Trust & Safety
How we verify, and what to check yourself.
Every business on Sub-Finder is checked by three independent providers, plus a fourth when applicable. Here's exactly what that means, what it doesn't mean, and what you should still confirm on your own before hiring or subcontracting with anyone.
Verification
Independent verification checks
Cobalt Intelligence, OpenSOSData, and Didit each check a business's registration independently — not a single pass/fail vendor, and not a waterfall that stops at the first answer. Every account gets all three, whether they're a Subcontractor, General Contractor, or Developer. Businesses with a trade license on file also get a fourth, direct state licensing-board check via TradesAPI, where the trade is supported.
Cobalt Intelligence
A business-registry lookup confirming the business is real, currently registered, and active.
OpenSOSData
A second, independent Secretary of State records check, covering a defined set of states.
Didit KYB
A third, independent registry-only business verification — no ownership or sanctions screening.
TradesAPI
A fourth, direct state licensing-board check against a trade license — runs only when one is on file and the trade is supported.
Badges
What each badge means
Your badge is the count of checks that came back positive, out of the ones that applied to your business. A check that doesn't apply — for example, OpenSOSData doesn't cover every state — is never held against you.
All three checks that ran confirmed the business.
Two of the checks that ran confirmed the business.
One check confirmed the business; others haven’t run or don’t apply.
No check has confirmed the business yet. Not a red flag on its own — it may simply not have run yet.
Verification is a trust signal, not an access gate — every subscribed account is searchable and reachable regardless of badge tier. It never blocks anyone's access, and account access itself depends only on an active subscription.
Scope
What verification does not cover
Being upfront about this matters as much as explaining what we do check.
- No criminal background check on any individual — business owner, principal, employee, or crew member, for any account type.
- No guarantee of workmanship, timeliness, safety, or the outcome of any project.
- No ongoing monitoring — a badge reflects the date shown, not a live status, until the account refreshes verification.
- No vetting of employees, subcontracted labor, or anyone working on a job beyond the business itself.
- No dispute resolution — Sub-Finder is not a party to any agreement between users.
Before you hire
What to check yourself
Sub-Finder narrows the field to real, registered businesses — it's still worth doing your own diligence before signing a contract or handing over a deposit.
Confirm insurance directly
Ask for a current Certificate of Insurance and verify it with the issuing carrier, not just the document on file.
Check license status live
Look the license number up on your state’s licensing board site — profile info reflects the date it was submitted.
Read reviews carefully
Look for patterns across multiple reviews, not just the star average.
Get everything in writing
Use a written contract for scope, price, and timeline before work begins.
Reputation
Reviews go both ways
General contractors and developers review subcontractors after a project. Subcontractors review general contractors too. Reviews reflect the submitting user's own experience — Sub-Finder doesn't verify review content, but every review is tied to a real account, not posted anonymously.
A verification badge tells you a business is real. Reviews tell you what it's actually like to work with them. Use both together, not one instead of the other.
For the full legal detail behind everything on this page, see our Terms & Conditions.