Updated October 17, 2026. A contractor can hand a homeowner three impressive-looking documents—a license, a certificate of insurance, and a proposal—without answering the question that matters most: who will actually be responsible if the work causes a loss? Each document has a different job. The license concerns authority to perform the work. The certificate reports insurance information. The contract identifies the parties and their obligations. None substitutes for the others.
The practical response is to verify the company, the license, and the insurance separately, then make sure the answers fit together. This guide includes a worksheet for doing that before signing a contract or releasing a substantial payment. It also accounts for Louisiana’s contractor-insurance changes that took effect August 1, 2026.
Begin with the exact company that will sign your contract
Ask for the contractor’s full legal name, business address, license number, and the name and authority of the person signing. Compare those details with the proposal, contract, invoice, insurance documents, and payment instructions. A familiar trade name does not establish that two similarly named companies are the same legal entity. A license held by an individual or related company is not automatically the license of the business offering to contract with you.
Use the Louisiana State Licensing Board for Contractors contractor search to check the current license, its classification, and the listed business. Save a dated copy. Review the Board’s violation records as a separate step. If a record mentions a suspension, revocation, appeal, or court order, obtain the relevant order and ask the Board what work the contractor is currently authorized to perform. An old news story and a current database entry may concern different dates or different legal questions.
The Board’s licensing law and rules, updated August 1, 2026, govern the classifications and requirements. Describe the actual project when asking the Board about licensing: new construction, roofing, mold remediation, renovation, and work involving particular trades can present different issues. A general assurance that someone is “licensed” is not enough to establish that the license covers your project.
A certificate provides information; the policy determines coverage
Louisiana’s certificate-of-insurance law, La. R.S. 22:890, is unusually useful for homeowners. It says a certificate cannot amend, extend, or alter the insurance policy. A certificate does not give its holder rights beyond those provided by the policy and applicable endorsements. The certificate may confirm that coverage was issued or bound, but the coverage still depends on the insurance contract.
That distinction matters when a certificate displays a large liability limit. The number does not answer whether the policy covers the contractor’s particular operations, the location, the time of the occurrence, or the type of damage. Nor does general liability insurance amount to a guarantee that the contractor will finish the project or reimburse every cost of correcting defective work.
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| Certificate entry | Question to resolve | Record to keep |
|---|---|---|
| Named insured | Is this the same legal entity that will sign the construction contract? | Certificate and signed contract showing the matching names. |
| Insurer and producer | Did the insurer or licensed producer actually issue this document? | Fresh copy sent directly by the issuing office and its written response. |
| Policy number and dates | Is the stated policy in effect, and when does it expire during the job? | Confirmation identifying the policy and dates; renewal reminder. |
| Liability limits | Which limits apply, and what policies or endorsements supply them? | Declarations and relevant endorsements requested through the contractor. |
| Description of operations | Do the actual policy terms address the work being undertaken? | Applicable coverage forms, exclusions, and endorsements. |
| Certificate holder | Does this merely identify who received evidence of insurance? | The certificate, read separately from any additional-insured endorsement. |
| Additional insured or cancellation language | Does the policy or an endorsement actually provide the stated status or notice rights? | The supporting endorsement or policy provision, not just a notation. |
Verify the source through an independent contact
Use the Louisiana Department of Insurance’s producer and company searches to verify licensing and locate the insurer or agency. Obtain contact information independently rather than relying entirely on the phone number printed on a document supplied by the contractor. A real insurer’s name can appear on a document the insurer never issued.
Ask the contractor to authorize the issuing producer to send a current certificate directly to you. Identify the company, project, and policy number, and ask the producer to confirm that the document came from that office. If information cannot be released without the insured’s permission, have the contractor supply that permission. Keep the response together with the certificate.
For questions about coverage, request the relevant policy provisions and endorsements and obtain advice appropriate to the project. There is a limit to what a homeowner can demand from an insurance agent: R.S. 22:890(H) permits a certificate to identify forms and endorsements, but does not allow an interested party to require the producer to interpret them. Asking for factual confirmation and copies is different from demanding that the agent certify that an insurance policy satisfies every promise in a construction contract.
What changed on August 1, 2026
The Board’s Act 757 insurance memorandum identifies new requirements for residential construction and its subclassifications, mold remediation, and home-improvement applicants under La. R.S. 37:2156.1(E). It addresses more than the dollar amount shown on a certificate:
- Workers’ compensation coverage must comply with Title 23. Liability insurance, or the authorized liability-trust alternative, must meet the $500,000 minimum.
- Proof must come from an agent, broker, or insurance company and identify the licensee, insurer, broker, policy number, and coverage dates.
- Coverage must last at least six months and include the scopes of work for which the applicant is licensed, without exclusions for those licensed scopes.
- The Board must be listed as a certificate holder. The Board warns that failure to meet the new standards can result in suspension.
These licensing requirements are a reason to ask better questions, not a reason to assume a particular claim will be covered. The Board being named as certificate holder does not make the homeowner an additional insured. A licensing file also does not resolve whether a policy was later canceled, whether an endorsement applies, or whether an insurer disputes a particular loss.
Before paying a storm-repair deposit
After a storm, the pressure to secure a roofer or repair crew can make a short proposal seem sufficient. Before paying a deposit, turn the proposal into a verifiable record of who is doing the work, what is included, and what supports each payment. This checklist applies the licensing and insurance distinctions above to an emergency repair decision.
- Match the names. Compare the contracting company, license holder, named insured, invoice, and payment recipient. Have the contractor explain a mismatch in writing before paying. Keep the salesperson’s name and the advertisement or message that led to the proposal.
- Check the actual work. Ask the Contractors Board whether the current license and classification cover the proposed roofing, reconstruction, or other work. Save the dated result and any written clarification.
- Authenticate current insurance. Have the issuing agency send the certificate directly, using contact information obtained independently. Compare policy dates with the expected work period. Obtain relevant exclusions and endorsements for review; a liability limit alone does not establish that roofing or the proposed operation is covered.
- Identify subcontractors and supervision. Ask who will perform each trade, who supervises the work, and which licenses and insurance documents apply. Do not assume every person on the property is an employee of the company whose certificate you received.
- Write down the payment bargain. Identify the deposit, materials, permits, work milestones, change-order process, and completion documents. Keep a receipt showing the exact recipient and purpose of each payment. A requested deposit is not proof that materials have been ordered.
- Preserve the condition of the property. Take dated photographs before work, save the repair scope and communications, and document urgent protective work. Keep replaced materials or samples when reasonably practical and relevant to a disputed loss.
The Board’s Act 757 memorandum addresses insurance requirements effective August 1, 2026, including coverage for licensed scopes and a minimum six-month coverage period. An old certificate should not be accepted merely because it was adequate earlier in the year. The detailed requirements and their limits are explained above.
If the job is intended to obtain a FORTIFIED designation, put the evaluator, documentation, and certificate responsibilities in the agreement. Our FORTIFIED insurance guide explains the separate steps needed to confirm a premium credit. A construction promise and an insurer’s approved calculation answer different questions.
Use one verification worksheet for the whole job
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| Item | Information to record |
|---|---|
| Project and scope | Property address; work description; contractor’s full legal name; proposed start and completion dates. |
| License review | License number; classification; status; date checked; any Board clarification or relevant order. |
| Insurance authentication | Issuing agency; independently obtained contact information; person responding; date; policy number and dates. |
| Coverage documents | Declarations, exclusions, and endorsements received; additional-insured provision if required; unresolved questions. |
| Payment decision | Amount due; milestone supporting payment; recipient matching the contract; questions resolved before payment. |
| Renewal check | Policy expiration during the project; date to request renewed evidence; direct confirmation received. |
A concrete example shows why the cross-check matters. Suppose the contract names “Bayou Renovations LLC,” while the certificate identifies the owner individually and lists a different business name. That mismatch does not itself prove fraud or the absence of coverage. It does mean the homeowner should stop treating the certificate as an answer until the issuing office explains the named-insured relationship and supplies the relevant documents.
If the documents do not check out
Keep the original electronic files, emails, advertisements, contract, payment records, and the response from the purported issuing office. Describe the inconsistency factually. A typo, an expired document, a dispute about coverage, and a fabricated certificate are different problems; the records should establish which problem exists.
Licensing questions belong with the Contractors Board. Insurance licensing, certificate concerns, and suspected insurance fraud can be directed through the Department of Insurance’s complaint and reporting resources. A pending complaint does not resolve the construction contract or preserve every civil deadline. If money has already changed hands or a loss has occurred, obtain advice about the contract, available coverage, and the records needed to protect a claim.
This guide provides general Louisiana legal information. Coverage and contractual rights depend on the actual documents and facts.
Related Louisiana guidance. A contractor’s credentials do not answer every question about a project. For the approval record, see our Louisiana fire-safety records guide. If a roof project is intended to qualify for an insurance reduction, review our FORTIFIED certificate and renewal-quote guide. Browse the full Louisiana Legal Research collection for additional topics.