Contractor doesn’t feel comfortable giving me lic. Number

[Keisuke Takemoto]

So we have an online portal for contractors to submit bids and SoW.

He said he will submit everything except the license number and never had a lender require it. I told him well my lender does. So I told him if you aren’t comfortable with that would you feel comfortable giving directly to lender? He says that’s fine.

What do you all think? 

[Jason Taken]

Quote from @Keisuke Takemoto:

So we have an online portal for contractors to submit bids and SoW.

He said he will submit everything except the license number and never had a lender require it. I told him well my lender does. So I told him if you aren’t comfortable with that would you feel comfortable giving directly to lender? He says that’s fine.

What do you all think? 

 License numbers are generally public record. You should be able to look him up directly on your state licensing board website. Start there.

[Jeff S.]

I’m confused, @Keisuke Takemoto. He will give his license number to your lender but not to you? Is it secret?

Contractor license numbers are matters of public record and easily looked up on your state’s Contractors State License Board. What is he trying to hide? What will happen when you ask for evidence of his liability and workers' comp insurance?

This is such a ​​minor​ and standard request that I’d be careful doing business with anyone for which ​it's a big deal. It will only get worse.

Hard pass unless he brings an extremely narrow expertise.

[Jill F.]

I'll bet you a dollar he doesn't have a license.

[Al D.]

Is this California? If so, the law on this is one of the most straight forward ones out there:

CA B&P 7030.5 (https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=BPC§ionNum=7030.5.)

“Every person licensed pursuant to this chapter shall include his license number in: (a) all construction contracts; (b) subcontracts and calls for bid; and (c) all forms of advertising, as prescribed by the registrar of contractors, used by such a person.”

Only times I’ve been given some excuse on this, the bidder was not a licensed contractor, while claiming to be such. I’d scrutinize this one if he provides any license info eventually - every legitimate contractor I’ve ever dealt with knows the above *requirement* well. No license, likely no insurance, etc.

[Alan F.]

Quote from @Keisuke Takemoto:

So we have an online portal for contractors to submit bids and SoW.

He said he will submit everything except the license number and never had a lender require it. I told him well my lender does. So I told him if you aren’t comfortable with that would you feel comfortable giving directly to lender? He says that’s fine.

What do you all think? 

 The last post is correct, we are required to have our license classification and clearly displayed on our trucks, business cards and any other advertising. Even the size of font is under the B&P laws. Here's a link to the CSLB license check.

https://www.cslb.ca.gov/OnlineServices/CheckLicenseII/CheckL..

One thing though...in my 33 years of contracting, I've had dozens of illegal permits pulled under my number leading to major problems. Since they are public numbers theres absolutely no protection for us from fraud.

When submitting my accord for proof of insurance that goes directly from carrier to customer, not through my hands, unfortunately people have committed fraud with that number too.

[Chris Seveney]

@Keisuke Takemoto

Run away. He doesn’t have one or if he does he has complaints against him

Asking for a GC license is like asking your mortgage broker for their license. They are public record and I would not issue a contract without one