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Licensing Information

Licensing Information - Licensing Home Improvement & Remodeling Contractors

From remodeling a kitchen to adding whole rooms to a house, homeowners turn frequently to general contractors to assist them in turning their home improvement ideas into reality. Here are some steps to ensure that the contractors you consider to perform the work on your home will meet your expectations.

Check to see if the contractor has obtained all the licenses and permits required of them. The State Department of Labor and Industries, the State Department of Revenue, the Seattle Finance Department, and the Seattle Department of Design Construction and Land Use (for building permits) are among the government agencies with whom your contractor must license.

Following are phone numbers you can call to check if a contractor has obtained the required licenses and/or bonds:

For Information on... Contact:
To verify if your Contractor is licensed to do business with the City Call Revenue and Consumer Affairs at (206) 684-8484
For information on required building and other permits Call the Department of Design Construction and Land Use at
(206) 684-8850
To verify if your Contractor has registered to do business within the State Call the State Department of Revenue at 1-800-647-7706
or (206) 956-3000
To verify if your Contractor has obtained the required Contractor registration and has met their bond requirements Call the State Department of Labor and Industries at 1-800-647-0982 or
(206) 281-5400
To determine if a Contractor has a history of complaints Call the Better Business Bureau at (206) 431-2222
For information on how to select a Contractor or to discover whether a specific firm has been sued by the State Call the State Attorney General's Office at (206) 464-6684

The material in this site is intended for general informational purposes only. While it is current at the time of publication, changes to the Seattle Municipal Code (SMC) or state law may invalidate some of this information. In the event of a conflict between this guide and the SMC, the SMC prevails.

City of Seattle
Revenue and Consumer Protection
700 Fifth Ave., Suite 4250
PO Box 34214
Seattle, WA 98124-4214
Telephone: (206) 684-8484
Fax: (206) 684-5170
Contact us at: rca@seattle.gov

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