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How to check an Arizona contractor before you hire them
The license check takes about two minutes and it is the cheapest protection available on a job that runs into five figures.
How to verify an Arizona ROC license
Arizona contractors are licensed by the Registrar of Contractors, and the public license search at roc.az.gov lets anyone confirm a license in about two minutes. Ask for the license number directly rather than accepting a photo of a card or a number printed on a truck, then look it up yourself.
What you are confirming: that the license is active rather than expired or suspended, that the name on it matches the business you are actually hiring, that the classification covers the work, and that the complaint history is clean. A licensed contractor will hand over the number without hesitation — reluctance is itself the answer.
Does the ROC license classification cover foundation work?
An active license in the wrong classification is not coverage for your job. Arizona issues licenses by trade category, and the classification listed has to match the work being performed — general residential work, concrete, or a specialty classification depending on the scope. Someone licensed for general landscaping is not licensed to underpin a house.
If you are unsure whether the classification fits the scope, ask the contractor to explain which classification covers it and confirm that against what the search shows. This is also why the scope of work should be written before you compare prices.
Insurance and the bond are separate checks
The license is one thing; insurance is another, and they are not the same protection.
- Ask for a certificate of insurance sent directly from the insurer or agent, not a copy forwarded by the contractor.
- Confirm general liability is current, and workers' compensation if they bring a crew.
- Note that the ROC bond is a limited recovery mechanism, not a substitute for the contractor carrying real coverage.
If someone cannot produce a current certificate, that is a decision point, not a paperwork delay.
Contractor red flags worth walking away from
Pressure to sign the same day. A large cash deposit up front. No written scope, or a one-line quote with a total and no detail. An unwillingness to give a license number. A price far below every other bid, which usually means a different and smaller scope. Promises that the house will be returned to perfectly level — stabilization is the realistic goal and some lift is a bonus. Guarantees quoted verbally that never appear in the contract.
What a written scope should actually contain is covered on how to choose a foundation contractor. Every contractor referred through this site is licensed and insured, and you get their name and ROC number before anyone comes out — so you can run this same check yourself.