How Authority Industries Vets and Qualifies Contractors
Contractor vetting is a structured process through which Authority Industries evaluates trade professionals before connecting them with project owners or property managers. This page explains the criteria, verification steps, and decision thresholds that determine whether a contractor qualifies for the network. Understanding these mechanisms helps both contractors seeking placement and property owners interpreting what a verified listing actually represents.
Definition and scope
Contractor vetting, in the context of the trades industry, refers to the systematic review of a professional's credentials, compliance record, insurance standing, and work history prior to any referral or listing. The scope of Authority Industries' vetting process spans the full range of licensed trade sectors covered under the network — including electrical, plumbing, HVAC, roofing, general contracting, and related specialty trades.
Vetting is distinct from simple registration. Registration requires only that a contractor submit contact and business information. Vetting requires active verification against external records: state licensing databases, insurance carrier documentation, and where applicable, federal contractor registries. The Authority Industries Verified Network distinguishes between contractors who have passed full verification and those who have only completed basic profile submission.
The geographic scope of this process is national, covering all 50 states, though the specific licensing and insurance thresholds applied at each step vary by state law. A full breakdown of state-level variation is available at State-by-State Trades Licensing Overview.
How it works
The vetting process follows a sequential, multi-gate structure. A contractor who fails any gate does not advance until the deficiency is resolved.
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License verification — The contractor's active license number is cross-checked against the issuing state agency's public database. Expired, suspended, or unverifiable licenses result in immediate disqualification. Licensing requirements by trade and state are documented separately at Authority Industries Licensing Requirements.
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Insurance confirmation — General liability insurance and workers' compensation coverage must be confirmed through a certificate of insurance (COI) naming Authority Industries as a certificate holder for notification purposes. Per the Insurance Information Institute, general liability coverage minimums in the trades typically range from $300,000 to $1,000,000 per occurrence depending on trade type and project scope. Contractors must meet the minimum thresholds applicable to their trade category.
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Background screening — A business entity background check reviews court records, contractor complaint databases, and state licensing board disciplinary histories. Individual principal checks are conducted on sole proprietors and single-member LLCs.
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Reference and work history review — A minimum of 3 verifiable completed projects must be documented. References are contacted directly when project records cannot be independently confirmed.
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Compliance standards alignment — The contractor's operating practices are reviewed against the baseline described in Authority Industries Compliance Standards, which incorporates OSHA General Industry and Construction standards (29 CFR Part 1926) and applicable local building codes.
Each gate has a defined pass/fail threshold. There is no partial credit — a contractor with 9 of 10 required documents does not receive a provisional listing.
Common scenarios
Three scenarios account for the majority of vetting outcomes:
Scenario A — Full pass: The contractor holds a current state license, carries adequate insurance, has no disciplinary record, and provides 3 or more confirmed project references. Processing time is typically 5 to 10 business days from complete document submission. The contractor receives a verified listing and is eligible for referral matching.
Scenario B — Conditional hold: The contractor's license is valid but insurance coverage has lapsed or a COI cannot be produced. The application is placed in a 30-day hold period. If documentation is submitted and verified within that window, vetting resumes from the point of interruption. If the window lapses, the application is closed and must restart.
Scenario C — Disqualification: The contractor has a state licensing board disciplinary action, an unresolved contractor fraud complaint, or an active license suspension. Disqualification is recorded and the contractor is barred from reapplication for 12 months from the date of the adverse finding. This aligns with protections described in Protecting Yourself from Unlicensed Contractors.
Decision boundaries
The most consequential decision boundary in the vetting process is the distinction between a licensing deficiency that is curable and one that is disqualifying. A license that is expired due to a missed renewal cycle is curable — the contractor may renew and resubmit. A license that has been formally revoked by a state board following a disciplinary proceeding is disqualifying, regardless of subsequent reinstatement claims.
A second critical boundary separates insurance gaps from insurance insufficiency. A contractor whose policy has lapsed temporarily (Scenario B above) falls into the gap category and may cure the deficiency. A contractor whose policy limits are structurally below the minimum threshold for their trade classification — for example, a roofing contractor carrying $100,000 per-occurrence general liability against a $500,000 minimum — falls into the insufficiency category, which requires the contractor to obtain a new or modified policy before vetting can proceed.
The hiring a trades professional checklist provides a parallel framework that property owners can use to independently evaluate contractors outside of the formal vetting system. Both frameworks draw on the same underlying credential categories.
For contractors uncertain about where their credentials stand, the Trades Certification vs. Licensing page clarifies which credential types satisfy which vetting gates. The broader context for how this process fits into national trades standards is explained at What Is a National Trades Authority, and the full scope of services indexed through this network is accessible from the National Trades Authority home page.