Contact

National Trades Directory covers trade professionals and licensed contractors across the United States, and this page explains how to reach the directory's editorial and listing management team. Whether a submission requires a correction, a listing is under review, or a question involves coverage scope, the information below describes what the team handles, what details to include, and what response timelines to expect.

Service area covered

National Trades Directory operates at national scope, indexing trade professionals across all 50 US states. The directory spans multiple trade verticals — including electrical, plumbing, HVAC, roofing, general contracting, and related licensed trades — making it one of the broader multi-vertical reference resources for contractor and trade professional discovery in the US market.

Geographic coverage is not limited to metro areas. Listings exist for rural counties, mid-size cities, and high-density urban markets alike. For a structured breakdown of how regional coverage is organized, the US Regional Trade Distribution reference page documents how the 50-state footprint is segmented by trade category.

Inquiries from trade professionals, businesses, and researchers located anywhere within the United States fall within scope. Inquiries originating outside the US that concern a US-based trade professional or contractor are also within scope for listing verification and editorial matters.

What to include in your message

The team handles 4 primary categories of contact: listing submissions, listing corrections or removals, editorial and data source questions, and partnership or syndication inquiries. Each category benefits from a different set of details upfront.

1. Listing submissions
Include the business name, physical service address, primary trade category, state license number (if applicable), and the contact information to display publicly. Review the Listing Eligibility Requirements and Submitting a Trade Listing pages before writing — those documents clarify which fields are mandatory and which credential types the directory recognizes.

2. Listing corrections or removals
Provide the business name exactly as it appears in the directory, the specific field requiring correction, and documentation supporting the change (for example, a state license renewal number or updated address record). Requests to remove a listing should include the reason for removal — business closure, duplicate entry, or owner request — and the name on the listing. See Removing or Updating a Trade Listing for the full process.

3. Editorial and data source questions
Identify the specific listing or trade category in question, the nature of the discrepancy, and the public source being cited. The directory's data standards are documented at National Trades Directory Data Sources and National Trades Directory Verification Standards.

4. Partnership or syndication inquiries
Include the organization name, the nature of the proposed relationship, and relevant context about the trade verticals or geographic markets involved. The Authority Industries Directory Partnership Network page covers existing syndication frameworks.

Messages that omit the business name or listing category take longer to route and resolve. Attaching supporting documentation — license copies, state registry screenshots, or prior correspondence — reduces back-and-forth by an estimated 1 to 2 exchange cycles per ticket.

Response expectations

The editorial team processes incoming messages in the order received. Standard response time for listing corrections and removals is 3 to 5 business days. Listing submission reviews take 5 to 10 business days depending on trade category and verification complexity.

Partnership inquiries are reviewed on a rolling basis and may take up to 15 business days for an initial response, depending on volume and the specificity of the inquiry.

Expedited review is not available for most request types. The review process follows the verification standards published at National Trades Directory Verification Standards, and those standards require cross-referencing state licensing databases, which cannot be compressed beyond the database refresh cycles of the originating state agency.

A confirmation of receipt is sent for all messages processed through the directory's formal intake channel. If no confirmation arrives within 2 business days, the message may not have been routed correctly — resending with a clear subject line referencing the listing name and state will resolve most routing issues.

Additional contact options

Beyond direct messaging, 3 structured self-service pathways handle the most common needs without requiring a manual response:

1. Listing updates through the submission form — Minor updates to address, phone number, or trade category can be initiated through Submitting a Trade Listing, which routes changes into the standard verification queue.

2. Complaint and dispute process — If a listing contains information a trade professional believes to be factually inaccurate and the standard correction process has not resolved the issue, the Authority Industries Complaint and Dispute Process provides a structured escalation path.

3. Directory FAQ — A large share of common questions about how listings are ranked, how trade categories are assigned, and how credentials are verified are answered at Authority Industries Directory FAQ. Consulting that resource before submitting a message reduces resolution time significantly for informational inquiries.

For questions about how specific trade categories are defined or how licensing requirements vary by state, Trade Licensing Requirements by State and Multi-Vertical Trade Classifications are the appropriate reference points. Those pages are maintained independently of the contact queue and reflect current directory classification standards without requiring a manual response from the editorial team.