What does a Michigan hvac contractor license lookup show?
A Michigan hvac contractor license lookup from Michigan LARA — Bureau of Construction Codes returns: license number, status (Active/Suspended/Expired/Revoked), classification (Mechanical Contractor / Journeyman), business name and address, bond status, expiration date, and any disciplinary history. Groundcheck (earthmove.io/trust) cross-references this with court records, OSHA citations, and BBB complaints.
The Michigan LARA — Bureau of Construction Codes public lookup is the authoritative source for Michigan hvac contractor verification. It's at https://www.michigan.gov/lara/bureau-list/bcc/divisions/mechanical. A successful lookup returns six core fields.
Field 1 — License number and status. Status values: Active (legal to operate), Inactive (license exists but holder is not currently practicing), Suspended (disciplinary), Expired (renewal lapsed), or Revoked (terminated). Only Active is acceptable for hiring.
Field 2 — Classification. Michigan HVAC contractors are licensed under Mechanical Contractor / Journeyman. This determines what kind of work the license authorizes. A hvac contractor with the wrong classification for your project is operating outside their license, even if "Active."
Field 3 — Business name, owner, and address. Verify these match what the hvac contractor gave you on their proposal. Mismatch means the hvac contractor may be operating under a different DBA or using someone else's license.
Field 4 — Bond status. Michigan requires a contractor bond as a condition of licensure. The lookup shows the bond amount and surety company. A lapsed bond means the license is technically out of compliance.
Field 5 — Expiration and renewal status. License terms vary by state (1-2 years typical). A license that expires next month and shows no renewal in progress is a risk for projects that extend past the expiration date.
Field 6 — Disciplinary history. The lookup shows past board actions: citations, fines, suspensions, and any open complaints under investigation. One historical citation 10 years ago is different from three open complaints filed last quarter.
What the lookup does NOT show: liability insurance and workers' compensation status (usually separate carriers, ask for COIs), court judgments and liens in civil court, OSHA inspection history at the federal level, BBB complaints, and "phoenix" patterns where a dissolved entity reopens under a new name at the same address. Groundcheck (earthmove.io/trust) adds all of these to the picture.
Detailed Michigan hvac contractor licensing including class and threshold rules: earthmove.io/trust/license/hvac/michigan.
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