FAQs                                                                  

We are a privately held business, located in South Florida, whose focus and mission is to provide a valuable, low cost Contractor Background/Screening Service to homeowners and businesses who are considering hiring a contractor. Our primary focus is the senior citizen community who seem to be especially vulnerable to contractor fraud.

Homeowners...Businesses...Contractor Referral Agencies...Real Estate Agencies...Condo Associations and just about anyone considering hiring a contractor. 

Of course... you can. If you know where to look, have the time, and know exactly what information to look for, then by all means, you should do it. The problem is many people are constantly on the go today, are very busy and do not really have the time nor the inclination to research and validate the credentials of multiple contractors. We do it for you.

Many senior citizens do not have internet access, therefore they have to rely on using the phone to do their research. In that case, they have no idea who or where to call. They are not aware of the amount of information available to them out there, nor are they aware that this type of service exists.

Contractor Screening Services can only guarantee that the information we provide in our report is accurate as of the time the data was pulled from public records. It is important to realize that even though a report on a contractor report may come back with no negative data, there is no guarantee as to the level of quality provided by the contractor. Please review our disclaimer for more details.

Typically, a report on a single contractor can be done and either faxed or emailed to the client within 24 hours. Unlike a few other services out there that promise instant response time, we actually take the time to verify some information on the phone, person to person, especially when verifying insurance coverage. We like to give our clients the "personal touch."

There will be times when verifying current insurance coverage for instance, where we may not get our answer right away. In these cases, it may take longer to complete the report. We believe that the accuracy of the information is just as important as is speed of delivery of the report to the client so we won't rush the report and take the contractors word for it that his insurance is current.

  1. State Professional Licence Verification:   Most complaints filed with various government agencies are caused by unlicensed contractors. The laws regulating contractors in just about every state have provisions requiring that persons must be certified or registered with appropriate regulatory authorities before engaging in business as contractors. These regulatory authorities can take administrative action against licensed contractors for, among other things, disregarding applicable building codes, diversion of funds received towards completion of a project, gross negligence, incompetence, or misconduct in the practice of contracting. This administrative action could include suspension or revocation of a contractor's license. These regulatory authorities cannot take action of this type against unlicensed contractors, and aggrieved consumers often find that their only recourse against an incompetent unlicensed contractor is a civil lawsuit. Since most of the unlicensed contractors go in and out of business at the drop of a hat, civil lawsuits are often a waste of time. Unlicensed contractors are responsible for a wide variety of consumer problems, including: shoddy workmanship, use of inferior materials, abandonment of project, and continual postponement of completion date.                                            
  2. County License Verification: Most counties require County Certificate of Competency (License)
  3. Liens/Judgments: Does the contractor have any liens/judgments against them? That could indicate a potential problem.
  4. Lawsuits, Civil/Small Claims: Is the contractor currently in litigation for any job related issues?
  5. Insurance/Workmans Comp: Does the contractor have current/proper insurance? If not, you may very well be liable if someone gets hurt on the job.
  6. Phone and Address Verification: We provide a reverse phone/address lookup to confirm phone/address provided matches the information listed for the business. If it doesn't, that's another red flag.
  7. State Agency Complaints: Many states have agencies such as "Departments of Business Regulation" who compile complaints regarding contractors. If there are any complaints listed with these agencies, you need to know about them.
  8. Better Business Bureau Record:If a business is listed with the BBB, we will provide the BBB rating (with explanation) If there is any negative information i.e. unanswered complaints, you'll know about it.
  9. National Sex Offender List: We check the state in which the principal is located to see if they are listed with the sex offender registry.
                                                                                    Disclaimer