How to check a siding contractor's license in Suffolk or Nassau

What New York State and federal rules say

• Among the building materials that might contain asbestos, New York's Department of Labor names siding shingles.
• State law requires an asbestos survey before all exterior renovation and repair work, re-siding included, the Department of Labor says.
• If a siding job disturbs painted surfaces on a home built before 1978, the EPA's Renovation, Repair and Painting Rule requires the paid contractor to be certified.
• New York's General Business Law defines a roofing contractor to include anyone in the business of siding, gutter, downspout or roofing services for a fee.

In Suffolk County

• Suffolk's home improvement law lists siding by name, and a siding business needs a license from the county's Consumer Affairs office unless the law exempts it.
• Suffolk Consumer Affairs also includes siding in its list of home improvement work.

1. 1Step 1A siding contractor's business name goes into Suffolk's License and Complaint Violation Look Up, with Home Improvement License as the type, to check the county license.
2. 2Step 2A siding contractor's county license can be confirmed with one call to Suffolk Consumer Affairs, at (631) 853-4600.

In Nassau County

• Nassau's Department of Consumer Affairs requires a license for siding installation, one of the trades on its home improvement list.

1. 1Step 1A Nassau siding contractor can be found in the county's Valid Business License Search by its street address, company name or license number.

Towns with a license of their own

• City of Long Beach: The City issues building permits only to a City of Long Beach licensed contractor or the homeowner, and a licensed contractor must complete an affidavit that they alone are doing the work.
• Town of Southampton: Southampton requires its own Home Improvement Contractor's License for home improvement work, and its licensing covers every village except the Village of Westhampton Dunes. A builder of a new home needs no town license for now, but the builder's subcontractors must be licensed.
• Town of Southampton: A Southampton home improvement license is valid for one year. A new application costs $250.00 by cash or check or $257.50 by credit, and an on-time renewal costs $175.00, or $180.25 by credit.
• Town of Shelter Island: Shelter Island requires home improvements to be performed by a licensed contractor holding a Shelter Island license.
• Town of Shelter Island: Shelter Island's notice to contractors says every contractor or subcontractor working on the island, landscapers included, needs a town license.
• Town of Shelter Island: Shelter Island takes home improvement license applications online, and a new license needs a $250 check to the town, a liability certificate naming the town as certificate holder and, if applicable, a workers' compensation certificate.

Beyond the license

• Ask for a certificate of insurance sent to you by the insurer, naming you as the certificate holder.
• Ask who files the permit and books the inspections, and get it in the contract.
• Get the price, the scope, the start and finish dates and the payment schedule in a written contract.