Along with reviews and Star Score ratings, HomeStars’ Verification is one of the three most important tools for pros looking to build and maintain their online reputation. As the Verification process includes a criminal background check, confirms professional licensing, and more, homeowners can be certain that any pro with a Verified Badge has their professional and legal requirements in order.
For these same reasons, Verification Badges can’t remain active forever. A lot can change in a couple of years, and the only way we can assure homeowners that a given pro is still in good standing is to require occasional renewals. Read on to learn more about the Verification renewal process, find out when you need to renew your Verified Badge, and more.
How Frequently Does the Verification Badge Expire?
HomeStars’ Verification Badges are active for three years after the date of their approval. If you’re a HomeStars pro who just went through the process of getting Verified, you can take a deep breath and relax for a little while. If not, it’s important to check in with your Customer Success Manager to find out when your Verification is set to expire and plan to renew it in advance of this date.
How To Renew Your Verification
The process of renewing your Verification is identical to the process of getting Verified initially. It covers the following four areas:
- Criminal Background – To assure homeowners it’s safe to bring you into their homes
- Consumer Credit – To show homeowners you’ll handle their hard-earned money with care
- GST/HST – To validate that your business is properly established and legally recognized in Canada
- Trade License – To indicate that, if your profession requires licensing in your Province, you are up to date on these requirements
- Trades that require licensing include: plumbing and drain, roofing, HVAC, electrical, gas line installation, and custom builds
Your customer success manager will get in touch with you 30 days before your verification status expires so you have plenty of time to renew it. You will receive a personalized email with all the details on ‘how to renew your verification badge’ with step by step procedure. Once you’ve submitted an application, the process takes as little as four hours to complete. Simply contact your Customer Success Manager to kickstart the renewal process.
Benefits of Keeping Your Verification Badge Active
Homeowners lookout for the Verified Badge when considering which pro to hire. Any time you spend without an active badge on your listing hurts your business’s credibility and reduces your chances of landing projects.
In addition to this, an active Verified badge is one of the primary requirements for qualifying for HomeStars yearly Best of Awards. If you want a chance at winning, it’s important to make sure you’ve taken care of your renewal in time. Best of Awards drives homeowner connections and improves pros’ reputations, so it would be unfortunate to miss out on receiving this honour over a little unfinished paperwork.
Check Your Verification Status Today
Now that you’ve read about why Verification expires, how long your badge is active, and the importance of maintaining it at all times, the next step is to find out when yours expires. Once you have this information, you can plan to get ahead of it by sorting out all your paperwork in time. Reach out to your Customer Success Manager to find out the exact date your Verification expires, and ask them to guide you through the renewal process if you have any trouble. Once you’ve done that, take another step towards ensuring the success of your listing on HomeStars by logging in to request a review.
Article updated on: April 14, 2022
