
Review The Pro’s Profile
The easiest way to learn about a professional is by viewing their profile. These profiles provide important details about a professional’s offered services and years of experience, as well as the quality of their work. Specifically, you’ll want to look at:
- Customer reviews.
Reading about past customer experiences can provide insight into how your own experience might go. Sometimes a professional might respond to these reviews, which will offer further insight concerning their customer interactions. For instance, a professional who tries to right a problem or receives only positive reviews will likely be easier to work with than someone who responds angrily to negative reviews.
While customer reviews can provide important details about a professional, photos and videos can show you the results or journey of their provided service. Seeing is believing, and this section offers visual proof. - Business information.
You can learn more about each professional by reading their introduction section and business information. Here, each pro can mention whatever they deem most important, be it their experience, areas of expertise, or payment methods. Not only will you learn more about each pro, but you’ll also learn what they prioritize when discussing business. - Credentials.
A pro’s credentials are important to make an educated hiring decision. A pro’s profile may include the following credentials:- A license badge, is reserved for pros who submitted a license we we’re able to verify in a public database.
- A “Best of” badge, is awarded to the top 10% of pros each year based on their positive reviews from past customers.
- A background check badge, means the pro has submitted a background check and has met our standards. Some businesses employ multiple workers, and this badge does not guarantee the person working with you has passed a background check.
Learn about a pro’s quality and professionalism by reading other customer’s experiences.
Photos and videos are an excellent way to visualize a pro’s abilities and work quality.
Good quality credentials is usually a good indication of a pro’s experience.
We make it easy to contact pro’s directly through phone calls or direct messages.
Be wary of a price that is significantly cheaper than the rest.
Need more information? Ask the pro to provide what you are looking for.
Learn More About A Professional’s Offerings
- Ask Questions. Ask as many questions as you need, and tell pros exactly what you’re looking for. Ask about past work, references, prices, and more. Also, each pro’s file contains a Frequently Asked Questions section which answers questions related to their experience, education, training, and pricing. Not every professional will answer every question, but you’ll generally get an idea of what makes each professional unique.
- Research. In addition to viewing their profile, it’s a good idea to check additional websites such as the Better Business Bureau (BBB) and the pro’s Facebook profile. Also, the Federal Trade Commission offers tips when hiring a contractor.
- Reach out. If you’re still uncertain about whether or not to hire a pro, why not reach out to them to schedule a phone call or in-person meeting? You can get a more specific idea of when your service will start, how much your service will cost, and how long it will take to complete.
Plan The Details Of Your Project In Advance
- Agree upon a timeline. If you need a project done before a certain date, you’ll want to ensure your professional can deliver on time. Make sure to break up your project into manageable chunks and decide on specific due dates and milestones.
- Finalize payment details. It’s important that both you and the person you’re hiring are on the same page regarding what you’ll pay and how. For instance, some pros only take cash, while others only accept checks. Make sure to iron out these details before finalizing your service agreement.
- Keep everything in writing. If your conversation moves to the phone, make sure to keep written records of everything discussed. It’s easy for someone to forget an important detail, but that one small detail might make a huge difference in your final product. Written records ensure everyone’s on the same page.
Know about insurance, permitting, and licensing requirements
- Verify Insurance. Depending on your project, you might want to ask your insurance provider to verify your coverage. Similarly, you’ll want to make sure your pro has insurance and that it covers your specific job.
- Permits and Licensing. Different cities have different rules governing license and permit requirements. To ensure your project is up to code, you’ll want to reach out to your local or state government. However, we have a few tips to give you an idea of what to expect.
- Business licenses and occupational licenses are different things. Business licenses show that a professional is registered to work in a certain location, whereas occupational licenses show that a professional is legally registered to perform specialized work, such as plumbing. Before hiring a professional, it’s always smart to ask for documentation.
- In addition to business and occupational licensing, some jobs require federal licensing. Research your job beforehand, and if it does require such licensing, make sure to obtain it in advance.
- Several websites allow you to verify licenses. For instance, you can search through BRB Publications, Inc.’s database and find several websites for occupational licensing boards.
Review Licensing Information
Alabama
- Alabama Department of Revenue List of Occupations Requiring Permits/Licenses
- Alabama Licensing Board for General Contractors
- Alabama Home Builders Licensure Board
- Alabama Public Services Commission: Motor Carrier Services Section
Alaska
Arizona
Arkansas
California
Colorado
- Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies
- Colorado Public Utilities Commission Transportation Permit Search
Connecticut
- Search for License, Permit, Certification, or Registration
- Connecticut Department of Public Transportation, Bureau of Public Transportation
Delaware
District of Columbia
Florida
- Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation
- Florida Department of Health
- Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services
Georgia
- Georgia Secretary of State: Professional License Verification Portal
- Georgia Department of Public Safety
Hawaii
- Hawaii Department of Commerce & Consumer Affairs
- Hawaii Public Utilities Commission Active Motor Carriers Report
Idaho
Illinois
- Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation
- Illinois Commerce Commission Household Goods Mover Search
Indiana
Iowa
Kansas
- Kansas Contractor Licensing Directory
- Kansas State Board of Technical Professions: License Search
- Kansas Corporation Commission
Kentucky
- Kentucky Department of Housing, Buildings, and Construction
- Kentucky Department of Professional Licensing
- Kentucky Transportation Cabinet, Motor Carriers Page
Louisiana
Maine
Maryland
Massachusetts
- Massachusetts eLicensing and ePermitting Portal
- Massachusetts Executive Office of Public Safety and Security
- Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities
Michigan
Minnesota
Mississippi
Missouri
- Missouri Division of Professional Licensing
- Missouri Department of Transportation Motor Carrier Services
Montana
- Montana Department of Labor and Industry, Business Standards Division
- Montana Public Service Commission Intrastate Motor Carrier Authority List
Nebraska
- Nebraska Department of Labor
- Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services License Information System Search
- Nebraska Public Service Commission Transportation Department
Nevada
- Nevada State Contractors Board License Search
- Nevada State Board of Architecture, Interior Design and Residential Design Registrant Directory
- Nevada Transportation Authority Active Certificates List
New Hampshire
New Jersey
New Mexico
New York
North Carolina
North Dakota
Ohio
Oklahoma
- Oklahoma Verify Licensee Search
- Oklahoma Department of Commerce Business Licensing
- Oklahoma Corporation Commission
Oregon
- Oregon Department of Consumer and Business Services
- Oregon Construction Contractors Board
- Oregon Department of Transportation
Pennsylvania
Rhode Island
- Rhode Island Professional Regulation Unit
- Rhode Island Contractors’ Registration and Licensing Board
- Rhode Island Public Utilities Commission Motor Carriers Page
South Carolina
- South Carolina Division of Professional and Occupational Licensing
- South Carolina Office of Regulatory Staff
South Dakota
Tennessee
Texas
- Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation
- Texas Online Licensing System
- Texas Department of Motor Vehicles
Utah
Vermont
- Vermont Secretary of State, Office of Professional Regulation
- Vermont Department of Public Safety, Division of Fire Safety
Virginia
- Virginia Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation
- Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles
Washington
West Virginia
Wisconsin
Wyoming

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