So So DeepContractor Search
Sign in

What to ask a contractor before you sign, and how to check them tonight

By So So Deep Contractor Search · Published August 18, 2026 · Updated August 18, 2026 · How the ranking works

Bottom line

Before you sign, get the license number, confirm the class covers the job, confirm the license is Active and not expired, and look at disciplinary standing and local permit history. You can finish that on the official ROC site tonight, for free.

You do not need a paid introduction, a review site, or a credit card to vet a quote. You need a license number and about ten minutes.

The checklist

  1. Get the license number in writing, on the quote or in a text, and look it up on the official ROC Contractor Search.
  2. Confirm the business name and any doing-business-as name match the firm that quoted you.
  3. Confirm the class covers this job, including residential versus commercial scope.
  4. Confirm Status is Active and the expiration date is on or after today.
  5. Read any disciplinary case on the official record rather than guessing from a flag.
  6. If we cover the city, check job-relevant permit history on the matching city and trade page, not a raw permit total.
  7. Get in writing who pulls the permit, who the qualifying party is, and who will be on site.

A message you can send

Copy this, fill the blanks, and send it before you pay a deposit:

> Please send the Arizona ROC license number you will contract this job under, the class, and the name of the qualifying party. > Please also confirm who will pull the building permit if one is required, and whether that permit will be in your name or a general contractor's.

If the reply is a Google listing, a van photo, or a different company's number, you do not have an answer.

What each check is for

The license number is the only identifier that is unique inside Arizona's board. Names collide. The class is the legal scope; see ROC classes explained if you are unsure which one you need. Active and unexpired is the standing test, dated by the board's file. A disciplinary row is a pointer to the official case, not a veto by itself; see what a disciplinary action means. Permit history is evidence the firm has done this kind of work in this city, when the city publishes it.

None of those is a workmanship guarantee. They are the facts you can check before you argue about tile samples.

Where this checklist does not help

Emergency work where you will hire whoever answers the phone and verify after. A city we do not ingest, where step 6 has no page. Price, schedule, and whether you like the person. Those still need a written scope and a reference you can actually call.

Get a shortlist matched to your address

First one free

This page ranks the whole state. Enter your address and we'll narrow it to contractors who have pulled permits near you, check every license for standing and disciplinary history, and hand back a ranked shortlist you can call.

No card needed. See a finished report first if you'd rather.

How to check this yourself

Frequently asked questions

What is the one thing I must get from a contractor tonight?
The license number. Everything else on this list starts from that. A business name alone is how you match the wrong firm.
Do I need to pay a license-lookup site to do this?
No. The Arizona ROC Contractor Search is free. Paid lookup farms are reselling the same public posting list.
What if they will not give me a license number?
Do not sign. A licensed contractor can recite the number, and the ROC search will resolve it to their name and class.

Rankings and license facts reflect public records, not the quality of any individual job. This is not a workmanship guarantee. Always verify a contractor on the issuing board's official lookup before you hire.