How to vet a repair contractor before they touch your office

Every claim in this guide traces to government agencies and authoritative sources — state licensing boards, the FTC, the EPA, and state labor departments. It exists because the moment something breaks is the worst moment to evaluate a stranger with a truck, and because the cost of a bad vendor isn't the invoice — it's the liability.

1. Verify the license — it takes two minutes

Licensing is state-by-state (sometimes city-by-city), but the pattern holds: even where general contractors aren't licensed, the trades usually are — electrical, plumbing, and HVAC almost everywhere. The lookups are free and public: California (CSLB), Texas (TDLR — electricians & HVAC; plumbers are separately licensed by TSBPE), Florida (DBPR), Arizona (ROC). New York has no statewide contractor license — NYC runs its own systems (DOB for master electricians and plumbers, DCWP for home-improvement contractors), and counties vary. Illinois licenses roofers through IDFPR and plumbers through the Department of Public Health, with electricians handled by municipalities. The lesson: search "[your state] contractor license lookup" and expect trades to be licensed even when GCs aren't.

One federal constant: anyone servicing air conditioning or refrigeration that involves refrigerant must hold EPA Section 608 certification — a Clean Air Act requirement in all fifty states. For commercial equipment, ask for Type II or Universal. Certifications don't expire; a pro can show a card.

2. Get the Certificate of Insurance (COI)

Ask every vendor for a COI naming your company as certificate holder — a one-page summary showing their coverage types, limits, and expiration dates. The small-commercial standard is $1 million per occurrence / $2 million aggregatein general liability; it's a market norm rather than a law, and your own lease very likely requires your vendors to carry it. For bigger jobs, ask to be added as an additional insured— unlike a certificate holder, an additional insured has actual coverage rights under the policy. And verify workers' compensation: state labor agencies document that hiring a contractor without it can leave youexposed to a worker's injury costs. (Texas, notably, doesn't require most private employers to carry it — one more reason to ask rather than assume.)

3. The red flags (per the FTC and state agencies)

The government's documented list, consistent across the FTC, New York's Division of Consumer Protection, and Washington's Department of Labor & Industries: demands for large upfront payment or cash-only terms; door-to-door "we were in the area" solicitation; no written estimate or contract; pressure to decide immediately; asking youto pull the permits (a classic sign of dodging licensing); refusing to show license or insurance proof; and steering you to their preferred lender. California's consumer benchmark is worth knowing even outside California: home-improvement down payments there are capped at $1,000 or 10% of the contract, whichever is less— commercial work isn't bound by it, but any vendor demanding half up front is asking you to fund their float.

4. Three bids, in writing

Three separate state agencies independently give the same number: get at least three written estimates detailing scope, materials, labor, timeline, and payment schedule. Before soliciting them, benchmark what the repair should cost against our repair cost guide — a bid far below the band is as informative as one far above it.

5. On larger jobs: lien waivers

When a job involves subcontractors or suppliers, unpaid subs can place a mechanics lien on the property — even if you paid the general contractor in full. In leased offices that lien lands on your landlord's building, and many leases make the tenant responsible. The protection, per the CSLB's consumer guidance: conditional lien releases before each payment, unconditional releases after, from everyone on the job.

The two-minute vendor checklist

License verified in the state lookup. COI in hand, $1M/$2M, workers' comp confirmed. EPA 608 card for refrigerant work. Written estimate against our cost benchmarks. No red flags from the list above. References from two commercial (not residential) clients. That protocol, run once per vendor, builds the trusted-vendor list that turns every future breakdown from a crisis into a phone call — exactly the list our maintenance checklist assumes you have.

Sources include: FTC consumer guidance, EPA Section 608 requirements, CSLB (California), TDLR (Texas), DBPR (Florida), AZ ROC, NY Department of State, NYC DOB, Washington L&I, Insureon coverage-limit data. This guide is general information, not legal advice — for contract disputes or lien questions, consult an attorney.