- Are you licensed? Ask for the NC General Contractor license number. Verify it at nclbgc.org.
- What is your insurance coverage? Liability minimum $1M, plus worker's comp.
- How deep do you drive pilings? The right answer is "to refusal," not a number of feet.
- What hardware do you use? 316 stainless on the saltwater side is the only correct answer.
- Will you provide an itemized estimate? Every board, fastener, and piling listed.
- Do you handle CAMA permits in-house? Yes, with permit fees billed at cost.
- Can I see three references in my county? A builder with no local refs is a red flag.
- What is your workmanship warranty? One year minimum, written.
The 8 questions
Red flags
- No NC GC license, or one in a different name than the company
- "Lumber and hardware" lumped as a single line item
- Reluctance to specify piling depth in writing
- "Galvanized is fine" on saltwater-side hardware
- Cash-only deposit requests above 25%
- Refusal to provide local references
- No written warranty
ML
About the author
Mark Lipe is the founder of Intracoastal Installs LLC. He has been building structures for 35 years and docks on the North Carolina coast since 2022 — he writes from direct field experience, not marketing copy.
More about Mark