Identity & Ownership
Information used to establish who is connected to the business record.
Core
Trade Check Verification Standards
See what stands behind a Trade Check verification.
Trade Check reviews business records, licenses, insurance and other applicable credentials using defined verification methods. This page explains what we check, where the information comes from and how verification decisions are made.
A Trade Check status is based on the record reviewed — not simply what a business says about itself.
Verification Example
Evidence Behind The Status
Business Registration
Official business record
Source Verified
General Liability
Supporting insurance evidence
Document Verified
Qualification Requirement
Evaluated against defined rules
Trade Check Reviewed
The method matters.
Trade Check distinguishes independently reviewed information from information that is only self-reported.
Independent Review
Defined Standards
Earned, Not Bought
The Trade Check Standard
A claim becomes verification only when there is evidence behind it.
Trade Check separates what a business says from what has been independently reviewed or confirmed.
Business Claim
Self-Reported
Information supplied by the business can be useful, but it is not automatically presented as independently verified.
Example: A contractor enters an insurance policy number or states that a license is active.
Evidence Reviewed
Verified
The information is reviewed using an appropriate source, document or defined Trade Check verification method.
Example: The license is confirmed through an applicable official source or supporting evidence.
What We Verify
The business record is built from multiple types of evidence.
Not every credential applies to every business. Trade Check uses core verification requirements and additional requirements based on trade, location, business structure or hiring needs.
Business Registration
Legal business record and standing where applicable.
CoreTrade Licensing
Applicable contractor or trade licenses for the work and jurisdiction.
Core Where RequiredGeneral Liability
Applicable liability insurance evidence, dates and coverage information.
Core Where ApplicableWorkers' Compensation
Applicable workers' compensation requirements and policy evidence.
ApplicableCommercial Auto
Vehicle-related commercial insurance requirements where needed.
CommercialCompliance & Track Record
Applicable standing, compliance and material qualification information.
ApplicableSafety & OSHA
Applicable safety programs, records or regulatory information.
CommercialBonding & Surety
Bonding information where required for a contractor or project.
CommercialCommercial Readiness
References, capacity, programs and additional requirements where applicable.
Accredited / Qualification
Trade Check Verified
The foundation of a Trade Check Verified business.
Verified status is built around the core records needed to establish the business and review the credentials that apply to its trade and location.
The exact requirement set can vary because a roofer, landscaper, electrician and general contractor may not be regulated or insured in the same way.
Applicable matters.
Trade Check does not present a credential as missing simply because that credential does not apply to a specific business or trade.
Identity & Ownership
Core
Establishes the people or information connected to the business record.
Business Registration & Standing
Core
Reviews the applicable legal entity and business standing information.
Required Trade License
Where Required
Reviews applicable contractor or trade licensing requirements where required.
General Liability
Applicable
Reviews applicable liability coverage evidence and relevant policy information.
Other Core Requirements
As Applicable
Additional verification items can apply based on trade, location or business structure.
Trade Check Accredited
Deeper verification for businesses taking on commercial work.
Accredited builds on core verification with additional applicable requirements commonly relevant to commercial, institutional, property management or higher-risk contractor relationships.
Workers' Compensation
Applicable workers' compensation coverage and supporting evidence.
Requirements depend on jurisdiction, workforce and applicable standards.Commercial Auto
Applicable vehicle-related commercial insurance requirements.
May be reviewed where vehicle exposure is part of the contractor relationship.Umbrella / Excess Liability
Additional liability limits where required for commercial work or a hiring organization.
Coverage requirements can vary significantly by organization.Safety Program
Applicable written safety documentation and related business-level program evidence.
Verification of a program does not mean every worker or event has been independently reviewed.Safety History / EMR
Applicable safety information, OSHA-related records or experience-modification information where required.
Availability and applicability depend on the contractor and requirement.Bonding & Capacity
Applicable bonding, commercial references, project capacity or related qualification evidence.
These requirements may be specific to the hiring organization or project.
The method behind the verification matters
Verification Method
Not every record is verified the same way.
Trade Check identifies how information was reviewed so users can distinguish authoritative source checks, document reviews and information that remains self-reported.
Source Verified
Information confirmed against an applicable authoritative or official source where available.
Document Verified
Supporting documentation was reviewed as evidence for the credential or requirement.
Trade Check Reviewed
Information was evaluated against a defined Trade Check or hiring-organization requirement.
Self-Reported
Information provided by the business that has not been independently verified.
Evidence Hierarchy
We use the strongest available evidence first.
When multiple forms of evidence are available, Trade Check can prioritize more authoritative sources over weaker forms of self-reported information.
01
Official / Authoritative Source
Government records, applicable licensing sources, registries or other authoritative sources.
Strongest Available Evidence
02
Issuer / Provider Evidence
Evidence originating from an applicable insurer, broker, surety, provider or issuing party.
External Evidence
03
Business Documentation
Documents provided by the contractor that can be reviewed for the applicable requirement.
Supporting Evidence
04
Self-Reported Information
Information entered by the business that has not yet been independently confirmed.
Not Independently Verified
Insurance Verification
Insurance is more than a certificate upload.
Depending on the requirement and available evidence, Trade Check can review multiple parts of an insurance record instead of treating the presence of a document as the entire verification.
Named Insured
Whether the evidence corresponds to the business record being reviewed.
Carrier / Provider
Applicable insurer or provider information shown in the record.
Coverage Type
General Liability, Workers' Compensation, Commercial Auto or other applicable coverage.
Policy Period
Effective and expiration information where applicable.
Coverage Limits
Limits can be compared with a defined requirement where applicable.
Additional Requirements
Endorsements or organization-specific insurance requirements where applicable.
Example Review
General Liability
An insurance record can include several pieces of information that affect whether it currently satisfies an applicable requirement.
Business Match
Reviewed
Coverage Type
General Liability
Policy Period
Current
Required Limit
Satisfied
Licensing & Registration
The right business. The right license. The right jurisdiction.
A business registration and a trade license are not the same record. Trade Check can separate business identity from the licensing requirements that apply to the work being performed.
Business Registration
Establishes the applicable legal business record and standing information where available.
A business entity record does not automatically prove that the business holds every trade license it may need.Trade / Contractor License
Reviews the applicable professional, contractor or trade licensing record where licensing is required.
Licensing requirements can differ by trade, state, county, city or other jurisdiction.Applicability
Trade Check considers whether a requirement actually applies before describing a credential as missing or unsatisfied.
The goal is accurate status language, not applying the same checklist to every type of contractor.
Commercial Qualification
Some jobs require more than a license and insurance.
Commercial and institutional organizations can require additional evidence before a contractor is ready to work. Trade Check can organize those requirements around the same contractor record.
OSHA / safety history where applicable
Written safety programs
EMR where applicable
Drug & alcohol testing policy
Background screening policy
Workforce training requirements
Subcontractor management policies
Bonding / project capacity
Qualification can extend beyond core verification
Verification Limits
Verification has limits. We state them clearly.
Trade Check is designed to make contractor records easier to understand. Verification should not be confused with a guarantee of future outcomes.
Verification does not guarantee workmanship.
Confirming defined credentials does not guarantee the quality or outcome of future work.
Verification does not guarantee future performance.
Business conditions, personnel, policies and circumstances can change.
Verification does not mean no future claims or incidents can occur.
A current record reflects the reviewed information and applicable requirement at that time.
Trade Check does not replace a hiring organization's requirements.
An organization can require additional documents, limits or standards before allowing a contractor to work.
Not every credential applies to every contractor.
Trade, jurisdiction, workforce, project and business structure can affect what is required.
Verified information can change.
Licenses expire, insurance renews and business records can change after verification.
Monitoring & Reverification
Verification should not become an old certificate sitting in a folder.
Credentials can expire or change. When monitored or reviewed information changes, Trade Check can update the status of the record and request new evidence where applicable.
1
Record is reviewed
Applicable evidence is evaluated using the appropriate verification method.
2
Dates and requirements are recorded
Applicable expiration or review information can be associated with the credential.
3
The record needs attention
A credential can move to Pending, Action Required or Not Current when appropriate.
4
Updated evidence is reviewed
The current status can be restored once the applicable requirement is satisfied again.
Records can change after the first review
Privacy & Transparency
Public proof. Private evidence.
Trade Check can show the result of a verification without making every document used to establish that result publicly available.
Public Result
- Credential type
- Verification status
- Verification method
- Applicable expiration or review information
Private Evidence
- Full insurance documentation
- Sensitive policy information
- Private ownership documentation
- Restricted qualification evidence
Show what was verified without exposing what should remain private.
Earned, Not Bought
Payment does not determine the verification outcome.
Businesses can pay Trade Check for verification services, monitoring, platform access and membership. The status itself depends on the underlying record and applicable requirements.
Payment does not make evidence valid.
Information must still be reviewed using the applicable verification process.
Payment does not guarantee Verified or Accredited.
The applicable requirements still have to be satisfied.
Payment does not make a contractor Qualified.
Qualification depends on the hiring organization's defined requirements.
The record determines the status.
Standards Questions
Common questions about Trade Check verification.
No. Requirements can vary based on trade, location, business structure, workforce and the level of verification or qualification being evaluated.
Source Verified means information was confirmed against an applicable authoritative or official source where available.
Document Verified means supporting documentation was reviewed as evidence.
No. Trade Check verification confirms defined records and credentials. It does not guarantee future workmanship, performance or project outcome.
No. Accredited is a deeper Trade Check verification level, but hiring organizations can still require different insurance limits, policies, licenses or other qualification criteria.
Yes. Licenses, insurance policies and other business records can expire or change.
When applicable evidence no longer satisfies the requirement, the relevant status can change.
No. Payment covers Trade Check services. Verification outcomes depend on the record and applicable requirements.
Check The Evidence
Don't rely on the claim. Check the record.
Search Trade Check to see available business information, verification status and the records behind that status.
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