Direct Answer (Quick Summary)
Cold email to contractors is legal in the US under the CAN-SPAM Act, which has no business-to-business exemption but does not require prior consent. Every email must use accurate sender and header information, an honest subject line, a disclosure that it is commercial, a valid postal address and a clear way to opt out, and you must honour opt-outs within 10 business days. Canada, the UK and the EU have stricter consent rules.
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Who this applies to
If you email contractors to sell marketing, software, supplies, financing or anything else, your emails are commercial messages under CAN-SPAM. It does not matter that the recipient is a business, that you found the address publicly, or that you send one email at a time. The rules apply to each message.
The seven CAN-SPAM requirements
The FTC's compliance guide sets out these rules for commercial email.
- Do not use false or misleading header information: the From name, reply-to and routing must identify you accurately
- Do not use deceptive subject lines: the subject must reflect what the email is about
- Identify the message as an advertisement, clearly and conspicuously (unless the recipient has given prior consent)
- Tell recipients where you are located: include a valid physical postal address
- Tell recipients how to opt out of future email, in a way that is easy to spot and use
- Honour opt-out requests promptly: within 10 business days, with no fee and no extra hoops
- Monitor what others do on your behalf: you remain responsible if an agency or tool sends for you
Rules from mailbox providers matter just as much
CAN-SPAM sets the legal floor; Gmail, Yahoo and Microsoft decide whether you reach the inbox. Google's sender guidelines ask all senders to authenticate with SPF or DKIM, ask bulk senders to add DMARC and one-click unsubscribe, and set a spam-complaint threshold of 0.3%. Small, relevant sends to verified addresses from a warmed-up mailbox are the safest pattern.
| Rule | Who sets it | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Postal address and opt-out | CAN-SPAM (law) | Add both to every email template |
| Opt-outs within 10 business days | CAN-SPAM (law) | Suppress opt-outs automatically, across all mailboxes |
| SPF, DKIM and DMARC | Mailbox providers | Set up DNS records before sending |
| Spam complaints below 0.3% | Google sender guidelines | Send relevant emails in small batches |
| Low bounce rate | Mailbox providers | Send only to verified emails |
A compliant cold email footer
A short footer covers the address and opt-out rules without hurting the tone of a personal email. For example: "Contractor Growth Co, 123 Main St, Suite 4, Austin, TX 78701. Not interested? Reply 'no thanks' or click here and we will not email you again." Make sure every reply that asks to stop is treated as an opt-out, even without the exact words.
Opt-outs follow the person, not the campaign
If a contractor unsubscribes from one campaign, suppress them across all campaigns and mailboxes you send from, including ones run by your agency or tools.
Calls and texts are different
CAN-SPAM covers email. Calling or texting mobile numbers falls under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) and state rules, which are stricter about automated calls and texts. If your list includes owner mobile numbers, check those rules before dialling or texting; our SMS marketing for contractors page explains the basics.
Checklist before every campaign
Run through this list before you press send.
- From name and address identify a real person or company
- Subject line describes the email honestly
- Postal address in the footer
- Clear opt-out link or instruction, working for at least 30 days
- Opt-out list synced across every mailbox and tool
- Only verified emails in the list (see contractor email lists)
- SPF, DKIM and DMARC records in place for the sending domain
- Recipients outside the US checked against CASL, PECR or GDPR
This is not legal advice
This guide summarises the FTC's CAN-SPAM compliance guide and mailbox-provider sender guidelines as of November 2026. Rules and penalty amounts change, so check the FTC's current guidance and take legal advice before large campaigns, especially outside the US.
Sources
Frequently Asked Questions
Does CAN-SPAM apply to B2B cold email?
Yes. The FTC is explicit that the law makes no exception for business-to-business email: it covers any email whose main purpose is to advertise or promote a commercial product or service, including cold outreach to contractors.
Do I need permission to cold email a contractor?
Not under CAN-SPAM, which is an opt-out law: you may send the first email without consent as long as you follow its rules and stop when someone opts out. Canada's CASL, the UK's PECR and the EU's GDPR set stricter conditions, so check the rules for each country you email.
How fast must I honour an unsubscribe?
Within 10 business days. Your opt-out method must keep working for at least 30 days after you send, you cannot charge a fee or ask for more than an email address and simple choices, and you cannot sell or transfer the address once someone has opted out.
What are the penalties for breaking CAN-SPAM?
Each email that breaks the law can bring a penalty of more than $50,000, a figure the FTC adjusts for inflation each year, and more than one party can be responsible: both the company whose product is promoted and the company that sends the email can be held liable.
Is a P.O. box enough as my postal address?
Yes. The FTC accepts your current street address, a post office box registered with the US Postal Service, or a private mailbox registered with a commercial mail receiving agency under Postal Service rules.
Vaishali Kapoor
Founder, Contractor Leads
Vaishali leads product and growth at Contractor Leads, helping marketing agencies prospect, score, and close high-ticket home-service contractors.
