willful or knowing violations the court shall award not less than 2 times and as much as 3 times that amount; plus costs and reasonable attorney's fees; any attempted waiver of these damages is void; injunctions available. Door-to-door sales are governed by RSA 361-B (Retail Selling): a "home solicitation sale" is a sale of goods or services priced at $150 or more solicited away from the seller's permanent place of business (RSA 361-B:1); RSA 361-B:2 requires a signed contract with the boldface notice "ANY BUYER MAY CANCEL THIS TRANSACTION ANY TIME PRIOR TO MIDNIGHT OF THE THIRD BUSINESS DAY AFTER THE DATE OF THIS TRANSACTION," and on cancellation the seller must return payments within 15 days — the exact mechanic against chimney scare-sales. Complaints: NH DOJ Consumer Protection & Antitrust Bureau (doj.nh.gov/citizens/consumer-protection-antitrust-bureau).

The NH DOJ has issued a consumer alert on home-improvement scams ("Consumer Alert – Attorney General Encourages the Public to Take Steps to Protect Themselves Against Home Improvement Scams in Recognition of National Consumer Protection Week," doj.nh.gov/resources/press-releases/consumer-alert-attorney-general-encourages-public-take-steps-protect-0) flagging the door-knock pitch, and has announced a case titled "Local Contractor Admits Violation of the Consumer Protection Act by Falsely Claiming He Was Licensed and Insured" (doj.nh.gov/news-and-media/local-contractor-admits-violation-consumer-protection-act-falsely-claiming-he-was). Both URLs were located Sep 15, 2026 but returned 403 to the fetcher, so dates, names and quotes are not yet confirmed — do not quote them until read. Specific NH chimney-sweep enforcement actions: NOT FOUND.

CORRECTED Sep 15, 2026. NH has a statewide State Building Code (RSA 155-A). RSA 155-A:1, IV now defines it as the 2024 IBC, 2024 IRC, 2018 IECC, and 2023 NEC (with amendments approved through Oct 10, 2025), effective July 1, 2026; a six-month grace period (Jul 1 – Dec 31, 2026) lets permits in queue follow either the 2021 or 2024 ICC codes (grace-period detail: NH Building Officials Association, REF; the State Fire Marshal page was not reachable). Enforcement is LOCAL — many NH towns have no building department, so in small towns there may be no permit process at all. Where a code and enforcing town exist, chimney relines, rebuilds, crowns, and solid-fuel appliance installs are generally permit work; routine sweeps and like-for-like caps generally are not. This state needs the local-variance disclaimer.

NH has one of the highest wood/pellet-heat shares in the nation, so solid-fuel practice matters more than licensing. No statewide burn-ban or stove-emission regime beyond federal EPA new-stove standards (NATIONAL STANDARD). Some towns regulate outdoor wood boilers; name the local ordinance if a listing town has one — VERIFY per town.

RSA 153:10-a (verified) requires CO detection per NFPA 720 in every rental/multi-unit dwelling and in single-family dwellings built or substantially rehabilitated after Jan 1, 2010 — except where the unit has neither an attached garage nor a combustion fuel-burning appliance/device (the requirement attaches if either is later added). A wood stove or fireplace triggers it. The owner of a rental unit maintains the device. No statewide pre-sale CO certificate. A permitted chimney or stove job is the natural moment to verify alarms.