How to check a contractor's license in Arizona

Which license does the contractor need in Arizona?

Arizona law sorts contractors into seven classifications (A.R.S. 32-1102):

The ROC's own advice is to "make certain the contractor's license class allows for the work listed in the contract" (Before You Hire). A commercial-only license on a home job is a problem twice over: the wrong license, and, because the Recovery Fund covers residential contracting licenses (A.R.S. 32-1139), possibly no fund behind it.

The $1,000 handyman exemption

A person without a license may do a job only if the "aggregate contract price, including labor, materials and all other items… is less than $1,000" and the work is "of a casual or minor nature" (A.R.S. 32-1121(A)(14)). The exemption is lost if:

• the work needs a local building permit;
• the job is part of a larger operation, or was split into sub-$1,000 contracts to dodge the rule;
• the person advertises without the words "not a licensed contractor";
• the work involves gas connections or fire safety (subsection D).

So a handyman who offers to replace a water heater on a gas line, or to do a $4,000 bathroom in three invoices, needs a license.

How to look a contractor up, step by step

1. Ask for the ROC license number. It belongs on the contract and on advertising.
2. Open the ROC Contractor Search and enter the number. Check the name matches the person and company you are dealing with.
3. Check the classification is residential or dual, and that its scope covers your job: a pool license does not cover a kitchen.
4. Look for complaints or discipline on the record. If the record is unclear, ask the ROC about open complaints when you call in step 5.
5. Call the phone number on the ROC record, not the one on the flyer. The ROC says "the only sure way of knowing that your contractor is licensed is to call the Registrar": (602) 542-1525, or 877-692-9762 toll free.
6. Ask for a liability insurance certificate. The ROC license requires a bond but not insurance, apart from workers' compensation.

Penalties for unlicensed contracting in Arizona

Acting as a contractor without a license is a class 1 misdemeanor. The court must fine "not less than one thousand dollars" for a first offence and "not less than two thousand dollars" for a second or later one (A.R.S. 32-1164).

The Residential Contractors' Recovery Fund

You can file a complaint against a license within two years of occupancy or of the last work done (Before You Hire). A 2025 bill, SB 1524, proposed $60,000 and $400,000; the statutes we read on 20 October 2026 still give $30,000 and $200,000.

What the license does not tell you

The ROC tells you whether the firm may legally build. It says nothing about whether its permits were inspected and closed. That is the city's record.

• Scottsdale (permits Jan 2023–Dec 2025): 1,820 pool permits from 372 firms, 83.3% finished, usual filed value $31,644. Remodels: 520 permits from 413 firms, 66.9% finished.
• Mesa (Oct 2023–Sep 2026): 452 pool permits from 80 firms, usual value $45,000, usually 87 days to final; solar 533 permits from 47 firms.

With no license match on our side, check the ROC first, then the firm's permit history with us. Mesa's usual pool job ($45,000) is already above the $30,000 cap, so the fund cannot make good a total loss on a typical pool job. Pay in stages tied to inspections that show up in the city record.

Red flags on an Arizona license record

• No ROC number on the bid, or a number that belongs to a different company name.
• A commercial-only classification on a home job.
• A specialty license (say, pools or roofing) on a firm bidding a whole remodel.
• Open complaints or discipline on the record.
• A "handyman" quoting a job over $1,000, or one that needs a permit or a gas connection.
• Ads that say "licensed, bonded and insured" with no ROC number. The ROC: "Just because the ad says it does NOT mean it's true!"

See every Mesa pool builder by their permit record →