All states Washington

1. Get the license number from the contractor

   Ask for the license number before anything else. A licensed contractor has it on the bid, the contract, the business card and often the truck. If someone says "we're licensed and insured" but can't produce a number on the spot, treat that as your first answer.

   Washington contractor registration numbers end in a check digit, like SUMMIRC123AB. The number is on the contractor's registration card and should be on every bid and contract.

2. Search the number on the official site

   Search the number on the official site. In Washington that is the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries (L&I), Contractor Registration (opens official site) license search at lni.wa.gov. Search by the number first; a name search can miss a business that is licensed under a different legal name.

   You can also look the contractor up here . Our results come from Washington's own published license file, so they are a fast first check, but the official record is live and also shows complaints and discipline.

   Washington splits licensing across more than one board: Washington State Department of Labor & Industries (L&I), Contractor Registration; Washington State Department of Labor & Industries (L&I), Electrical Program; Washington State Department of Labor & Industries (L&I), Plumber Certification Program. Electrical, plumbing or HVAC work may be licensed by a different board than general construction, so make sure you are searching the right one.

3. Read the record: status, name, expiration

   Three things have to line up. The status should say active, current or valid, not expired, inactive, suspended or revoked. The name on the license should be the business or person on your contract. The expiration date should be after the day the work finishes, not just after the day you sign.

   Look for a complaints or discipline section on the record. Most Washington license searches show open complaints, past discipline and sometimes bond claims. One old complaint on a long-running license is normal; several recent ones are not.

4. Check that the license covers your job

   Washington licenses general, specialty, electrical, plumbing, HVAC and roofing work at the state level. A license covers one kind of work, so a roofer's license doesn't cover your electrical panel, and a specialty license doesn't cover a whole remodel. Check that the classification or license type on the record matches the job you are hiring for.

   Hiring for one trade? Washington may license it through a different board. See electricians in Washington , plumbers in Washington or HVAC contractors in Washington .

5. Know the small-job line

   Washington lets unlicensed people do small jobs under $500. Work on one project with an aggregate price under $500 for labor and materials is exempt as casual or minor, unless it is part of a larger operation. Above that line, the person doing the work needs a license, and the exemption doesn't cover someone who splits a big job into small invoices.

6. Ask for proof of insurance

   Washington requires insurance to hold a license: General liability of $200,000 public liability and $50,000 property damage, or $250,000 combined single limit.

   A bond is also required: Continuous contractor surety bond of $30,000 for general contractors or $15,000 for specialty contractors.

   Whatever the state requires, ask for a certificate of insurance made out to you, and call the insurer on the certificate to confirm it is current. A license search tells you the contractor met the requirement when the license was issued or renewed, not that the policy is still paid.

7. Make sure the permit is pulled in the contractor's name

   Any job that needs a permit should have the permit pulled by the contractor, under the contractor's license. A contractor who asks you to pull the permit as the homeowner is usually hiding a license problem. Permits come from the building department for your city or county.

8. If something goes wrong, file with the board

   If the contractor stops showing up, does work the permit doesn't cover, or the license turns out to be wrong, put it in writing to them first, stop paying, then file a complaint in Washington (opens official site) . Boards can suspend licenses, which gets attention a lawsuit doesn't.