The Contractor Vetting Checklist
Eleven checks, twenty minutes. This is what separates a contractor who finishes the job from the one who disappears with your deposit.
- How to verify a license and active insurance in under five minutes
- The deposit rule that protects you on every job size
- Why the middle bid is usually the right one
- The two clauses every contract needs before you sign
- What to do the moment work stops
Almost every contractor horror story traces back to something that could have been caught in the first twenty minutes: no active license, no real insurance, a deposit that was far too large, or a contract with no scope and no dates.
This is the checklist. Run it before money changes hands.
Verify the license yourself, in the state database
Do not accept a photograph of a license or a number on a business card. Every state maintains a searchable licensing database. Search the name, confirm the status is active, and check the expiration date.
Also confirm the license class covers the work. A general handyman registration does not authorize electrical, gas, or structural work in most states.
Get the insurance certificate from the insurer, not the contractor
Ask for general liability and workers compensation, and ask that the certificate be sent to you directly by their agent. A contractor-supplied PDF can be expired or cancelled and still look perfect.
Without workers compensation, an injury on your property can become your problem. This single check is the highest-value item on the list.
The rest is in the PDF
6 sections plus the printable checklist — print this. do not skip a line.. Free, and yours to keep or pass on.
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