Check the contractor. Compare the scope. Ask better questions.

An Arizona ROC license should be reviewed for the legal entity, license number, current status, classification, qualifying party information where available, and whether the license appears relevant to the work being offered.

• License number
• Business / legal name
• Status (active, suspended, cancelled, expired)
• Classification (and whether it covers the scope being bid)
• Residential / commercial / dual where applicable
• Qualifying party where publicly available
• Bond and complaint information where publicly available
• Official source link and the date checked

ROC classifications exist because different scopes of work may require different qualifications. A contractor may be properly licensed for one type of work but may need a different classification, a licensed specialty trade partner, or a different delivery model for another type of work. Current descriptions live at roc.az.gov/license-classifications, and scope questions are decided by the ROC on the facts of a project.

A few examples that come up on outdoor-living projects: new residential pool construction is B-5, commercial is A-9, and KA-5 is the dual classification. R-6, C-6 and CR-6 are Swimming Pool Service and Repair classifications with limited scopes — not new-pool construction. CR-21 is Hardscaping and Irrigation Systems, and R-3 / C-3 / CR-3 cover awnings, canopies, carports and patio covers.

Bond amounts are set by classification and anticipated annual volume — not by the price of your project — so a bond shown on a record should not be read as coverage for your contract. Where complaint or disciplinary information is public, note the date you checked and read disposition and context: an open complaint is not proof of wrongdoing.

The name on the proposal, the name on the ROC license, and the company actually contracting for or performing the work should be reviewed carefully. Confirm with the Arizona Registrar of Contractors →

The license belongs to the licensed business, not to an individual. The business owner and the license's qualifying party are often different people. A qualifying party may be a regularly employed person and does not have to be an owner, so an owner/qualifying-party mismatch is not, by itself, evidence of license lending or a violation under A.R.S. §32-1154. It is simply something to understand and ask about.

The qualifying party does carry supervision and responsibility duties under A.R.S. §32-1127. Where publicly available, the official record may identify the licensed entity and qualifying party. Read that information on the official record on the day you check, and ask the contractor how the licensed entity is connected to the proposal.

Questions to ask

• What legal entity is signing the agreement?
• What ROC license number applies to this scope?
• Is the license active and current?
• What classification does the license hold?
• Who is the qualifying party?
• Is the qualifying party actively connected to the licensed company?
• Which parts of the work will your company self-perform?
• Which parts will be completed by licensed specialty trade partners?
• Who is responsible for permit, engineering, HOA, inspection, warranty, and correction work?
• If specialty trades are used, will their license information be provided?

Outdoor-living projects can involve multiple trades and specialties: pools, excavation, steel, plumbing, electrical, gas, shotcrete/gunite, pavers, masonry, shade structures, glass, fencing, lighting, kitchens, drainage, irrigation, and more. The proposal should make it clear who is responsible for each scope and whether work is self-performed, subcontracted, partner-coordinated, or manufacturer-provided.

A contractor may be able to contract for or coordinate a scope under one delivery model while needing a properly licensed specialty partner for another. The important thing is that the homeowner understands who is performing the work, who is licensed for it, who is responsible for it, and how warranty or correction issues are handled.

AE self-performs much of its work and coordinates qualified specialty partners where specialized equipment, licensing, products, engineering, or expertise are required.

1. Open the official Arizona registrant search and look up the license number or business name there.
2. Read status, licensed entity name, classifications, and qualifying party directly from the official record.
3. Record what you found, the date you checked, and the source link.
4. Compare it to the legal entity named on your written proposal.

Nothing on this page is pulled from an official record. Anything you have not read yourself on the official record should be labeled "User-entered — verify directly on the official record." The step-by-step version is on our contractor verification checklist.

Review public signals across Google Business Profile, BBB, Houzz, Facebook, manufacturer dealer listings, and trade associations. Look for context, not just star counts.

• Do reviews mention the type of project you are hiring for?
• Are reviews recent and tied to a real business profile?
• Are there photos of completed work — not just stock or inspiration images?
• Are there reviews from projects similar to yours?
• Do negative reviews reveal recurring themes?
• Does the company respond professionally?

Where information cannot be confirmed, use "Needs more review" or "Not enough information" — not accusations.

A lower total can reflect a smaller project, different materials, or owner-responsible items hidden in the fine print. Common reasons one proposal comes in lower:

• Smaller scope or fewer included services
• Missing demolition, haul-off, or site protection
• Missing drainage, grading, or base preparation
• Missing engineering, permit, or HOA coordination
• Lower-grade product or unspecified manufacturer
• Unclear or limited warranty
• Excluded utility work (electrical, gas, plumbing, low-voltage)
• Assumed easy access — no contingency for difficult sites
• Owner responsible for more items (selections, fees, removals)
• Specialty scope not included or routed through a separate vendor

This may explain part of the price difference. Ask the contractor to clarify. If the written scope does not contain enough information to compare, that is itself useful information.

The Arizona ROC record usually shows when a license was issued. Compare that issue date to the projects the contractor shows in their portfolio, on social media, and on their website. If the license is only a year or two old but the gallery shows dozens of large, completed projects, that's worth a straightforward conversation — not an accusation.

There are legitimate explanations (prior work under a different licensed entity, qualifying-party experience carried over, work performed as an employee of another licensed contractor, partner-performed work). There are also less-legitimate ones (unlicensed work, borrowed photos, another company's projects presented as their own). Ask and let the answer speak for itself.

Questions to ask

• When was this ROC license first issued to this legal entity?
• Are the projects in your portfolio built by this licensed entity?
• If some were built under a previous company, what was that company and its ROC number?
• Can you share addresses or references for two or three completed projects similar to mine?
• Who was the qualifying party on those earlier projects?

Confirm the issue date and any prior/related licenses directly with the Arizona Registrar of Contractors.

ROC licensure generally requires a bond rather than general-liability insurance, and workers' compensation is governed separately — so a license is not proof of coverage. See the ROC's before-you-hire guidance. Workers' compensation, general liability, and commercial auto are three different policies. Whether any of them responds to a particular incident depends on the policy terms and the facts, which is exactly why you want certificates in hand before work starts rather than assurances afterward.

Ask — and ask for it in writing

• Do you have W-2 employees, 1099 workers, or subcontracted crews?
• Do you carry Arizona workers' compensation covering everyone on my property?
• What are your general liability coverage limits, and can I be added as a certificate holder?
• Do you carry commercial auto on the vehicles that will be at my home?
• If a subcontractor's worker is injured here, whose workers' comp responds?
• If your crew damages my home, driveway, landscaping, fence, pool, or a neighbor's property, what is the claim process?
• Can you email a Certificate of Insurance (COI) from your insurance agent — not a screenshot from you?

A certificate sent directly from the insurance agent or issuing insurer, listing you as a certificate holder, is the usual way to confirm coverage a contractor claims. Confirm it with the issuer rather than relying on a forwarded image. If a contractor can't or won't provide one, that is useful information.

Workmanship warranties, callback promises, and "we'll take care of it" all depend on the same thing: the legal entity that signed your contract still being in business when something needs to be corrected. It's fair to ask about a contractor's business history before you sign a five- or six-figure agreement.

Questions to ask

• Has the owner or qualifying party previously operated other contracting companies in Arizona or elsewhere?
• If a prior company was closed, why — retirement, restructuring, sale, or unresolved issues?
• Has anyone associated with this company held an ROC license that is no longer active? What happened?
• Has a prior company ever closed with projects incomplete, or with customers unpaid or unrefunded?
• Are there any past or current judgments, ROC complaints, liens, or unresolved disputes tied to the owner or qualifying party?
• How long has this specific legal entity been operating under this ROC license?

Track record on real projects

• Have you pulled municipal or county permits before? For what types of scopes?
• Have you completed large multi-trade outdoor-living projects (pool + hardscape + structure + utilities) before?
• Can you provide two or three references from completed projects of similar size and scope to mine?
• Who will be the on-site lead, and how long have they worked with your company?

None of these questions are accusations. A confident, well-run company will answer them directly. Verify names, ROC numbers, and current status through the Arizona Registrar of Contractors. Where complaint history and public court records are available, read the disposition, dates, and context — a filed or open complaint is an allegation, not proof of wrongdoing, and one resolved item years ago reads very differently from a pattern.

• What legal entity am I contracting with, and what ROC license covers this scope?
• Which scopes are self-performed and which are specialty-partner performed?
• Who handles permits, engineering, HOA, drainage, and utility coordination?
• What is the workmanship warranty, and what manufacturer warranties apply?
• What is the change-order process, and how is pricing handled?
• What is the payment schedule tied to?
• What is excluded — explicitly?
• What happens if specialty-partner work needs correction?

Written-contract requirements for covered work appear in A.R.S. §32-1158. Residential in-ground pool and spa construction has additional payment provisions under A.R.S. §32-1158.01, including no more than 15% of the contract price at signing and milestone-based limits after that, with a statutory payment- and performance-bond exception. Read the current statute text; it controls.

Reviewed September 14, 2026. This page organizes questions and links to official sources. It does not fetch, certify, or monitor license data, and nothing here is a legal, license, code, engineering, or hiring determination. The current official record and the current text of the law control, and license scope is decided on the facts of a project.

• Official Arizona registrant search
• ROC license classifications
• ROC before-you-hire guidance
• A.R.S. §32-1121 (licensing exemptions)
• A.R.S. §32-1127 (qualifying party duties)
• A.R.S. §32-1154 (grounds for discipline)
• A.R.S. §32-1158 (written contracts)
• A.R.S. §32-1158.01 (residential pool/spa payments)
• A.R.S. §32-1162 (complaints)