Questions about checking an Arizona contractor
Straight answers about the Arizona ROC lookup, mechanics' liens, verifying insurance, and what an iGoLocal Pre-Hire Check covers.
How do I check if a contractor is licensed in Arizona?
Search the contractor's name or license number on the Arizona Registrar of Contractors (ROC) public lookup. It will show whether the license is active, its classification, the bond, and complaints filed in the last two years. The ROC lookup is the right first step, but it only describes the license in front of you. It does not connect that license to other companies the same owners have run, to licenses that were cancelled or revoked, or to a new LLC formed last month.
What does the Arizona ROC license lookup not show?
The ROC lookup shows one license and two years of complaints against it. It does not show other licenses or companies tied to the same owners, qualifying party, address or phone number. It does not show cancelled or revoked licenses connected to those same people. It does not show Arizona Corporation Commission business filings, civil cases, judgments, or mechanics' liens. Those records exist in separate systems that do not talk to each other.
What is a mechanics' lien, and why does it matter before I hire someone?
A mechanics' lien is a claim recorded against a property by a contractor, subcontractor or supplier who says they were not paid for work or materials. A pattern of liens filed against a contractor's own business can indicate that the contractor is not paying its subs and suppliers. That matters to a homeowner because unpaid subs and suppliers can record a lien against your property even when you have paid the general contractor in full.
How can I tell if a contractor has opened a new company to escape a bad record?
Compare the people, not the company name. Pull the Arizona Corporation Commission filing for the business and note the members, managers and statutory agent, then look for other entities and ROC licenses tied to those same names, to the same qualifying party, or to the same address or phone number. A newly formed LLC holding a brand new license, run by someone who was the qualifying party on a revoked license, is the pattern worth asking about.
Should I verify a contractor's insurance myself?
Yes, and the step most people skip is confirming it with the issuing agent rather than accepting the certificate. A certificate of insurance is a snapshot printed on a given day. Coverage can be cancelled the week after it is issued. Call the agent listed on the certificate and confirm the policy is active, who the named insured is, and what the limits are.
What does an iGoLocal Pre-Hire Check include?
A Pre-Hire Check covers the ROC license status, classification, bond and two-year complaint record; Arizona Corporation Commission business filings including members, managers, statutory agent and formation and dissolution dates; related entities tied to the same owners, qualifying party, address or phone, including cancelled and revoked ones; civil cases, judgments and mechanics' liens against the business; insurance confirmed with the issuing agent; and the date of the report with every source named. It costs $149 and is delivered within 48 hours.
Is iGoLocal a review site?
No. iGoLocal does not publish reviews, star ratings, rankings or recommendations. It reports what public records say on the date they were checked, and names every source so you can check the work. Deciding who to hire is yours to do.
What does the iGoLocal Verified badge actually mean?
A current iGoLocal Verified badge means that in the month shown on the badge, iGoLocal checked that business against the criteria published at igolocal.com/what-we-check and the business met them. The badge shows the month of the check and the contractor's ROC license number. It is not a guarantee of workmanship and it is not an endorsement. A badge showing not current means the business does not hold a current verification, which can simply mean it was not re-checked recently.
How do I know a contractor's iGoLocal badge is real?
Click it. A real iGoLocal badge always opens a verification page on igolocal.com. If clicking does nothing, or it opens somewhere else, treat it as unverified. You can also check any badge directly by entering the contractor's ROC license number in the badge lookup on igolocal.com.
Who performs iGoLocal's research?
Every report is prepared by a licensed Arizona private investigator based in Tucson, Arizona, holding Arizona license numbers 1799200 and 1799201.
Would rather someone else did the digging
A Pre-Hire Check is $149 and arrives within 48 hours. Questions? Call (520) 307-1897.
Order a Pre-Hire Check