How to Check if a Cleaning Company Is Licensed and Insured in Washington
How to check a cleaning company's Washington license: UBI lookup, city endorsements and the insurance certificate, step by step. Text for a written price.
By Yuri and Tatiana, owners of Shining Cleanse LLC, a family cleaning company based in Everett, WA and licensed in 10 cities across Snohomish and King County.
To check if a cleaning company is licensed in Washington, ask for its UBI number and search it on the Department of Revenue Business Lookup. Confirm that the legal name matches, the license is active and your city is listed as an endorsement. Then ask for a certificate of insurance with current general liability coverage. It takes about ten minutes.
There is no special trade license for house cleaning the way there is for electricians, so “licensed” means the business license itself. The check is the same whether you are hiring for house cleaning or for office cleaning. Below is each step, with our own company as the worked example. This is general information, not legal advice.
How do I look up a business license in Washington State?
Use the free Department of Revenue Business Lookup. You need the company’s UBI number or its exact business name.
- Ask the company for its UBI number. A legitimate business can text it to you in a minute.
- Open the Business Lookup. It searches business licenses, tax accounts and reseller permits issued by the Department of Revenue.
- Choose the general license search and enter the UBI without spaces, or the business name.
- Complete the security check and run the search.
- Open the matching result and read three things: the legal name, the license status and the list of endorsements.
- Compare the legal name with the name on your quote, invoice and insurance certificate. They should match.
If nothing comes up, try the name with and without “LLC”, or ask for the exact legal name. If there is still no record, treat that as a no until the company shows you otherwise.
Many companies advertise under a trade name (“doing business as”) that differs from the legal name. That is normal. The lookup has a trade name search, and the result should lead back to the same UBI. If the van, the website and the invoice point to different businesses, ask which one you are hiring: that is the one your agreement and the insurance are with.
What is a UBI number?
A UBI (Unified Business Identifier) is the nine-digit number Washington assigns to a business. It ties the company’s state license, tax account and endorsements together, so it is the fastest way to find the right record. Company names repeat and change; a UBI does not.
Before
AfterDoes a cleaner need a city business license?
Usually, yes. A city endorsement is an addition to the state license that lets a business operate in a particular city. The Department of Revenue explains on its city endorsements page that it applies to businesses located in a listed city or traveling into one to work.
That second part is the one that matters for cleaners: a company based in one town and cleaning homes in yours may need your city’s endorsement too. If your city is not on the Department of Revenue list, it may license businesses directly, and the city clerk can tell you.
What a clean result looks like: our own record
Searching our name returns Shining Cleanse LLC, the legal name on our quotes and invoices, with endorsements for the ten cities we work in, from Mukilteo and Lynnwood to Redmond and Lake Stevens. We only book work in those ten cities.
| What to check | What you should see for us | Red flag in general |
|---|---|---|
| Legal name | Shining Cleanse LLC | A different name than on your quote |
| UBI | Sent by text on request | The company will not share it |
| License status | Active | Closed, expired or not found |
| City endorsements | Mukilteo, Lynnwood, Bothell, Kirkland, Redmond, Kenmore, Woodinville, Mill Creek, Mountlake Terrace, Lake Stevens | Your city missing while they offer to clean there |
| Insurance | General liability, $1,000,000 per occurrence / $2,000,000 aggregate | No certificate, or one in another name |
A company should only offer to work where it is licensed, and it should tell you plainly when it is not. If you want to know who is behind the name, here is why a former engineer cleans houses in Snohomish County.
How do I verify a cleaning company’s insurance?
Ask for a certificate of insurance (COI) and read it before the first visit. A COI is a one-page summary from the insurance agent showing who is insured, by which carrier, for what limits and for which dates.
- Named insured: the same legal name you found in the Business Lookup.
- Policy dates: your cleaning date should fall between the start and end dates.
- General liability limits: an amount per occurrence and an aggregate amount. Ours are $1,000,000 and $2,000,000.
- Producer: the agent or broker. If anything looks off, contact that office and ask whether the policy is in force.
General liability covers damage the company causes to your property, such as a cracked tile or a water stain from a tipped bucket. Property managers and HOAs often ask to be listed as additional insured; that is a normal request. We send our COI on request, usually by text or email the same business day. Our guide to what a cleaning company’s COI shows goes line by line.
A certificate is a snapshot of the day it was issued. If you keep a vendor’s COI on file, ask for a new one when the end date passes. Businesses comparing vendors can see how this works in our commercial cleaning guide for Kirkland, Mukilteo and Lynnwood.
Do house cleaners need to be bonded in Washington?
The state business license and city endorsements do not include a bond. Bonds are part of contractor registration with the Department of Labor & Industries, which covers construction trades. Some cleaning companies buy a bond voluntarily. The word covers different products, so if a company advertises “bonded”, ask what the bond covers, for how much, and for the document. We carry general liability insurance and send the certificate.
If a company has employees, also ask about workers’ compensation: general liability does not cover a worker hurt in your home. The L&I Verify a Contractor, Tradesperson or Business tool shows whether a business has an active workers’ comp account. Search the same UBI. For the record, we have no employees: the two owners, Yuri and Tatiana, do every job. Deciding between a company and a self-employed cleaner? Our comparison of a cleaning company vs independent cleaner covers price, injuries and insurance.
What should you do if a company fails these checks?
Ask one follow-up question, then decide. Sometimes there is an innocent reason, such as a new endorsement still processing or a trade name that differs from the legal name. A legitimate company can explain it in writing and show you the record.
Walk away if the company will not give you a UBI, the license is closed, the name on the insurance certificate does not match, or it offers to work in a city where it holds no endorsement. Those details decide who is responsible if something goes wrong in your home. If your current cleaner fails them, our guide on how to fire a house cleaner covers notice and getting keys back. For the rest of the decision, see our nine questions to ask a house cleaning company and what house cleaning costs in Snohomish and King County.
Our jobFAQ
Is a cleaning company with an LLC automatically licensed?
No. Forming an LLC is done through the Secretary of State and creates the legal entity. The business license and city endorsements are separate filings with the Department of Revenue. An LLC name on a website tells you the company exists, not that it is licensed where you live.
Can I check an independent house cleaner the same way?
Yes. A self-employed cleaner with a business license has a UBI and appears in the same lookup. If they do not, ask how they are registered and who is responsible if something in your home is damaged.
How often should I re-check a cleaner’s license and insurance?
Endorsements and insurance policies have end dates. For a recurring cleaner, look the UBI up again once a year and ask for a fresh COI when the old one expires.
Does a valid license mean the company does good work?
No. A license shows the business is registered and allowed to work in your city. Quality is a separate question: ask who comes, what is included, what happens if something is missed, and get the price in writing.
Get a written price
Text 2–4 photos of the space to (425) 539-5492 or request a written quote. Ask for our UBI, endorsements or COI in the same message. We reply with a written price the same business day (Mon–Fri 9am–7pm, Sat 9am–5pm).
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