How to Vet a Charlotte Contractor Before You Sign

Verify the license in the right state

For work in North Carolina, check the NC Licensing Board for General Contractors. For work in South Carolina — Fort Mill, Indian Land, Rock Hill, Lake Wylie — check the SC Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation. Search by company name, confirm the license is active, and confirm the classification and monetary limit cover your project size.

Insurance and workers compensation

Ask for a certificate of insurance sent directly from the insurer or agent, not a PDF forwarded by the contractor. Confirm general liability and workers compensation are both active. If a crew member is injured in your home and the contractor has no workers comp, the exposure can land on your homeowners policy.

• Active license in the correct state and classification
• Certificate of insurance issued directly by the agent
• Lien waivers from subs and suppliers at each payment
• Written change-order process with pricing before work

What a fair contract contains

Named materials with specific slab, tile and fixture selections. A payment schedule tied to milestones, not dates. A start and substantial-completion window. A written change-order clause. A warranty term on workmanship. And an explicit exclusions list, which is the section most homeowners skip and most disputes come from.

Red flags

Cash-only pricing. A deposit above 50 percent, or above one third on large projects. Pressure to sign today for a discount. No physical business address. Refusal to name the fabrication shop. And a bid dramatically under every other bid — that gap is usually scope the contractor has quietly removed.