Contractor compliance data from the source
TradeProof aggregates contractor license and insurance records directly from 180+ state licensing agencies across all 50 US states. We built a single platform so general contractors can verify subcontractor compliance in seconds, not hours.
What we do
We connect directly to state government licensing board databases across all 50 states and Washington D.C. to provide real-time license verification, workers' compensation coverage lookups, and disciplinary history checks. Our platform refreshes data nightly from every source.
Key capabilities:
- 50-state license verification aggregated from state licensing board records, refreshed nightly
- Workers' compensation insurance lookup with NAIC carrier verification
- Continuous monitoring with email and webhook alerts for expirations, suspensions, and revocations
- REST API for integration into existing construction management and ERP systems
- Compliance dashboard with audit logs, analytics, and exportable PDF reports
- COI tracking with automatic expiration alerts
- Subcontractor self-service portal at no cost to subcontractors
Why we built this
Construction is one of the most regulated industries in the United States. Every state has its own licensing board, its own rules, its own lookup portal. A general contractor working across multiple states faces a different process for each one.
The cost of getting it wrong is severe. Hiring an unlicensed subcontractor can result in stop-work orders, fines up to $25,000 per violation, project delays, and loss of the GC's own license. Insurance gaps can expose companies to millions in liability.
Legacy compliance platforms solve this, but they charge each subcontractor $300-$600+ per year just to be listed. This creates friction and blind spots — many smaller subs refuse to participate, leaving GCs with incomplete compliance coverage.
We took a different approach: the general contractor pays for the platform, and subcontractors are verified at no cost. Every sub can be looked up, not just the ones willing to pay a gatekeeper fee.
Leadership
Jeff Cadet
Jeff built TradeProof from the ground up — from the data integrations that pull records from 180+ government agencies, to the API serving millions of license lookups, to the compliance dashboards used by general contractors across all 50 states.
Before TradeProof, Jeff worked in enterprise healthcare IT, managing infrastructure held to the same regulatory and data-accuracy standards the construction industry demands. CompTIA A+ certified. Fluent in English, French, Haitian Creole, and Spanish.
Our company
TradeProof is a registered trade name (DBA) of Cadet Group LLC, headquartered in Columbus, Ohio. Founded in 2025, we are focused exclusively on solving compliance challenges in the construction industry.
Columbus sits at the center of a growing construction technology ecosystem and gives us direct proximity to the Ohio Construction Industry Licensing Board (OCILB). With Ohio's E-Verify Workforce Integrity Act taking effect in 2026, construction compliance is more critical than ever for contractors operating in the state and nationwide.
How it works
- Look up a contractor. Enter a license number and state, or search by business name. We return the license status, type, expiration date, business name, and any disciplinary actions — sourced directly from the state government record.
- Add to your watchlist. Monitor subcontractors automatically. We check their license status every night and alert you immediately if anything changes.
- Stay compliant. Generate PDF compliance reports for audits, track insurance certificates, and manage your subcontractor compliance program from a single dashboard.
For developers
TradeProof provides a full REST API for integrating contractor verification into your construction management tools, ERP systems, or custom workflows. The API supports single and batch lookups of up to 100 contractors per request.
Documentation is available at tradeproof.net/developers. Developer plans start at $99/month for sandbox access.
Built with
Built on enterprise-grade infrastructure to keep your data secure and available.
Backed by
TradeProof is a proud recipient of the ElevenLabs Startup Grant.
Get in touch
Questions about TradeProof? Want to see a demo? We'd be happy to walk you through it.
[email protected]