Ben Franklin Plumbing, Auburn

In Alabama, you need to hire a licensed general contractor for residential projects exceeding $10,000 in total value and for commercial projects exceeding $30,000.

Alabama maintains good standards when it comes to contractor licensing. Applicants are required to pass a board exam and provide evidence of work experience as part of the registration process.

Licensed general contractors in Alabama are required to maintain liability insurance.

There is no bond requirement for licensed contractors in Alabama, however the state maintains a recovery fund that allows homeowners to recoup up to $20,000 in expenses if they can prove the licensed contractor provided faulty or negligent work, provided they have obtained a valid judgment and exercised reasonable efforts to obtain a satisfaction of the judgment from the licensee prior to making a claim against the fund.

Licensed contractors are required to pass a credit check and supply a certificate of good standing with the Alabama Department of Revenue. They are not required to pass a criminal background check so if this is a consideration, you can double-check on the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency Website.

The BuildZoom score is based on a number of factors including the contractor's license status, insurance status, verified work history, standing with local consumer interest groups, verified reviews from other BuildZoom users and self-reported feedback from the contractor.

When it comes to major construction work or even minor alterations to your home, hiring the wrong contractor could result in incomplete or defective work. You may even find yourself dealing with huge liability claims. BuildZoom does the homework for you and helps you hire the right contractor.

The Alabama Licensing Board recommends getting at least three written bids before hiring a contractor. Do not automatically accept the lowest bid - an abnormally low bid may indicate the contractor made a mistake and is not including the same work quoted by their competitors. We've made the bid collection process extremely simple (and free). Just click here to get started.