Verifying a Washington contractor

The registration that matters for garage doors

Washington does not license trades the way some states license plumbers or electricians. It registers contractors through the Department of Labor and Industries, a general contractor doing garage door work should carry an active registration, a surety bond, and workers' compensation on employees. That is the baseline a legitimate shop has.

Run the number

Ask for the contractor's registration number before anyone works. Run it through the L&I Verify a Contractor tool, a real number comes back showing the business name, the registration status, the bond, and any open violations or lawsuits against the bond. An expired registration, no registration, or a name that does not match the business is something to watch out for.

What the check does not cover

The L&I check is the legal minimum, it shows the shop is registered, not that they are good. Reviews, how the estimate reads, and whether they show up with a marked truck and a real business card tell you the rest. The check catches the outright frauds; the rest is judgment.