Every year, homeowners on Long Island and in Queens hand deposits to people who are not licensed to do the work. After a fire, a flood or a big storm the problem gets worse, because the people who knock on doors first are often the ones with the least to lose. Checking a contractor's license takes about five minutes, costs nothing, and is the single best way to protect yourself before you sign anything. This guide walks through exactly how to do it in Nassau County and New York City, the two places where Gotham Builders of New York holds home improvement licenses, and what else to check while you're at it.
Many people search for a New York State contractor license and come up empty. That is because there isn't one for general home improvement work. In New York, licensing is handled locally. Nassau County, Suffolk County and New York City each run their own home improvement license, and each one only covers work done inside its borders. A contractor licensed in Nassau County is not automatically licensed to work on a house in Queens, and the reverse is also true. So the real question is not "are you licensed?" but "are you licensed where my house is?"
If your home is in Nassau County, including Freeport, Merrick, Baldwin, Oceanside, Long Beach and every other village and hamlet in the county, the contractor needs a Nassau County home improvement license. The county issues it under Section 21-11 of the Nassau County Administrative Code, and it covers a wide range of work, from roofing and siding to kitchens, basements and waterproofing. If your home is anywhere in the five boroughs, including Queens, the contractor needs a Home Improvement Contractor license from the NYC Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP) for any residential job over $200. If your home is in Suffolk County, check with Suffolk County's consumer affairs office, which runs its own separate license.
The Nassau County Department of Consumer Affairs licenses home improvement businesses in the county. Its website has a license lookup where you can search by business name or license number. The county is blunt about it: if a contractor is not listed, they are not currently licensed. You can also call Consumer Affairs at (516) 571-2600 to confirm a license and ask about the company's complaint history. There is no fee.
When you look a contractor up, check three things: that the business name matches the name on your estimate and contract, that the license status is active, and that the license number matches the one the contractor gave you. Nassau County also requires licensed home improvement contractors to be fingerprinted, and the county license number must appear on your contract. If you ever have a problem with a licensed contractor, Consumer Affairs will mediate the dispute, and in Nassau you must file a complaint with them before taking legal action. None of that protection exists if the contractor was never licensed.
For homes in Queens and the rest of the city, use the DCWP License Lookup tool online, call 311, or visit nyc.gov/dcwp. NYC home improvement license numbers usually end in -DCA, for example 0916825-DCA. The lookup shows whether the license is active and which business it belongs to.
A city license comes with a real benefit. If a DCWP-licensed home improvement contractor owes you money and DCWP cannot resolve the complaint through mediation, you may be eligible for repayment from the city's Home Improvement Contractor Trust Fund. If you hire an unlicensed contractor, you are not eligible. In other words, the license is not just paperwork. It is a safety net that only exists if you check before you hire.
A license does not prove a contractor is insured today. Ask for a certificate of liability insurance and a certificate of workers' compensation coverage, sent directly from the insurance agent rather than a photocopy, and look at the expiration dates. You can also confirm workers' compensation coverage with the New York State Workers' Compensation Board. If a worker is hurt on your property and the contractor has no coverage, you could be the one facing the claim.
Most restoration and remodeling work needs a building permit from your village, town or city building department, and on the South Shore the right office can change from one block to the next. Freeport is its own village, Merrick and Baldwin are handled by the Town of Hempstead, and Long Beach is a city. A licensed contractor should know which office covers your address and pull the permit in the company's name. Be wary of anyone who asks you to pull the permit yourself as the homeowner.
A proper home improvement contract should list the contractor's name, address and license number, a detailed description of the work and materials, a start date and an estimated completion date, the total price and a payment schedule. New York law also gives you three business days to cancel a home improvement contract after you sign it. Avoid any company that wants a large down payment before work begins, and never pay in full up front.
Disasters bring out storm chasers. Watch out for contractors who show up at your door uninvited, pressure you to sign the same day, ask you to sign over your insurance check, only take cash, have no local address, or can't give you a license number. A real contractor will gladly give you their license numbers and wait while you check them. If someone gets defensive when you ask, that tells you what you need to know.
Gotham Builders of New York, Ltd. has been family-owned since 1995, and for more than 30 years we've worked on homes across Nassau County and Queens from our office at 108 W Merrick Rd in Freeport. We hold Nassau County Home Improvement License H18D7530000 and NYC Home Improvement Contractor License 0916825-DCA. We encourage you to look both up before you call us. Then call or text (516) 377-0400, any time of day or night, for a free estimate or emergency help.
Read next: Who issues building permits in Freeport, Hempstead and Long Beach | Storm prep for South Shore homes | Contact our Freeport office