What contractors are asked to prove, in plain language.
Contractors operate under a web of requirements: licensing, bonds, workers comp rules, subcontractor paperwork, public-works obligations, and safety. They vary by state and contractor type, so this is a starting map, not legal advice. Always verify the specifics with the licensing board, the state agency, and your contract.
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Licensing and license bonds
Most states license contractors and many require a license or permit bond as a condition of licensing. The bond guarantees you will operate within the rules and pay valid claims, and amounts and categories vary by state and license type. A license bond is not insurance and does not protect you the way a policy does. Verify your specific licensing and bond requirements with your state contractor licensing board before you rely on any summary.
Workers compensation and subcontractors
Workers comp requirements depend on your state and your business structure, including whether owners can exclude themselves and how subcontractors are treated. Uninsured subcontractors are a recurring exposure: their payroll can be charged to your workers comp at audit, and their work can fall to your liability. Collecting and verifying subcontractor certificates and coverage is both a compliance and a risk-transfer issue. Confirm the rules with your state workers comp agency.
Public works, prevailing wage, and safety
Public projects add layers: bid, performance, and payment bonds are often required, payroll and prevailing-wage reporting can be complex, and insurance requirements are usually stricter. On safety, construction is a high-hazard industry, and OSHA sets the standards; this page does not restate them, and we point you to OSHA and your state plan for the authoritative rules. Treat all of these as requirements to verify against the project, the agency, and official sources.
How we help
We are not your attorney or your licensing board, and compliance must be verified with official sources. What we do is make sure your insurance and bonds line up with what your license, your contracts, and your projects actually require, place the license and permit bonds you need, help you handle subcontractor risk transfer, and flag where a requirement points to coverage you do not yet carry.
The requirements contractors run into, explained.
Plain-language overviews, not legal advice. Rules vary by state and project, so verify with the licensing board or agency.
Contractor Licensing
Who needs a license, classes, and what it comes with.
Read →License & Permit Bonds
How compliance bonds work and where to get them.
Read →Workers Comp Requirements
Why they vary, owners, and the subcontractor issue.
Read →Subcontractors
The insurance exposure around subs and uninsured labor.
Read →Public Works & Prevailing Wage
What changes when you take on public projects.
Read →OSHA & Safety Basics
Why safety affects your coverage, and where to go.
Read →Compliance by State
Licensing, bonds, and workers comp for your state.
Read →Common questions.
Do I need a license bond?
Are my subcontractors my responsibility for workers comp?
What is different about public works?
Is this legal advice?
Not sure your coverage and bonds meet the requirements?
Licensing, bonds, workers comp, and contracts all point to specific coverage. We make sure your insurance lines up with what you are actually required to carry.
Line your coverage up with what you must prove.
Tell us what your license, contracts, or projects require and we will make sure your insurance and bonds match.