diff --git a/.pre-commit-config.yaml b/.pre-commit-config.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..48ee0308
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.pre-commit-config.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+repos:
+-   repo: https://github.com/pre-commit/pre-commit-hooks
+    rev: v2.3.0
+    hooks:
+    -   id: check-yaml
+    -   id: end-of-file-fixer
+    -   id: trailing-whitespace
+-   repo: https://github.com/psf/black
+    rev: 22.10.0
+    hooks:
+    -   id: black
diff --git a/CONTRIBUTING.md b/CONTRIBUTING.md
index f68c8bc9..a849d6da 100644
--- a/CONTRIBUTING.md
+++ b/CONTRIBUTING.md
@@ -8,11 +8,16 @@ The codebase is hosted on Github at https://github.com/uber/causalml.
 We use [`black`](https://black.readthedocs.io/en/stable/index.html) as a formatter to keep the coding style and format across all Python files consistent and compliant with [PEP8](https://www.python.org/dev/peps/pep-0008/). We recommend that you add `black` to your IDE as a formatter (see the [instruction](https://black.readthedocs.io/en/stable/integrations/editors.html)) or run `black` on the command line before submitting a PR as follows:
 ```bash
 # move to the top directory of the causalml repository
-$ cd causalml 
+$ cd causalml
 $ pip install -U black
 $ black .
 ```
 
+Additionally, you can set up black and other tools we use to run before any commit is made via:
+```bash
+make setup_local
+```
+
 As a start, please check out outstanding [issues](https://github.com/uber/causalml/issues).
 If you'd like to contribute to something else, open a new issue for discussion first.
 
@@ -20,22 +25,26 @@ If you'd like to contribute to something else, open a new issue for discussion f
 
 1. Fork the `causalml` repo. This will create your own copy of the `causalml` repo. For more details about forks, please check [this guide](https://docs.github.com/en/github/collaborating-with-pull-requests/working-with-forks/about-forks) at GitHub.
 2. Clone the forked repo locally
-3. Create a branch for the change:
+3. Complete local installation by running:
+```bash
+make setup_local
+```
+4. Create a branch for the change:
 ```bash
 $ git checkout -b branch_name
 ```
-4. Make a change
-5. Test your change as described below in the Test section
-6. Commit the change to your local branch
+5. Make a change
+6. Test your change as described below in the Test section
+7. Commit the change to your local branch
 ```bash
 $ git add file1_changed file2_changed
 $ git commit -m "Issue number: message to describe the change."
 ```
-7. Push your local branch to remote
+8. Push your local branch to remote
 ```bash
 $ git push origin branch_name
 ```
-8. Go to GitHub and create PR from your branch in your forked repo to the original `causalml` repo. An instruction to create a PR from a fork is available [here](https://docs.github.com/en/github/collaborating-with-pull-requests/proposing-changes-to-your-work-with-pull-requests/creating-a-pull-request-from-a-fork)
+9. Go to GitHub and create PR from your branch in your forked repo to the original `causalml` repo. An instruction to create a PR from a fork is available [here](https://docs.github.com/en/github/collaborating-with-pull-requests/proposing-changes-to-your-work-with-pull-requests/creating-a-pull-request-from-a-fork)
 
 ## Documentation :books:
 
@@ -120,6 +129,6 @@ We are supporting to install the package through `conda`, in order to maintain t
     - Generate the new sha256 hash and update it [here](https://github.com/conda-forge/causalml-feedstock/blob/main/recipe/meta.yaml#L11):  the sha256 hash can get from PyPi; look for the SHA256 link next to the download link on PyPi package’s files page, e.g. https://pypi.org/project/causalml/#files
     - Reset the build number to 0
     - Update the dependencies if needed
-4. Submit the PR and the recipe will automatically be built; 
+4. Submit the PR and the recipe will automatically be built;
 
 Once the recipe is ready it will be merged. The recipe will then automatically be built and uploaded to the conda-forge channel.
diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 4c1c383d..69150bbb 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -20,3 +20,8 @@ clean:
 	python setup.py clean --all
 	rm -rf ./build ./dist ./eggs ./causalml.egg-info
 	find ./causalml -type f \( -name "*.so" -o -name "*.c" -o -name "*.html" \) -delete
+
+.PHONY: setup_local
+setup_local:
+	pip install pre-commit
+	pre-commit install