How to Verify a New Jersey Flooring Contractor (Checklist)
Hiring someone to work in your home takes trust. New Jersey gives homeowners simple, free tools for checking it before any money changes hands. This is the checklist I'd want my own family to follow, whoever they hire, including me.
1. Look up the contractor's state registration
New Jersey requires residential home improvement contractors to register with the Division of Consumer Affairs. Ask for the registration number. It should be printed on the contractor's contract, business documents, advertising and work vehicles.
Then check it yourself:
Go to the Division's License Verification System: https://newjersey.mylicense.com/verification/
Choose Business Search. The page notes that some licenses are issued to the business rather than a person, and it lists home improvement contractors among those.
Search by registration number or business name. Make sure the name matches your estimate and contract.
You can also call the Division at 1-888-656-6225. Don't rely on a photo of a certificate.
A note on changing rules: New Jersey passed a law in 2024 that sets up a state board and a licensing program for home improvement contractors. As of this writing, the Division's pages still describe annual registration. Check the Division of Consumer Affairs website for the current requirements before you hire.
2. Get a written contract
For home improvement work over $500, New Jersey requires a written contract signed by everyone involved. According to the Division's consumer guidance, it should include:
the contractor's legal name and business address
the contractor's registration number
the start and completion dates
a description of the work and the products to be used
the total price
For flooring, I'd go further and ask the contract to name the product, color and thickness, who moves the furniture, who removes and disposes of the old floor, and how any subfloor repair will be priced if it turns up once the old flooring is out.
3. Know your three-day right to cancel
A New Jersey home improvement contract can be cancelled for any reason before midnight of the third business day after you receive a copy. Cancellation has to be in writing, sent by registered or certified mail with return receipt requested, or delivered in person to the address in the contract. Money paid under a cancelled contract is to be refunded within 30 days.
If anyone pressures you to sign today or lose the price, remember this window.
4. Ask for proof of insurance, and check it
The state requires registered home improvement contractors to carry commercial general liability insurance, with a minimum of $500,000 per occurrence, and the contract is supposed to include a copy of the certificate and the insurer's phone number. The Division also suggests calling the insurance company to confirm the policy is current and has the limits shown. A certificate is a piece of paper. A phone call to the insurer is how you find out whether it's still good.
5. Look at how they ask to be paid
The Division lists these as warning signs:
asking for more than a third of the total before work can begin
saying you don't need a written contract
demanding cash
having only a P.O. box as a business address
having no Division of Consumer Affairs registration number
showing up unannounced and offering a "good deal" because they were "in the neighborhood"
A common arrangement is one third at the start, one third partway through, and one third when the job is done. Paying by check or card leaves a record.
6. Get several written estimates, with the same scope
The Division recommends written estimates from at least three contractors. Ask each one to price the same job. A lower number that leaves out furniture moving, old-floor removal, leveling or trim isn't really lower. Ask whether they use subcontractors.
7. Ask flooring-specific questions
These don't come from the state. They come from installing floors:
What will you check under the floor? Most floor failures start underneath. A good installer talks about moisture, flatness and what's below the old flooring before giving a final price.
Is my basement or slab dry enough for this product?
How will the product acclimate in my house? Wood and some other materials need time to adjust to your home's conditions before installation. The product's instructions spell this out.
Will you stand behind the work, and in writing? Make sure any warranty or guarantee is in the contract, not just said out loud.
8. Know where to go if something goes wrong
Keep your contract, receipts, photos and any messages. The Division of Consumer Affairs takes complaints about home improvement contractors. Its website has the current complaint process.
Last word
A good contractor will be glad you asked. If you'd like to start with us, our state registration number is NJ HIC 13VH13040300, and we'd encourage you to look it up using the steps above.
Christian Smith is the owner-operator of Smith Family Flooring LLC in Newton, NJ, serving Sussex, Morris and Warren counties. He has more than 15 years of experience as a commercial union floor installer. Contact: 973-866-9517 or smithfamilyflooringllc@gmail.com.
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