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The Washington Contractor Startup Checklist

The full, sourced version of this guide is here.

Every box you need to check to go from "I want to start" to an active registration and a legal first job. Free to use. When you want the guided version, the membership turns each box into a step-by-step path.

Build My Free Roadmap

Phase 1: Set up the business

Decide LLC vs. sole proprietor (see the trade-offs)
Pick a name and check that it is available with the Secretary of State; your legal entity name can differ from the trade name customers see
Register the business and get your UBI from the Department of Revenue
Open a business bank account under the exact registered name

Phase 2: Bond & insurance

Choose general ($30,000 bond) if you will offer two or more trades, or specialty ($15,000 bond) for one trade; L&I says a specialty contractor may only perform the trade selected
Solo, no employees or subcontractors, only minor home repairs under $2,000 with no building permit: check the handyman specialty ($15,000 bond)
Plumbing or electrical: those trades have their own license and bond ($6,000 plumbing, $4,000 electrical)
Buy your surety bond and get the original document
Get general liability insurance: $200k/$50k or $250k combined
Confirm the insurance certificate names your business exactly as registered

Phase 3: Register with L&I

Complete Form F625-001
Attach bond, insurance, and UBI
Pay the $150.20 registration fee
Wait for your registration number to go active before advertising or bidding

Phase 4: Before your first hire

Open an L&I workers' comp account
Understand employee vs. subcontractor rules

Phase 5: First job, done legally

Put your registration number on your advertising, website, cards, bids, and contracts
Residential job of $1,000 or more: give the customer the disclosure statement before you start (RCW 18.27.114), or you lose your lien rights on that job
Use a written contract that spells out scope, price, deposit, payment schedule, and change orders
Know your lien deadline: record a lien no later than 90 days after you stop furnishing labor or materials (RCW 60.04.091)
Pull permits where required and verify subs are registered

Operator note

This checklist is genuinely all free. Use it even if you never buy anything. The free builder gives you a first-pass path. The membership is for people who do not want to spend three weekends figuring out the forms, wording, and first-job setup.