Check a contractor before you hire

ContractorFinder is a directory. It is not a certification body, a vetting service, or a licence monitor. We publish what public and official sources say about a business, including the licence record an issuing authority published on a given date. We do not screen contractors, we do not check insurance, we do not check references, and we do not endorse, rank or guarantee anyone. Everything below is a check you make, with a source that is not us.

1. Confirm the license with the authority that issued it

Licensing is set by state and sometimes by city or county, and the rules differ by trade. The authority's own record is the current one. Anything shown here is a copy of what that authority published, we do not re-check it, and a licence can lapse, be suspended or be revoked at any time without this listing changing.

• Look up the business by name and by license number with the state licensing board, contractors board, or the city or county department that issues the credential.
• Check that the license is current, that its classification covers the work you are hiring for, and that the name matches the business you are actually dealing with.
• Ask the authority how to read the record. Many boards also publish disciplinary history, bond status and complaint records.
• Some trades and some jurisdictions issue a registration rather than a license, and some issue nothing at all for a given trade. A registration is not a statement that anyone examined the contractor's skills.

2. Confirm insurance with evidence from the insurer

A contractor telling you they are insured is not evidence, and neither is a photocopy.

• Ask for a current certificate of insurance sent directly to you by the insurer or the agent, naming the business.
• Check the coverage types, the limits and the policy dates, and that the policy is still in force for the period of your job.
• Ask about workers' compensation where it applies — if an uninsured worker is injured on your property, that can become your problem.
• Where your state requires a bond, confirm it the same way.

3. Check reputation through references, reviews and complaint history

• Ask for recent, local references for work like yours, and call them.
• Read reviews across more than one platform, and weigh the specific over the effusive.
• Check complaint history, including the Better Business Bureau and your state or local consumer protection office or attorney general.
• The BBB is not a licensing regulator. A BBB rating, accreditation or membership is not a license, not a qualification, and not a substitute for step 1.

Before you pay

• Get the scope, the price, the schedule and the payment terms in writing.
• Be cautious about large deposits and about paying in full up front. Some states cap what a contractor may take as a down payment.
• Confirm who pulls any required permits, and check that permits and inspections actually happen.
• Keep every document. If something goes wrong, the licensing authority and your state consumer protection office are where a complaint goes.

What a listing on this site does and does not mean

• Appearing here means a business was found in public or official records. It is not an endorsement, an approval, or a statement that the business is currently qualified, licensed, insured or competent.
• Claiming a listing means someone confirmed they manage that business profile. It is not a review, a ranking, an endorsement, or any kind of credential check, and licence details are not editable by the business before or after claiming.
• Paid or promotional placement — anything labelled Premier, Featured or Sponsored — buys position and profile features only. None is sold at launch. It is never a review, ranking, endorsement, qualification or guarantee, and it never changes a licence record. See our advertising disclosure.
• License details we show are reproduced from an issuing authority on the date shown. We do not monitor them afterwards.

This page is general information, not legal advice, and requirements vary by state, city and trade. Check the rules that apply where the work will be done.