Verification methodology
How VetACrew verifies a contractor.
Every Contractor Verification Report follows the same four steps, records where each fact came from and when, and says plainly what it could not check.
The verification process
- 01
Match the identity.
You choose the license that matches your estimate. VetACrew reads it, with the business name, address, and people the licensing board names on it.
- 02
Check the credentials.
VetACrew reads current status, classifications, bonds, workers’ compensation, any liability filing, formal actions, and permits where covered.
- 03
Find inconsistencies.
The report marks where sources disagree (ambiguous), records past their window (stale), gaps between filings, and checks that did not finish or that no public source covers.
- 04
Show the result clearly.
Every line carries one of six result words, its source, and the date it was checked.
Every result includes the date checked and the basis for the status shown.
What each check does
The checks a report runs depend on the state and the place of the work. California coverage lists each one.
| Check | What VetACrew does | Where it reads from |
|---|---|---|
| Identity | Finds the license by its number or by name, then shows the business name and address on it, the people the licensing board names on it, and other licenses those people appear on. Adds the state business registration where the registry files cover it. | State licensing board; Secretary of State business registry |
| License and authority | Reads current status, secondary status such as probation, every classification held, issue and expiration dates, and status changes. Early access Comparing the classifications with the project type you select is in early access. | State licensing board |
| Bond | Reads the contractor bond and any qualifying individual’s bond: the surety, amount, bond number, and dates, including past bonds and cancellations. | State licensing board |
| Workers’ compensation | Reads the filing on the license (carrier, policy number, and dates) or the exemption on file, and points out gaps between filings. | State licensing board |
| General liability | Reads the liability insurance filing the board holds for limited liability company licensees. A filing found is not coverage confirmed. Early access Confirming coverage directly with the insurer or agent is in early access. | State licensing board; the insurer or agent |
| Track record | Shows disclosed complaints, citations, accusations, suspensions, revocations, and probation, plus permits and inspection outcomes where a permit office is covered. | State licensing board; City of Los Angeles permit office |
| Re-check before signing | A fresh verification reads every source again and carries its own date. Early access Seeing what changed since your last verification is in early access. | Every source above |
Every result is dated
Each line of a report names its source, the jurisdiction, and the date and time VetACrew read it, beside the mark and word that say what the source held (see status definitions).
Current license details are treated as current through 24 hours after they are read, and history and the people on a license through 30 days. These windows describe how VetACrew uses a record, not when an agency next updates it.
A report is a saved copy of what the sources held when it ran, and it does not change. Licenses, bonds, and coverage can change, so run a fresh verification immediately before you sign or pay.
Limits
- A verification describes records on the date checked. It cannot predict future workmanship and is not a guarantee of licensing, insurance, safety, or work quality.
- VetACrew never scores, grades, ranks, or recommends a contractor, and never calls one safe or approved.
- A permit search finds only permits that carry the license number on the record itself, in the offices and years covered.
- The licensing board does not publish every complaint, so a report cannot show complaints the board keeps private.
- The business registry files VetACrew holds are not a complete registry, and sole proprietors and fictitious business names are not registered there.
- A filing found on the licensing board’s record is not the same as coverage confirmed with an insurer or surety.
What California law requires
The rules behind the California checks, from the statutes and agency pages themselves.
The state licensing board advises paying no more than 10 percent down or $1,000, whichever is less.
Source: CSLB, What You Should Know Before Hiring a Contractor (pamphlet)
The license bond is not insurance and does not guarantee quality. A homeowner can claim against it only for damage caused by the contractor breaking state contractor law, and one bond is shared by everyone with a claim.
Every active California contractor license must keep a $25,000 contractor’s bond on file with the state licensing board. If continuous bond coverage lapses, the license is suspended.
Source: Business and Professions Code §7071.6; CSLB, General Bond Information
A separate $25,000 bond is required for a qualifying individual who is not the owner, a general partner, or a joint licensee, unless an exemption applies (for example a qualifier who owns at least 10 percent).
A limited liability company licensee must carry general liability insurance: at least $1,000,000 in the aggregate with five or fewer people on the license, plus $100,000 for each additional person, up to $5,000,000. The board may post the insurer, policy number, and limit.
Every active license must have workers’ compensation coverage on file with the board unless it has certified that it has no employees; concrete, heating and air, asbestos, roofing, and tree service licenses need coverage even without employees. A lapse suspends the license.
An active license entitles its holder to contract for work in the classifications that appear on the license, with a limited exception for work incidental and supplemental to the licensed trade.
Source: CSLB, Issuing My License; Business and Professions Code §7059
The board discloses a complaint only once it is referred for investigation after a probable violation is found, and discloses citations, accusations, and revocations for set periods. A complaint resolved in the contractor’s favor is never disclosed.
The board advises consumers to get at least three written bids and to ask for a certificate of insurance or the name of the contractor’s insurance carrier and agency to verify that the contractor has insurance.
The City of Los Angeles publishes its building permit and inspection records online.
Source: Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety, Search Online Building Records
The Secretary of State’s business search covers corporations, limited liability companies, and limited partnerships. Sole proprietorships are not registered with the Secretary of State, and fictitious business names are filed with the county.
Source: California Secretary of State, Business Entities: Information Requests
Sources read on .
Questions about a result?
Contractors and customers can ask for a correction.