You find a trade profile with a green credential badge and need to decide whether the crew can start. Use the badge to identify which evidence to request. Confirm what was checked, for which business, and when.
Before relying on it, ask who issued it, which record they checked, which business it covers, and when they checked. If those details are unavailable, continue your own checks. A profile label cannot answer a project-specific license or coverage question by itself.
Check license, insurance, and crew fit separately
Check the license, insurance, and crew fit separately. Confirm which business and work the license covers. Review the insurance policy and its terms. Then check the crew, schedule, and comparable completed work.
The GC board says insurance is not a requirement for obtaining its license. A GC license therefore does not establish workers’ compensation or liability coverage. Check those items through their own sources.
Use this table for your own profile checks. It is a suggested process for builders, not an app certification standard.
Scroll to read all columns.
| Profile signal | What to establish next | Where to confirm |
|---|---|---|
| License label | Named entity, status, scope, limitation | Issuing board’s current record |
| Workers’ compensation label | Correct employer and relevant coverage dates | Commission lookup and insurer |
| Liability label | Named insured, applicable coverage, endorsements | Producer, insurer, and policy documents |
| Project photos | Who performed which part of the work | Contractor and project reference |
| Endorsement | Relationship, scope, and recency | Person giving the reference |
| Availability status | Crew and start window for this job | Direct discussion with responsible contact |
The prequalification guide helps organize those checks before a deadline forces a rushed decision.
Match the license to the company signing the subcontract
Start with the company name on the proposed subcontract. Ask for its license number and issuing board. Search the number and compare the company information. Investigate a mismatch before accepting a verbal explanation.
The NC GC public search distinguishes license and qualifier searches. The board’s FAQ explains that the qualifier holds an examination credential, while the license belongs to the named business. Do not treat a qualifying individual’s name as interchangeable with the company signing your agreement.
Next check the scope. NC GC classifications and limitations describe different authorizations and single-project value limits. Compare the license record with the work you plan to award. Ask the board when you cannot determine whether the classification covers it.
Use the right board for regulated trades. North Carolina provides a separate electrical contractor search and a plumbing, heating, and fire sprinkler contractor search. A GC badge does not confirm electrical, plumbing, heating, or fire sprinkler authorization. The license verification guide explains how to keep each authorization check distinct.
Check workers’ compensation without overstating the database
Search the correct employer, not merely a familiar trading name. The NC Industrial Commission’s coverage search supports employer, carrier, and policy inquiries. Compare identifying details and dates. Save the result and the day you checked it in your own project records.
Then confirm directly. The Commission warns that its database is not proof of coverage and may omit recent or unreported changes. Its reference to changes reported within the last 30 days is not a guarantee that every record is current after that period. Confirm the search result with the employer or insurer.
Do not assume a small crew needs no coverage. G.S. 97-19 addresses a principal contractor’s exposure involving subcontractor employees. The statute’s coverage and certificate conditions need project-specific review. Ask your insurer or construction attorney how they apply before the crew starts.
If the employer name differs between a license, insurance record, and invoice, keep the file open until you understand why. Confirm which business performs the work and which business is insured. A stack of documents does not answer that question unless the names match or the difference is explained.
Read a COI as evidence about a policy
Request current insurance evidence through the producer or insurer using independently confirmed contact details. Compare the named insured with the subcontract. Check policy dates against the planned work period. Have your insurance adviser assess limits and policy terms against project requirements.
Under G.S. 58-3-149, a certificate cannot amend the coverage or create rights beyond the referenced policy. Do not read a certificate-holder line as the full answer to additional-insured requirements. Request the applicable policy provisions or endorsement for professional review.
Use the certificate of insurance guide to distinguish the summary document from the policy. Ask about the work the crew will perform. Avoid a broad question such as “Are we covered?” without identifying the job, entity, and requested protection.
Keep workers’ compensation and liability evidence in separate fields. An answer about one does not resolve the other. Assign a person to close each open item. Record who supplied the information so another team member can follow up.
Recheck when the decision or evidence changes
There is no single review interval established here for every badge, policy, and job. Set your review process with the relevant board, insurer, and project requirements. Do not invent a monthly legal rule because it fits an office reminder.
As a purchasing practice, review credentials before a new award and before mobilization. Set reminders for policy expirations that fall during the work. Revisit the file when the contracting entity, crew arrangement, scope, or insurer changes. These are recommended triggers, not a statement of a universal legal schedule.
For a continuing trade relationship, keep the last check date visible. A folder called “approved subs” can hide old evidence unless someone owns its review. Keep the source and the explanation for each mismatch alongside the final approval.
Check completed work and the proposed crew
After the documents clear, discuss comparable work and the proposed crew. Ask a project reference what scope the company performed and how it handled punch work. Identify who will lead the crew and authorize changes. A correct license record does not answer those operational questions.
Use subcontractor vetting to check whether the company fits your job. Keep confirmed facts separate from your judgment. Record “reference confirmed the named crew completed this scope” rather than replacing the evidence with a general “verified” label.
Resolve a name mismatch before clearing the file
Consider a profile using a familiar trade name while the proposed subcontract identifies another entity. Ask the company to explain the relationship and provide the relevant license and insurance records. Match the records to the company responsible for the work. Have the board or insurance professional resolve any remaining question.
Keep the file open until those answers agree. A matching address, logo, or contact person is useful identifying information, but it does not resolve the contract on its own. Record the explanation, source, and check date. Give the person clearing the crew to start the resolved documents rather than a screenshot of the badge.
Where Cercha fits
Cercha profiles display credential badges alongside portfolios and endorsements. The app’s coverage disclosure directs you to verify with the employer or insurer. Use the profile to organize the first conversation, then complete the source checks required for your project.