A new contractor often can't work until they're insured. A licence or registration may require proof of liability coverage or a bond, and general contractors usually want a certificate of insurance before a subcontractor sets foot on site. That makes a newly licensed contractor one of the most time-sensitive leads an agent can find.
What a new contractor needs
- General liability: often required for a licence or registration, and almost always required by the general contractors they work for.
- A surety bond: some states and cities require a licence or permit bond.
- Commercial auto: once the truck is used for the business.
- Tools and equipment cover: inland marine for gear that moves between jobs.
- Workers' compensation: required in most states once they hire, with rules that vary by state and trade.
Where new contractors show up
- State licensing boards: many states publish contractor licence or registration lists, often searchable by issue date. Rules vary: some states license general contractors, others only trades like electrical, plumbing and HVAC, and some leave it to cities and counties.
- Business filings: a new LLC with a trade in its name, especially one that later shows up with a licence.
- Building permits: a contractor named on new permits is working, and growing.
- USDOT registrations: contractors who haul their own equipment sometimes register vehicles, which also points at commercial auto.
What our data shows
Our database has 874,737 contractors and trades across the US. 221,125 of them (25%) have an email on file, and 723,308 have a phone number. The largest states in our data are Washington (72,307), Texas (67,119), California (66,278), Florida (64,502), Virginia (54,049) and Oregon (45,100). States with public contractor registries tend to rank higher, because more contractors are on record there.
Of the 51,628 contractors whose website we've checked, 32,618 (63%) had none, a reminder that many small contractors run on a phone and a truck, and that email is often the only written way in.
How to reach them
- Be fast: the days after a licence is issued matter most. A contractor who needs a certificate for a job on Monday will buy from whoever answers first.
- Lead with speed and certificates: "Same-day certificates of insurance" means more to a new contractor than a price.
- Bundle simply: liability, auto and tools in one quote is easier to say yes to than three conversations.
- Write to the owner: licences usually name the licence holder; see who to email at a small business.
- Stay compliant: honest subject lines, your postal address and an easy opt-out, as CAN-SPAM requires.
How we help
BeatTheDoor pulls contractor licences and registrations from public records, names the licence holder, checks the email before anything is sent, and writes to them from your own domain while the licence is still new. See leads for commercial insurance agents, counts by state, or book a 15-minute demo.
Counts from our database on October 9, 2026. This guide is general information, not insurance or legal advice; licensing and coverage rules vary by state.