Licensed and insured painting contractors in Salt Lake City

For contracting work above the exemption thresholds, yes. A business that contracts to paint in Utah needs a DOPL contractor license; DOPL’s current contractor application lists S270, Drywall, Paint, and Plastering Contractor, as the specialty classification for painting. The same application requires active general liability insurance with DOPL as certificate holder, plus workers compensation or a Labor Commission waiver. Small jobs under Utah’s handyman exemption may be done without a license.

Licensed usually means the business holds a Utah DOPL contractor license in a classification that covers painting. Insured usually means it carries general liability and, if it has employees, workers compensation, often with commercial auto for its vans. A license does not guarantee quality or insurance; it means the business met DOPL’s requirements when the license was issued and has kept it renewed. The lookup and the certificate of insurance are the evidence.

Search the business name in Utah DOPL’s licensee search. The license belongs to the business entity, so search the legal name on the estimate, not the crew’s name. The result should show an Active contractor license in a classification that covers painting, such as S270. A city business license is a different credential and does not replace it. A few companies on this list display a license number on their own websites, which makes the search faster.

Ask for a certificate of insurance, often called a COI, issued by the company’s insurance agency. It shows the insured’s legal name, the carrier, policy numbers, effective and expiration dates, and limits. Check that the named insured matches the licensed business, that the dates cover your job, and that general liability is listed. Ask whether the company carries workers compensation or holds a Labor Commission waiver. For certainty, call the agency on the certificate.

It depends on what was damaged. General liability can respond when a painter’s work damages other property, such as overspray on a car, a neighbor’s siding, or flooring that was not masked, subject to the policy’s terms and exclusions. It generally does not pay to redo the painter’s own unsatisfactory work; that is a warranty question. Ask the company how it handles overspray and touch-ups, and get its policy in writing before the job.

Not as a general condition of the DOPL contractor license. The current DOPL contractor application checklist covers the qualifier, the pre-licensure course, the business entity, a general liability certificate, and workers compensation evidence or a waiver; it does not ask every applicant for a surety bond, though DOPL can require one in some cases. When a painter’s website says "bonded," ask which bond it holds, what it covers, and who it protects.

Self-reported means the company’s own website states it is licensed and insured and Redoubt has not yet checked the business in DOPL’s license lookup or reviewed its certificate of insurance. Verified means Redoubt did both and recorded each date. A displayed license number is something the company published, not a Redoubt check. A verified label describes what the lookup and the documents showed on those dates and does not guarantee the license or policies are still in force today.

A painting business with no employees can generally submit a Utah Workers Compensation Coverage Waiver from the Labor Commission to DOPL instead of carrying a policy. The waiver costs a $50 nonrefundable fee, runs one year, and becomes invalid once anyone is hired, and DOPL must then be notified before that person starts work. Painters paid on a 1099 may still count as employees depending on how the work is directed and controlled.

A Salt Lake City property manager or general contractor usually asks a painting contractor for a certificate of insurance showing general liability at or above the limits in the contract, the requesting company named as additional insured, often for ongoing and completed operations, and workers compensation or a verified Utah Labor Commission waiver. Additional insured status comes from an endorsement on the policy, not from a name typed on the certificate.

Send Redoubt a current certificate of insurance showing general liability, plus workers compensation if you have employees, and the legal name your DOPL contractor license is issued under. Painting contractors serving Salt Lake County whose license shows Active in DOPL’s lookup and whose documents check out are listed as verified with both dates. There is no fee. If you need general liability or a DOPL-ready certificate first, Redoubt quotes both; start on the painting contractor insurance page.