Posted by mel on 30. August 2010 14:33
Looking to hire a contractor can be a daughting task--I know. I work with the companies and had to find these resources myself. A big part of that task is finding the information you need to know. (Please do NOT assume you know, that is how people get into trouble.) A step-by-step process is available in my book, Hiring a Contractor which is available on Amazon. Links to finding your local information are listed here. The information is listed by state, click on the link that corresponds to your state.
Good luck and feel free to contact me if you have any questions.
If you find other information that needs to be included / updated please contact Mel DePaoli at mel [at] omicle.com. Thanks for your help and good luck!
Last updated: August 2010
General Resources:
Angie’s List: www.AngiesList.com
Contractor’s License Reference Site: http://contractors-license.org/
EPA’s Requirements: http://www.epa.gov/lead/pubs/renovation.htm
http://www.nahb.org/generic.aspx?sectionID=715&genericContentID=121061
Federal Trade Commission’s Cooling-Off Rule: http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/pubs/consumer/products/pro03.shtm
National Contractor License Service (State List): http://clsi.com/state_contractor_license_board.htm
Service Magic: http://www.servicemagic.com/
United States Department of Labor on Construction: http://www.bls.gov/oco/cg/cgs003.htm
What Is A Lien?: http://www.remodelingmyspace.com/legal-issues/contractor-laws/what-is-a-lien-and-are-you-at-risk.htm
States:
Maine
Department of Labor
54 State House Station
Augusta, Maine 04333
Phone: (207) 623-7900
http://www.maine.gov/labor/
County List of Contractors Certified in Erosion Control Practices—Online
http://www.maine.gov/dep/blwq/training/ccec.htm
Attorney General
6 State House Station
Augusta, ME 04333
Phone: (207) 626-8800
http://www.maine.gov/ag/
Office of Licensing & Registration
76 Northern Avenue
Gardiner, Maine 04345
Phone: (207) 624-8603
Fax: (207) 624-8637
http://www.state.me.us/pfr/professionallicensing/index.shtml
Bureau of Land & Water Quality
17 State House Station
Augusta, Maine 04333-0017
http://www.maine.gov/dep/blwq/docstand/stormwater/construction.htm
Maryland
Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation
500 North Calvert Street #401
Baltimore, MD 21202
Phone: (410) 230-6001
http://www.dllr.state.md.us/
List of Local Government—Online
http://www.msa.md.gov/msa/mdmanual/01glance/html/county.html
Attorney General
200 St. Paul Place
Baltimore, MD 21202
Phone: (410) 576-6300
http://www.oag.state.md.us/
License Search—Online
http://www.dllr.state.md.us/pq/
Massachusetts
Department of Labor and Workforce Development
1 Ashburton Place Suite 2112
Boston, MA 02108
Phone: (617)626-7122
http://www.mass.gov
Attorney General
1 Ashburton Place
Boston, MA 02108
Phone: (617) 727-2200
http://www.mass.gov/?pageID=cagohomepage&L=1&L0=Home&sid=Cago
Division of Occupational Safety—Online
http://www.mass.gov/?pageID=elwdagencylanding&L=4&L0=Home&L1=Government&L2=Departments+and+Divisions+(EOLWD)&L3=Division+of+Occupational+Safety&sid=Elwd
Michigan
Department of Energy, Labor & Economic Growth
P.O. Box 30004
Lansing, MI 48909
Phone: (517) 373-1820
Fax: (517) 373-2129
http://www.michigan.gov/dleg/
Attorney General
G. Mennen Williams Building, 7th Floor
525 W. Ottawa St.
P.O. Box 30212
Lansing, MI 48909
Phone: (517) 373-1110
Fax: (517) 373-3042
http://www.michigan.gov/ag
Board of Residential Builders and Maintenance & Alteration Contractors
Phone: (517) 373-7353
Fax: (517) 373-2162
http://www.michigan.gov/builders
Online License Verification
http://www.dleg.state.mi.us/verify.htm
Minnesota
Department of Labor & Industry
443 Lafayette Road N.
St. Paul, MN 55155
Phone: (651) 284-5005
http://www.dli.mn.gov/main.asp
Construction Codes and Licensing Division
P.O. Box 64217
St. Paul, MN 55164
Phone: (651) 284-5034
Fax: (651) 284-5743
http://www.dli.mn.gov/Main.asp
Attorney General
1400 Bremer Tower
445 Minnesota Street
St. Paul, MN 55101
Phone: (651) 296-3353
http://www.ag.state.mn.us/
License Verification—Online
https://secure.doli.state.mn.us/licensing/licensing.aspx
Mississippi
Department of Employment Security
Office of the Governor
1235 Echelon Parkway
P.O. Box 1699
Jackson, MS 39215-1699
Phone: (601) 321-6000
http://mdes.ms.gov/Home/index.html
Home Corporation
P.O. Box 23369
Jackson, MS 39225-3369
Phone: (601) 718-4636
Fax: (601) 718-4643
http://www.mshomecorp.com/firstpage.htm
Attorney General
Walter Sillers Building
550 High Street, Suite 1200
Jackson, MS 39201
Phone: (601)359-3680
http://www.ago.state.ms.us/
Contractors Board
2679 Crane Ridge Drive, Suite C
Jackson MS, 39216
Phone: (601) 354-6161
http://www.msboc.us/
License Verification
http://www.msboc.us/OnlineServices/CheckLicenseRequest.html
Missouri
Department of Labor
421 East Dunklin St. P.O. Box 504
Jefferson City, MO 65102-0504
Phone: (573) 751-4091
Fax: (573) 751-4135
http://www.labor.mo.gov/
County List—Online
http://dnr.mo.gov/shpo/mnrlist.htm
Attorney General
2860 Kage Road
Cape Girardeau, MO 63701
Phone: (573) 290-5679
http://ago.mo.gov/
Department of Natural Resources/Asbestos Information
P.O. Box 176
Jefferson City, MO 65102
Phone: (800) 361-4827
http://www.dnr.mo.gov/env/apcp/Asbestos.htm
Montana
Department of Labor & Industry—Business Standards
301 South Park, Room 430
PO Box 200513
Helena, MT 59620-0517
Phone: (406) 841-2333
http://bsd.dli.mt.gov/
Attorney General
Department of Justice
P.O. Box 201401
Helena, MT 59620-1401
Phone: (406) 444-2026
Fax: (406) 444-3549
http://doj.mt.gov/
Licensee Lookup System—Online
https://app.mt.gov/lookup/
Construction Contractor / Workers’ Compensation Regulation Bureau
Employment Relations Division
PO Box 8011
Helena, MT 59604-8011
Phone: (406) 444-7734
http://erd.dli.mt.gov/mtcontractor/index.html
Choosing a Contractor—Online
http://doj.mt.gov/consumer/consumer/choosingcontractor.asp
Nebraska
Department of Labor
550 South 16th Street
Lincoln, NE 68508
Phone: (402) 471-9000
http://www.dol.nebraska.gov/
List of Local Counties—Online
http://www.nebraska.gov/nebraskacounties.html
Attorney General
2115 State Capitol
Lincoln, NE 68509
Phone: (402) 471-2682
http://www.ago.state.ne.us/
Search Registered Contractors—Online
http://www.dol.nebraska.gov/nwd/center.cfm?PRICAT=2&SUBCAT=5H
Contractor Information and Resources
5723 F St, 2nd Floor
Omaha, NE 68117-2822
Phone: (402) 595-3095
http://www.dol.nebraska.gov/nwd/center.cfm?PRICAT=2&SUBCAT=5G
Department of Revenue for Construction
Nebraska State Office Building
1313 Farnam Street
Omaha, NE 68102-1871
Phone: (402) 595-2065
http://www.revenue.ne.gov/contractor_database.html
Board of Engineers and Architects
215 Centennial Mall South, Ste. 400
Lincoln, NE 68508
Phone: (402) 471-2021
Fax: (402) 471-0787
http://www.ea.ne.gov/outside_links.html
Nevada
Labor Commissioner
555 E. Washington Ave. Suite 4100
Las Vegas, NV 89101
Phone: (702) 486.2650
Fax: (702) 486.2660
http://www.laborcommissioner.com/
Attorney General
100 North Carson Street
Carson City, Nevada 89701-4717
Phone: (775) 684-1100
Fax: (775) 684-1108
http://www.ag.state.nv.us/
State Contractors Board / Information about Hiring a Contractor / License Verification
Southern Nevada
2310 Corporate Circle, Ste 200
Henderson, NV 89074
Phone: (702) 486-1100
Fax: (702) 486-1190
Northern Nevada
9670 Gateway Drive, Ste 100
Reno, NV 89521
Phone: (775) 688-1141
Fax: (775) 688-1271
http://www.nvcontractorsboard.com/
New Hampshire
Department of Labor
95 Pleasant Street
Concord, NH 03301
Phone: (603) 271-3176
http://www.labor.state.nh.us/
State Building Code Review Board
Commissioner’s Office
Department of Safety
33 Hazen Drive
Concord, NH 03305
Phone: (603) 223-4289
http://www.nh.gov/safety/boardsandcommissions/bldgcode/bldgcontactus.html
Attorney General
33 Capitol Street
Concord, NH 03301
Phone: (603) 271-3658
Fax: (603) 271-2110
http://doj.nh.gov/index.html
List of Cities and Towns—Online
http://www.nh.gov/municipal/index.html
New Jersey
Department of Labor and Workforce Development
1 John Fitch Plaza, P.O. Box 110
Trenton, NJ 08625-0110
Phone: (609) 659-9045
http://lwd.dol.state.nj.us/labor/
Community Resources—Online
http://www.state.nj.us/nj/community/community/
Attorney General
P.O. Box 080
Trenton, NJ 08625-0080
Phone: (609) 292-4925
http://www.state.nj.us/lps/
Bureau of Homeowner Protection
New Home Warranty Program
P.O. Box 805
Trenton, NJ 08625-0805
Phone: (609) 530-8800
http://www.state.nj.us/dca/divisions/codes/offices/homeownerprotection.html
New Mexico
Department of Workforce Solutions
http://www.dws.state.nm.us/
Attorney General
625 Silver Ave SW, STE 310
Albuquerque, NM 87102
Phone: (505) 827-3789
http://www.justice.gov/usao/nm/
Construction Industries Division—Online
http://www.rld.state.nm.us/CID/
Regulation & Licensing Department, Construction Industries Division
Toney Anaya Building
2550 Cerrillos Road, Third Floor
Santa Fe, New Mexico 87505
Phone: (505) 476-4700
Fax: (505) 476-4685
http://www.rld.state.nm.us/CID/index.htm
Working with a Contractor—Online
http://www.rld.state.nm.us/cid/wrkcontractor.htm
Online License Search
http://public.psiexams.com/index_login.jsp
New York
NYS Department of Labor
W. Averell Harriman State Office Campus, Building 12
Albany, NY 12240
Phone: (518) 457-9000
http://www.labor.ny.gov/home
County List—Online
http://www.nysegov.com/map-NY.cfm
Attorney General
Office of the Attorney General
The Capitol
Albany, NY 12224-0341
Phone: (800) 771-7755
http://www.ag.ny.gov/
Know Your Contractor from the Attorney General—Online
http://www.nyknowyourcontractor.com/cfmqstaticdocs/
NY Ask the Home Improvement Expert—Online
http://www.nysconsumer.gov/ask_the_expert.htm
State Builders Association
One Commerce Plaza, Suite 704
Albany, NY 12210
Phone: (518) 465-2492
Fax: (518) 465-0635
http://www.nysba.com
Office of the Professions / Architecture
89 Washington Avenue
Albany, New York 12234
Phone: (518) 474-3817
http://www.op.nysed.gov/prof/arch/archbroch.htm
License Verification—Online
http://www.op.nysed.gov/opsearches.htm
North Carolina
Department of Labor
1101 Mail Service Center
Raleigh, NC 27699-1101
Phone: (919) 807-2796
http://www.nclabor.com/
County List—Online
http://www.sog.unc.edu/library/counties.html
Attorney General
9001 Mail Service Center
Raleigh, NC 27699-9001
Phone: (919) 716-6400
Fax: (919) 716-6750
http://www.ncdoj.com/
North Carolina Licensing Board for General Contractors / Online Verification
3739 National Drive, Suite 225
Raleigh, NC 27612
PO Box 17187
Raleigh, NC 27619
Phone: (919) 571-4183
Fax: (919) 571-4703
http://www.nclbgc.org/
State Board of Examiners of Plumbing, Heating, and Fire Sprinkler Contractors / Online Verification
1109 Dresser Court
Raleigh, NC 27699
Phone: (919) 875-3612
Fax: (919) 875-3616
http://www.nclicensing.org/OnlineReg.htm
State Board of Examiners of Electrical Contractors—Online
http://lookup.ncbeec.org/
What to Know before Hiring a Contractor (Electrical Contractor site)—Online
http://www.ncbeec.org
North Dakota
Department of Commerce / Division of Workforce Development
P.O. Box 2057
Bismarck, ND 58502-2057
Phone: (701) 328-5345
Fax: (701) 328-5320
http://www.workforce.nd.gov/
County Map and List—Online
http://www.ndaco.org/?id=76
Attorney General
State Capitol
600 E. Boulevard Ave. Dept. 125
Bismarck, ND 58505
Phone: (701) 328-2210
http://www.ag.nd.gov/
Secretary of State, What is a Contractor?—Online
http://www.nd.gov/sos/licensing/
State Electrical Board
1929 N. Washington Street, Suite A-1
P.O. Box 7335
Bismarck, ND 58507-7335
Phone: (701) 328-9522
Fax: (701) 328-9524
https://www.ndseb.com/
Verify Electrical License—Online
https://www.ndseb.com/?id=70