Hiring a Contractor
Protect yourself when hiring a contractor
Verify a Contractor, Tradesperson or Business Tool
Be an informed consumer and make sure a contractor is registered, actively licensed, with a bond and insurance, and an electrician, plumber, elevator mechanic or manufactured home installer is certified (licensed) in Washington. Disclaimer regarding updates and accuracy.
Information in the Department of Labor & Industries Verify a Contractor, Tradesperson or Business online database is updated Monday through Friday by 5 a.m. Pacific Time (state holidays excluded).
Neither the State of Washington nor any agency, officer, or employee of the State of Washington warrants the accuracy, reliability, or timeliness of any information in the Public Access System and shall not be liable for any losses caused by such reliance on the accuracy, reliability, or timeliness of such information.
While every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of this information, portions may be incorrect or not current. Any person or entity who relies on information obtained from the System does so at his or her own risk.
With Verify you'll be able to:
- Verify a contractor's registration, bond, insurance and infractions.
- Check to see if a tradesperson is licensed.
- Find out an employer's workers' comp premium status.
- Look up an employer's safety inspection history and violations.
- Track a contractor.
- Find links to other helpful sites, such as Department of Revenue, Protect My Home and Prevailing Wage.
Protect My Home – Get tips and tools to help you hire smart! Including a Homeowner's Guide to Hiring a Contractor that will help you find a contractor who's qualified to handle your project, and avoid many of the most common problems. But if you do have problems, find out what you can do.
Are you hiring an “Independent Contractor” or do you need to learn about avoiding prime contractor liability.
Is your subcontractor really an employee?
You may be an employer with requirements — and not know it! In some cases, a self-proclaimed “independent contractor” is actually a worker for whom you must do such things as pay workers’ compensation premiums, meet wage and hour requirements, pay unemployment tax, etc. Not understanding your requirements can leave your business vulnerable to unwanted penalties and even lawsuits.
Report fraud
- Report unregistered contractors if you find that a contractor is not registered, bonded and insured to do business in Washington. Or call the Report-a-Fraud line: 1-888-811-5974
- Report employer workers' comp fraud if you find that a business does not have an account with L&I and you know that they do have employees.
For more detail, see these helpful publications:
- Hiring a Contractor or Remodeler: What You Should Know
Questions to ask and precautions to take. - A Guide to Hiring Independent Contractors in Washington State
You might be an employer and not know it. Use this to determine when you are required to pay workers' compensation premiums and unemployment tax for those you hire. Also, if it's your job site, you'll learn about wage, hour and safety requirements.
