U.S. Construction Contractor Verification (PQ) — in detail
Step by step — who, what, when
As the owner, you act at two points only (marked ● on the timeline): the request form, and the go/no‑go before PQ‑2. Everything else runs automatically with TBG making the assessment. Screening (10×) completes one process; before bidding you choose 5× for deep verification.
PQ‑1 · Screening — 10× the number of contractors you need
Request form
Company and project introduction (in English — it goes into the invitation email), location, type, number of contractors needed, your list (paste, CSV or XLSX — company names only if you do not know the emails) and a 4‑digit password for the status page. A confirmation email with the status‑page link arrives immediately.
List check · recommended contractors added · invitations sent
TBG looks up missing email addresses; if your list falls short of 10× the number you need, we add contractors of the same trade within 150 miles from our directory (102 public‑record listings) to reach 10×. Invitations go out in English and Korean with the project introduction, with automatic reminders after 2 and 3 days of no response. Public‑record checks start together with the invitations.
14‑question screening survey
Numbers, yes/no and counts only — 30 minutes, no documents, Korean/English toggle on screen. The 7 self‑reported items are scored automatically on submission. There is no fee to your company.
11 public‑record checks → Screening Result
Corporate registration · licenses · SAM · OSHA · injury rate · wages · sanctions · E‑Verify · liens · judgments · BBB. 5 gates · 0–100 points · advance at 65 or above. One Screening Result per contractor goes to the status page and by email — this completes the first process.
PQ‑2 · Deep verification — before bidding, 5× the number you need
Go/no‑go · choose contractors for deep verification
Review the screening results and decide whether to move on to PQ‑2 — this is the one point in the flow where the owner decides. If you proceed, choose 5× the number you need from the results table on the status page and request it right there; TBG confirms by phone and sends the document‑submission link only to the selected contractors. Contractor verification (PQ‑1, PQ‑2, CPE) is free for both owners and contractors.
Up to 14 documents · 5 references · public‑record cross‑check
Up to 14 documents — anything we can verify from public records, we do not ask you for: state registration, licenses and ISO certificates are checked by us. A contractor that keeps a current AIA A305‑2020 Contractor’s Qualification Statement may submit that package instead; the page shows which slots it covers. The contractor uploads documents on a private page (Korean/English, where to obtain each document, a one‑page guide, save and resume) and submits its reference list with consent for inquiries online. Reference surveys go out automatically and at once — anonymous, with reminders after 3 and 5 days. Document reminders after 2 and 4 days; if nothing has been submitted by day 5, the owner is notified. Public‑record cross‑checks start together with the document request. On completion, an automatic format check → requests for corrections.
Verification report
2‑page summary + details · grades A–D · contract limit · risks · 23 items ☑ ◩ ☐. Emailed to the owner and downloadable from the status page. Bidding comes next.
CPE · Contractor performance evaluation — awarded contractor
CPE scorecard
We evaluate the awarded contractor from the owner’s ratings (60), references on the project (25) and a public‑record re‑check (15), and send you the scorecard free of charge — the contractor provides only a reference list · grade update · carried over to your next project.
- GC · trade contractors
- One request form · email
- 14-question survey · 30 min
- 11 public‑record checks
- 18 items · 5 gates · 0–100 points
- up to 14 documents
- 19 public‑record cross‑checks
- 5 reference surveys · contractor consent
- 23 items · grades A–D · limit
- About six months after the start of construction · at completion
- Owner 60 · references 25 · records 15
- Grade update · carried over to the next project
If you need 3 contractors: 30 invited → screening → owner go‑ahead → (before bidding) 15 deep‑verified → 3 awarded → performance evaluation (CPE — about six months after the start of construction · at completion). Multiples are based on invitations, not responses. Invitations, surveys, documents and reference checks run through email links; results and reports arrive on the status page and by email.
Contractor verification (PQ‑1, PQ‑2, CPE) is free for both owners and contractors. There is no fee to your company. Screening results, verification reports and CPE scorecards state their issue date and are assessments as of that date.
Sample reports — 3 kinds
The 19 public-record sources we check
Pulled from the original filings at U.S. public agencies — never from a contractor’s website or marketing.
PQ-1 Screening — 11 sources
- K1Corporate registrationSecretary of State business record — existence, status, formation date
- K2License recordState licensing board — type, class, expiry, discipline
- K3Federal exclusion (SAM)SAM.gov exclusions list
- K4OSHA inspections · violationsInspections, violations and penalties over 3 years
- K5OSHA injury records (300A)Published TRIR, DART and hours worked
- K6Wage violations (WHD)U.S. Department of Labor wage‑and‑hour cases
- K7Federal · state penaltiesPenalty and settlement records, parent company included
- K8E‑Verify enrollmentParticipating‑employer list
- K9Liens · judgmentsLiens and judgments over 5 years
- K10BBB · newsRating, complaints and press coverage
- K11Answers ↔ recordsSurvey answers checked against the records above
PQ-2 Deep verification — 8 more (19 in total)
- P1Project recordsBuilding permits and public contracts confirm the track record
- P2Notice of CommencementCounty notices of commencement
- P3LitigationCourt cases over 5 years
- P4State environmental enforcementState environmental agency actions
- P5UCC filingsSecured‑debt filings with the state
- P6Workers’ compensationState workers’ compensation coverage
- P7Certification (ISO)Registration with the certification body
- P8Vehicle safety (FMCSA)Federal motor‑carrier safety record
Public records go only as far as each agency publishes them. Privately owned projects leave no public record of the contract itself (terms, parties); permit records vary by jurisdiction — some are not online and some do not name the contractor; some data, such as OSHA Form 300A electronic submissions, is published only for larger establishments; and some states, such as Texas, issue no statewide general contractor license. Anything we cannot confirm is marked “Not confirmed” in the report, with the reason. These gaps are outside our control, and an empty record is not proof that there is no problem.
Frequently asked questions
We already have the contractor’s list and submitted documents — why check again?
What a contractor submits is written by the contractor. We check it against the public record: state license, corporate registration, federal exclusion (SAM), OSHA, liens and judgments. Where the two agree, you gain confidence; where they differ, you have a question to ask before you sign. The Screening Result arrives within 3 business days of receiving your list; the verification report follows once documents are in. Every line carries its source and the date it was pulled.
Where do you check a U.S. contractor’s license, OSHA record and liens?
From the original filings: corporate registration at the Secretary of State of the state of formation; the license at the state licensing board of the project state (type, class, expiry, discipline); federal exclusions on SAM.gov; inspections, violations and penalties in OSHA’s establishment search and the published 300A injury data; wage cases at the U.S. Department of Labor (WHD); liens and judgments at the county clerk and court records; E‑Verify participation on the published employer list. We look these up ourselves for every contractor on your list and never rely on the contractor’s website or marketing.
What do you check?
19 public‑record sources — licenses, corporate registration, federal exclusion, OSHA, wage violations, liens, judgments; up to 14 documents — financial statements, bonding, insurance, safety (anything we can verify from public records, we do not ask for); and an anonymous survey of the 5 references the contractor designates. We also look at Korean‑affiliated project experience, Korean‑language capability and the legality of subcontracted labor.
How does it work?
Screening (PQ‑1): we invite 10× the number of contractors you need (if your list is short, we fill it with contractors we recommend) and issue a Screening Result for each contractor from a 14‑question survey and 11 public‑record checks. Deep verification (PQ‑2): before bidding, you review the results and choose 5×; we deliver a report from up to 14 documents, 5 references and public‑record cross‑checks. Contractor performance evaluation (CPE): the awarded contractor is evaluated about six months after the start of construction and at completion — from the owner’s ratings, references on the project and public records. Multiples are based on invitations, not responses.
How long does it take?
The Screening Result arrives within 3 business days of receiving your list; deep verification takes 5–6 business days per contractor. Business days are counted in U.S. Central Time — a list received after 5 p.m. counts from the next business day, and U.S. federal holidays are excluded. If more than 30 companies are to be invited, we set the schedule separately and let you know. Contractors that do not respond are reminded automatically; any still silent at the due date appear in the first report as “No response — public records only”, and their results follow as an addition once they respond.
What does the owner do?
Two things: a one‑page request (your list, the number of contractors you need, a project introduction) and, before deep verification, a go/no‑go decision with your choice of 5×. You do not need the contractors’ email addresses — we fill in missing contractors and contacts. Everything else runs through email links, and you follow progress on a password‑protected status page.
What does the contractor do?
A 14‑question survey (about 30 minutes, no documents). If selected for deep verification: up to 14 documents and 5 references on a private page in Korean or English, with save and resume.
Is there a fee?
Contractor verification (PQ‑1, PQ‑2, CPE) is free for both owners and contractors.
Do the results have an expiry date?
No. Each Screening Result, verification report and CPE scorecard states its issue date and is an assessment as of that date. If time has passed, you can ask us to check again.
Is there anything the public record cannot show?
Yes. Public records go only as far as each agency publishes them. Privately owned projects leave no public record of the contract itself (terms, parties); permit records vary by jurisdiction — some are not online and some do not name the contractor; some data, such as OSHA Form 300A electronic submissions, is published only for larger establishments; and some states, such as Texas, issue no statewide general contractor license. Anything we cannot confirm is marked “Not confirmed” in the report, with the reason. These gaps are outside our control, and an empty record is not proof that there is no problem.