HomeGuideIS lists home service professionals — roofing, plumbing, HVAC, cleaning, and other trades — to help homeowners find help quickly. Trust depends on knowing what is behind a listing. This policy explains exactly what our business verification involves, what a verified badge means, and — just as important — what it does not mean.
What Verification Involves
Before a professional listing is published or marked verified, we check some or all of the following, depending on the trade and jurisdiction:
- Business identity: legal business name, contact information, and a verifiable operating address or service area.
- Licensing: where the trade is licensed at the state or local level (for example, plumbing and HVAC in many states), we check the license number and status against the issuing authority’s records. License requirements vary by state and municipality, and it remains the professional’s responsibility to hold every license their work requires.
- Insurance: evidence of general liability coverage, and workers’ compensation where required by law.
- Basic standing: screening for active, material public alerts relevant to consumer protection where accessible.
What a Verified Badge Means
It means that at the time of verification, HomeGuideIS confirmed the specific items described above. It is a snapshot, not a guarantee. It does not mean HomeGuideIS endorses the business, guarantees the quality of any work, inspects job sites, or warrants pricing, timeliness, or outcomes. It does not replace your own due diligence — always confirm licensing and insurance directly, get written estimates, and check references before hiring, as outlined in our guide to hiring contractors.
Ongoing Monitoring and Re-Verification
Verification is not one-and-done. Listings are reviewed periodically and when information changes. We may ask professionals to re-submit documentation at any time. If a license lapses, insurance expires, or required records are not renewed, the verified badge is suspended or removed until documentation is current.
Listing Removal
Listings may be suspended or removed for: fraudulent or falsified documentation; license revocation or suspension; credible evidence of unsafe or illegal practices; repeated substantiated consumer complaints; violation of our Listing Policy; or refusal to respond to verification requests.
Payment and Neutrality
Verification is not for sale. No business can pay to become verified, to skip a check, or to remove a true negative review. Paid placement or advertising products are separate from verification and clearly labeled under our Advertising Disclosure. A verified badge cannot be purchased at any price.
For Consumers
Verification helps you shortlist; it does not decide for you. Before hiring: confirm the license and insurance yourself, insist on a written contract, understand the warranty in writing, never pay in full up front, and trust your instincts about pressure tactics. Our guides library at /guides/ covers how to vet contractors in each trade, and neighbors’ first-hand experiences appear in our community section.
For Professionals
To list your business or maintain verification status, email [email protected] with the subject line “Professional Listing.” We will tell you exactly which documents we need for your trade and state.
Questions
Questions about a specific listing or a verification decision: [email protected].