Start here
The free tool below runs entirely in this browser — no account, nothing stored or transmitted. Redact anything you would not want kept before you type it.
Open the companion tool →Why a polished estimate is not proof of a real business
A quote can look complete while leaving out a license number, materials, start and finish dates, or a payment schedule. An image or formatted document cannot independently verify the company that sent it.
The FTC recommends checking licenses and insurance with state or county sources, comparing written estimates, and reviewing a contract before work begins. Requirements vary by location, so use your own regulator's lookup.
The protocol
- Save the estimate, sender details, project scope, total, deposit request, payment method, and any promise about timing.
- Find the state or county contractor-license lookup yourself and compare the business name, license number, address, and status.
- Call the insurer or reference through a contact you locate independently; ask for proof of insurance and compare more than one written estimate.
- Read the contract for materials, work description, start and completion dates, payment schedule, and the process for changes.
- Do not pay by gift card, wire, cryptocurrency, or an unfamiliar payment link. If you suspect fraud, preserve the messages and report through the FTC and your state consumer office.
What the tool does
Build a home-repair estimate verification record. It runs locally in this browser and sends nothing.
Limit first: This is a preparation aid, not legal, construction, or financial advice. It cannot authenticate a contractor, verify insurance, inspect work, or recover a deposit.
Open the companion tool →Cost and free path
Cost: Free: one complete local run in this browser, with no account or upload; the tool does not transmit what you enter. Optional $4 one-time convenience unlock for unlimited runs of this tool on this browser; never a subscription. The protective answer and every free-path step remain free.
Automated decision this documents: an AI-generated repair estimate or synthetic portfolio used to persuade a consumer to approve a project price
Free path, in order (no cost):
- Your state or county contractor-license lookup and consumer-protection office
- A second written estimate from a contractor you found independently
- The FTC's free ReportFraud route and your state attorney general's consumer office
What this cannot do: It cannot authenticate a contractor, verify insurance, inspect work, or recover a deposit.
Sources checked 2026-10-10 · first-party source pages fetched and reviewed; no separate raw HTTP-status probe.
One human next step
Check the contractor's license and insurance through your state or county government and get the scope and payment schedule in a signed contract. If the request appears fraudulent, report it at ReportFraud.ftc.gov and notify your state attorney general.
Research log and safety checks
AI-assist path: no model inference is used to authenticate external material, restore a file, change a record, or decide a rights dispute. The tool structures user-supplied facts and points to independent source channels; a model call would add no verified evidence. §0.5 protection result: the tool does not make an external decision; crisis-adjacent: no; fear/urgency/scarcity toolkit used: no.
§0.5 protection result: category is scam-fraud-defense; crisis-adjacent: no; fear/urgency/scarcity toolkit used: no. The protective function is free and the paid feature is convenience only.