How to vet a contractor before you hire: the 10-point check
License, insurance, safety record, financial health, references and paperwork. A practical vetting checklist for facilities teams, general contractors and owners.
Published November 5, 2026. 2 minute read.
Vetting a contractor is mostly about checking things against the source rather than taking a PDF's word for it. These ten checks catch the problems that cost owners the most: unlicensed work, lapsed insurance, poor safety records and firms that can't finish the job.
1. The legal entity
Get the exact legal name and confirm it with the state's business registry. Every other check should match this name. A license or insurance certificate in a different entity's name doesn't cover you.
2. License for the trade and the place
Look up the license on the state or city licensing board's site. Confirm it's active, covers the type of work, and belongs to the entity on your contract. Some trades also need a qualifying individual (a master or responsible technician) named on the license.
3. Insurance that matches your contract
Ask for a certificate of insurance and read the limits, policy dates and additional insured wording against your contract. Better still, get it from the broker directly. Read what a COI proves, and what it doesn't.
4. Safety record
For field work, ask for the experience modification rate (EMR) from their workers' compensation carrier, OSHA recordable rates, and a written safety program. Check OSHA's public establishment search for recent inspections and citations.
5. Financial capacity
For larger jobs, ask about bonding capacity and years in business. A surety's willingness to bond a contractor is a useful outside opinion of their finances.
6. Federal registration and exclusions
If you're spending federal money, confirm the firm is registered in SAM.gov and not excluded from federal awards.
7. Certifications held by the people doing the work
Manufacturer and industry certifications belong to people, not companies. Ask who will be on site and what they hold. For AV, see AV certifications explained.
8. Small business and diversity status, if you need it
If you have set-aside or supplier diversity goals, verify the certification with the certifying body rather than a logo. See finding 8(a), HUBZone and other set-aside contractors.
9. Clearances and site access, if the site needs them
Government, healthcare, utility and data center sites often need background checks, badging, drug testing, or security clearances. See security clearances for contractors.
10. References and reviews from real clients
Call two or three recent clients with similar work. Ask what went wrong and how the contractor handled it.
How LevelRated helps
LevelRated checks licenses, insurance, safety and financial signals against source records, re-checks them on a schedule, and shows a last-verified date on every item. Reviews come only from companies with a confirmed engagement. Search verified contractors or read how verification works.