A $15,000 bond means that's the maximum anyone will collect if your contractor walks off the job — split across every claim filed that year. Run through these five checks before you sign anything.

1. Ask for the bond number, the surety company name, and the coverage amount — in writing. 2. Call the surety company directly (not the number the contractor gives you) and confirm the bond is active. 3. Look up the contractor on your state licensing board's website and match the bond number to the record. 4. Ask whether any claims have already been filed against the bond this year. 5. Request a certificate of insurance (COI) naming general liability and workers' comp — a bond is not insurance.

The Exact Questions to Ask

Send this word-for-word before the first site visit:

"Can you send me your license number, bond number, surety company name, and current coverage amount? I'd also like a certificate of insurance for general liability and workers' comp."

A legitimate contractor answers this in minutes because they have it saved. Hesitation, excuses, or "I'll get that to you later" is your first data point — note the delay.

A license proves someone passed a test. A bond means a third party has money on the line if the work goes bad.— construction claims adjuster

How to Actually Verify the Bond

Don't trust a PDF the contractor emails you — those get faked or expire. Do this instead:

1. Go to your state contractor licensing board site (search "[your state] contractor license lookup"). Enter the license number. The active bond and surety company are usually listed right on the record.

2. Find the surety company's phone number independently — search the company name, don't use a number written on the contractor's paperwork. Call and ask: "Is bond number [X] currently active, and what is the coverage amount?"

3. Ask the surety the one question most homeowners skip: "Have any claims been paid against this bond this calendar year?" A $25,000 bond with $22,000 in claims already paid protects you almost not at all.

Documents to Request Today

Collect all four before money changes hands:

- Active license record (screenshot from the state site, not the contractor) - Bond number matched to the surety company - Certificate of insurance listing general liability AND workers' comp, with current dates - A written estimate on company letterhead with the license number printed on it

Cross-check the business name on all four. Mismatched names — "Mike's Handyman" on the estimate but "MJ Construction LLC" on the bond — mean the bond may not cover the entity you're actually hiring.

The One Red Flag in Almost Every Bad Hire

It's the deposit. A contractor who asks for a large payment up front — 40%, 50%, or the full amount "for materials" — before any work begins is the single most consistent warning sign in jobs that go bad. Legitimate contractors have supplier accounts and cash flow; they don't need your money to buy lumber. Front-loaded payment is how a contractor gets paid to leave.

The fix is simple: never release money the contractor hasn't earned. Tie every payment to completed, inspected work — and hold the funds somewhere neither of you can grab them early.