How to Verify a Contractor's License in Washington

Licensing in Washington

REGISTRATION IS MANDATORY AND WORKING WITHOUT IT IS A CRIME, NOT A TECHNICALITY. RCW 18.27.020 provides that "Every contractor shall register with the department.", and makes it "a gross misdemeanor for any contractor to" "Advertise, offer to do work, submit a bid, or perform any work as a contractor without being registered as required by this chapter;" - or to do any of those things while the registration is suspended or revoked. RCW 18.27.010(2) says which department: "“Department” means the department of labor and industries." So the register to check is the state's, held by Labor & Industries, and no city issues it.

THE DEFINITION OF "CONTRACTOR" IS FAR BROADER THAN MOST PEOPLE ASSUME, WHICH IS THE PART WORTH KNOWING BEFORE YOU HIRE. RCW 18.27.010(1)(a) reaches anyone who undertakes, offers to undertake or bids to "construct, alter, repair, add to, subtract from, improve, develop, move, wreck, or demolish any building" - and then names, expressly, "the installation of carpeting or other floor covering", "the installation or repair of roofing or siding", "performing tree removal services", and "cabinet or similar installation". A carpet fitter, a roofer, a tree service and a kitchen fitter are all contractors for this purpose, so "they are not really a contractor" is not a reason to skip the lookup.

THE BOND IS THE CONSUMER'S REMEDY AND ITS SIZE DEPENDS ON THE CONTRACTOR'S CLASS. RCW 18.27.040 requires each applicant to file "a surety bond issued by a surety insurer who meets the requirements of chapter 48.28 RCW in the sum of $30,000 if the applicant is a general contractor or $15,000 if the applicant is a specialty contractor." Those are the sums available to claim against, shared among all claimants - not a guarantee that your loss is covered.

AND A REGISTRATION CAN LAPSE WITHOUT ANYONE TELLING YOU, WHICH IS WHY THE DATE OF YOUR CHECK MATTERS. Under RCW 18.27.040, "A cancellation or revocation of the bond or withdrawal of the surety from the bond automatically suspends the registration issued to the contractor until a new bond or reinstatement notice has been filed and approved". The suspension is AUTOMATIC - it follows the bond, not a decision by the department - so a contractor who was properly registered when you first spoke can be suspended by the time work starts. Check the register again before signing, and again before the first payment.

Why It Matters

An unlicensed contractor can cost you more than the job. Inspectors can red-tag the work, insurers may decline a claim arising from it, and the recovery funds that exist in some states are open only to people who hired a licensed contractor. Checking the credential before work starts is the cheapest step in the whole project.