Contractor Evidence Checklist
Licensing
Requirements vary by jurisdiction. Verify the current license with the issuing authority before signing.
Credentials
Examples can include an IICRC firm or technician credential when relevant. A credential does not replace a jurisdiction-specific license. Verify the current credential with the issuing authority or credentialing organization.
Standards and scope
ANSI/IICRC S520 is a remediation standard, not a license or certification. Ask how it applies to this project and record deviations in writing.
Insurance and bonding
Request a current certificate, then confirm with the carrier or broker that coverage is active, covers this work, and meets project, contract, and jurisdiction-specific requirements. Do not assume one universal coverage amount.
Coverage rules and exemptions vary by jurisdiction and worker status. Ask for current evidence and confirm it with the carrier or broker.
Ask which bond applies, who issued it, and how to verify it with the issuing authority.
Estimates and business practices
A phone estimate can be preliminary; ask what will be confirmed on site before work is priced.
If the contractor offers testing, ask who collects and interprets samples, require clear financial or professional conflict of interest disclosure, and use independent judgment about whether a separate qualified reviewer is appropriate.
Technical
Remediation planning should account for the moisture source; ask how it will be corrected or monitored.
Review the written scope, whether the moisture source was addressed, material dryness, visible cleanliness, odor, and completion documentation. Use question-specific sampling only when useful for answering a defined question; sampling/testing alone cannot prove remediation success or safety.
Red Flags (check when observed)
Ask for evidence, a defined scope, and clear limits instead of treating a label as proof of a special hazard.
Questions to Ask
- What current license or credential can I verify with the issuing authority?
- Which standard or guideline informs your written scope?
- Can I review your current insurance certificate and confirm coverage with the carrier or broker?
- What testing roles and financial or professional conflicts should be disclosed?
- How will you address the moisture source and document material dryness?
- What containment and filtration methods fit this scope?
- What written post-remediation verification will you provide?
- What question would any sampling answer, and who will interpret it?
- What's your warranty or guarantee?
Before You Hire
- Get 2-3 written quotes
- Check online reviews on Google and the Better Business Bureau
- Verify current license and credentials with the issuing authority
- Verify references if provided
- Read the contract carefully
- Understand the scope of work
- Know what's included (and what's not)
For current reference material, compare the IICRC standards index, the IICRC Certified Firms information, and EPA sampling guidance. These sources do not replace current jurisdiction rules, the contract, or project-specific professional judgment.
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