Licenses Click here to verify a Michigan license or registration. Find out if a contractor is licensed, if the license is expired, and if any action has been taken against the contractor. Search for both personal & business licenses. If a person is licensed under his or her name you might not be able to find a license listed under the business name and vice versa.

Insurance Do not just accept a photocopy from the contractor as proof. Call the insurance company yourself and ask them to send you a copy for your records. Find out what types of insurance they carry, the coverage amount, and also if the policies have been used in the past for any damages.

BBB (The Better Business Bureau) The BBB is an organization that many (but not all) businesses join. Members must abide by a strict code of standards that includes having the proper licenses and bonding. See if the contractor is a member of the BBB, and find out if they are in good standing. Click here to visit the BBB.*

Make sure contractors are who they say they are! You should ask for photo ID when meeting with contractors and before giving a contractor any sort of payment. Look up contractors in a yellow page directory to make sure the contact information they gave you matches what is listed in the directory. This is not fool-proof, however. Businesses can change names or addresses or may not be listed in all directories. Try a few different directories before giving up. Call the business phone number and verify that the company is interested in your project. We suggest that you pay through checks and that you make all checks payable to the company.

After you research, interview, or hire a contractor, please submit a rating! Contribute to our "community" by rating any contractor you learn about, meet, or work with. Login to rate contractors who have bid on your project(s).