Authority Industries Listings

The Authority Industries listings index trade professionals and contractors operating across the United States, organized by service category, credential status, and geographic coverage. This page explains what information each listing contains, how verification works, where gaps in coverage exist, and how the category structure is organized. Understanding these parameters helps users assess whether a listed professional meets the requirements of a specific project or jurisdiction.

What listings include and exclude

Each listing in the Authority Industries directory contains a defined set of fields drawn from public records, contractor submissions, and third-party licensing data. A standard listing includes the business or professional name, primary trade category, operating geography (state or multi-state), and any credential or license identifiers that have been submitted and cross-referenced against state licensing databases. Listings that have passed active verification steps also display a verification status indicator, described in detail below.

The listing eligibility requirements page defines the minimum threshold a business must meet to appear in the directory at all. Sole proprietors, small firms, and larger regional contractors are all eligible, provided they operate in at least 1 licensed trade classification recognized under the directory's taxonomy.

What listings do not include:

1. Consumer reviews or star ratings — the directory is a credential-and-coverage reference, not a review platform.
2. Pricing, bid estimates, or service quotes of any kind.
3. Insurance policy numbers or coverage limits (only the presence or absence of stated insurance is noted).
4. Employee headcounts or revenue figures.
5. Unlicensed trades operating in jurisdictions where licensure is legally required — those submissions are rejected at intake.

The distinction between an active listing and a pending listing matters for decision-making. An active listing has completed at minimum the baseline data-match step against a recognized state database. A pending listing has been submitted but not yet cross-referenced. Both appear in search results, but only active listings carry the verification badge.

Verification status

Verification in the Authority Industries directory operates on three levels, each reflecting a different depth of cross-referencing. The national-trades-directory verification standards document describes the full methodology; the summary below covers the functional distinctions.

Level 1 — Data match: The submitted license number is checked against the relevant state licensing board's public database. This confirms the license exists and is not expired. Roughly 60–70% of listed contractors reach at least Level 1 status within 30 days of submission, based on the volume of states that publish machine-readable licensing data.

Level 2 — Classification match: Beyond confirming license existence, the trade classification on the license is compared to the category selected in the submission. A contractor who submits under "Electrical — Commercial" but holds only a residential license would not receive Level 2 status in the commercial classification.

Level 3 — Credential document review: Reserved for trades where state databases are incomplete or where the credential type (master electrician, licensed plumber, certified HVAC technician) carries specific legal weight. This level requires document submission and is reviewed manually against the trade professional credentials reference.

Listings that cannot be verified at any level — because the jurisdiction does not publish public license data, or because the submitted identifiers do not resolve — are marked as unverified. They remain in the directory under the unverified designation rather than being removed, because the absence of a public database is a data infrastructure limitation, not evidence of invalid credentials.

Coverage gaps

No national trade directory achieves uniform coverage across all 50 states and all trade categories simultaneously. The Authority Industries listings reflect three structural gap types that users should account for when researching professionals in specific regions.

Geographic gaps: States with fragmented licensing authority — where licensure is managed at the county or municipal level rather than the state level — produce thinner coverage. Texas, for example, delegates a significant portion of contractor licensing to individual municipalities rather than a single state board, which limits the automated data-match process. The US regional trade distribution reference page maps coverage density by state.

Category gaps: Emerging trade classifications, particularly in energy systems and technology infrastructure, may not yet appear in the directory's taxonomy if no standardized licensing framework exists at the federal or majority-state level. The multi-vertical trade classifications page tracks which categories are active, pending addition, or under review.

Recency gaps: State licensing databases update on varying schedules. A license renewed in a state that publishes updates quarterly may show as expired in the directory for up to 90 days after renewal. The authority industries directory update policy specifies the refresh cycle for each state data source.

Listing categories

The Authority Industries directory organizes listings across a structured category hierarchy. Primary categories represent broad trade verticals; subcategories reflect licensure type, work scope (residential vs. commercial vs. industrial), or specialty certification.

Primary categories currently active in the directory include:

1. Electrical — general, residential, commercial, low-voltage, solar/PV
2. Plumbing — residential, commercial, gas fitting, backflow prevention
3. HVAC/Mechanical — HVAC installation, refrigeration, sheet metal, boiler systems
4. General Contracting — residential remodeling, commercial construction, historic restoration
5. Roofing — residential, commercial, industrial, specialty membrane systems
6. Landscaping and Irrigation — design, installation, licensed irrigation systems
7. Pest Control — structural, agricultural, fumigation
8. Concrete and Masonry — flatwork, structural, restoration

Each primary category links to a dedicated subcategory index. The authority industries trade categories page provides the full taxonomy with subcategory definitions and the licensing frameworks each category maps to by state.

The contrast between licensed trade categories and registered trade categories is operationally significant. Licensed categories require a state-issued license as a condition of legal operation. Registered categories require only that a business file with a state registry — a lower legal threshold that changes how verification is applied and what the listing badge communicates to a user researching that contractor.