A pre-hire verification checklist for matching the contractor legal identity, license status and classification, disciplinary record, liability insurance, workers compensation, bond, and expiration dates.
6 items to check
The name on the proposal, contract, invoices, license record, tax or business registration, insurance certificate, and payment instructions should identify the same legal business or clearly document the relationship between entities.
Where licensing is required, the license should be active, cover the trade and work being offered, and remain valid for the expected project period. Local registration or specialty licensing may also apply.
Official disciplinary history, unresolved citations, repeated business-name changes, judgments, or complaint patterns should be understood before the contractor is selected. A record is not automatically disqualifying, but unexplained patterns are material.
If liability insurance is required by law, contract, lender, association, or owner policy, coverage should be current, issued to the correct legal entity, and appropriate for the work and project period. A certificate alone does not amend policy terms.
Workers-compensation coverage, exemptions, contractor bonds, or other financial responsibility may be required depending on employees, trade, state, and project. The owner should not infer coverage from a verbal statement.
The owner should retain dated verification evidence and recheck material credentials if the project starts later, extends beyond expiration, changes legal entities, or adds regulated trades.
Use this checklist before accepting a bid or signing a home-improvement contract. It is limited to identity, licensing, insurance, and bond verification; price, references, contract terms, and work quality are reviewed in separate checklists. Requirements vary by state, county, city, trade, and project value.
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