Hey, Stuart here from G&M.
If a concrete contractor in Texas ever tells you he's a "state licensed concrete contractor," do me a favor. Ask him to show you the license.
He can't. It doesn't exist.
Texas has no state license for concrete work
That's not an opinion, it's just how the state works. Texas issues licenses for electricians, plumbers, and HVAC techs. For concrete and general contracting, there is no state board, no state exam, and no state license. Nobody in Texas holds one, because there isn't one to hold.
So when somebody leads his pitch with "fully licensed," one of two things is true. Either he doesn't know how his own trade is regulated, or he knows exactly what he's doing and he's counting on you not to check. Neither one is the guy you want mixing twenty thousand dollars of your backyard.
Here's the thing that bugs me about it: the lie is free. It costs him nothing to say, it sounds official, and most homeowners never question it. A contractor who will shade the truth before the handshake will shade it on the invoice too.
So what CAN you actually verify?
Good news: real credentials exist. They just aren't a state license. When you're comparing bids, ask every contractor for these three things.
- City contractor registrations. Texas cities regulate contractors individually. A contractor who pulls permits has to register with each city he works in, and you can call the city and check. For example, G&M holds contractor registrations in McKinney, Celina, Flower Mound, Dallas, Argyle, and Denton. That's a paper trail you can verify in five minutes.
- Insurance, with a real number attached. "We're insured" means nothing without proof. Ask to see the certificate and ask what the policy covers. We carry commercial insurance with a $2 million policy, and we'll show you the certificate before a single form gets set. Any contractor who gets cagey about that question just answered a different question for you.
- Warranty terms, in writing, in the quote. A handshake warranty lasts exactly as long as the handshake. Ours follows Texas guidelines: 6 years structural, 2 years on electrical and plumbing, 1 year workmanship on minor fixes, spelled out in your written quote. Every project is a little different, a lot like buying a home, so the terms live on paper where you can hold us to them.
The honest version just isn't that complicated
Registration you can check. Insurance you can see. A warranty you can read. That's what trustworthy looks like in this trade, and any contractor worth hiring can hand you all three without flinching.
If you're planning a patio, an outdoor kitchen, a fireplace, anything at all, bring these questions to everybody who bids it. Including us. Especially us.