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How to check a Rhode Island deck contractor before you hire

Rhode Island runs a public lookup for contractor registrations. It takes two minutes and is worth doing before you sign anything.

1. Look up the registration

Use the Contractors' Registration and Licensing Board (CRLB) Search a Registrant/Licensee tool. Search by the person's name, business name or registration number and check that the status is active. Registration numbers for general contractors look like "GC-12345".

2. Check enforcement history

The Department of Business Regulation publishes CRLB enforcement actions (decisions, consent agreements and final orders), searchable by name or registration number.

3. Questions to ask

• Can you send your CRLB registration number and certificate of insurance?
• Who pulls the permit, and is the fee in the quote?
• What's the payment schedule? (Avoid paying most of it up front.)
• Is everything, including material, railing and stair count, in a written contract?

Questions for the board

CRLB, 560 Jefferson Blvd, Suite 100, Warwick, RI 02886, (401) 921-1590, weekdays 8:30–4:00.

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