Before signing, understand the license, insurance, company history, ownership, and the people responsible for delivering the project.
Construction companies open, close, rebrand, merge, sell, reorganize, and change ownership. New companies are not automatically bad, and old companies are not automatically low-risk.
A newer company may be operated by an experienced contractor who recently created a new entity. An older company may no longer be led by the founder who built the reputation. The right question is not simply “How long has the company existed?” The better question is “Who is responsible for this project today?”
Verify the license is active, appropriate, and tied to the correct person or entity.
Request certificates directly from the agent and confirm the named insured.
Ask who owns the company, who supervises your project, and who is accountable for quality.