Hiring
Check the license before anyone picks up a tool
By Aging Safely Baths · Updated · 8 min read
A five-minute lookup on the Arizona Registrar of Contractors site can save you from the most common home-improvement problems.
Direct answer: In Arizona, almost every walk-in tub or roll-in shower installation must be done by a contractor licensed with the Arizona Registrar of Contractors, because the small-job exemption only covers work under $1,000 total that needs no permit. Walk In Tubs Arizona encourages every buyer to look up any installer's license, including ours, free at roc.az.gov before signing.
Why Arizona licensing matters for a bathroom job
A walk-in tub or roll-in shower is not a weekend project. The old tub comes out. New plumbing gets connected. Many tubs need a dedicated electrical circuit for jets or a heater. Showers often need a new drain, a sloped floor and waterproofing behind the tile. If any of that is done poorly, the problems may hide for months before showing up as a leak, a soft floor or a tripped breaker.
Arizona protects homeowners with a licensing system run by the Arizona Registrar of Contractors, often called the ROC. A licensed contractor has met the state's requirements, has a record you can look up, and answers to the ROC if there is a complaint. Checking that license before you sign is the single easiest thing you can do to protect yourself and your home.
This matters even more for older homeowners. People who are shopping for safer bathrooms are sometimes targeted by unlicensed crews and high-pressure sellers. The lookup is free, it takes a few minutes, and no honest contractor will mind that you did it.
The law in plain words
The $1,000 rule, and why it almost never applies to tubs
Arizona law has a small-job exemption, sometimes called the handyman exemption. Under A.R.S. §32-1121(A)(14), a person does not need an ROC license only when all of these are true:
- The whole job, labor plus materials, is under $1,000
- The work does not need a building permit
- The work is minor or casual in nature
The law also says a job cannot be split into smaller pieces to stay under the limit. A crew that offers to write up the tub as one job and the plumbing as another, so each is under $1,000, is not following the rule.
A walk-in tub or roll-in shower installation almost always costs more than $1,000 once you count the product and the labor, and it often involves plumbing or electrical work. So in practice, nearly every tub or shower install in Arizona needs an ROC-licensed contractor.
Supply-only buyers, take note. If you buy a tub through supply-only delivery and hire your own installer, the license check is your job. The rule applies to whoever does the installation, not to whoever sells the tub.
Source: Arizona Revised Statutes §32-1121(A)(14) and the Arizona Registrar of Contractors.
Step by step
How to look up a license on roc.az.gov
You can do this on a phone, a tablet or a computer. If screens are hard to read, ask a family member to sit with you.
- Get the license number. Ask the contractor for their ROC license number in writing. It should also be on the written quote, contract and business card. Arizona license numbers usually start with "ROC" followed by numbers.
- Go to the official site. Type roc.az.gov into your browser. Be sure you are on the state site, which ends in .gov.
- Find the contractor search. Look for the option to search for a contractor or check a license. You can search by license number, business name or a person's name.
- Enter the number. The license number is the most exact search. Business names can be similar, so the number avoids mix-ups.
- Read the record. Check that the status is active, the business name matches your quote, and the classification fits the work.
- Look at the history. The record may show complaints or disciplinary actions. One old issue that was resolved is different from a pattern.
- Save a copy. Take a screenshot or print the page and keep it with your quote.
Reading the record
What each part of the license record tells you
| Item on the record | What you want to see | If it looks off |
|---|---|---|
| Status | Active | Expired, suspended or revoked means do not hire until it is resolved. |
| Business name | Matches your quote and contract | Ask why the names differ and check the other name. |
| Classification | Covers the plumbing or remodeling work involved | Ask the contractor to explain, or call the ROC. |
| Qualifying party | A named person responsible for the license | Ask who that person is and whether they oversee your job. |
| Complaints | None, or old issues that were resolved | Several open complaints are a reason to keep looking. |
Good questions
What to ask before you sign
A license is the starting point, not the whole story. These questions help you understand who is doing the work and what happens if something needs fixing later.
A good contractor answers calmly and puts the important answers in writing. If you want a longer list, our team put together things to think about before you buy a walk-in tub or accessible shower, covering sizing, features and the questions families often forget.
For more on what a full install includes, see how installation works in Arizona.
- What is your ROC license number and classification?
- Who will actually be in my home, your staff or a subcontractor? Are they licensed too?
- Will this job need a permit, and who pulls it?
- Does the written quote list the product, labor and any extras separately?
- What warranty covers the product, and what covers the installation?
- How long will the work take, and what could make it longer?
- Who do I call if there is a problem after the install?
- When is payment due, and what forms of payment do you take?
Walk away
Red flags that mean slow down or say no
One of these alone might have an innocent reason. Two or more is a pattern.
Cash only
A business that only wants cash, or wants a large payment to a personal account, leaves you with little record and little protection.
No written quote
If the price, product and scope are not in writing, you have nothing to hold them to. Every legitimate quote can be written down.
Pressure to sign today
"This price is only good tonight" is a sales tactic, not a fact. A fair price is still fair next week.
No license number
If they cannot give one, or say you do not need one, remember the $1,000 rule.
Split the job
Offering to break the work into small pieces to avoid licensing is not allowed under Arizona law.
Door-to-door offers
Unsolicited visits or calls about "leftover materials" or "a crew in your area" deserve extra caution.
After you hire
Keep protecting yourself during the job
The license check is the first step, not the last. A few simple habits during the project make it easier to sort out any problem later, and they help an honest contractor do good work too.
If the scope changes once the old tub comes out, for example because the installer finds a worn subfloor, ask for the change and its price in writing before the extra work starts. A short written note, signed or emailed, is enough. That way nobody has to remember who said what.
- Keep the quote, contract, license printout and receipts in one folder
- Take photos of the bathroom before, during and after the work
- Get any change in price or scope in writing first
- Ask whether a permit was pulled and keep a copy if so
- Test the door, drain, jets and water temperature before the crew leaves
- Pay the final balance only when the work is complete
Helping a parent
For adult children and caregivers
If you are helping a parent from a distance, the license lookup is a great task to take on yourself. Ask your parent to send you the quote, look up the license, and call the contractor with your questions. Many families agree on a simple house rule: nobody signs anything for a home project until a second person has read it.
You can also help by being on the phone for the quote conversation. At Walk In Tubs Arizona, an Aging Safely Baths company, we are glad to include family members on a call, and we never require an in-home sales presentation. Quotes are free and written, and you can take your time.
Ask every installer for their ROC license number, including us. A trustworthy company expects the question.
Wondering what a fair price looks like? Read what drives walk-in tub cost in Arizona. Comparing a tub with a shower? See our page on roll-in showers. When you are ready to talk, contact our team or call 1-888-779-2284 and ask for a written quote with the license details included.
FAQ
Questions Arizona families ask
Does the installer's license need to match the type of work?
Yes. Arizona ROC licenses come in classifications for different kinds of work, such as plumbing or general residential remodeling. When you look up a license, the record shows its classification, so ask the contractor to explain how it covers your tub or shower job.
What if the contractor says the license is in a partner's name?
The license should belong to the business you are signing with, and the name on your contract should match the name on the ROC record. If the names do not match, ask why in writing and check the other business too. A mismatch is a reason to slow down.
Can I file a complaint if something goes wrong?
Yes. The Registrar of Contractors accepts complaints about licensed contractors and has information on its website about how the process works. Keep your written quote, contract, receipts and photos, since those help if you ever need them.
Is a handyman allowed to install my walk-in tub?
Usually not. Arizona's handyman exemption only covers small jobs under $1,000 total that need no permit, and a tub or shower installation almost always costs more and often needs plumbing or electrical work. Ask any handyman for an ROC license before hiring them for this job.
Bathe safely again, without leaving home.
Get a free, no-pressure Arizona quote for a walk-in tub or roll-in shower, installed or supply-only.