How long does a homeowner have to cancel a home improvement contract in Rhode Island?

In Rhode Island, a buyer in a door-to-door sale of consumer goods or services of $25 or more may cancel by mailing written notice of cancellation to the seller, by registered or certified mail, no later than midnight of the third day after signing, not counting Sundays and holidays with no mail delivery. The agreement must carry a notice captioned "Notice of Cancellation" telling the buyer they may cancel within three business days by registered or certified mail sent to the seller’s name and address. Within 20 days after the sale is canceled, the seller must return any payments made by the buyer and any note or other evidence of debt, and may keep as a cancellation fee 5% of the cash price, $5, or the cash down payment, whichever is least. The law does not cover a sale where the buyer started the contact for a bona fide immediate personal emergency and gave the seller a separate, dated and signed statement in the buyer’s own handwriting describing the emergency and waiving the right to cancel within three business days. It also does not cover a visit the buyer asked for to repair or maintain the buyer’s personal property, except for additional goods or services sold during that visit. The federal cooling-off rule separately gives three business days to cancel many sales made at the buyer’s home. This is R.I. Gen. Laws §§ 6-28-2, 6-28-3, 6-28-4, 6-28-5.

WhatRhode Island
Right to cancel3 days after signing, excluding Sundays and holidays

What the statute says

“… the buyer may cancel a door-to-door sale or lease of merchandise by posting written notice of cancellation to the seller at the address specified for notice of cancellation provided by the seller not later than midnight three (3) days following the buyer’s signing the agreement …”

Quoted word for word from the section’s text.

Source

R.I. Gen. Laws §§ 6-28-2, 6-28-3, 6-28-4, 6-28-5

Read the statute in the Rhode Island General Laws (Rhode Island General Assembly): webserver.rilegislature.gov.

Checked against the statute on November 15, 2026.

This is a summary of a published statute, not legal advice. Rules change, local ordinances can add to them, and the terms of a specific lease may differ. Check the citation and speak to a lawyer before acting.

How Seayora uses this rule

An estimate on Seayora carries its own terms and contract text, and the customer’s approval is recorded with its date, so the day a cancellation period starts is on file for both the contractor and the homeowner.

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