Check the business and qualifying agent
Georgia licenses residential contractors. If a company performs the work, confirm the license’s company affiliation and qualifying agent rather than accepting an unrelated person’s credential.
Search the state’s official verification system, record the exact legal name, license number, class, status and expiration, and compare them with the name on the proposed contract.
Start with the proposed contracting name before searching. Record whether the quote is issued by an individual, a corporation or an LLC and whether a separate trade name appears on the website. If the records use different names, ask for the exact connection and verify it; a similar surname or shared office does not establish that one company can use another’s credential.
Match the license to the work
Residential Basic covers detached one- and two-family homes and qualifying one-family townhouses up to three stories, with accessory structures. Other classes have different scopes. Resolve classification questions with the state board before relying on the record.
Describe the job precisely when checking scope: detached new home, townhouse, addition, structural renovation or another type of building. The phrase ‘residential work’ alone can conceal important differences. Save the authority’s current record and the explanation supporting the class you rely on, especially if the project changes during design.
Use a current record
Georgia residential licenses generally renew in even-numbered years. An old badge, company statement or prior-year screenshot does not establish current status. Company registration and local permit authority are separate checks.
Keep a dated verification sheet with the source URL, observed status, expiration and any unresolved issue. Recheck before contracting and before a referral if the earlier observation is no longer current. A missing search result may reflect a spelling, entity or search-interface problem; do not turn an incomplete lookup into an accusation that the company is unlicensed.
Confirm the parcel and permit applicant
Atlanta, Alpharetta and Marietta have different submission processes. Alpharetta’s residential procedure calls for contractor and qualifying-agent documents; Marietta distinguishes local and out-of-city business licensing. A mailing address alone does not establish the permit jurisdiction.
For an Alpharetta application, establish who will file the plans and whether an authorized permit agent is involved. In Marietta, determine whether the business is based inside the city, elsewhere in Georgia or outside the state before choosing the occupational-license documentation. For Atlanta, begin with the actual parcel and the city’s current online-permitting instructions. Do not transfer one city’s procedure to another simply because the same builder works across the metro.
Keep credential checks separate from builder selection
After the public-record check, assess relevant completed projects, references, current insurance and available capacity. Those are different questions from license status. Request a written scope with plans, allowances, exclusions and change-order terms so you can compare proposals on the same basis. A checked license supports a narrow credential statement; it does not establish a workmanship guarantee or a complete fit for your project.
| Record to compare | Match it to |
|---|---|
| State license and class | Contracting entity and proposed work |
| Qualifying agent affiliation | Company using the credential |
| Local business documentation | Correct city and business location |
| Permit applicant | Named contractor or authorized agent |
| Insurance and proposal | Same company and actual project scope |
Sources & dates
- Georgia residential licensing · checked 2026-10-28
- Scope rules · checked 2026-10-28
- Official verification · checked 2026-10-28
- Marietta permits · checked 2026-10-28
Questions or factual corrections: send a sourced correction.