How we verify
There is no industry-standard rubric for what 'verified' means. So we wrote ours down. Here is exactly what a business has to clear before our verified badge appears on their listing.
Owner claims the listing
The owner of a directory listing creates an account and submits a claim. We confirm the claim from a domain-matching email or phone-verification step before any owner-controlled fields can be edited.
Documentation review
The owner uploads at least one piece of authoritative documentation: an active CSLB license with the C-36 Plumbing Contractor classification, the CSLB contractor bond or workers'-compensation filing, a certificate of insurance, a trade credential (PHCC, AWWA backflow tester), or a state-issued business registration. Files are stored privately and never shown to homeowners.
Cross-check against public registries
Where the credential maps to a public registry (the Contractors State License Board license search and municipal contractor-registration portals), we re-pull the record live and confirm the firm appears as ACTIVE on that source. License or certification numbers must match.
Verified badge issued
Once at least one document is confirmed and the public-registry cross-check passes, the listing gets the verified badge. The homepage of the listing visibly carries which credential was verified and when. Verification is not an endorsement of work quality.
Ongoing re-verification
We re-verify state licenses on a quarterly cadence by re-pulling the public registry. If a license has lapsed, the verified badge is removed within 24 hours. If a credential expires (CSLB contractor licenses renew every two years), the owner is asked to upload a renewal before the badge is restored.
Documents we accept
- State license. California licenses plumbing contractors statewide through the Contractors State License Board (CSLB) -- any job of $1,000 or more requires the C-36 Plumbing Contractor classification. An active CSLB license is the strongest single document.
- Industry certification. PHCC membership, an AWWA backflow-tester or cross-connection certification, or a related CSLB classification (C-42 sanitation, C-55 water conditioning). We confirm the number against the issuer's public lookup tool when one exists.
- Certificate of insurance. General liability and (where applicable) pollution-liability insurance, current and naming the operating entity.
- State-issued business registration. Articles of incorporation or current Secretary-of-State filing showing the business is in good standing.
- Trade credentials. PHCC membership and backflow / cross-connection (CCCDI) certification are accepted as supplemental credentials -- see our data sources page for how we use them.
What verification is NOT
It is not a guarantee of work quality. Read reviews, ask for project references, and check complaint history with your state Attorney General.
It is not a substitute for written contracts. Always get a written scope, price, and timeline before any plumbing work begins.
It does not cover sub-contractors. Ask whether the work will be performed by employees of the verified firm or by contracted labor.