Whether you're a homeowner looking for a trusted contractor or a business owner who wants to get found — we've got a simple path for you.
Three steps to go from searching to hiring — with confidence, not crossed fingers.
Type in your city and the service you need — painting, plumbing, roofing, HVAC, and 200+ more categories. We maintain dedicated listing pages for every major US city.
Each result shows you the business's verified badge status, star rating, real customer reviews, license information, and service area — all in one place. No guesswork.
Click to call, email, or fill out the contact form directly on their profile. Your information goes to that business only — not to 8 competitors like Angi does.
The BusinessCertified shield isn't handed out automatically. Here's what we check before a business earns it.
We check that the contractor holds a current, state-issued license relevant to the work they perform. No expired licenses pass our verification.
Verified businesses must carry general liability insurance appropriate to their trade. This protects you if something goes wrong on your property.
Our review system cross-references submissions for authenticity signals. We don't allow businesses to pay to remove negative reviews or inflate ratings.
We confirm the business is properly registered with their state — not a fly-by-night operation or someone acting without legal business standing.
The business actually serves the area listed. No nationwide companies masquerading as local — you get real local businesses who know your area.
We re-verify credentials annually. A business that earned the badge in 2025 is re-checked in 2026. Expired or revoked credentials automatically remove the badge.
The questions we hear most from people searching for contractors.
Look for the BusinessCertified Verified badge on their profile. That badge means we've confirmed their state license is current, they carry general liability insurance, and their business is properly registered. You can also click "View Credentials" on any verified profile to see exactly what was checked and when.
Yes. We use a combination of automated signals and manual review to flag suspicious submissions — things like clusters of reviews from the same IP, reviews posted the same day a business joins, or review patterns inconsistent with real customer behavior. Businesses cannot pay us to remove negative reviews, and we do not allow star-gate practices (only asking happy customers for reviews). We also do not accept reviews from business owners about their own business.
Completely free. BusinessCertified.org is free for consumers to search, browse profiles, read reviews, and contact businesses. We make money by charging businesses for verified listings and premium placement — not by charging homeowners.
No. When you contact a business through their profile, your information goes only to that business. We do not operate as a lead aggregator — your name, phone, and email are never sold or shared with anyone else. This is one of the core differences between BusinessCertified and platforms like Angi, where one inquiry can go to 8 competing contractors.
A Verified badge confirms credentials at a point in time — it's not a guarantee of quality on every job. If you have a bad experience with a verified business, we encourage you to: (1) leave an honest review on their profile, (2) contact us at support@businesscertified.org if you believe there was fraud or misrepresentation. We take credential complaints seriously and will re-investigate verification status when warranted.
Business owners are responsible for keeping their profiles current and agree to our Terms of Service to that effect. Verification credentials are re-checked annually. If you find information on a profile that appears outdated or inaccurate, use the "Report an Issue" link on the profile page to let us know — we typically follow up within 2 business days.
Three steps from invisible to the top of AI search results in your market.
Enter your business name, service category, and city. Your listing goes live immediately on all relevant city × service pages — visible to anyone searching for your trade in your area.
Upload your license, insurance certificate, and business registration. Our team reviews your submission and grants the Verified badge within 24–48 hours. Upgrade to Verified Pro to unlock the badge and AI search priority.
Your profile is structured with JSON-LD schema that AI search engines — Google AI Overview, ChatGPT, Perplexity — read to generate local recommendations. When someone asks for the best plumber in your city, you show up.
Four-point verification that gives customers real confidence — and gives you a badge worth displaying.
We check your contractor or trade license against state licensing board databases. We verify the license is current, in your name, and covers the services you offer.
Submit your certificate of insurance. We confirm you carry general liability (minimum $1M/occurrence for most trades) and, where applicable, workers' compensation.
We analyze your existing reviews for authenticity signals. Verified businesses agree not to solicit fake reviews or use third-party review manipulation services.
We confirm your business entity (LLC, corporation, DBA) is in good standing with your state. No shell entities or unregistered operations.
Gather these before you start — the whole upload takes less than 5 minutes:
Tip: Most contractors have all three of these on their phone or in their email. You likely won't need to dig for anything.
You can still claim a free listing and start building your presence. Unverified profiles appear in the directory — you just won't have the Verified badge until you complete the process.
If you're in the process of getting licensed or renewing, contact us — we'll set a reminder to verify you as soon as your credentials are current.
Claim Your City →No credit card required for free listing
The questions contractors ask most before signing up.
Your listing goes live in under 5 minutes. Once you submit your verification documents (license, COI, business registration), our team reviews them within 24–48 business hours. Most applicants are verified same-day if they submit before noon Central Time on a business day.
Some trades — handyman services, cleaning, moving, landscaping — may not require a state-issued contractor's license in your state. In those cases, we verify business registration and insurance, and apply a "Business Verified" badge (rather than the "License Verified" badge). Contact us and we'll walk you through what applies to your trade and state.
Yes. Cancel anytime from your dashboard — no cancellation fees. If you cancel, your listing reverts to the free tier: still visible in the directory, but the Verified badge is removed from your profile and website embed. Your reviews and basic business info remain on your profile.
Every verified listing is structured with JSON-LD schema markup (LocalBusiness, Service, Review schema) that AI search engines read to generate local recommendations. When someone prompts Google AI Overview, ChatGPT, or Perplexity with "best electrician in [your city]," these engines look for structured, trustworthy data — and our verified profiles are built specifically to provide it. Verified Pro and Elite plans get priority schema indexing.
Yes — we re-verify credentials annually to ensure the badge remains meaningful. We'll email you a reminder 30 days before your re-verification is due. The re-verification process is faster than the initial one — typically just confirming your license and COI are still current. If you're on an active paid plan, re-verification is included at no extra cost.
No contract, no annual commitment. Every paid plan is month-to-month. You can upgrade, downgrade, or cancel at any time from your account dashboard. The only commitment we ask for is accurate information on your profile.