How to check a window and door installer's license in Suffolk or Nassau

What New York State and federal rules say

• A window or door project that disturbs lead paint in a home built before 1978 must be done by a lead-safe certified contractor, the state Health Department says of the EPA rule.
• Putties, caulks, paints and cements appear on the state Department of Labor's list of building materials that might contain asbestos.
• New York's General Business Law lists the replacement or improvement of windows as home improvement in section 770.

In Suffolk County

• New windows and doors are an improvement to residential property, and Suffolk's home improvement law requires a county license for that work unless the business is exempt.
• Storms and screens are among the areas of work Suffolk Consumer Affairs lists under home improvement.

1. 1Step 1Suffolk's License and Complaint Violation Look Up checks window and door installers once Home Improvement License is selected and a name or license number is entered.
2. 2Step 2Searching by a specific license type in Suffolk's lookup leaves out complaints and violations and returns only license data.
3. 3Step 3Suffolk's license verification line at Consumer Affairs, (631) 853-4600, takes calls about window and door installers.

In Nassau County

• On Nassau's home improvement licensing list, doors, windows and awnings share one entry.
• Nassau's Administrative Code names windows in its home improvement definition, and the county bars anyone from running a home improvement business without a license.
• A window or door contractor's RRP lead certificate counts with Nassau Consumer Affairs only if it was issued by an EPA-accredited training program under 40 CFR Part 745.225.

1. 1Step 1Nassau's Valid Business License Search takes one search field at a time, such as License or Company Name, for checking a window or door installer.

Towns with a license of their own

• 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.