For years when I saw that someone was a bonded General Contractor, I assumed that they had passed a set of construction-related professional standards set by the state I think many consumers make the same assumption, but did you know that depending on where you live, this could be completely untrue?
In Washington state, for example, there are NO professional expertise-related requirements for someone to register as a General Contractor. They do have to meet certain business and residency requirements, have liability insurance, and post a bond of $12,000 (as of December 2012), but here’s what the state of Washington says about the professional qualification part:
Requirements vary widely from state to state. California, for example, requires four years of experience, or some equivalent combination of technical education and work history.
Since being able to recommend trustworthy service providers is a valuable part of what a real estate agent brings to the table, it makes sense to be aware of contractor requirements in your state. Here’s a link to a Contractor’s License Reference Site – you can click on the map to go to the database with information about contractor requirements in your state.